The Green Bay Packers didn’t want Sam Shields to hit the free agent market, so they made him one of the highest-paid corners
Sam Shields
in the NFL.
ESPN.com reported that the Packers will pay Shields $39-million over four years, including a $12.5-million signing bonus.
NFL.com reported that Shields will make $15-million in the first year, $20-million through two years and $30-million through three years.
The deal makes Shields the third-highest paid player on the Packers roster, behind Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. He becomes the 5th highest paid cornerback in the league.
Signing Shields also means the Packers won’t have to select a corner with their first round pick in the upcoming May NFL Draft. It allows them to look for help up front, for a defense that ranked 25th in the NFL in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed last season.
As for defensive lineman B.J. Raji, the Packers offered him a 1-year deal worth a reported $4-million, but there’s nothing that suggests at the moment that he’ll sign the deal before the start of free agency on Tuesday.