No NFL free agent signed a contract this offseason with a larger overall value than Aqib Talib‘s $57MM deal with the Broncos, which would keep the cornerback under contract through 2019 if he played out the entire pact. Of course, the odds of that are extremely slim. Talib’s deal includes just $11.5MM in guaranteed money, about 20% of the total value, so it’s a sort of pay-as-you-go arrangement for the Broncos, who could easily cut bait after a couple seasons without owing Talib anywhere near $57MM.
As Talib’s case exhibits, total overall value isn’t necessarily the best way to evaluate which free agent contracts were the most lucrative signed in a given offseason. But if we combine it with other factors and variables, it can help provide a more complete picture.
So rather than just looking at the 2014 free agent contracts with the largest overall value, let’s break down the deals with the most fully guaranteed money and the highest per-year value as well. With the help of OverTheCap.com’s free agent tracker, here are the top 10 contracts in each category signed by the members of the 2014 free agent class (not including deals signed prior to free agency):
Largest contracts by overall base value:
- Aqib Talib (CB, Broncos): $57MM, six years
- Jairus Byrd (S, Saints): $54MM, six years
- Branden Albert (OT, Dolphins): $47MM, five years
- Michael Johnson (DE, Buccaneers): $43.75MM, five years
- Everson Griffen (DE, Vikings): $42.5MM, five years
- Alex Mack (C, Browns): $42MM, five years
- Eugene Monroe (OT, Ravens): $37.5MM, five years
- Eric Decker (WR, Jets): $36.25MM, five years
- Vontae Davis (CB, Colts): $36MM, four years
- (tie) Jared Veldheer (OT, Cardinals), Lamarr Houston (DE, Bears), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB, Giants): $35MM, five years
Largest contracts by per-year average:
- Darrelle Revis (CB, Patriots): $16MM
- DeMarcus Ware (DE, Broncos): $10MM
- Aqib Talib (CB, Broncos): $9.5MM
- Branden Albert (OT, Dolphins): $9.4MM
- (tie) Jairus Byrd (S, Saints), Vontae Davis (CB, Colts): $9MM
- Michael Johnson (DE, Buccaneers): $8.75MM
- Julius Peppers (DE, Packers): $8.667MM
- Everson Griffen (DE, Vikings): $8.5MM
- Alex Mack (C, Browns): $8.4MM
- (tie) DeSean Jackson (WR, Redskins), Jared Allen (DE, Bears): $8MM
Largest contracts by fully guaranteed money:
- Branden Albert (OT, Dolphins): $20MM
- Everson Griffen (DE, Vikings): $19.8MM
- Eugene Monroe (OT, Ravens): $19MM
- Jairus Byrd (S, Saints): $18.3MM
- Alex Mack (C, Browns): $18MM
- DeMarcus Ware (DE, Broncos): $16.5MM
- (tie) Michael Johnson (DE, Buccaneers), DeSean Jackson (WR, Redskins): $16MM
- Jared Allen (DE, Bears): $15.5MM
- (tie) Vontae Davis (CB, Colts), Eric Decker (WR, Jets): $15MM
- Linval Joseph (DT, Vikings): $12.5MM