KUSA – Had there been an eighth round, Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay, Auburn outside linebacker Jeff Holland and Utah nose tackle Lowell Lotulelei probably would have been drafted.
Lindsay, Holland and Lotulelei each received relatively lofty $15,000 signing bonuses to lead the Broncos’ undrafted rookie class of 2018.
Only safety Jamal Carter, who received $20,000 in signing bonus and salary guarantee last year, and linebacker Lerentee McCray, who got a $17,000 signing bonus in 2013, received greater incentive as undrafted players since John Elway became the Broncos’ general manager in 2011.
A look at the signing bonuses for the Broncos’ 2018 class of eight undrafted players:
2018
Phillip Lindsay, RB, $15,000
Jeff Holland, OLB, $15,000
Lowell Lotulelei, NT, $15,000
Leon Johnson, OT, $10,000
Jimmy Williams, WR, $10,000
John Diarse, WR, $8,000
Trey Marshall, S, $5,000
Austin Schlottmann, G, $5,000
Ordinarily, the higher the signing bonus, the more likely an undrafted player has of making the Broncos’ 53-man roster when it’s set in September.
There are exceptions. Most famously, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. – the second-best undrafted player in Broncos’ history to receiver Rod Smith – only got a $2,000 signing bonus in 2011. Harris and running back C.J. Anderson are unquestionably the two best undrafted players of the past seven years.
A look at the top undrafted signing bonuses in the Elway era and what some of the others who stuck around for a while received:
2017
1. Jamaal Carter, S, $20,000 ($10,000 in guaranteed salary)
2. Orion Stewart, S, $12,500
3. Tyrique Jarrett, DT, $10,000
Others: Jerrol Garcia-Williams, LB, $8,000; Dymonte Thomas, S, $4,000; Marcus Rios, $3,000.
2016
1. Kyle Peko, DT, $11,000
2. Henry Krieger Coble, TE, $10,000
Others: Kalif Raymond, Returner, $2,000; Vontarrius Dora, DE-OLB, $2,000.
2015
1. Dillon Day, C, $8,000
2. Jordan Taylor, WR, $7,500
T-3. Zaire Anderson, $5,000
2014
1. Isaiah Burse, Returner, $12,500
2. Shaquil Barrett, OLB, $10,000
3. Bennie Fowler, WR, $7,000
2013
1. Lerentee McCray, OLB, $17,000
2. C.J. Anderson, RB, $12,500
2012
1. Steven Johnson, LB, $12,000
Others: Duke Ihenacho, S, $8,500; Aaron Brewer, longsnapper, $4,000.
2011
1. Adam Grant, OT, $12,000
T-2. Adam Weber, QB, $10,000
t-2. Mario Fannin, RB, $10,000
t-2. Mark Dell, WR, $10,000
t-2. Jamel Hamler, WR, $10,000
Other: Chris Harris Jr., DB, $2,000
