The Saints have restructured the contract of offensive tackle Zach Strief, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate (all Twitter links).
Originally scheduled to earn a base salary of $1MM in 2017, Strief will now bring in a $1.7MM base salary next season, per Underhill. Meanwhile, Strief’s per-game active roster bonuses will increase from $1.4 to $1.7MM. While none of those figures are guaranteed, the moves do lift Strief’s cap charge by $1MM to $6.1MM.
The Saints appear to be simply rewarding Strief for a solid 2016 season, as the reworking of his contract doesn’t contain any financial incentives for the club. Last year, the 33-year-old Strief played more than 97% of the Saints’ offensive snaps and posted perhaps the best campaign of his career. Strief graded as the No. 12 overall tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, which gave him excellent marks in the run and pass game.
Currently, Strief is signed through the 2018 season. The Saints, for their part, seem to have found a ready-made long-term replacement for Strief by selecting Wisconsin tackle Ryan Ramczyk with the final pick of the first round in last month’s draft.