Buffalo Bills punter Corey Bojorquez is a Restricted Free Agent, but that doesn’t mean much. As a Restricted Free Agent, the Bills can tender a contract to Bojorquez and if he is signed by another team, the Bills receive draft pick compensation for the move equal to the round the player was originally drafted. But Bojorquez was undrafted, so all Buffalo would get is right of first refusal (they could match the contract).
So as we enter the offseason, what’s it going to cost to keep Bojorquez and will Buffalo want to do that?
Comparable contracts
One year, $920,000
This is the league minimum for a player with three years of experience. Buffalo could add a small signing bonus of $137,500 to that figure if they want. That would place him in between the rookie punter deals and the veteran punter deals at roughly 18th in the league at his position.
One year, $2.133 million
This is the RFA tender and gives Buffalo the right of first refusal. On an Annual Average Valuation, that would make Bojorquez the 16th-highest-paid punter in the league, tied with the Miami Dolphins’ Matt Haack. With Bojorquez leading the league in net yards per punt and improving his holding game in 2020, that might actually be a pretty good starting number.
Riley Dixon
New York Giants, 2019
Three years, $8.7 million ($3 million guaranteed)
Dixon was a restricted free agent in 2019 but instead of tendering him, the Giants signed him to a longer-term extension. They kept his low RFA figure in place for 2019 then gave him three years after that. Modeling that could help Buffalo avoid a pinch of a salary crunch in 2021.
Contract projection
With the way Bojorquez played in 2020, we definitely want him to stick around. I think he’s worth more than league minimum at this point. With that in mind, I’d be interested in inking him to a longer deal to lower his cap hit in 2021.
Three years, $8.85 million
$3.02 million guaranteed
At $2.95 million AAV, it makes him the sixth-highest-paid punter in the league on a yearly average basis, but it’s not something that’s going to handcuff Buffalo beyond 2021. The first year is guaranteed but after that, they can get out of it.
The highest-paid punter in the league is making close to $4 million per season, so there’s not a huge ton of variance here. Either you’re on a rookie deal or you’re in the top half of the league.
The RFA tender is $2.133 million and this lowers that cap hit by about $500,000 while paying him roughly $1 million more in actual cash in 2021. It’s a win for both sides
Here are the yearly breakdowns:
2021
Signing bonus: $700,000
Base salary: $920,000 (guaranteed)
Cap hit: $1.62 million
2022
Signing bonus: $700,000
Roster bonus: $500,000
Base salary: $2.13 million
Cap hit: $3.33 million
Dead cap if cut: $1.4 million
Savings if cut: $1.93 million
2023
Signing bonus: $700,000
Roster bonus: $500,000
Base salary: $2.7 million
Cap hit: $3.9 million
Dead cap if cut: $700,000
Savings if cut: $3.2 million