2016 Free Agency Could Blow the Lid off the NFL’s Salary Scales

February 28, 2016   ·   Ty Schalter   ·   Jump to comments

"What's the number?"
That's the question NFL movers and shakers will be asking each other at the beginning of the league's so-called "legal tampering window" on March 7—and, in reality, are probably asking each other as the combine rolls on in Indianapolis this weekend.
What is that number? The average annual value of free agents' contracts. Sure, an often-misleading total-salary figure gets trumpeted to the press, and the guarantee structure matters, too. But sort any position group's contracts by average annual value at Spotrac.com, and you'll see how the market really slots players.
Aaron Rodgers is the top-earning quarterback at $22 million. Russell Wilson's new deal pays just $100,000 less per year, at $21.9 million—and that's not a coincidence. Ben Roethlisberger is right behind Wilson, Eli Manning is a little further behind him, and so on.
There's a well-regulated rhythm to this: As every player's contract comes up, he gets slotted roughly where h...

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