Fifth Year Option 2018 draft class (Ridley & Hurst)

[Cole World]

 

Fifth Year Option Projections

The 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for teams to exercise a fifth year option for players drafted in the first round as an addition to the standard four year rookie contract. Article 7, Section 7(g) provides for four different tiers of salary for the fifth year option, calculated as follows:

• Basic: Players who do not meet any of the requirements below will be eligible for a fifth year base salary calculated from the average of the 3rd to 25th highest salaries at their position over the past five seasons.

• Playtime: These players will be eligible for a fifth year base salary calculated from the average of the 3rd to 20th highest salaries at their position over the past five seasons, provided that their snap counts over their first three seasons meet one of the following three criteria:

  • 75% or greater in two of their first three seasons
  • an average of 75% or greater over all three seasons
  • 50% or greater over all three seasons

• One Pro Bowl: Players who are named to exactly one Pro Bowl on the original ballot (not as an alternate) will be eligible for a fifth year base salary equal to the transition tender at their position.

• Multiple Pro Bowls: Players who are named to two or three Pro Bowls on the original ballot (not as an alternate) will be eligible for a fifth year base salary equal to the franchise tender at their position.

Upon being exercised, the fifth year option is fully guaranteed, and any base salary in the player's fourth year that was not fully guaranteed will become so.

Article 10, Section 7(a) groups all offensive linemen together, and uses antiquated designations for interior defensive linemen and edge rushers. IDL are separated to defensive tackle and defensive end, even if the player is an edge rusher in a 4-3 defense, while edge rushers in a 3-4 defense are considered linebackers. In these cases, this designation is shown in parentheses.

2018 First Round Class

Player	Basic	Playtime	1 Pro Bowl	>1 Pro Bowl
Baker Mayfield	$16,534,000	$18,858,000	$23,106,000	$25,104,000
Saquon Barkley	$4,523,000	$5,016,000	$7,217,000	$8,655,000
Sam Darnold	$16,534,000	$18,858,000	$23,106,000	$25,104,000
Denzel Ward	$9,569,000	$10,478,000	$13,294,000	$15,060,000
Bradley Chubb	$9,145,000	$9,735,000	$12,716,000	$14,791,000
Quenton Nelson	$10,413,000	$10,880,000	$12,657,000	$13,754,000
Josh Allen	$16,534,000	$18,858,000	$23,106,000	$25,104,000
Roquan Smith	$9,145,000	$9,735,000	$12,716,000	$14,791,000
Mike McGlinchey	$10,413,000	$10,880,000	$12,657,000	$13,754,000
Minkah Fitzpatrick	$6,201,000	$6,753,000	$9,052,000	$10,612,000
Vita Vea	$7,638,000	$8,529,000	$11,752,000	$13,888,000
Da'Ron Payne	$7,638,000	$8,529,000	$11,752,000	$13,888,000
Marcus Davenport	$9,553,000	$10,386,000	$12,926,000	$16,069,000
Tremaine Edmunds	$9,145,000	$9,735,000	$12,716,000	$14,791,000
Derwin James	$6,201,000	$6,753,000	$9,052,000	$10,612,000
Jaire Alexander	$9,569,000	$10,478,000	$13,294,000	$15,060,000
Leighton Vander Esch	$9,145,000	$9,735,000	$12,716,000	$14,791,000
Frank Ragnow	$10,413,000	$10,880,000	$12,657,000	$13,754,000
Billy Price	$10,413,000	$10,880,000	$12,657,000	$13,754,000
Rashaan Evans	$9,145,000	$9,735,000	$12,716,000	$14,791,000
Isaiah Wynn	$10,413,000	$10,880,000	$12,657,000	$13,754,000
D.J. Moore	$10,250,000	$11,116,000	$14,340,000	$15,983,000
Hayden Hurst	$5,428,000	$6,021,000	$8,182,000	$9,601,000
Calvin Ridley	$10,250,000	$11,116,000	$14,340,000	$15,983,000
Rashaad Penny	$4,523,000	$5,016,000	$7,217,000	$8,655,000
Terrell Edmunds	$6,201,000	$6,753,000	$9,052,000	$10,612,000
Taven Bryan	$7,638,000	$8,529,000	$11,752,000	$13,888,000
Mike Hughes	$9,569,000	$10,478,000	$13,294,000	$15,060,000
Sony Michel	$4,523,000	$5,016,000	$7,217,000	$8,655,000
Lamar Jackson	$16,534,000	$18,858,000	$23,106,000	$25,104,000

[k-train]

I hope they have the sense to let Hurst walk after this season & don't pick his option up.

Pick up Ridley's 5th year option, then franchise him in 2023, then let him walk in 2024.

