ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Each year, as part of the league's collective bargaining agreement, some players can receive performance-based pay bonuses.
These are players who out-performed their contracts and each team can disperse a given amount to players to reward that. Usually those who are either in their first NFL contracts or were signed to a minimum-salary contract who then work themselves in starting positions or key rotation players receive the most, but this year the Denver Broncos had players all over the depth chart earn the bonuses, including Pro Bowl selections such as quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
For the 2014 season, 56 different Broncos received a performance-based pay bonus in addition to their base salaries and any other roster or performance bonuses already in their contracts.
Linebacker Brandon Marshall, a player who had been released three times by the Jacksonville Jaguars and spent almost all of the 2013 season on the Broncos' practice squad before finding his way into the lineup, led the way at $277,471.04. Marshall's base salary in '14 was $495,000 and he went on to lead the team in tackles with 110, or 36 more than the next player (safety) T.J. Ward.
Running back C.J. Anderson was next with a performance-based bonus of $150,963.26. Anderson, who made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2013, led the team in rushing with 849 yards.
Defensive end Malik Jackson, a fifth-round pick in 2012, was third with a bonus of $150,845.45 and rookie linebacker Corey Nelson, a seventh-round pick in last year's draft who played 10 percent of the defense's snaps to go with 65 percent of the special teams snaps was at $147,712.15.
Tight end Julius Thomas, who just finished out his first NFL contract as a 2011 fourth-round pick, earned a $134,585.65 bonus for his second consecutive 12-touchdown season. Rookie linebacker Lamin Barrow, a fifth-round pick who played 74.4 percent of the special teams snaps last season, was next at $131.585.65.
Paul Cornick ($128,770.49), Steven Johnson ($126.383.75), Virgil Green ($126,770.49) and Orlando Franklin, who just signed a $35.5 million deal with the San Diego Chargers, was at $121,618.43 to round out the top 10.
Cornerback Bradley Roby, last year's first-round pick who played 75 percent of the defense's snaps, received $104,770.71
Veteran players who were Pro Bowl participants weren't left out including Ward ($46,091.48), Sanders ($36,597.08), Chris Harris Jr. ($35,610.31), Von Miller ($20,506.02), Ryan Clady ($18,963.64), Aqib Talib ($17,169.75) and DeMarcus Ware ($11,395.85).
And Manning and Demaryius Thomas, who did not participate in the Pro Bowl due to injuries, received $7,904.55 and $21,695.88, respectively.
