Salary – Syndication Server

Wisconsin’s Phil Longo one of the highest-paid offensive coordinators in college football

Wisconsin football stepped up its game in November of 2022 with the hire of Luke Fickell, one of the industry’s hottest young names. The move marked a substantial philosophical change by Chris McIntosh and the athletic department. It was a clear attempt to invest in an infrastructure that can compete in the modern age of college athletics.

The results will not be known for years. But the desire was clear: to compete in the new age of college football.

The program overhaul most notably included the hire of well-thought-of offensive coordinator Phil Longo and the installation of his air raid offense. Longo brought an impressive track record from years at North Carolina and Ole Miss. He was one of the bigger names in the sport, and brought a wave of excitement and optimism. Results have been mixed so far — Wisconsin finished the 2023 season with SP+’s No. 86-ranked offense, its worst mark in years. But optimism still exists entering 2024.

The addition of Longo and the rest of the Badgers staff required investment by McIntosh and his department. That is seen in Longo’s reported salary, which is among the highest in the sport.

Here are those rankings, according to FootballScoop:

(Note: it does not include some of 2024’s newest hires including Ohio State OC Chip Kelly, as those salaries have not yet been reported)

Salary: $1.85 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 65

Salary: $1.75 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 51

Salary: $1.65 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 15

Salary: $1.60 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating (at Kansas): No. 17

Salary: $1.50 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 13

Salary: $1.50 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating (at Texas A&M): No. 20

Salary: $1.40 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 97

Salary: $1.40 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 123

Salary: $1.40 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 1

Salary: $1.325 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 6

Salary: $1.30 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating (as TE coach at Washington): No. 5

Salary: $1.25 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating (at Boise State): No. 29

Salary: $1.25 million

2023 SP+ Offense Rating: No. 86

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

2 Broncos among highest performance-based pay earners

Broncos G Quinn Meinerz ($747,505) and OLB Jonathon Cooper ($940,000) received some of the largest performance-based pay bonuses in the NFL.

Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper were among the top 25 earners in 2023 as part of the NFL’s performance-based pay program.

“The Performance-Based Pay program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based upon their playing time and salary levels,” according to the NFL. Put simply, the program rewards players on low salaries who play significant snaps.

Meinerz and Cooper are still on team-friendly rookie contracts and they both started all 17 games last season. Meinerz received $747,505 in performance-based pay, a nice increase from his $1,095,078 salary last season.

Cooper received $738,916 in performance-based pay, which is not far away from his $940,000 base salary in 2023. The two players were rewarded for essentially outperforming their contracts.

Meinerz and Cooper weren’t the only Broncos players who received performance-based pay for the 2023 season.

The following players also got a boost to their salaries, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis: cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian ($625,000), cornerback Fabian Moreau ($526,000), defensive lineman Jonathan Harris ($485,000), safety Delarrin Turner-Yell ($387,000), cornerback Damarri Mathis ($376,000), tight end Adam Trautman ($368,000), center Lloyd Cushenberry ($357,000), linebacker Drew Sanders ($356), safety P.J. Locke Locke ($343,000), wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey ($342,000) and fullback Mike Burton ($339,000) also received performance-based bonuses.

View the full list of Denver’s bonuses on 9News.

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Report: Saints wrote injury protections into Chase Young’s contract

NOF’s Nick Underhill reports that the Saints wrote injury protections into Chase Young’s contract, though he’s expected to be ready in time for the regular season:

This is a bit of a relief. The New Orleans Saints wrote injury protections into their free agent contract with defensive end Chase Young, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. We’ll have to wait and see what shape those protections take, but typically they wipe out guarantees to save salary cap resources if a player doesn’t meet certain performance goals for play time. That can mean either games started, a percentage of snaps played, or something similar.

News broke Tuesday that Young would be undergoing neck surgery after signing his fully-guaranteed $13 million contract with the Saints, which sparked an uproar among Saints fans. While the reported expectation is for Young to miss most of the offseason program and return during training camp, there’s always the chance of complication or slow recovery. He isn’t expected to miss the start of the regular season. If he does miss time in September, the Saints have taken steps to protect themselves.

And Young knows that. He’ll have every incentive to attack his rehab and get back on the field as soon as possible. He won’t see the full $13 million he agreed to play for if he doesn’t. So it’s good to see the Saints were being proactive, too. Stay tuned for further details.

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Steelers prefer to keep WR Allen Robinson II but want him to take pay cut

One of the many decisions facing Steelers GM Omar Khan is what to do with Allen Robinson.

One of the many decisions facing Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan is what to do with Allen Robinson II.

