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After winning the corner back contest with Tommie Campbell that ultimately wasn't much of a contest at all, the Titans are facing a decision with Alterraun Verner. What is Verner thinking? Show me the money? He better be.
Verner is in the last year of his rookie contract and sits at the top of the league in corner back ratings. Certainly he has to finish the year playing at the same level. He is also certain to get a new contract, with the Titans or elsewhere, that is fairly lucrative. So what kind of contract should he get? He isn't Darrell Revis but is he close? Per Rotoworld, here is Revis' new contract:
4/21/2013: Signed a six-year, $96 million contract. The deal contains zero guaranteed money. Revis is eligible for annual offseason workout bonuses of $1.5 million throughout the contract's life. 2013: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2014: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2015: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2016: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2017: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2018: $13 million (+ $1.5 million roster bonus), 2019: Free Agent
Also per Rotoworld, this is the contract Cortland Finnegan got last year when signing with the St. Louis Rams:
3/13/2012: Signed a five-year, $50 million contract. The deal contains $27 million guaranteed, including a $5 million signing bonus and all of Finnegan's 2012 and 2013 base salaries. Another $1.25 million is available via a final-year salary escalator. 2013: $9 million (+ $5 million roster bonus), 2014: $6 million (+ $3 million roster bonus), 2015: $8 million, 2016: $7 million (+ $2 million roster bonus), 2017: Free Agent
By comparison, Carlos Rogers signed this contract with the San Francisco Forty Niners:
3/13/2012: Signed a four-year, $29.3 million contract. The deal included a $5 million signing bonus. Another $2 million is available through incentives. Rogers is eligible for annual $100,000 workout bonuses and $250,000 roster bonuses throughout the contract's life. 2013: $5.5 million, 2014: $6.25 million, 2015: $7.25 million, 2016: Free Agent
Here is the contract Brandon Carr got from the Cowboys in 2012:
3/14/2012: Signed a five-year, $50.1 million contract. The deal contains $25.5 million guaranteed -- a $10 million signing bonus and all of Carr's 2012 and 2013 base salaries. 2013: $715,000 (+ $13.5 million "signing" bonus), 2014: $7.5 million, 2015: $8 million, 2016: $9.1 million, 2017: $10 million (Voidable Year), 2018: Free Agent
The Ravens gave this to Lardarius Webb:
4/5/2012: Signed a six-year, $52.742 million contract. The deal included a $10 million signing bonus. 2013: $2.385 million (+ $5 million option bonus), 2014: $7.5 million, 2015-2016: $8 million, 2017: $8.5 million (Option Year), 2018: Free Agent
Finally, here is the contract the Titans gave Jason McCourty in August of 2012:
8/23/2012: Signed a six-year, $44.26 million contract. The deal contains $17 million guaranteed -- a $9 million signing bonus and all of McCourty's first two base salaries. 2013: $5 million, 2014: $3.5 million (+ $3 million roster bonus), 2015: $6.8 million, 2016-2017: $7 million, 2018: Free Agent
Of course, free agency wasn't great this past offseason and the salary cap is expected to be fairly flat with perhaps a slight increase. This is the subject of debate but a flat cap could certainly factor into free agency, and the Titans could also choose to place the franchise tag on Verner.
Let's assume free agency returns to a bit of a normalcy. Pretend you are Ruston Webster, the Titans General Manager, and you are considering what contract to give Verner. What value do you place on him assuming he finishes the year in the top 10 at cornerback? Do you give him the equivalent of what you gave Jason McCourty?
What say you Titans fans?