Saints tackle Ryan Ramczyk has a new contract. Some numbers were reported when the news broke. Whatever they were (and frankly I now ignore them because the initial reports are so often wrong), the real numbers are in.
Here’s a full breakdown (per a source with knowledge of the deal), with some analysis.
1. Signing bonus: $19 million.
2. 2021 salary: $11.064 million, guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap at signing.
3. 2022 roster bonus: $8.5 million, due on the fifth day of 2022 league year. Guaranteed for skill and injury at signing. Guaranteed for cap five days after signing.
4. 2022 salary: $10.5 million, guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap at signing.
5. 2023 salary: $14.0 million, $3.3 million of which is guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap at signing. The other $10.7 million becomes guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap on the third day of the 2022 league year.
6. 2024 salary: $17.0 million. $6.5 million is guaranteed for injury at signing. It becomes guaranteed for skill and cap on the third day of the 2024 league year.
7. 2025 salary: $18 million.
8. 2026 salary: $19 million.
The deal has $52.364 million guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap at signing. Given the vesting of the 2023 guarantees, the practical guarantee at signing is $63 million, since the Saints would have to cut Ramczyk after only one year to avoid the full $14 million in the third year of the deal.
At signing, the six-year deal has an annual average of $19.51 million. The new-money average is $21.2 million.
The contract does indeed make Ramczyk the highest-paid right tackle, by either measure. It also puts him in the top five of all tackles.