“Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”
This line was said by Chico, not Groucho Marx, in “Duck Soup”, and may well resurface when some of these NFL contracts are released by agents, who bring them together with the teams and get their players to sign them. .
It was understandable that Giants fans wondered about the effect on Evan Engram when another tight end, Kyle Rudolph, agreed to terms on Thursday about what first leaked out as a two-year deal worth $ 16 million. . With $ 8 million a year for 31-year-old Rudolph, it was natural to speculate that he was hired to replace Engram, a talented but inconsistent choice from the first round of 2017, which is in the books for $ 6 million in 2021 after the Giants took their fifth year option. Rudolph costing more than Engram seemed to indicate that Rudolph was now TE1, and Engram could be traded.
Do not.
The Post reported that Rudolph’s contract is a two-year deal worth up to $ 14 million and that’s correct. As usual, however, the devil is in the details. Rudolph actually has just $ 4.75 million in the salary cap this year, a figure perfectly suited for a 10-year veteran with two Pro Bowls on his resume. Rudolph is not the player he was in his time with the Vikings, but the Giants believe he has enough to serve as a strong blocker, reliable pass catcher and, most importantly, an incomparable threat from the red zone to his attack.
Rudolph’s base salary for 2021 is $ 2.5 million and he receives a signing bonus of $ 4.5 million. Her base salary in 2022 is $ 5 million. He can earn $ 1 million in incentives each year.
The engram remains as TE1. Rudolph arrives as TE2.