Working on the team's personnel is a 24/7 job and one that extends beyond the 53-man roster. The New England Patriots, of course, are particularly meticulous when it comes to this as they place special emphasis on the back and of their active roster as well as their practice squad.
Consequently, it is unsuprising to read a report by ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss about the Patriots paying five of the 10 members of their practice squad above-average salary:
DE Geneo Grissom: $615,000
RB D.J. Foster: $255,000
OG Willie Beavers: $255,000
DE Angelo Blackson: $255,000
WR/PR Demarcus Ayers: $170,000
Per the collective bargaining agreement, players on the practice squad receive at least $7,200 per week, which amounts to a minimum base salary of $122,400. Most teams pay their scout team players that amount but increase the pay to potentially motivate players to stay on the practice squad instead of signing a contract with another team's active roster.
Geneo Grissom is a perfect example for that. The third-year veteran was released during final roster cutdowns but returned via the Patriots' practice squad shortly after. Grissom, who has appeared in 29 games over the course of his career, has been productive as a special teamer in the past and would likely be an attractive in-season pickup for other teams.
However, in order to keep him in the fold, New England has elected to pay its former third round draft choice the same salary that he would have earned while on the team's 53-man roster – which in turn might be an incentive for him to stick around instead of leaving for another team. The same goes for the other four players on the list above as well.