[kiwifalcon]

If they take Pitts Hurst is history.

[falconsd56]

24 minutes ago, k-train said:

I hope they have the sense to let Hurst walk after this season & don't pick his option up.

Pick up Ridley's 5th year option, then franchise him in 2023, then let him walk in 2024.

Why does letting him walk make sense?

Unless we draft Pitts this year or plan on drafting a TE early next year...letting him walk is what doesn't make sense.

A good quality TE who is a good athlete for less than 6 million is a bargain

[Dirty_Bird89]

We haven't even seen Hurst in Arthur Smith's system and we're ready to let him walk?

[Bullet76]

Wild someone made a thread about this and not to make this a Ryan argument but it was debated about trading Ryan next year if the Falcons take a QB and how the team could absorb the cap hit but what about paying Ridley pro bowl and first time all pro do you think he's not going want a WR1 contract ? including the increase cap hit of Matthews and Jarrett.

[federicofalcon2]

1 hour ago, falconsd56 said:

Why does letting him walk make sense?

Unless we draft Pitts this year or plan on drafting a TE early next year...letting him walk is what doesn't make sense.

A good quality TE who is a good athlete for less than 6 million is a bargain

Especially in an offense where the (multiple) TE is suited to be a key cog like this one. 

[k-train]

2 hours ago, falconsd56 said:

Why does letting him walk make sense?

Unless we draft Pitts this year or plan on drafting a TE early next year...letting him walk is what doesn't make sense.

A good quality TE who is a good athlete for less than 6 million is a bargain

Because he's not that good & he likely never will be.

Hurst is a former 1st rounder who...

... has yet to eclipse 575 receiving yards in a season
... has never caught more than 6 TDs in a season
... has only caught more than 65% of his targets once in 3 seasons
... is averaging just 300 yards & 3 TDs per season thus far in his career
... has seen his YPR drop by a full yard each year he's been in the league
... will be 29 years old when the regular season starts next year
... very, very likely has absolutely no upside at this point
... has thus far been the very definition of a bust

In my mind, if Hurst was going to break out, it would've happened by now. Despite the occasional diving catch, he's really just not all that good.

Let him walk & hope someone else is dumb enough to throw Austin Hooper money at him so we can get a comp pick.

[falconsd56]

3 minutes ago, k-train said:

Because he's not that good & he likely never will be.

Hurst is a former 1st rounder who...

... has yet to eclipse 575 receiving yards in a season
... has never caught more than 6 TDs in a season
... has only caught more than 65% of his targets once in 3 seasons
... is averaging just 300 yards & 3 TDs per season thus far in his career
... has seen his YPR drop by a full yard each year he's been in the league
... will be 29 years old when the regular season starts next year
... very, very likely has absolutely no upside at this point
... has thus far been the very definition of a bust

In my mind, if Hurst was going to break out, it would've happened by now. Despite the occasional diving catch, he's really just not all that good.

Let him walk & hope someone else is dumb enough to throw Austin Hooper money at him so we can get a comp pick.

This was his first year in an offense that passed more than 50 % of the time

You need to look up the definition of bust if you think that he is the definition of it.

[k-train]

2 hours ago, Dirty_Bird89 said:

We haven't even seen Hurst in Arthur Smith's system and we're ready to let him walk?

He sucked under Greg Roman... who was a former TE coach & highly touted OC.
He sucked under Koetter... who had a history of getting high production from the TE in his system.
So yeah, I'm not exactly overflowing with confidence that at 28 years old, Hurst is going to FINALLY live up to his potential.

[Romfal]

think you have to run both and trade Hurst if we draft Pitts. 

[k-train]

1 minute ago, falconsd56 said:

This was his first year in an offense that passed more than 50 % of the time

You need to look up the definition of bust if you think that he is the definition of it.

And he still was incredibly underwhelming.

When a team drafts a dude in the 1st & just two years later, they are jettisoning the guy for a second round pick, and he continues to put up subpar numbers with the new team... that is a bust, sir.

[Beef]

LOL @ Marcus Davenport and the Saints! 😂

[Herr Doktor]

Hurst is at his ceiling.  Great story, maxed out potential.  

[Sui_Generis]

3 hours ago, Beef said:

LOL @ Marcus Davenport and the Saints! 😂

And the Panthers for grabbing Moore before Ridley. 

[Mister pudding]

4 hours ago, k-train said:

Because he's not that good & he likely never will be.

Hurst is a former 1st rounder who...

