By John Sarianides
Eddie Lacy and Dontari Poe both signed one year deals last week with the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons respectively. What was unique about both contracts is that they had weight clauses in them. In the case of Lacy, his incentives centered around him showing up to training camp 15-20 pounds lighter. Lacy was supposedly weighed last week on a free agent visit and weighed in at 267 pounds. The Seahawks offered him a one-year $5.5 million dollar contract and Lacy accepted their offer. Now the team wants him to show up to camp at around 250 pounds.
In order for Lacy to meet his goal weight, the Seahawks put incentives in his contract to ensure that he gets there. Lacy will have seven weigh-ins that will be worth $55,000 apiece. His weight goals will be 255 pounds in May, 250 pounds in June and August and 245 pounds for September, October, November and December. Lacy could earn up to $385,000 if he meets his weight incentives. That is a lot of moola and motivation to keep the weight off.
In the case of Dontari Poe. The Falcons want him to play at around 330 pounds. Poe got a one year, $10 million dollar deal from the Falcons. $8 million of it is guaranteed. $500,000 of that is tied to a weight clause. Poe will earn $7.5 million dollars in his base salary.
Poe was listed at 346 pounds last season but there is no way he only weighed 346 pounds. He had to be pushing 360 plus. The Falcons operate out of a 4-3 base predicated on playing fast. Dan Quinn wants his defensive tackles shooting gaps and pressuring the opposing quarterback. Poe didn’t have to do that as a 0 nose tackle in the Chiefs 3-4 defense. He was a two gap player. That is not the case anymore.
I think it is safe to say that we are going to start seeing more and more contracts with weight clauses in them. Some of the most talented players in the league have an issue with their weight. It doesn’t help that players are away from their respective teams from February to April. In the old days, it was easier to stay in shape because you spent the entire off-season working out at the team facility. Now players go back home and workout with personnel trainers. Those trainers are not as tough on them as the team strength coaches are.
The NFL is a business and the owners know that the players are their most precious commodities. Ensuring that they are in peak physical shape is vital. Even if it means throwing a little bit more money at them to motivate them to keep their weight down. A team is only as good as its players. Even the ones that are overweight.