Every year, signings during the summer and leading up to the start of the regular season change the complexion of the following year's free agency. Some of the more notable signings of players heading into a contract year since the start of training camp include linebacker Bobby Wagner and wide receiver Michael Thomas

Wagner, who represented himself in contract negotiations with the Seahawks, accomplished his goal of replacing C.J. Mosley as the NFL's highest-paid inside linebacker by signing a three-year contract extension for $18 million per year. Thomas briefly became the league's highest-paid wide receiver with the five-year, $96.25 million extension he received from the Saints. Salary escalators make the deal worth up to $100 million.

Here are 15 players to keep an eye on during their contract year. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady isn't included. He has an expiring contract because his 2020 and 2021 contract years automatically void on the last day of the current league year, which is next March 18. The expectation is Brady will remain with the Patriots, where the hometown discounts he started giving in 2013 will continue.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones characterized a new deal as imminent after a 35-17 season-opening win over the Giants, in which Prescott played the best game of his career. An offer at $30 million per year, which the Cowboys described as top five money, was rejected by Prescott prior to Rams quarterback Jared Goff signing a four-year, $134 million extension (worth a maximum of $147.95 million through incentives and salary escalators) with an NFL record $110,042,682 of guarantees. It would behoove the Cowboys to acknowledge that Goff's new deal is the latest financial measuring stick for quarterbacks where offers made to Prescott are adjusted accordingly. 

If negotiations continue to drag on, the Cowboys run the risk of Prescott deciding to start playing the franchise tag game. An exclusive franchise tag, which prohibits the solicitation of an offer sheet from other NFL teams, would be in order provided Prescott continues to play at the elite level he has done so far this season. An exclusive designation for Prescott would be the average of the top five 2020 quarterback salaries (usually salary cap numbers) when the restricted free agent signing period ends next April 17. This number currently projects to $32.221 million.

Clowney became the first franchise player in over a decade to get a clause preventing a franchise or transition designation in the following year when he was dealt from the Texans to the Seahawks at the end of the preseason. Since franchise players are prohibited from signing long term deals after July 15, Clowney, who was named to the Pro Bowl for a third consecutive year in 2018, will be in a position to get his true market value next year. On the open market, Clowney conceivably could command more than the five-year, $105 million contract averaging $21 million per year and containing $65 million in guarantees ($48 million fully guaranteed) the Cowboys gave defensive end Demarcus Lawrence as a franchise player in April, especially with a fourth-straight Pro Bowl selection. 

Rivers is at peace with his contract situation even though he hasn't gotten a new deal. He's never had to play out his contract. Extensions were done during the preseason the other two times he was facing a contract year. It would be a major surprise if the Chargers let Rivers hit in the open market, although he turns 38 in December. The expectation is Rivers will be designated as a franchise player in the offseason if necessary. Presumably, Rivers would receive the exclusive version. The Chargers couldn't have been thrilled with the Steelers giving Ben Roethlisberger, to whom Rivers is inextricably linked because of their status as highly successful 2004 first round picks, a two-year, $68 million extension toward the end of the April. 


Patience has been Cooper's best friend. Michael Thomas raised the bar for wide receivers in July when he signed a five-year extension averaging $19.25 million per year with the Saints. Julio Jones took salaries for pass catchers to new heights with the three-year, $66 million extension, in which $64 million was fully guaranteed at signing, he received from the Falcons right before the start of the regular season.

Jones' deal likely gives Cooper ammunition to surpass Thomas in the wide receiver salary hierarchy, despite being an inferior player. Cooper, who is playing under a $13.924 million fifth year option, has a tremendous amount of leverage and his agent Joel Segal isn't afraid to use it. Segal made Khalil Mack the NFL's highest paid non-quarterback last year. The Cowboys didn't give up their 2019 first round pick to the Raiders for Cooper to have a short stay in Dallas. Prescott's improved play which began during the second of the 2018 season coincided with Cooper's arrival as the legitimate receiving threat that had been sorely missing.

Assuming Prescott's deal gets done, Cooper is a likely franchise tag candidate. The 2020 wide receiver number will be approximately $18 million provided the 2020 salary cap is in the $200 million range. A second designation for Cooper in 2021 at a Collective Bargaining Agreement mandated 20 percent raise could be more than $21.5 million. Cooper might be better off making roughly $53.5 million through 2021 going year-to-year with two franchise tags where he would be an unrestricted free agent at 27 if he doesn't like the Dallas offers.

The Chiefs made a major investment in a pass rusher during the offseason. It just wasn't Jones even though he set a NFL record last season by recording a sack in 11 straight games and was third in the league with 15.5 sacks. Defensive end Frank Clark, who had been franchised, was signed to a five-year, $104 million contract with $62.305 million in guarantees ($43.805 million fully guaranteed at signing) in connection with his trade from the Seahawks shortly before late April's NFL draft. The Chiefs need to decide whether it's feasible to have two high priced pass rushers long term with quarterback Patrick Mahomes becoming eligible for a new deal after season. The 2018 NFL MVP is potentially the first $40 million per year player in football. 

Green is one of the NFL's best wide receivers when healthy. But healthy is something Green hasn't been in recent years. He missed six games in 2016 because of a hamstring tear and was limited to nine games last season because of a toe injury requiring surgery. Green is recovering from an ankle injury suffered in training camp that is expected to keep him sidelined for the first few games of the season. He had career lows of 46 receptions and 694 receiving yards in 2018. 

