Reuben Droughns’ new contract looks like a clear winner for all involved, but if Tony Grossi’s source is to be believed, it really looks like quite a coup for Phil Savage and the Browns.
Here’s why: Droughns was scheduled to earn $1.15 in 2006. Per Grossi:
Droughns, who had one year left on the contract the Browns inherited from the Denver Broncos, received an undisclosed signing bonus and his 2006 base salary was rewritten. Total value of the contract over four years is $13.2 million, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. Droughns will average $4 million a year in the last three years beginning in 2007.
So $13.2 million minus the $12 million for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 leaves $1.2 million. That, apparently, is the total of his new signing bonus plus the revised (i.e. lowered) ’06 salary. For a mere $50 grand up-front outlay, the Browns have locked up their leading rusher through decade’s end while actually LOWERING the salary cap hit that Droughns represents this year.
How? Whatever portion of the $1.2 million got shifted from salary to signing bonus can be spread over four years for salary cap purposes. It’s not a huge difference, but, hey, it is most probably a tidy six-figure addition to the pot that Savage is eager to use to lure a few big names to Browns Town for the last year of the salary cap structure as we now know it. Pretty cool.
Those last three years, of course, are not guaranteed. Droughns will need to continue his high performance level for the Browns to keep paying him like a quality starting tailback, rather than the fullback-type salaries he had been earning. If the 28-year-old breaks down anywhere along the line, the Browns are not required to keep him, nor will they suffer any significant cap hit upon his release.
Meanwhile, Droughns has every opportunity to set himself up for a lifetime of financial security. And as he does, Browns fans will continue to enjoy the roughest, toughest running they’ve seen in these parts in decades.
UPDATE: Pro Football Talk is rightfully regarded with skepticism, but the very specificity of the numbers leads me to think they have some inside info. As reported on March 5:
The three-year, $12 million extension signed by Browns running back Reuben Droughns breaks down as follows. Droughns gets $2.5 million to sign, a $1.25 million roster bonus in 2006, and a $1.75 million roster bonus in 2007. He also has per-game roster bonuses in 2007 through 2009, which equate to $250,000 per season. Salaries are $1.2 million in 2006, $1.25 million in 2007, $1.75 million in 2008, and $2.75 million in 2009. In addition to the $13.2 million he’ll be paid over four years, Droughns also will be eligible for incentives based on yards rushing. In each year, he gets $250,000 if he runs for 1,300 to 1,399 yards. If he finishes with 1,400 to 1,499, the number increases to $500,000. And if he finishes with 1,500 or more yards, the number moves to $750,000.
