The NY Giants made a smart move when they went out and signed running back Devonta Freeman to an incentive-laden contract.
Devonta Freeman has become used to making top-tier money over the last few years, but the running back will have to earn the majority of his $3M contract with the NY Giants through performance-based incentives.
Originally reported as a one-year, $3M contract, Freeman will get less than 33% of that as a base salary.
Via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network:
New #Giants RB Devonta Freeman’s 1-year deal:
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 24, 2020
$1.07M base salary (prorated to $944,118)
$280K in per-game active bonuses
$1.15M in rush yard/TD incentives
$250K Pro Bowl
$250K 1st-team All-Pro
Base value: $1.35M ($1.224M pr)
Max value: $3M ($2.874M pr)
Right off the bat, Devonta Freeman is going to have a hard time dreaming of reaching the 250K Pro Bowl and All-Pro bonuses he would be due for making either team as it is already Week 3 and he will likely be eased into the mix after not participating in a training camp.
It’s unclear what the $1.15M in rushing yard and TD bonuses he’s eligible to earn are, but I’d bet he’d have to get close to, or over, 1,000 yards and 10 TD’s to earn that full amount.
So, the contract is really a one-year, $1.35M contract if Freeman is healthy and plays all of the remaining 13 games left of the NY Giants’ schedule.
That’s a steal when considering Freeman is still under 30-years-old and just a few years removed from making both the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team.
GM Dave Gettleman did a good job here in terms of filling a need without spending anything meaningful that will come back to bite the NY Giants down the road.
He’s not going to entirely fill the void left by Saquon Barkley, but should the offensive line begin to gel he should surely help elevate the NY Giants’ 32-ranked rushing attack.
What are the chances Devonta Freeman makes the Pro Bowl with the NY Giants?
As I stated, the chances are very low that Freeman is able to put together the type of monster season that would see him elected to the Pro Bowl. And, even if he did, the NY Giants would be happy to pay out 250K.
It will be intersting to see just how Freeman is used once he’s ready to be a full-go as he is the epitome of a three-down running back. The NY Giants brought in Dion Lewis this offseason to help out with pass blocking and recieving on third downs, but should Freeman be healthy I would expect him to get the majority of reps at running back overall.
The former top high school running back recruit in the nation had his worst season as a profressional last year with a 3.6 yards-per-carry average, but no one on the Atlanta Falcons had a season to remember.
Clearly, Freeman is betting on himself here as him and his agent both claim he turned down larger contract offers over a chance to get signifigant playing time with the NY Giants.