FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots signed veteran receiver Nate Washington to a one-year contract Thursday, and the financial details reflect Washington's status as a player on the roster bubble.
Total value: $1.065 million
Signing bonus: $60,000
Workout bonus: $20,000
Base salary: $985,000
Split salary: $478,000 (in event of injured reserve)
Salary cap charge: $680,000
This is a minimum salary benefit deal, which explains why the salary-cap charge is lower than the base salary. The minimum salary benefit was instituted to help late-career players such as Washington not be squeezed out in favor of younger, cheaper options on the salary cap.