Why will Joe Thuney and Elandon Roberts earn more cash in 2019?

Now the 2019 league cap amount has been revealed, we know how much Joe Thuney and Elandon Roberts will earn in 2019.



According to the CBA, an eligible player (a player drafted in the third through the seventh rounds) will qualify for the Proven Performance Escalator (PPE) in his fourth league year if: (1) he participated in a minimum of 35 percent of his club's offensive or defensive plays in any two of his previous three regular seasons; or (2) he participated in a "cumulative average" of at least 35 percent of his club's offensive or defensive plays over his previous three regular seasons.

Both Thuney and Roberts meet these requirements. They were selected in the 2016 draft, which means they both just finished their third year in the NFL.

Thuney, the 78th overall pick in 2016, played in 99.6 percent of the offensive snaps in 2016, 99.5 percent of the offensive snaps in 2017 and 100 percent of the snaps in 2018.

Meanwhile, Roberts, the 214th overall pick in 2016, played in 26 percent of the defensive snaps in 2016, 52.7 percent of the defensive snaps in 2017 and in 41.5 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018.

Their 2019 cap numbers are now as follows:

Thuney: $2,218,357 ($1,995,000 salary + $30,000 offseason workout bonus + $193,357 signing bonus proration)
Roberts: $2,050,089 ($2,025,000 salary + $25,089 signing bonus proration)

Answering some logical follow-up questions:

Question: Are these salaries guaranteed?

Answer: No.

Question: Can the Patriots reach extensions with these players?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What has happened to past Patriots who have earned the Proven Performance Escalator?

Answer: Alfonzo Dennard was waived on May 5, 2015. Chris Jones was waived on April 15, 2016. Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon played out the 2016 season. Shaq Mason reached an extension in August of 2018, while Trey Flowers played out the 2018 season.

Question: What current Patriots are on their way to earning the PPE?

Answer: Deatrich Wise, the 131st pick in the 2017 draft, has already done enough to earn the PPE raising his 2020 salary to my projected figure of $2.152 million. (I'm using $2.152 million, as I expect the 2020 cap to be the very round number of $200 million.) No eligible members of the 2018 Patriots draft class played enough snaps last year to make that season a qualifying season.

Question: Is the PPE new?

Answer: It was added as part of the last CBA in 2011.

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