Terry McLaurin hasn’t been attending any of Washington’s offseason workouts, and it’s easy to see why. He’s long overdue for a contract extension.
McLaurin, after all, was just a third-round pick back in 2019. So he’s made about a third as much as Hollywood Brown and N’Keal Harry, even though it’s been clear for over two years that he’s better than those guys.
McLaurin has made only $3 million in his first three seasons. Brown is up at $9.9 million, while Harry is at $8.4. Financially, Scary Terry is still paying a penalty for teams not picking him earlier three years ago.
I can’t say that I’m a fan for the current labor deal, with salaries largely slotted for the first four years of a player’s career, based on where he was picked. It’s an awful system for running backs, since few of them play much more than four years. I don’t think it’s great for the other positions either. McLaurin has been around for 49 games; he’s shown what he can do. I don’t think he should have been locked into third-round money last year.
If we match dollars to production, McLaurin has been the best deal of the receivers drafted in 2019, with Washington pay $980 per yard of production. Harry is up at $14,000 per yard.
A.J. Brown is the first receiver from this group to break out financially, with the trade to Philadelphia and a new four-year contract worth $100 million, with $57.2 guaranteed.
Other receivers from this class who’ve significantly outperformed their contracts: Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and Diontae Johnson. They’ve all caught a bunch of passes, and it’s time for them to be paid more in line with what they’re bringing to their teams.
In the case of the Steelers and Commanders, they each bought themselves some leverage and flexibility in the draft, selecting wide receivers early. Washington chose Jahan Dotson in the first round, and Pittsburgh grabbed George Pickens in the second. With those players in place, it gives the teams more flexibility in negotiations, with the ability to go next man up, if necessary.
Ultimately, however, some kind of deal should be worked out, with McLaurin showing up at camp and all being forgotten. The current labor deal also includes holdout clauses making it difficult for players to hold out. Ron Rivera says the two sides are talking, so some sort of deal should be reached before August.
| WR IN FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF 2019 DRAFT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pk | Player | Rec | Yards | TD | Earnings |
| 25 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 195 | 2,361 | 21 | $9,902,168 |
| 32 | N'Keal Harry, N.E. | 57 | 598 | 4 | $8,379,198 |
| 36 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 167 | 2,598 | 21 | $6,152,716 |
| 51 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 185 | 2,995 | 26 | $4,386,590 |
| 56 | Mecole Hardman, K.C. | 126 | 1,791 | 14 | $4,068,974 |
| 57 | JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Phil. | 2 | 36 | 0 | $3,781,056 |
| 59 | Parris Campbell, Ind. | 34 | 360 | 2 | $3,657,830 |
| 62 | Andy Isabella, Ariz. | 31 | 426 | 3 | $3,711,002 |
| 64 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 216 | 3,170 | 29 | $3,465,679 |
| 66 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 254 | 2,764 | 21 | $3,202,195 |
| 67 | Jalen Hurd, S.F. | 0 | 0 | 0 | $2,767,813 |
| 76 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 222 | 3,090 | 16 | $3,029,671 |
| 93 | Miles Boykin, Balt. | 33 | 470 | 7 | $3,332,440 |
On the above chart, the financial data comes from Spotrac.com, which is a great resource for that kind of info.
For the player stats, touchdowns include not only receptions but also touchdowns scored on runs and kick returns.
—Ian Allan