... has yet to eclipse 575 receiving yards in a season
... has never caught more than 6 TDs in a season
... has only caught more than 65% of his targets once in 3 seasons
... is averaging just 300 yards & 3 TDs per season thus far in his career
... has seen his YPR drop by a full yard each year he's been in the league
... will be 29 years old when the regular season starts next year
... very, very likely has absolutely no upside at this point
... has thus far been the very definition of a bust

In my mind, if Hurst was going to break out, it would've happened by now. Despite the occasional diving catch, he's really just not all that good.

Let him walk & hope someone else is dumb enough to throw Austin Hooper money at him so we can get a comp pick.

Attached are the tight end salaries for the league, so you and everyone can decide whether $5 million for a one year option would be worth it or not. 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/average/tight-end/

[Jesus]

So the pro bowl does matter.

Also NFL salaries are insane. It's ridiculous that they lowered the cap.

[Monolith2001]

4 hours ago, k-train said:

And he still was incredibly underwhelming.

When a team drafts a dude in the 1st & just two years later, they are jettisoning the guy for a second round pick, and he continues to put up subpar numbers with the new team... that is a bust, sir.

I'm no HH super fan but that's a tough take.   To be clear he lost the #1 TE role in BAL to Mark Andrews who is easily the 3rd or 4th best TE in the league and our offense last season was dog poo.   Other than the dumb@$$ery displayed on special teams during the Dallas game, he did his job for the most part.  While I think Pitts is a complete upgrade if we go that direction, Hayden is a solid TE and in the right system I believe a top third TE.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Monolith2001

[PriMeTiiMe]

8 hours ago, k-train said:

I hope they have the sense to let Hurst walk after this season & don't pick his option up.

Pick up Ridley's 5th year option, then franchise him in 2023, then let him walk in 2024.

This if we draft Pitts in regards to Hayden.

Do not make the same mistake with Ridley that we made with Julio. Use up their 5 years and then a franchised 6 year and then move on from them right as they're near the 30 year old mark. Calvin was a little older than most when drafted so he will be exactly 30 at that point.

[Mr.11]

4 hours ago, k-train said:

Because he's not that good & he likely never will be.

Hurst is a former 1st rounder who...

... has yet to eclipse 575 receiving yards in a season
... has never caught more than 6 TDs in a season
... has only caught more than 65% of his targets once in 3 seasons
... is averaging just 300 yards & 3 TDs per season thus far in his career
... has seen his YPR drop by a full yard each year he's been in the league
... will be 29 years old when the regular season starts next year
... very, very likely has absolutely no upside at this point
... has thus far been the very definition of a bust

In my mind, if Hurst was going to break out, it would've happened by now. Despite the occasional diving catch, he's really just not all that good.

Let him walk & hope someone else is dumb enough to throw Austin Hooper money at him so we can get a comp pick.

This is a similar take to those who thought Ryan was done after the 2015 season and done now.

The Koetter effect is real.

Hurst is a TE that can stretch the field with his speed. I can almost guarantee that AS and TF will find a way to keep him at a bargain price, and if he doesn't stay, a team like the Saints, Packers, or Rams will come knocking quickly for his services.

Receivers are a dime a dozen. Good TEs aren't easy to come by.

 

[thanat0s]

Ridley at 11 mil is a no brainer. IMO, the same goes for Hurst, if he performs well this year. I don't get why anyone is so down on him. Must be the Pitts worshippers is all I can imagine. 

He plays tough football, is pretty athletic at that spot, finds the end zone, unlike a certain $20mm WR we have, and should only improve in Smith's offense. Not bad for what would be 5 million for a year.

 

[thanat0s]

1 hour ago, Mr.11 said:

This is a similar take to those who thought Ryan was done after the 2015 season and done now.

The Koetter effect is real.

Hurst is a TE that can stretch the field with his speed. I can almost guarantee that AS and TF will find a way to keep him at a bargain price, and if he doesn't stay, a team like the Saints, Packers, or Rams will come knocking quickly for his services.

Receivers are a dime a dozen. Good TEs aren't easy to come by.

 

Well said!

People scream all things Dirk are bad, then start singling out individual players for not being all-pros in that system. Hurst had a solid year for us. I expect him to do well this year, too. 

[atljbo]

I'm easily picking up both... Rid is easy but I think ppl are sleeping on Hurst just because we might get pitts..... Those 2 in  2 TEs sets will be a problem for teams.

 

Hurst was good last year.

[popeyez_biscuits]

10 hours ago, k-train said:

I hope they have the sense to let Hurst walk after this season & don't pick his option up.

Pick up Ridley's 5th year option, then franchise him in 2023, then let him walk in 2024.

You don't let elite WRs walk

[FalconFanSince1969]

2 minutes ago, irrevelantfalconsfan said:

You don't let elite WRs walk

Why? Wrs are not hard to find.