BillsFever
07-28-2003, 05:34 PM
The Arizona Cardinals finally completed negotiations with defensive end Calvin Pace, but left little rookie pool room Monday for their other first-round draft choice Bryant Johnson, who likely will not report to camp for a while.
Pace, the 18th pick overall, will sign a five-year contract that is worth about $8 million and as much as $11 million if he achieves certain escalators, ESPN.com has learned. A former Wake Forest star, Pace is expected to compete for playing time at right end and would immediately improve Arizona's weak pass rush.
The combined total of Pace's signing bonus and a second-tier option bonus is slightly more than $5 million. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Cardinals, who seem to march to their own off-beat drummer in negotiations, have awarded an option bonus, and one of the few occasions they have included escalators in a contract.
The salary cap value of the deal is $1.275 million, which will have a major impact on the Johnson negotiations. Johnson was actually selected ahead of Pace -- 17th in the first round. Pace's deal leaves the Cardinals with about only $975,000 remaining from their original rookie pool allocation of $3.955 million. This will make it virtually impossible to give Johnson, a wide receiver from Penn State, a viable market value contract.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1586467.html
Pace, the 18th pick overall, will sign a five-year contract that is worth about $8 million and as much as $11 million if he achieves certain escalators, ESPN.com has learned. A former Wake Forest star, Pace is expected to compete for playing time at right end and would immediately improve Arizona's weak pass rush.
The combined total of Pace's signing bonus and a second-tier option bonus is slightly more than $5 million. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Cardinals, who seem to march to their own off-beat drummer in negotiations, have awarded an option bonus, and one of the few occasions they have included escalators in a contract.
The salary cap value of the deal is $1.275 million, which will have a major impact on the Johnson negotiations. Johnson was actually selected ahead of Pace -- 17th in the first round. Pace's deal leaves the Cardinals with about only $975,000 remaining from their original rookie pool allocation of $3.955 million. This will make it virtually impossible to give Johnson, a wide receiver from Penn State, a viable market value contract.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1586467.html