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The Bengals don't tend to spend much on their safeties, even though they've gotten great production at that position in recent years.
Since becoming the full-time starting free safety in 2011, Reggie Nelson has played at a high level while annually being the team's highest-paid player at the position, though he's typically been paid a cap-friendly number. That will be the case again in 2015 when he makes just $4.7 million on the final year of his contract.
Here's a salary breakdown in 2015 for the Bengals' safeties:
|
BASE SALARY |
SIGNING BONUS |
WORKOUT BONUS |
DEAD CAP |
CAP HIT |
|
|
Reggie Nelson |
$4,100,000 |
$625,000 |
$50,000 |
($625,000) |
$4,775,000 |
|
George Iloka |
$1,542,000 |
$40,075 |
- |
($40,075) |
$1,582,075 |
|
Shawn Williams |
$600,000 |
$138,986 |
- |
($277,972) |
$738,986 |
|
Shiloh Keo |
$745,000 |
- |
- |
- |
$585,000 |
|
Derron Smith |
$435,000 |
$29,658 |
- |
($118,632) |
$464,658$29,658 |
|
Floyd Raven |
$435,000 |
$1,833 |
- |
($5,500) |
$436,833$1,833 |
After Nelson, George Iloka is the only other safety making more than $1 million. He too is on the final year of his deal, but the former fifth-rounder is making just $1.5 million in 2015. Nelson and Iloka combine to make more than $6 million in 2015. They've more than earned it though after becoming one of the NFL's best safety tandems in 2014. Hopefully, at least one of them is re-signed before the start of this coming season.
Shawn Williams is on the third year of his deal after being drafted in 2013 out of Georgia in the third round. He'll make slightly more than $700,000 in 2015. After him, no other safety makes more than $585,000.
In all, the Bengals are currently ranked 20th in the NFL for salary committed to the safety position. It's also the fifth lowest-paid position on the team's roster.