FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- More details have emerged on the five-year, $65 million contract that cornerback Stephon Gilmore signed with the New England Patriots, with the specifics allowing for a more thorough analysis of the pact.
Signing bonus: $18 million
2017
Base salary: $4.5 million (fully guaranteed)
Roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Salary cap charge: $8.6 million
2018
Base salary: $8.5 million (fully guaranteed)
Roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Salary cap charge: $12.6 million
2019
Base salary: $9.5 million (guaranteed for injury)
Roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Salary cap charge: $13.6 million
2020
Base salary: $10.5 million
Roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Salary cap charge: $14.6 million
2021
Base salary: $11.5 million
Roster bonus: $500,000 ($31,250 per game)
Salary cap charge: $15.6 million
The $18 million signing bonus is a large sum from a cash-flow perspective to pay out for the team, but that's the cost of doing business for a player viewed by some in the scouting community as a No. 1-caliber cornerback. What stands out to me with this deal is that the full guarantees are in the first two years, so if the Patriots decide it didn't work out and wanted to move on from Gilmore (assuming good health), a potential cleaner breaking point would come after 2018. At that point, Gilmore would have earned $32 million over two years if he played in every game. So while the reported terms of the deal are five years and $65 million, one could also say it's two years for $32 million. While the cap hits rise late in the deal, if Gilmore plays like a No. 1 cornerback at ages 29-31 and the overall NFL salary cap continues to rise, those aren't outlandish numbers to absorb from 2019-2021.
