The three-year deal for cornerback Rasul Douglas with the Green Bay Packers includes a $5.3 million signing bonus, a low cap hit in Year 1, roster bonuses in Year 2 and Year 3, a base value of $21 million and incentives worth up to $4.5 million, according to details released by Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
The deal will pay Douglas $7 million in the first year. His cap number in 2022 will be just $3.34 million, thanks to the prorated signing bonus and a low Year 1 base salary of just over $1 million.
The only guaranteed money is the signing bonus.
Douglas, 26, burst onto the scene with the Packers last season, intercepting a team-high five passes over 12 games after joining the team from the Cardinals practice squad in October. He returned two of the five interceptions for touchdowns, and two of the other three interceptions – in Arizona and against Cleveland on Christmas Day – sealed wins.
While the deal is for $21 million over three years, the structuring gives the appearance of a two-year deal worth just $12 million. By Year 3, Douglas’ cap number will rise to almost $10.8 million, and the Packers would be able to save $9 million on the cap by releasing him.
Douglas has a $2 million roster bonus due by the third day of the new league year in 2023 and 2024. The Packers will need to decide whether or not to keep Douglas on the roster and pay the bonus each of the next two years.
The contract also includes $450,000 worth of per-game roster bonuses per year. The $4.5 million in incentives are expected to be labeled as unlikely to be earned.
The deal looks like a good one for both sides. Douglas is getting money up front and a chance to make over $25 million over three years if he plays at a high level in Joe Barry’s defense. The Packers get back a valuable and ascending cornerback with a low cap hit this year and an easy out after two years.
