Entering free agency, four players topped the wish list for cornerbacks: Nnamdi Asomuga, Antonio Cromartie, Johnathan Joseph, and Ike Taylor.
We’ve tracked down Taylor’s contract details, which allows a proper comparison.
Taylor, per a source with knowledge of the contract, signed a four-year, $28 million contract. The deal pays out $9.25 million in 2011, via signing bonus ($7.25 million), base salary ($1.25 million), and roster bonus ($750,000). It works out to a cap charge of $3.8125 million in 2011.
The average per year of $7 million puts Taylor behind Asomugha ($12 million per year), Joseph ($9.75 million per year), and Cromartie ($8 million per year).
The fact that Taylor agreed to terms at the end of the first day of free agency suggests that Taylor tried to get a better deal on the open market, but couldn’t find one.