Breaking Down Ronald Darby's Three-Year Contract With Broncos
The Denver Broncos signed a cornerback on the first day of the NFL's 'legal tampering' period prior to the actual start of free agency, but it may not have been the player fans expected.
Most of the speculation surrounded big names such as Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson, or players on expiring rookie contracts such as Shaquil Griffin and William Jackson III. Few were talking about Ronald Darby, who has had to take lower-cost, short-term deals, given his injury history.
But it was Darby that caught the eyes of Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Vic Fangio, both of whom wanted to bring him on board after he had a quality season with the Washington Football Team.
So how did the Broncos do in structuring his contract, which will pay $19.5 million in fully guaranteed money?
They did a good job for the first year of the deal, with Darby carrying just a $4M cap charge. He's getting a $9M signing bonus and a $1M base salary this year.
The second year will be interesting, though, because Darby's $9.5M base salary that year is fully guaranteed. He can also earn $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses (that $500,000 is divided among 16 games). That means a $13M cap charge in 2022.
That's where the real risk comes with this contract. Darby did not miss a game in 2020, but it was the first time that he's played all 16 games in a season.
He missed three games in his first two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, which wasn't bad, but it was his next three seasons that are concerning. In Darby's three years with the Eagles, he missed 20-of-48 games because of injuries.
That injury history has to be a concern and is the main reason why this contract is a roll of the dice. Unlike Bryce Callahan, who took less money overall and had far fewer guarantees in the second year of his contract, Darby is due for a big payday in his second year.
Of course, if Darby turns in another 16-game season and plays at a high level, few will worry about that $9.5M base salary and $13M cap charge. However, if he misses half the 2021 season, the Broncos will be stuck with him, barring a trade.
The good news is that the Broncos can get out of the deal after two years with just $3M in dead money with $10M in cap space freed. If Darby does play all three years of his deal out, he'll be just 30 years old when he would hit free agency again in 2024, and if he does play well, he might even be worth keeping for a couple more years.
The key to whether this contract works out or not, though, is for Darby to stay healthy the next two seasons and not miss much time. Missing a couple of games is one thing, and may even be understandable, but missing half or more of a season or two means a lower return on investment.
We shall see if Paton's first major signing pays off. If the Broncos do get 32 games out of Darby over the next two seasons, they could have that No. 1 cornerback they have arguably lacked for a while.
But one thing is certain: This contract is a major gamble. Now it's up to Darby to make it pay off for the Broncos.
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