It will be a while until new Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier signs his first NFL contract, but thanks to the new CBA slotting system and current rookie pool estimates, we have a pretty good idea what that deal will look like.
Shazier’s deal will be four years and according to Over The Cap, it should total out at around $9.5 million and include a $5.23 million signing bonus. Shazier’s 2014 base salary will likely be $420,000 and that should put his cap number at around $1.728 million. Shazier’s contract will include a fifth-year option as well.
Last year, New Orleans Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro, the 15th overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth 9,424,704. He received a signing bonus of $5,234,328. There’s no reason to think that Shazier’s deal wont be fully guaranteed as well.
Shazier will likely sign just prior to the start of training camp. The Steelers are currently up against the cap right now, so the earliest he will be signed is June 2 when the release of linebacker LaMarr Woodley finally hits the books and frees up nearly $8.5 million in cap space after displacement.
