Larry Ogunjobi is entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal. Every indication is the Cleveland Browns intend to keep the young defensive tackle.
It will require GM Andrew Berry making an investment in Ogunjobi that might seem higher than expected for a player of his relatively low national profile. Ogunjobi doesn’t figure to come cheap.
He posted 50 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2019 one year after notching 52 tackles and the same 5.5 sacks in his second season. Ogunjobi accomplished those near mirror numbers in different defensive schemes. Consistency across scheme is something the NFL will value highly.
What will Ogunjobi get in his next contract? Here are a few similar players and the contracts they’ve earned recently to provide a baseline for negotiations between the Browns and Ogunjobi.
Matt Ioannidis, Redskins
Ioannidis signed a 3-year extension in April of 2019 valued at $21.75 million. Just over $11 million was fully guaranteed. His deal also includes per-game roster bonuses that tally $300,000 per season.
Ioannidis, who plays both tackle and end in Washington’s well-stocked defensive front, tallied 12 sacks and 58 total tackles in the two seasons prior to earning his new payday. He’s the figurative floor for Ogunjobi in his negotiations with Cleveland.
Javon Hargrave, Eagles
Hargrave moved across Pennsylvania from the Steelers to the Eagles this offseason. The Eagles gave him $39 million over three years to make the free agency jump, with $25.5 million guaranteed.
Hargrave, like Ogunjobi, was a 3rd-round pick who stepped up after a rookie season of learning to play in the NFL. In his last two seasons with the Steelers, Hargrave posted 109 total tackles and 10.5 sacks. He’s more of a nose tackle than Ogunjobi, but the statistical similarities are more pertinent than the positional designation.
Jordan Phillips, Cardinals
Phillips earned a 3-year, $30 million contract in free agency this offseason to join Arizona. He cashed in on a breakout 2019 with Buffalo, notching 9.5 sacks and 31 tackles for the Bills. Prior to that standout season, Phillips had been an underwhelming journeyman-type player, bouncing from Miami to Buffalo and functioning as more of a role player than a prime free agent.
Phillips is guaranteed just $14.5 million at signing, a lower percentage than Ioannidis or Hargrave. That is perhaps a reflection on his one-year-wonder status, but it could also be a gateway for him to ask for more money down the line if he repeats his 2019.
Ogunjobi should command at least the same deal as the one Phillips signed with the Cardinals. He very well could match Hargrave’s new contract, and that’s a deal that could price him out of Cleveland if the Browns wait for him to post another 5-sack, 50-tackle season.