On Monday morning, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reported details on the two-year contract signed by the Patriots’ newest offensive weapon.
Kenny Britt 2-yr contract with Patriots:
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) December 18, 2017
2017: $158,824 (prorated amount of $900k) and full injury split
2018: $1.5m ($0 gtd) plus $500k in incentives based on receptions. $1.05m salary, $150k roster bonus due 1st day of league year, $50k workout bonus, $250k in gameday bonuses
While the $158,824 cap hit for the remainder of this season (the minimum amount of salary possible for a player of his experience level) was definitely expected, the details moving forward are pretty interesting, as they spell out the team’s clear interest in the potential the nine-year veteran could have within the offense.
Already off to a seemingly solid start, as he was active and logged two snaps and a seven-yard catch in his first week with the organization, Britt will have to continue to prove himself over the coming weeks, as the $150,000 roster bonus he is due on the first day of the league year is the trigger-point of the deal.
However, should the Patriots choose to pay the bonus, it should not be considered as a signal that Britt will make the team heading into camp. It would simply be a small investment on the team’s behalf to have the opportunity to spend more time working with the big-bodied Rutgers product.
Jonathan Freeny provides a prime example of the minor impact a March roster bonus payment has on a player’s roster status heading into the summer. The former Patriots linebacker earned a $240,000 roster bonus this past spring and was included in the final round of roster cuts before the start of the regular season.
As it currently stands, Britt’s 2018 cap figure will be $1,453,125, as his “likely to be earned” per-game roster bonus amount is good for 13 games, or $203,125. It is also assumed that his $500,000 receptions-based incentives (complete details still forthcoming) will be considered “not likely to be earned”, given that he’s amassed just 19 catches thus far in 2017.
From a cash value standpoint, Britt’s deal is on par with the one Danny Amendola signed in April, which maxed out at a total value of $1.7 million. However, Amendola’s was given $100,000 up front, and had his entire 2017 salary guaranteed — all but locking him into a roster spot heading into camp. Britt will have to show consistent flashes of his 2016, 1,000-yard form, as well as a commitment to learning the Patriots’ complex playbook throughout the offseason — assuming he is still rostered heading into the summer.
The Patriots now have six wide receivers under contract for 2018 — a number that could rise to eight, as it’s common for the Patriots to tender one-year contract offers to most, if not all, practice squad members still with the club at the end of the season.
- Brandin Cooks
- Julian Edelman
- Chris Hogan
- Phillip Dorsett
- Kenny Britt
- Malcolm Mitchell
- Cody Hollister (not yet under contract for 2018)
- Riley McCarron (not yet under contract for 2018)
The current 2018 cap figure for the six already under contract? $19,831,412.