The New England Patriots gave safety Devin McCourty a giant five-year, $47.5 million contract Sunday night, but it shouldn’t preclude the team from making further moves in free agency.
McCourty will carry just a $6 million salary-cap hit, according to multiple reports. PatsCap.com projects the Patriots to be $9.556 million under the 2015 cap after Darrelle Revis and Vince Wilfork officially are released.
McCourty received a $15 million signing bonus, which helps the Patriots meet the NFL’s 89 percent cash-spending floor, though $5 million is deferred to March 31, 2016.
McCourty’s 2015 and 2016 salaries are guaranteed, and he will count $8 million against the cap in 2016, $10 million in 2017, $11 million in 2018 and $12.5 million in 2019. McCourty will receive a $31,250 bonus for each game he’s active from 2015 until his contract runs out in 2019.
Thumbnail photo via Jim Mahoney/Associated Press
