Clayton: More news on Aaron Rodgers and Ja’Wuan James fronts
Jun 15, 2021, 2:05 PM
Three of the biggest stories for the Broncos this offseason have been Aaron Rodgers, DeShaun Watson and Ja’Wuan James. Though there isn’t any big news from the three of late, there is a couple little things involving Rodgers and James. Little will change in the next month or so, but it always remains interesting.
James’ contract with the Baltimore Ravens was finally revealed. The offensive tackle ended up with a two-year, $4.49 million contract. They gave him a $500,000 signing bonus and a $990,000 base salary. Next year, he has a $500,000 roster bonus that will determine if the Ravens want to keep him on the team. If they do, he has a $2.5 million base salary and incentives based on his playing time.
The big thing for James is the fact that the Ravens can handle the costs from his Achilles tendon tear and help with his rehab. For the Ravens, they get a right tackle who comes in at a low price, as opposed to the $12.75 million a year the Broncos were paying him before his release.
Because of the eight percent reduction in the salary cap to $182.5 million, it’s been a tough year for free agent or released tackles. No left or right tackle got a $10 million contract. Eric Fisher received a one-year, $8.3 million contract from the Indianapolis Colts. Riley Reiff got a two-year, $15 million deal from the Cincinnati Bengals. After being traded to New England, right tackle Trenton Brown took a pay cut to a one-year, $9 million deal. Charles Leno went to Washington on a one-year, $4 million deal. Alejandro Villanueva signed two-year, $9 million deal with Baltimore.
Everyone else got so much less.
On the Aaron Rodgers front, the quarterback apparently wasn’t pleased with Packers president Mark Murphy’s comment last week. Murphy said the late general manager Ted Thompson labeled Rodgers a “complicated fella.”
In promoting a big golf event that features Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson, Rodgers wore a shirt that expressed his thoughts. “I’m offended” was emblazoned on the front.
Rodgers doesn’t have any faith in Packers management. And he’s letting that be known.
