If J.J. Watt's deal sounds familiar in the final analysis, there's a reason for that. (USATSI)
The deal the Houston Texans signed with star lineman J.J. Watt is almost identical to the deal that former Texans DT Mario Williams ended up signing with the Bills after leaving Houston as a free agent in 2012.
Breaking down Watt's contract by year:
- 2014: Cash value of $10.9M, with $10M coming in a signing bonus
- 2015: Cash value of $20M, with $10M in a roster bonus and $10M in salary
- 2016: Cash value of $10.5M, all in salary
- 2017: $10.5M, all in salary
- 2018: $11M base salary
- 2019: $13M base salary
- 2020: $15.5M base salary
- 2021: $17.5M base salary
Most of the key metrics in evaluating a contract are very similar in these two deals. The obvious difference is Williams was an unrestricted free agent in 2012, and Watt, in signing an extension with the team that drafted him, was still signed with the Texans through 2015, with the potential to franchise him for two season after that.
So the scenarios are now exactly the same, but with Watt widely considered the best defensive player in the game -- and maybe the most impactful non-quarterback in the NFL -- the new benchmarks set are very in line with the deal Williams, also a CAA client, received a few years back.
Watt's eight-year includes $51.9 million in total guarantees; Williams' deal included $50M.
Watt's deal averages $18M a year over the first three years according to NFLPA records; Williams' deal averages $17.7M per year over the first three seasons.
Watt's average per year over the full contract is $16.7M: Williams' average is $16M.
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Cardinals HC Bruce Arians optimistic RB Andre Ellington will play Monday
And this story on Andre Ellington takes another hard turn in the opposite direction. Following Friday's reports that Ellington could miss a month or more due to a foot injury, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Saturday he is optimistic that his dynamic runner will play Monday night versus the Chargers. He is considered a game-time decision. Ellington actually went through limited practice today after not practicing at all Friday.According to Cardinals reporter Mike Jurecki, Ellington consulted with three foot and ankle specialists, all of whom said he does not need surgery right now. He is reportedly dealing with some sort of muscle injury in his left foot.
While it's nice to hear that Ellington might be active this week, fantasy owners are now caught in a conundrum: Do they play it safe and put Ellington on their bench or keep him in their lineup and hope that he plays Monday night? If you own the Clemson product, hopefully you have already picked up Jonathan Dwyer; he is the safety net here.If I owned Ellington, I'm benching him regardless. There's no way you can expect him to be 100 percent or handle 20-plus touches. The Chargers also have a pretty decent run defense. If he is active, neither he nor Dwyer are fantasy options as Arizona should cycle three RBs, Stepfan Taylor included. If Ellington is inactive, Dwyer is a uninteresting flex play. Really, I would just try to avoid this situation all together in Week 1. There is too much we don't know about this backfield right now, and because this game is on Monday, your team will likely get burned if you guess incorrectly here.
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