Accounting for 280 yards and zero touchdowns on 34 receptions, the wide receiver was largely invisible after being acquired via a swap of seventh-round draft picks with the Los Angeles Rams last spring.

According to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov, word at the NFL scouting combine was the Steelers would like to keep him, but not with that price tag.

“Allen Robinson is a potential cut candidate due to his cap number exceeding $10 million, but the Pittsburgh Steelers would prefer to retain him at a reduced salary,” Meirov wrote. “Team officials met with Robinson’s representation in Indianapolis.”

Keeping him at his $11.9 million cap number ($10 million base salary plus $1.9 million of his signing bonus) is laughable.

At 30, Robinson’s best years are in the rearview. While he once was a playmaker, posting 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2015, 2019 and 2020, his production has fallen off.

There was mentorship chatter after his acquisition, but it’s evident it fell on deaf ears considering the friction from Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

The Steelers could see value in Robinson as a blocker, but according to Pro Football Focus’s advanced stats, he graded average in pass blocking (61.3) and below average in run blocking (57.8).

Pittsburgh would be wise to cut ties with Robinson before his $5.75 million roster bonus comes due on March 18.

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There’s a big misconception going around about Marshon Lattimore’s contract

There’s a big misconception going around about Marshon Lattimore’s contract. Any team that trades for him must pay him more than just his salary:

It’s important to remember that the NFL Scouting Combine isn’t just about the college prospects working out ahead of the 2024 draft; it’s also a mixer for personnel around the league to have dinner and drinks with players’ agents ahead of free agency, and for reporters to sit down with their contacts to gossip and source information.

Which is how we got this interesting nugget from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who emptied his notebook after a week in Indianapolis steakhouses, pubs, and other informal meeting-places.

And, based off what he’s learned, there’s a fierce market developing for talented cornerbacks. Fowler lists the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins among the teams looking to move most aggressively in upgrading their depth charts. And the New Orleans Saints could be in their crosshairs.

“Several teams believe Saints corner Marshon Lattimore — whose base salary is a paltry $1.2 million due to a restructure — is also available via a trade,” Fowler wrote. But that’s misleading.

While it’s true that Lattimore’s base salary is set at the league minimum of $1.21 million, that isn’t the only cost an acquiring team would have to pay. He’s also due to receive a $13.79 million roster bonus which will trigger one week before the start of the regular season, giving everyone involved a deadline to work out a deal. He’s going to receive $15 million in compensation from whichever team he’s playing for in the fall.

So while that lower base salary could make him more appealing to other teams in casual trade talks in March, teams are going to look at the situation with more scrutiny when they get down to brass tacks in June (when it’ll be easier for the Saints to trade Lattimore, for accounting purposes). Trading Lattimore before June 1 would cost the Saints a staggering $31.2 million in dead money. Waiting until after that date lessens the blow with charges of $10.6 million and $20.6 million in dead money for 2024 and 2025, respectively.

It’s a complicated contract situation, to be sure. And the easiest path out of it is getting everyone in New Orleans back on the same page so Lattimore can continue making plays for the Saints for years to come. But there are going to be teams willing to acquire him even if they have to wait it out through free agency and the 2024 NFL draft. We’ll just have to wait and see whether their patience wears off or if cooler heads prevail in New Orleans.

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Who are the top 15 highest-paid head coaches in college football?

Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell one of the highest-paid coaches in college football

The job description of a high-level college football coach is ever-changing.

There are the basic pillars of recruiting, in-game coaching and roster and staff management. But those duties now include recruiting in the transfer portal and managing the roster in the new NIL world.

As these duties have expanded and the hours have grown more and more insane, the money has grown as well.

Some will point to the lifestyle of high-level college football coaches and call it unsustainable. Whether it is or isn’t, the money certainly reflects the time and effort commitments.

Where do these salaries currently rank? Here are the top 15 highest-paid head coaches in college football — plus how Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell’s salary compares, courtesy of 247Sports’ Grant Hughes.

Broncos could save $48M in cap space with simple restructures

The Broncos could save more than $48 million in salary cap space with simple restructures this offseason.

The Denver Broncos are projected to be $24 million over the salary cap this offseason, leaving the team to make some tough decisions.

The Broncos could make some creative contract adjustments this spring to create more salary cap space. One way Denver could save cap space is through simple restructures, according to OverTheCap.com.

In a simple restructure, the Broncos can take payments and convert them into a signing bonus that is prorated into cap hits over the course of the contract. For example, a $4 million salary could be converted into a $3 million signing bonus that would be prorated as $1 million cap hits over the next three years (dropping the 2024 cap hit from $4 million to $2 million).

