Every off-season we see old and new NFL stars getting contracts or an extension to their current deals. The 2017 off-season has been no different with many players already collecting their fair share cash. Let’s examine some of these new deals and the rumors of other NFL stars seeking new money.
Those with new deals
Melvin Ingram: Moving from San Diego to L.A this off-season seemed to help the Chargers avoid another contract situation like Joey Bosa‘s last season. Securing one of their best players and avoiding a potential holdout, Melvin Ingram signed to a four-year contract worth up to $66 million with $42 million in guarantees, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Being one the best players defensively for the Chargers the past two seasons has paid off. Ingram has racked up 18.5 sacks along with not missing a game over the last two years, which is a major improvement from his injury prone start in the first seasons of his NFL career. Retaining the fifth year linebacker gives the Bolts two scary edge rushers in Bosa and Ingram that they need going into their first season in L.A. Along with Jason Verrett, Casey Hayward, and rising inside linebacker star Denzel Perryman, Melvin Ingram seeks to lead the Chargers as one of the best players on a young and talented defense in 2017.
Julian Edelman: Tom Brady‘s favorite pass catcher gets to stay in New England with an agreement with the Patriots on a two-year contract extension worth $11 million with $9 million guaranteed. This extension adds on to a four-year contract that ended after the 2017 season with him making $3 million. After an exceptional super bowl catch and a 1,000-yard season, Edelman cashes in and gets to stay on with the overwhelming Super Bowl favorites. While no one can deny the importance of Edelman in the receiving corps, he will now have to complete with newly acquired Brandin Cooks for targets. The depth chart for Patriot wide-outs is loaded with players like Malcolm Mitchell, new target Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, and Andrew Hawkins. Along with tight ends Dwayne Allen and superstar Rob Gronkowski, Edelman has a lot to compete with to be Tom Brady’s favorite target in 2017.
Christian Kirksey: This one was a little bit of a surprise to some, but one of the bright spots for the 1-15 Browns was their inside linebacker Christian Kirksey. Even though a scheme change is coming next season, the Browns hope they hit on this young star who was third in tackles in the NFL behind Seattle star Bobby Wagner and Buffalo linebacker Zach Brown. A former third-round pick has the Browns excited with their ongoing rebuilding phase and Kirksey hopes to be the lead linebacker along with Jamie Collins in Gregg Williams 4-3 scheme as the weak-side linebacker. The Browns can only hope that this is a starting point for consistency. The coaches also hope Kirksey can be a leader for their young defense that added first overall pick Myles Garret and Michigan star Jabrill Peppers in the draft.
Jeremy Maclin: The standout wide receiver just inked a new deal with the Baltimore Ravens. For more info and analysis on this signing read here.
#Ravens sign WR Jeremy Maclin
— LA Football Network (@LAFBNetwork) June 12, 2017
The rumors…
Derek Carr: The headline, $25 million dollar man, has come up in the past week for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. While there is no rush to get a deal done, there have been reports that the numbers for Derek Carr could be $25 million a year or above. For comparison, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck makes $24.6 million a year. As a top young quarterback in the league, Carr definitely deserves to cash in and the Raiders seem to be following the smart philosophy of not letting the face of the Franchise play for any other team anytime soon. With every passing day, however, Kirk Cousins‘ pending deal with the Redskins or another team could drive up Carr’s asking price. It’s only a matter of when, not if, for Derek Carr and the Raiders.
Golden Tate: A tweet got the ball rolling for Golden Tate who believes he should be one of the next ones to get an extension. Having the most forced missed tackles (73) since 2014 among wide receivers and coming off a 1,000-yard season certainly helps his cause. The Lions would certainly love to retain one of Matthew Stafford‘s favorite targets in the seasons to come.