FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A closer look at the contract signed by running back Donald Brown with the New England Patriots, while examining what it means for Brown and the team.
Terms: One year, $965,000
Signing bonus: $50,000
Base salary: $885,000 ($250,000 guaranteed)
Split salary: $453,000 (in the event of injury)
Workout bonus: $30,000
Salary cap charge: $680,000
This deal qualifies for the minimum salary benefit, which explains why Brown's salary cap charge is less than his base salary. Brown is guaranteed $300,000 in the deal -- $250,000 as part of his base salary and then the $50,000 he gets up front in the form of a signing bonus. Add in the $30,000 workout bonus, and Brown knows he will earn $330,000 depending on whether he makes the roster or not. Those numbers are reflective of the possibility that the Patriots had some competition for Brown from other teams, or that Brown himself wasn't necessarily in a hurry to sign unless there was some form of financial upside. From a Patriots perspective, it's still a minimal investment to make to build experienced depth at running back, which was an area the team was caught short in 2015 and had to adjust on the fly.
