Performance-Based Pay

The NFL announced the annual leaders in performanced-based pay, a sytem explained below. One Skin, G Jason Fabini, cracked the top 25. The lesson here, looking at the top 25 guys, is that there is plenty of cheap talent to be found on the O Line and in the secondary.

Here are the detail, from the NFL:

For the 2007 season, the fund totaled $100.8 million ($3.15 million per club). The fund will be $3.3 million per team this season and $3.5 million per club in 2009.

Players become eligible to receive Performance-Based Pay in any regular season in which they play at least one official down.

Under the system, Performance-Based Pay is computed by using a "player index." To produce the index, a player's regular-season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular-season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player's index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his pay.

"The system was formed to benefit lower-salaried players," says NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL . "If a player is making the minimum salary but plays in a high percentage of his team's plays, he will get a larger payout of the pool than a teammate with the same amount of playing time but a higher salary."

One hypothetical example is "Player A" in 2007 earning a salary of $600,000, playing in 50 percent of his team's plays. His bonus would total approximately $60,000. "Player B" has a salary of $6 million and took part in a similar percentage of plays. His bonus would be approximately $6,000.

"'Pay for Performance' rewards players who may be on the bottom of the team pay scale, but play a majority of the games," says NFLPA Executive Director GENE UPSHAW .

TOP 25 PERFORMANCE BASED PAY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR 2007

PLAYER
CLUB
POSITION
DISTRIBUTION

1. Colon, Willie Steelers T $309,534

2. Page, Jarrad Chiefs S $286,135

3. Landry, Dawan Ravens S $284,568

4. King, Jeff Panthers TE $281,264

5. Jackson, Tanard Buccaneers S $278,227

6. McBride, Trumaine Bears CB $275,524

7.DiGiorgio, John Bills LB $273,420

8. Gaither, Omar Eagles LB $272,458

9. Evans, Jahri Saints G $266,677

10.Finnegan, Cortland Titans CB $266,049

11. Colston, Marques Saints WR $257,894

12.Pears, Erik Broncos T $255,454

13. Anderson, Derek Browns QB $254,929

14. Bigby, Atari Packers S $253,177

15. Clary, Jeromey Chargers T $253,015

16. Butler, Brad Bills G $252,729

17. Harris, Chris Panthers S $250,963

18.Sims, Rob Seahawks G $245,566

19. Penn, Donald Buccaneers T $245,531

20. Kaczur, Nick Patriots T $243,036

21. Sanders, James Patriots S $235,895

22. Fabini, Jason Redskins T $230,042

23. Clarke, Adrien Jets G $227,721

24. Smith, Anthony Steelers S $227,536

25. Haralson, Parys 49ers LB $226,221