Derwin James "Hold-in" - SIGNED 4 Years $76.4M

[Fouts2herbert]

Extension kicks in after this year so essentially 5 year deal.

It’s been reported to be a 4 year 76mil deal at 19mil per season, but it’s slapped on to the last year of his rookie contract so it’s actually 5 years 85mil at 17mil per season, making him the 3rd highest paid safety in the NFL…

I don’t think derwin cares about the contract length etc…I think he wanted the guaranteed money and he’s getting a 20mil check up front this year plus 9mil base salary,…he gets the second 20mil chunk next year, it’s a large contract but the structure is cap friendly for the chargers…

[Velo]

I get you but funny none the less. He's one of 11 players out there and our supporting cast dropped off for numerous games last season due to injuries and such. I look at Bosa and James as 1.5 players. The combined duo gives us an effective 12 man defense vs. 11.

:beer:

Just win some Lombardis. That's all.

[Fouts2herbert]

Very high priced, deserving player, who if he can stay healthy, the most impactful safety to his franchise in NFL.

The chargers have had superstars before, but out of all those guys, I don’t know of one that has recruited talent to the chargers like derwin has…the chargers aren’t just signing a safety,…he’s an ambassador for the team…

[Velo]

The chargers have had superstars before, but out of all those guys, I don’t know of one that has recruited talent to the chargers like derwin has…the chargers aren’t just signing a safety,…he’s an ambassador for the team…

True that. I know he worked he ambassadored JC Jackson to sign. Although I think the biggest recruiter of FA talent is Herbert, just by how good he is.

[JOJAX85]

It’s been reported to be a 4 year 76mil deal at 19mil per season, but it’s slapped on to the last year of his rookie contract so it’s actually 5 years 85mil at 17mil per season, making him the 3rd highest paid safety in the NFL…

I don’t think derwin cares about the contract length etc…I think he wanted the guaranteed money and he’s getting a 20mil check up front this year plus 9mil base salary,…he gets the second 20mil chunk next year, it’s a large contract but the structure is cap friendly for the chargers…

I don't know if anyone of them care about the contract length anymore, because the contracts aren't worth the paper they are written. Get the guaranteed money & bet on yourself.

[Velo]

I don't know if anyone of them care about the contract length anymore, because the contracts aren't worth the paper they are written. Get the guaranteed money & bet on yourself.

Yep. Guaranteed money is really the only thing that matters.

[Fouts2herbert]

I don't know if anyone of them care about the contract length anymore, because the contracts aren't worth shit. Get the guaranteed money & bet on yourself.

Depending on what happens with his health, once the bonus money is all paid it would not surprise me to see the chargers extend him or restructure again like they did with Mack, these types of players demand money up front precisely because of what you said…

[Hadl2Alworth]

Comments to Ian’s tweet are brutal. Lots of tweets about overpaying for a guy who misses half the games

And he plays with significant injuries too (like with the shoulder last season). It is a lot of money and years for someone so injury-prone. We all want him to be healthy but hmmm. I guess you have to pay for upside regardless of how likely it's achieved.

[Shock&Awe]

Happy to finally have it made official. Hopefully he stays healthy and proves his worth throughout the contract. This deal also pretty much kills the Bengals hope of keeping Bates around. They probably have to trade him now but it’s not an ideal time to do it.

[Heatmiser]

Very well done by the Chargers. Wish would have been done 3 weeks ago, but we don't know what the negotiations were about. This certainly is yet another example contrary to the "Spanoses are cheap!" "Chargers don't reward their own players!" " Telesco is an idiot!" opinions so often voiced here.

James is the best safety in the NFL and is getting paid like it. He handled this whole thing right and so did the team. And Staley I thought navigated this better than any head coach I have seen. Spoke up for James and didn't throw the front office under the bus. Players watch stuff like that. Players on other teams watch stuff like that. Prospective FA do.

Off topic, but is Lyndsey Thiry the worst reporter you have ever heard? Her questions are so vague and inane. And I am not just talking about her repeated, obligatory ones about James. She just asks useless stuff. "What makes Justin Herbert such a good player?" 'What about Joey Bosa makes him a good complement to Mack?" "What is the secret to winning?" "Do players know more now in year 2 than they did in year 1 of this offense?" "Do you think it will take a while for all the new players to fit in the defense?" "Austin Ekeler is small but still an effective runner. Why is that?"
She is actually worse than Shelley Smith and that is a low bar.

TG

[Riverwalk]

Allen said he’s not only the heart of the defense but the whole team. This was a must signing even if his injury risk is off the charts.

[Velo]

Rick Spielman and Pete Prisco discuss the impact of getting Derwin under contract. These guys know that they are talking about, something that is becoming increasingly rare in NFL punditry these days.