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Mike Danna

NFL Contract Details: Giants, Danna, Wright

April 13th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on contracts recently signed around the NFL:

  • Drew Lock, QB (Giants): One year, $5MM. Opposed to initial thoughts, the announced value of $5MM is pretty true to the actual value of Lock’s new deal, if not a bit underreported. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the contract will have a guaranteed value of $4.95MM with only a $50K workout bonus not being guaranteed. As the projected starter for spring ball, Lock will almost certainly collect that workout bonus. In addition, Lock will be able to earn up to $3MM in incentives. $1MM can come from playing time ($250K for 40-49 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, $250K for 50-59 percent, $250 for 60-69 percent, and $250 for 70+ percent); $1MM can come from personal performance with a minimum of 224 pass attempts ($250K for 92.5 passer rating, $250K for a completion percentage of at least 65, $250K for 15 touchdown passes and an 88 passer rating, $250K for 2,000 passing yards and an 88 passer rating); and $1MM can come from playing time and team performance ($500K for 55-69 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and a playoff berth, $500K for 70+ percent and a playoff berth).
  • Isaiah McKenzie, WR (Giants): One year, $1.38MM. Per Duggan, McKenzie’s new contract has a guaranteed amount consisting of a $75K signing bonus, a much lower signing bonus than other New York receivers on veteran minimum deals. He can make an additional $92.5K in per game active roster bonuses for the year.
  • Jordan Phillips, DT (Giants): One year, $1.8MM. Duggan also gave us details on Phillips’ new deal, reporting a guaranteed amount of $430K in the form of a signing bonus. Phillips can earn an additional $100K in a workout bonus and $50K in per game active roster bonuses.
  • Mike Danna, DE (Chiefs): Three years, $24MM. The $13MM of guaranteed money that was originally reported is comprised of a $6.5MM signing bonus, the entirety of Danna’s 2024 base salary of $2.25MM, and $4.25MM of his 2025 base salary (worth a total of $5.24MM). Danna can earn a workout bonus of $250K in each of year of the deal and will receive per game active roster bonuses in the second and third years of the deal that can total up to $510K per year.
  • Brock Wright, TE (Lions): Three years, $12MM. The Lions matched the 49ers’ offer sheet for Wright and signed him to a new deal that includes a guaranteed amount of $4.6MM. That amount consists of a $3.55MM signing bonus and Wright’s 2024 base salary of $1.06MM. Next year, Wright can earn a potential option bonus of $2.23MM and workout bonuses of $50K apiece in the second and third years of the deal. Also, in those back two years, Wright can earn $255K in $15K per game active roster bonuses in 2025 and $340K in $20K per game active roster bonuses in 2026. The contract also includes a potential out after the second year that would allow Detroit to avoid a $4.85MM cap hit with only $2.13MM of dead cap.

Chiefs To Re-Sign DE Mike Danna

April 5th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Danna spent more than three weeks in free agency, but he will circle back to the team that drafted him. The Chiefs have a deal in place to keep the young defensive end, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

A former fifth-round pick who became a starter after the Chiefs cut Frank Clark, Danna has totaled 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons (6.5 in 2023). The Chiefs are keeping him on a three-year deal. The Chiefs gave Chris Jones a monster deal to stay, and they will retain another core D-lineman as well.

Included among PFR’s top 50 free agents (43rd), Danna certainly took his time before finding a deal. Rather than agreeing on a “prove it” pact — which is often the case once April hits — the former Michigan and Central Michigan pass rusher received a multiyear commitment. The deal is worth $24MM, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds $13MM is guaranteed. Considering we are in early April, that represents a nice accord for the contract-year starter.

Although the Chiefs gave Charles Omenihu a two-year, $16MM contract in 2023, they kept Danna in their starting lineup opposite George Karlaftis once Omenihu returned from his domestic violence suspension. Omenihu played a regular role, but the veteran operated as a rotational cog behind Danna. The Chiefs have used Danna, 26, as an inside rusher as well. He will stick around with the two-time reigning champions, who also brought back defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi this offseason.

During Clark’s stay, Danna mostly worked as a backup. Between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, however, the former MAC recruit forced four combined fumbles. Danna’s 21 QB pressures ranked just outside the top 60 last season, though his 13 QB hits were a career high. The 6-foot-2 pass rusher started all four Chiefs playoff games, logging 58 snaps in Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII overtime triumph.

Omenihu suffered a torn ACL during the AFC championship game, amplifying Danna’s importance, and the suspension he incurred voids future guarantees. That would give the Chiefs an out on that contract, which calls for a $6.74MM base salary in 2024. The team also used a first-round pick on Felix Anudike-Uzomah, but the local product did not play much as a rookie. With Karlaftis, Danna, Omenihu and Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs are nearly set to run it back at D-end in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/21

January 11th, 2021 at 4:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Chiefs Activate CB Bashaud Breeland

October 10th, 2020 at 12:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Bashaud Breeland should make his 2020 debut this weekend. The Chiefs have officially activated the cornerback off the reserve/suspended list. To make room on the roster, Kansas City placed rookie defensive end Mike Danna on injured reserve.

Breeland joined the Chiefs prior to last season, and he proceeded to appear in all 16 games (15 starts), compiling 48 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. The defensive back also started each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, including their Super Bowl win where he finished with an interception and a team-high seven tackles.

The 28-year-old inked a one-year, $3MM deal to stick with the Chiefs this offseason, but he was later suspended for the first four games of the 2020 campaign after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Breeland should play an immediate role for Kansas City, although the young secondary hasn’t really struggled without him. The Chiefs rank third in the NFL in interceptions, and they’ve got contributions from the likes of Rashad Fenton and fourth-round rookie L’Jarius Sneed.

Danna, a fifth-round rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in all four games for Kansas City, and he played at least 43-percent of the team’s defensive snaps through the first three weeks of the season. Danna suffered a hamstring injury during the Chiefs’ win over the Patriots on Monday, forcing the rookie to miss at least the next three weeks.

Chiefs To Sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Wrap Draft Class

July 20th, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have verbally agreed to deals with all six players in their draft class, as Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Here’s the full rundown of the group, headlined by one of this year’s most intriguing rushers: 

1-32: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB (LSU)
2-63: Willie Gay Jr., LB (Mississippi State)
3-96: Lucas Niang, OT (TCU)
4-138: L’Jarius Sneed, S (Louisiana Tech)
5-177: Mike Danna, DE (Michigan)
7-237: Thakarius Keyes, CB (Tulane)

Don’t let Edwards-Helaire’s 5’7″ frame fool you – he’s tough, durable, and a proven three-down back. His agility and soft hands made him one of this year’s most coveted rookie RBs, though some evaluators were concerned about his speed. That’s not a huge problem in KC, where they already have ample quickness on offense.

The LSU product is expected to serve as the Chiefs’ top running back, ahead of Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson. Elijah McGuire, Darrel Williams, and former Raiders rusher DeAndre Washington are also on the offseason roster.