The Bengals have a history of signing core players to extensions rather than letting them hit the open market. Green has expressed a desire to remain in Cincinnati for as long as possible. It remains to be seen what type of impact Green's injuries will have on his next deal in an escalating wide receiver market. One thing we do know is any deal that keeps Green in Cincinnati will not have comparable security to the top wide receiver deals because Bengals veteran contracts are historically light on guarantees.

Peters, who is on a fifth-year option for $9.069 million, has an NFL best 22 interceptions since his career began in 2015. He didn't perform like the player who was named the NFL's 2015 Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 after an offseason trade from the Chiefs to the Rams. Fortunately, his play down the stretch of last season and in the playoffs was more indicative of someone who earned All-Pro honors in first two NFL seasons.

The recent trend is for the Rams to let defensive backs find big money in free agency. Trumaine Johnson was given a franchise tag in 2016 over Janoris Jenkins, who got $12.5 million per year from the Giants. He was franchised again the following year before signing a $14.5 million per year deal with the Jets in 2018 making him the NFL's second highest paid cornerback. Safety Lamarcus Joyner played 2018 under a franchise tag. He signed a lucrative long term contract with the Raiders this offseason.

New head coach Bruce Arians is known as a quarterback whisperer primarily because of his work with Peyton Manning early in his career, Roethlisberger's ascension as an upper echelon passer and for resurrecting Carson Palmer's career when was with the Cardinals. Whether Arians can work his magic with Winston, who is playing on his $20.922 million fifth year option will determine the 2015 first overall pick's future with Buccaneers.

Mariota is also playing under a $20.922 million fifth year option, like Winston. His progress stalled during his first three NFL seasons in former head coach Mike Mularkey's "exotic smashmouth" offense. The Titans weren't able to determine whether 2015's second overall pick was the quarterback of the future in 2018 because he was slowed by an elbow injury on his throwing arm for a good part of the season. If Mariota doesn't have a relatively injury free 2019 where he shows more consistency as a passer, his days in Tennessee could be numbered.

Harris received a $3.15 million bump in his 2019 salary from the Broncos to $11.05 million during the offseason because he was extremely dissatisfied with the deal he signed late in the 2014 season when he was on the cusp of free agency. His goal is to become the league's highest paid cornerback, which is currently Xavien Howard at $15.01 million per year, after his current contract expires. It may be a difficult proposition for Harris, presumably in free agency, because of age. Harris will turn 31 before the 2020 season starts.

Ngakoue's brief training camp holdout came to end on August 5 primarily because of the need to earn another accrued season (i.e.; a year of service towards free agency). One isn't earned when a player doesn't report to his team at least 30 days prior to the NFL's first regular season game. Missing this August 6 deadline with Ngakoue playing out his rookie deal after a failed holdout would have made him a restricted free agent in 2020 rather than unrestricted.

Linebacker Myles Jack, a fellow 2016 draftee, signing a four-year, $57 million extension at the beginning of the month virtually assures Ngakoue of being designated as a franchise player in the offseason. The Jaguars will be hard pressed to sign Ngakoue to a long term deal that doesn't put him in the $20 million per year pass rusher club, which currently has four members (Mack-$23.5 million per year, Aaron Donald-$22.5 million per year, Lawrence-$21 million per year; Clark-$20.8 million per year).

Jones could be the odd man out of the Cowboys' recent spending spree. He thrived in moving to cornerback full-time from free safety last season. Jones earned his first Pro Bowl berth and second team All-Pro honors. A franchise and transition designation can be used in 2020, the final year of the CBA, instead of one or the other like in the labor agreement's first nine years. Dallas needs sign either Prescott or Cooper to an extension to ensure that Jones, who is currently playing on a $6.626 million fifth year option, doesn't hit the open market next year. Jones proving that his 2018 season wasn't a fluke would make him a hot commodity if he hits the open market. The going rate for high level cornerbacks in a stagnant market has been $14 million to $15 million per year with over $40 million in guarantees where at least $30 million is fully guaranteed at signing. 

Ezekiel Elliott reset the running back a couple of weeks ago when he received a six-year, $90 million extension containing $50,052,137 of guarantees from the Cowboys. Henry may not reap the benefit from the deal despite being one of the NFL's most productive ball carriers during the second half of the 2018 season with 759 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. The problem is Henry hasn't made much of an impact in the passing game. Top tier money, which starts at $13 million per year, is for dual threat running backs. There's a big drop to the high end of the next salary tier, which is currently $8.25 million per year.

The Redskins made an effort to lock up Scherff, who is playing under a $12.525 million fifth year option, long term but the sides were reportedly far apart in negotiations. Scherff earned Pro Bowl honors in 2016 and 2017. A pectoral tear ended Scherff's 2018 season after eight games. 

The Redskins face quite a dilemma with Scherff. History suggests that an offensive guard won't be given a franchise tag. The last time was Logan Mankins by the Patriots in 2011. Scherff's franchise tag would be $15.03 million, which is 120% of 2019 salary. Recent history also suggests that a Pro Bowl caliber guard in his prime will re-set the market in free agency. The six-year, $84 million extension ($14 million per year average) containing $40 million in guarantees Zack Martin received from the Cowboys last offseason is the current standard.

Bridgewater is getting his first game action over an extended period of time since suffering a gruesome, career threatening knee injury during the 2016 preseason as the Vikings starting quarterback because of Drew Brees' thumb injury. Brees is expected back around midseason. How Bridgewater performs will largely determine whether he will be a starting quarterback in 2020. The 40 year old Brees, who is also in a contract year, is taking a year by year approach to his continuing his career, which would only be with the Saints.