On Wednesday it was reported that the Seattle Seahawks had agreed to sign free agent cornerback Dontae Johnson, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers. Some Seattle fans were happy with the singing in that Johnson is the type of physical specimen with high levels of athleticism that the Seahawks like at cornerback. At the same time, some fans were rightfully concerned regarding the money that would be paid to Johnson due to the fact that his performance on the field in 2017 would make some long for Cary Williams. Well, now the terms of the contract have become known and we can take a look.
Cornerback Dontae Johnson's deal with the Seahawks is for one year and $1.3 million, according to a source. The breakdown: $900,000 base salary, $350,000 signing bonus and a total of $50,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. https://t.co/TTH6AQo0xL
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 14, 2018
So, it’s a very affordable contract, and the only guaranteed money for Johnson is the $350,000 signing bonus. It’s a reasonable contract for a fringe player who may not even make the roster, or who could prove to be depth at the cornerback position while offering significant special teams experience. During his four years in San Francisco Johnson played more than a thousand special teams snaps, and Pete Carroll most certainly loves his special teams.
In any case, here is the spreadsheet breakdown of the contract by portion. eet breakdown
The small signing bonus means the team will likely have no issue whatsoever moving on from Johnson should he not perform in camp. Thus, while Johnson certainly has the ability to make an NFL roster in 2018, the contract he signed with the Seahawks guarantees him nothing more than a chance to compete to stay in the NFL.