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When the Las Vegas Raiders inked Marcus Epps to a two-year deal worth $12 million, it was seen as a worthy reward for a player coming off a career year. The 27-year-old safety did everything that was asked of him in 2022 and a lot more. He started 17 games, recording 94 tackles with 6 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble.
Epps earned the right to cash in during free agency. He was also the recipient of $880,384 in “performance-based pay distributions” for his 2022 campaign, which included a trip to Super Bowl LVII. Epps, a sixth-round pick of the Vikings in 2019, was the top earner on the list that included Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
The Performance-Based Pay program is money set aside to reward guys who outplayed their contracts. The NFL defines it as “a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based upon their playing time and salary levels.” The pool of money was calculated to be $336 million in 2022, with nearly $2 billion being doled out since the program’s inception in 2002 as part of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Epps Excited to Join Raiders: ‘Biggest Push for Me’
Epps went to high school in Huntington Beach, California which is a suburb of Los Angeles where the Raiders played until 1994. He has a few family members who grew up cheering on the Silver and Black. He called it a “historic franchise” in his introducotry press conference while revealing how much the Raiders wanted him in the fold.
“Going into it, I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen,” Epps said, via Raider Maven. “But the Raiders, they made the biggest push for me and that meant a lot to me. Really excited to be here and really excited to play for this storied franchise. I just can’t wait to get to work with the guys.”
Epps also made sure to thank the Eagles for a great four-year run. He saw action in 54 games, including 25 starts. He also qualified for the postseason in three out of his four seasons in midnight green.
“Learned a lot about consistency,” Epps said about his time in Philly, “learned a lot about what it takes the day in and day out grind.”
Eagles Officially Welcome Darius Slay Back
The weird roller-coaster ride that was the Darius Slay experience this offseason has finally docked. The Eagles officially announced the Pro Bowl cornerback’s return on Twitter where Slay shared a motivational message with the fans. He wants to run it back. Super Bowl or bust.
“What’s up Eagles fans, it’s your boy Big Play Slay here, man,” Slay said. “We back at it, man. We gotta run it back. Gots to.”
Despite rumors of the Eagles trading or releasing Slay, he’s back. The team worked out a three-year extension worth $42 million with $23 million in guaranteed money. He’s locked up through the 2025 season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Prior to the extension, Slay was headed for free agency in 2024. One significant point, referenced by NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank, is “the $6 million raise from Slay’s original 2023 salary of $17 million to the guaranteed amount of $23 million.” The restructured contract will significantly reduce the Eagles’ cap hit. Numbers weren’t immediately available.
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