Maximum restructures are more complicated. In a max restructure, cap hits are prorated into the future by either giving a player an extension or adding void years to a contract.

Denver could save $48,265,444 in cap space this year through simple restructures, according to OTC. The team could create $112,019,979 through maximum restructures.

Here’s a quick look at 10 ways the Broncos could create more cap space either through simple restructures or extensions, courtesy of OTC.

How many years are the Saints stuck with Derek Carr’s contract?

How many years are the Saints stuck with Derek Carr’s contract? The NFL’s worst red zone quarterback hasn’t met expectations, but he may not be going away any time soon:

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has not met expectations through his first 11 starts with his new team, running an inefficient offense and deflecting responsibility to his coaches and teammates when pressed about it by the media. He’s hardly been the franchise savior Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis trumpeted him as.

What are his salary cap hits looking like? Everyone knows by now that a four-year, $150 million contract isn’t exactly what it seems. There are so many factors at play: funny money, void years, prorated signing bonuses, roster bonuses that can restructrured, guarantee triggers and incentives (both likely and unlikely to be earned, with different cap implications). It’s tough to make heads or tails of it. With that in mind, here are Carr’s annual cap hits as his contract stands:

2024: $35.7 million
2025: $45.7 million
2026: $55.7 million
2027: $5.7 million (void)

So what are the Saints’ options? Releasing Carr outright in 2024 would cost an additional $17.1 million, totaling $52.8 million in dead money. That’s about 23.5% of this year’s salary cap, so we can rule that out. Carr has a no-trade clause, and there’s no reason (from his perspective) to waive it and go one-and-done in New Orleans. Not when his $30 million base salary is guaranteed anyway. He has all the leverage here after the Saints gave it to him in this contract.

What about a post-June 1 release? That would actually break even and not cost the Saints any more salary cap resources … on June 2. The Saints would still be paying $35.7 million for having Carr on the books, but they wouldn’t add anything to it. The problem is they would have to keep that $35.7 million salary cap hit on the books at the start of the league year, through free agency and after the 2024 NFL draft while figuring out other ways to get under the salary cap. They wouldn’t receive any cap benefits by cutting Carr with that post-June 1 designation until after June 1.

So what’s to be done? The most likely outcome now is the same as it was when Carr’s deal was finalized in March. The Saints structured his contract with a planned restructure in the 2024 offseason that will convert most of his base salary into a new signing bonus, saving them more than $23 million against the cap. It will also mean that Carr’s cap hit of dead money in 2027 will approach $11.5 million. That’s assuming he plays out his four-year deal. If he’s released before it expires, that dead-money cap hit will accelerate to the current year.

When might that happen? This was designed to be a two-year deal with a team option in 2025; that’s when the Saints have an exit ramp to decide whether keeping Carr is worth the price (and trouble) or if it’s better to move on. If they do restructure his contract in 2024 and then release him in 2025, it would leave about $33 million behind in dead money but still save the Saints roughly $13 million. So much depends on the salary cap’s continued rise; some estimates have it reaching as high as $282 million by 2025, which would make that dead-money hit for Carr significantly easier to swallow.

Oh, so $33 million, that’s all? It’s ridiculous that we’ve gotten to this point in the discourse surrounding Carr and the Saints, but that’s the reality. Carr hasn’t played well enough through his first 11 games to earn the promise of 57 more starts (plus any potential playoff games). He hasn’t played well enough to justify the contract the Saints paid him, even if it is in line with other starting quarterbacks’ deals, and he hasn’t performed at a high enough level to dissuade them from drafting a young passer to develop as the future of the franchise.

Is that likely? No, not with Allen as head coach, and Carr’s contract structure essentially bought him another year on the job. Carr is here because Allen recruited him. If the Saints are stuck with Allen’s quarterback anyway, they may as well make him go down with that ship. We can see Loomis making the case for a third futile year with Allen at the helm already, now that he’s got his quarterback with a full season to settle in (not that a nine-year veteran should need it). Can’t you?

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By The Numbers: Comparing Saints QB Derek Carr to his predecessor Andy Dalton

We saw a lot of raised eyebrows and questioning takes from the pro football world when the New Orleans Saints announced a four-year contract with Derek Carr valued at up to $150 million, an average annual payout of $37.5 million. That number ranked tenth among NFL quarterbacks at the time of signing, and it’s since fallen to 13th around the league after a couple of young pros signed lucrative extensions.

