BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Center Mike McGlynn and defensive end Trent Cole received huge raises. Safety Marlin Jackson took a big pay cut. And wide receiver DeSean Jackson did indeed get more money -- but not exactly what hes looking for.
CSNPhilly.com obtained the complete set of 2011 Eagles contracts from a league source, and an examination of the numbers reveals several very interesting things:
Cole earned himself a 1 million raise by meeting performance-based incentives that triggered a contract escalator in his deal. Coles base salary for 2011 increased from 2.9 million to 3.9 million, a 26 percent raise. Coles salary cap figure went from 4 million to 5 million. His 2012 and 2013 base salaries (2.9 million and 3.4 million) stayed the same.
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By starting 14 games at center after Jamaal Jacksons season-ending injury on opening day, McGlynn triggered a 445,000 playing-time and performance escalator in his contract that nearly doubled his base salary, from the original 555,000 up to 1 million. Thats a 45 percent pay increase for the fourth year lineman. McGlynns cap number increased accordingly, from 682,780 to 1,127,780. McGlynn, a fourth-round draft pick in 2008, is in the final year of his rookie deal and will be a free agent after the season without a new contract.
Marlin Jackson, who missed all of last year after tearing his Achilles in a spring minicamp practice, took a 1.315 million pay cut in the second year of his two-year deal, from 2 million to 685,000. Jacksons 66 percent base salary pay cut came on Jan. 21, and his cap number dropped from 2,007,280 to 692,280.
DeSean Jackson, now holding out of training camp, saw his base salary increase -- but not by very much. His base salary of 565,000 nudged up to 600,000, a modest 6 percent pay raise that wasnt due to incentives but because the NFLs minimum wage for players with three years experience increased to 600,000. Yep, DeSean Jacksons base salary is the NFL minimum.
Cornerback Joselio Hanson also picked up some spare pocket change, hitting a 200,000 escalator that boosted his 2011 base salary from 1,680,000 to 1,880,000 and increased his salary cap figure from 2.235 million to 2.435 million.
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The increase in minimum wage also resulted in fairly significant raises, mainly for some of the Eagles younger players. For example, the Eagles second-year players -- notably Daniel Teo-Nesheim, Keenan Clayton, Mike Kafka, Clay Harbor, Riley Cooper, Jamar Chaney, Kurt Coleman, Austin Howard, Chad Hall and Trevard Lindley -- all received 45,000 pay raises for 2011 since the minimum wage went up from 405,000 to 450,000. Thats a 10 percent raise across the board.
The same goes for fourth-year veterans like Trevor Laws and Owen Schmitt, who were on the books for minimum-wage deals worth 555,000 but are now making 600,000 (same as DeSean Jackson). The same 45,000 raise for those guys is worth 8 percent.
The Eagles are making very good use of the NFLs veteran minimum salary exemption rule, which provides teams with salary cap relief when they sign older veterans to minimum-wage deals that include bonuses of 50,000 or less. The rule was instituted to protect older players from being released as their minimum salaries increased. For example, recent acquisition Evan Mathis signed a one-year deal worth 685,000, the NFL minimum for a sixth-year player.
Since its a minimum-wage deal for a player with at least six years in the league and it includes no more than 50,000 in bonuses, Mathis only counts 353,000 against the 2011 cap. Others who signed identical deals include Akeem Jordan, Ryan Harris, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Anthony Hargrove. It might not seem like much, but a 353,000 cap savings times five players is 1.765 million in extra room under the 2011 cap of just over 120 million.
Draft Pick Contracts
Here are the nuts and bolts of the contracts the Eagles draft picks received:
Danny Watkins: Signing Bonus: 4,271,600. Base salaries of 375,000 in 2011, 735,725 in 2012, 1,096,450 in 2013 and 1,357,175 in 2014. Cap figures: 1,442,900 in 2011, 1,803,625 in 2012, 2,164,350 in 2013, 2,525,075 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 7,935,950.
Average: 1,983,988 per year.
Jaiquawn Jarrett: Signing Bonus: 1,117,272. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 538,590 in 2012, 702,169 in 2013 and 865,749 in 2014. Cap figures: 654,318 in 2011, 817,908 in 2012, 981,487 in 2013, 1,145,067 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 3,598,780.
Average: 899,698 per year.
Curtis Marsh: Signing Bonus: 543,520. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 500,000 in 2012, 625,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 510,880 in 2011, 635,880 in 2012, 760,880 in 2013, 780,880 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 3,239,160.
Average: 672,130 pear year.
Casey Matthews: Signing Bonus: 434,864. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 483,716 in 2011, 573,716 in 2012, 663,716 in 2013, 758,716 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,479,864.
Average: 619,966 per year.
Alex Henery: Signing Bonus: 420,108. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 480,027 in 2011, 570,027 in 2012, 660,027 in 2013, 780,034 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,490,115.
Average: 622,529 per year.
Dion Lewis: Signing Bonus: 188,880. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 680,220 in 2011, 512,220 in 2012, 602,220 in 2013, 692,220 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,486,880.
Average: 557,220 per year.
Julian Vandervelde: Signing Bonus: 164800. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 416,200 in 2011, 506,200 in 2012, 596,200 in 2013, 686,200 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,204,800.
Average: 551,200 per year.
Jason Kelce: Signing Bonus: 97,432. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 399,358 in 2011, 489,358 in 2012, 579,358 in 2013, 669,358 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,137,432.
Average: 534,358 per year.
Brian Rolle: Signing Bonus: 96,600. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 399,150 in 2011, 489,150 in 2012, 579,150 in 2013, 669,150 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,136,600.
Average: 534,150 per year.
Greg Lloyd: Signing Bonus: 29,900. Base salaries: 375,000 in 2011, 465,000 in 2012, 555,000 in 2013 and 645,000 in 2014. Cap figures: 382,475 in 2011, 472,475 in 2012, 562,475 in 2013, 652,475 in 2014.
Total value: Four years, 2,069,900.
Average: 517,475.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com