GREEN BAY, Wis. – How do you spend $56 million in two hours?
Brian Gutekunst showed how that’s done in NFL free agency.
That’s how much the Green Bay Packers general manager put into signing bonuses for the four free agents the team came to terms with before his morning coffee cooled down on Tuesday.
Pass-rushers Za’Darius Smith ($20 million to sign) and Preston Smith ($16 million) accounted for more than half of that, while safety Adrian Amos ($11 million) and offensive lineman Billy Turner ($9 million) made up the rest.
But here’s the more important factor: The combined salary-cap charges for the four players in 2019 come to only $23.4 million. All were four-year deals.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Packers still had $17,542,429 in available salary-cap space for this season after the four signings went on their books and after Nick Perry, who was released on Tuesday, was wiped off. Although Perry will count $11.1 million in dead money on their 2019 cap, they still picked up $3,337,500 in cap space. They will still have to account for receiver Geronimo Allison's $2.02 million restricted-free-agent tender, which will take up about $1.45 million in additional cap space. (Because only the top 51 salaries currently count, it will replace one of the $570,000 minimum salaries.)
The most expensive of the four new contracts, Za’Darius Smith's, could become a two-year, $34.5 million deal if the Packers want to get out halfway through. His base salary spikes to $9.5 million in Year 3, when there’s also a $5 million roster bonus. So the Packers might chose to move on rather than pay the huge base salary spike.
Preston Smith’s big salary spike comes in Year 4, when his base salary nearly doubles from the previous year to $11.35 million, while Amos’ base jumps from $1.75 million in Year 2 to $4.9 in Year 3 and Turner’s goes from $1.75 million to $4.15 million Year 3.
Here’s a breakdown of each deal:
Za’Darius Smith
Total: Four years, $66 million
Signing bonus: $20 million
2019: $1 million base salary, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $750,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $7.25 million, total cash of $22.25 million
2020: $2 million base, $9 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $750,000 workout bonus, salary cap charge of $17.25 million, total cash of $12.25 million
2021: $9.5 million base, $5 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $750,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $20.75 million, total cash of $15.75 million
2022: $14.5 million base, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $750,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $20.75 million, total cash of $15.75 million
Preston Smith
Total: Four years, $52 million
Signing bonus: $16 million
2019: $850,000 base salary, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $650,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $6 million, total cash of $18 million
2020: $4.35 million base, $4 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $650,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $13.5 million, total cash of $9.5 million
2021: $6.85 million base, $4 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $650,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $16 million, total cash of $12 million
2022: $11.35 million base, up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($31,250 per game active), $650,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $16.5 million, total cash of $12.5 million
Adrian Amos
Total: Four years, $36 million
Signing bonus: $11 million
2019: $1.25 million base salary, $1 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $400,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($25,000 per game active), $500,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $5.9 million, total cash of $14.15 million
2020: $1.75 million base, $4 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $400,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($25,000 per game active), $500,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $9.4 million, total cash of $6.65 million
2021: $4.9 million base, $1.5 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $400,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($25,000 per game active), $500,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $10.05 million, total cash of $7.3 million
2022: $7 million base, up to $400,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($25,000 per game active), $500,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $10.65 million, total cash of $7.9 million
Billy Turner
Total: Four years, $28 million
Signing bonus: $9 million
2019: $1.35 million base salary, up to $300,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($18,750 per game active), $350,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $4.25 million, total cash of $11 million
2020: $1.7 million base, $3 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $300,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($18,750 per game active), $350,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $7.6 million, total cash of $5.35 million
2021: $4.15 million base, $1 million roster bonus due third day of league year, up to $300,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($18,750 per game active), $350,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $8.05 million, total cash of $5.8 million
2022: $5.2 million base, up to $300,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($18,750 per game active), $350,000 workout bonus, salary-cap charge of $8.1 million, total cash of $5.85 million