Late last week linebacker Lavonte David signed a huge contract extension that certainly caught the attention of people. Playing at the generally underappreciated non-rush outside linebacker position, David not only set the market, he obliterated it. At just over $10 million a season David would earn nearly $1.6 million more a year than DeAndre Levy of the Lions and would earn more than all but three of the rush linebackers in the NFL. But sometimes numbers can be a bit deceiving and to some extent they are in this case. The David deal is a wonderful illustration of ways that a negotiator can build on other contracts and then find ways to improve the bottom line to make sure all sides leave happy. Continue reading Contract Showdown: David vs Levy »
Jason is the founder of OTC and has been studying NFL contracts and the salary cap for over 15 years. Jason has co-authored two books about the NFL, Crunching Numbers and the Drafting Stage, which are widely circulated in the industry and hosts the OTC Podcast. Jason’s work has been featured in various publications including the Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, NFL Network and more. OTC is widely considered the leading authority on contract matters in the NFL.