Patriots Re-Sign Center Ryan Wendell on Two-Year Deal
The New England Patriots re-signed offensive lineman, Ryan Wendell, to a two-year contract Friday.
While the Patriots have yet to announce the deal, NFLPA records showed the signing Friday afternoon. The contract is reportedly worth up to $8.15 million over the next two seasons.
Until more details are released, it's hard to know the real value of the contract -- as many incentives and bonuses make NFL figures complicated -- but here's a rough estimate of what has been reported so far. It includes a signing bonus of $850,000, base salaries of $1 million per season, a $2 million roster bonus per year and up to $1.3 million in playing-time incentives for the 2015 season.
My initial reaction was a solid signing. The money seems a little high, but the options for roster bonuses protect the team if they decide to go in a different direction down the road. I wouldn't read too much into the max worth of any NFL deal, as the players rarely see the full value.
Wendell struggled for most of 2013, but was very good in 2012. While the team could still upgrade at the starting center position, locking up a versatile and dependable lineman seems like good business for the Patriots.
Wendell has only missed six snaps in the past two seasons combined. He has trouble with stronger interior defensive lineman, but is very technically sound. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder has started 37 games in his career, all with the Patriots.
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