But Carr has not played like the 13th-best quarterback in the game. He ranks 17th in passer rating (89.8), 20th in ESPN’s quarterback rating (50.7), and 16th in adjusted net yards per pass attempt (5.96), a metric which accounts for touchdown passes, interceptions, and sacks relative to passing yards and attempts. His passing grade at Pro Football focus ranks 23th (67.5). At best, you could argue Carr is playing like a league-average quarterback, but the numbers suggest he’s closer to mediocre, and that’s certainly what the viewing experience has felt like each week.

Let’s go back to that $37.5 million figure. The Saints paid Carr so highly because they believed he would be a big upgrade over Andy Dalton, the veteran backup who surprised everyone by starting 14 games last year after Jameis Winston was injured, and who received just $3 million from the Saints in his one-year contract. They could have paid 12.5 Andy Daltons for the price of one Derek Carr.

So has Carr been 12.5 times better than Carr? It’s a little premature to compare them head-to-head with Dalton having started 14 games last year and Carr just 10 games into his Saints career, but there’s enough data to work with to analyze some trends. So how do they stack up against each other?

Carr is averaging more passing yards per game (223.1) than Dalton’s pace last season (205.1), but that’s because he’s also throwing more often. He’s clocking 33.4 pass attempts per game against Dalton’s 27. Dalton had a slightly better completion percentage (66.7%) than Carr (65.9%) while averaging a full yard more per attempt (7.6) than Carr (6.7).

One thing Carr has done better than Dalton is protect the football. He’s thrown just four interceptions (1.2% of his attempts), turning the ball over at half the rate Dalton did (nine interceptions; 2.4% of his passes). But Carr has fumbled four times this season, losing the ball twice, while Dalton fumbled five times last year, losing once. Altogether that’s 6 turnovers for Carr in 10 games and 10 giveaways for Dalton in 14 games.

Last year, the Saints ranked 21st in red zone efficiency (521.%), with 25 of their 48 drives into the opposing 20-yard line ending in touchdowns. They’ve regressed this year with Carr at quarterback, posting the 24th-ranked red zone conversion rate (48.6%) while going 17-of-35. Poor execution in scoring position was a major criticism of Carr throughout his Raiders career, and those issues — questionable decision-making, inaccurate passes, and folding under pressure — have continued in New Orleans.

What’s more distressing is that Carr hasn’t hit the big plays outside the red zone, either. He’s thrown 8 of his 10 touchdown passes in the red zone. In his career he’s thrown about 35% of his touchdown passes from outside the red zone, out in the open field. This year he’s done so just twice. Even Dalton was able to hit on those deep touchdown passes from outside the 20-yard line last year (7 of 18; 38% of them).

That’s inexcusable for a quarterback with Carr’s experience and some of the best young deep threats in the game available to him. It’s past time he figure out whatever chemistry issues are putting a rift between him and Chris Olave. Rashid Shaheed deserves even more touches than he’s getting. Juwan Johnson has been a non-factor after breaking out last season with Dalton under center. At least Carr is throwing to Alvin Kamara more frequently, but it’s come at a detriment to his downfield weapons.

Carr is the veteran in the room, the Pro Bowl quarterback with 153 starts behind him. It’s past time he play like it. Or else it’s going to seem increasingly certain that the Saints miscalculated what he would bring to the table. If he can’t outperform Dalton, it’s worth asking whether they should have even made a switch to Carr, much less overpaid him so badly.

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Marshon Lattimore fined $16,391 for unnecessary roughness foul vs. Patriots

Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was fined $16,391 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in last week’s win over the Patriots:

The NFL fined New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore $16,391 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in last week’s win over the New England Patriots, the league announced Saturday. Lattimore was fouled early in the fifth quarter for an illegal hit on Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas that turned a 24-yard completion into a 39-yard gain, moving the New England offense from midfield and into Saints territory.

To add another aggravating factor to the play, Saints head coach Dennis Allen unsuccessfully challenged the ruling of a completed pass, costing the team a timeout just 10 minutes into regulation.

Fortunately none of it impacted the game’s outcome. That Patriots drive continued with a 3-yard run by Ezekiel Elliott, a 4-yard tackle for loss by Carl Granderson and a critical open-field tackle by Johnathan Abram that stopped Mike Gesicki short of the sticks. New England missed a 48-yard field goal try and the Saints went on to win the day 34-0.

As for Lattimore’s fine: he’s earning $60,000 each week in his regular game checks on top of the hefty signing bonus he received earlier this year after restructuring his contract, so this isn’t going to break his bank. But you’d still like to see the Saints avoid self-inflicted wounds like this as a team. Here’s to a clean game on Sunday.

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