Rosenthal alluded earlier today to reports that offensive lineman Shawn Andrews’ six-year deal with the Giants contains very little guaranteed money.
Mike Garafolo reports, and we have confirmed, that Andrews will earn a $250,000 signing bonus and a base salary of $1.25 million in 2010. He has a split salary of $650,000, which he’ll earn if he lands on injured reserve.
Then, if Andrews gets through 2010 in a manner that the Giants deem to be satisfactory, they will pay him (per Garafolo) a roster bonus of $3.5 million on the 30th day of the next league year, a base salary of $3 million, and a workout bonus of $500,000.
In each of the next four years after 2011, Andrews is due to receive a $1 million roster bonus, a $4.5 million base salary, and $500,000 in workout bonuses.
So it’s more than a simple one-year “prove it” deal. The Giants have constructed a series of six one-year deals, and they have the option each year as to whether they’ll pick up the contract.
The irony is that Andrews became disenchanted with a long-term deal in Philly that he signed in his second NFL season, and that he believed he had outplayed. So if Andrews regains his Pro Bowl form, he’ll possibly once again be saddled by what quickly will become a contract that lags well below the top of the market.