NFL teams have until May 3 to officially pick up their options on 2018 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. In a change from years past, fifth-year option seasons are fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement, and specific performance metrics:
- 2-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
- 1-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
- Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
- 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
- 75%+ average across all three seasons
- 50%+ in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-25th top salaries at their position.
With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:
Updated 4-30-21, 4:24pm CT
- QB Baker Mayfield, Browns: Exercised ($18.858MM)
- RB Saquon Barkley, Giants: Exercised ($7.217MM)
- QB Sam Darnold, Panthers (via Jets): Pending ($18.858MM)
- CB Denzel Ward, Browns — Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Bradley Chubb, Broncos — Pending ($12.716MM)
- G Quenton Nelson, Colts — Pending ($13.754MM)
- QB Josh Allen, Bills: Pending ($23.106MM)
- LB Roquan Smith, Bears: Exercised ($9.735MM)
- OT Mike McGlinchey, 49ers: Exercised ($10.88MM)
- QB Josh Rosen, Cardinals: N/A
- S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers (via Dolphins): Exercised ($10.612MM)
- DT Vita Vea, Buccaneers: Exercised ($7.638MM)
- DT Daron Payne, Washington — Exercised ($8.529MM)
- DE Marcus Davenport, Saints: Exercised ($9.553MM)
- OT Kolton Miller, Raiders — N/A (extension)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Bills: Pending ($12.716MM)
- S Derwin James, Chargers: Exercised ($9.052MM)
- CB Jaire Alexander, Packers: Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys: Pending ($9.145MM)
- C Frank Ragnow, Lions: Exercised ($12.657MM)
- C Billy Price, Bengals: Declined ($10.413MM)
- LB Rashaan Evans, Titans: Pending ($9.735MM)
- OT Isaiah Wynn, Patriots: Pending ($10.413 MM)
- WR D.J. Moore, Panthers: Exercised ($11.116MM)
- TE Hayden Hurst, Falcons (via Ravens): Pending ($5.428MM)
- WR Calvin Ridley, Falcons: Pending ($11.116MM)
- RB Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: Pending ($4.523MM)
- S Terrell Edmunds, Steelers: Pending ($6.753MM)
- DT Taven Bryan, Jaguars: Pending ($7.638MM)
- CB Mike Hughes, Vikings: Pending ($12.643MM)
- RB Sony Michel, Patriots: Pending ($4.523MM)
- QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Exercised ($23.106MM)
That’s a whole lot of ‘pending’ deals rather than picked up or resigned. We all get our hopes up this time of year, but no one knows a thing how the players will pan out. 2 out of the top 11 are already on new teams and Rosen is out of the league.
That’s simply not true. Only reason there are so many pendings is that teams have until after the draft to make a final decision. No reason to announce it early. Many of these will likely be extended too. There are quite a few studs in that list. More hits than misses definitely.
And josh Rosen isn’t out of the league. He’s currently the niners backup qb…
Re-read list list and tell many ‘pending’ there are listed. I understand they have until May to extend or not. But teams shouldn’t need 3 years AND 5 months to decide if they like a player or not. Its like any draft, some good to great players. Some with non stop medical issues, and some don’t pan out.
Last I heard of Rosen he was on the practice squad, not BU.
Why would teams voluntarily commit guaranteed money to players prior to the draft? No team knows how their draft will go, or who may fall to them. Additionally, teams won’t know what their post-draft salary cap figures will look like until after they, you know, draft. Teams trade draft picks all the time – this changes their slot amounts for what they’ll have to pay.
Teams are smarter than ever and know that flexibility is key.
Exactly. You don’t want to make a decision on a player that could be moved during the draft. They probably do know what they want to do, but no reason to rush when they have time. You don’t know what you don’t know, but they are certainly in control.
Rosen was signed off the TB practice squad he was on the active roster in December of 2020 due to injuries of SF primary and back up qbs and with their PS QB on the Covid list . Rosen was active for SF final two games then early this yr he was given a one yr extension so atm he’s not on a PS .
Yikes
id be shocked if Barkley doesnt get picked up.
The Giants should see what they could get for Barkley before the draft and possibly take Sermon in the second or third round.
Mara said they wanted him to be a Giant for life, but there was no hurry. Frankly the knock on Barkley isn’t so much how good a olayer he is as much as it’s where he was drafted. The Giant had no business drafting him with the second overall pick. They could have traded down if they were chicken to draft a QB. Running backs are too fragile to go that high. As good as he’s been when healthy, he’s spent the equivalent of a full season on the DL and even if he’s good as new next year, he’s a tackle away from being done.
Yeah, they’ll likely, and should pick it up. But man, is that pick ever evidence for why you should never take a RB with a pick that high. I don’t care how good that RB is, you’ll never get the proper value out of him. Also, you can find stud backs later in the draft.
I’d expect a good number of these to be picked up. It’s actually a decent list this year, either in terms of how good the player is or the value he provides to his team. Billy Price is the first for sure “no” that I see in my humble estimation (of course there will likely be a “no” before him based on who teams can get as a replacement, not necessarily as an outright rejection of the player himself). Darnold of course will be playing for another team, but it looks like 21 is the first certain rejection on the list, and others before have a chance to be picked up, depending on how the next week or so turns out.
Roquan Smith’s option was picked up today.
There is zero percent chance Minnesota picks up Mike Hughes’ 5th year. The dude just cannot stay healthy. I know, I wouldn’t pay 12M for a guy who can’t make it thru a full season. No F’in way.
Now the real question is, what do the Chargers do with James? Now that is a big dilemma. I feel as if they have to. Now that is an area where I would gamble. James is far and away a much better player than Hughes.
The Chargers just picked up Derwin’s extension. He does have serious health concerns, but he is one of the best defensive players in the entire NFL when on the field.
I wonder who will be the Jets next Marc “Sanchize” and Sam Darnold.