When the Colts gave tight end Dwayne Allen a four-year deal worth $7.35 million per year, most assumed that Colts tight end Coby Fleener would get more elsewhere.
Fleener, who has twice as many career receptions than Allen in their four years together with the Colts, will earn an average of $7.2 million on a five-year deal with the Saints.
Per a source with knowledge of the contract, Fleener will receive $8 million to sign, along with a fully-guaranteed base salary of $800,000 for 2016 and a fully-guaranteed base salary of $5.8 million for 2017. Of his $6.3 million base salary for 2018, $3.4 million of it is guaranteed for injury only. The $3.4 million becomes fully-guaranteed on the third day of the 2018 waiver period.
Fleener has a non-guaranteed base salary of $6.3 million in 2019, along with a $500,000 roster bonus due in March 2019 and up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses. He also has a non-guaranteed base salary of $6.4 million in 2020, with the same $500,000 roster bonus due in March 2020 and up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.
The deal also includes $100,000 annual workout bonuses in 2017 through 2020.
The full guarantee at signing is $14.6 million, and the deal pays out $8.8 million in 2016, $14.7 million through 2017, $21.1 million through 2018, and $28.5 million through 2019. In contrast, Allen gets $12 million in 2016, $17 million total through 2017, $22 million through 2018, and $29.4 million through 2019.
Obviously, Allen also will get back to the market one year earlier than Fleener.