Chris Olave getting a new contract from the New Orleans Saints feels like it happens this offseason, and he recently gave insight into his negotiations. Olave expressed feeling like the two sides were close to a deal. That may have changed after the Atlanta Falcons agreed to a new deal with Drake London.
The Falcons signed London to a four-year contract worth $141 million ($35.25 million per year) and $100 million guaranteed. There's also incentives that can take the contract up to $150 million. Olave's agent is somewhere rubbing his hands together like Birdman as we speak.
If the figure the Saints and Olave's team were trending towards is less than London's contract, it's his agent's obligation to at least push for something similar to London. The Saints don't have to give into the negotiation, but Olave's side is certainly telling the Saints that London got that contract without a second team All-Pro to his name.
Drake London's contract may be the bar for what the Saints have to pay Chris Olave
It pays to get paid second. That's just the way the NFL works. If London had been paid after Olave, London would have been paid more than Olave. There's a good chance Olave is paid more than London simply due to timing.
Olave isn't going to command the contract Jaxon Smith-Njigba received this offseason, but he could very well get a contract similar to London. One could even argue that should be the expectation. We used to use Garrett Wilson as the comparison for Olave's negotiations. London is the new bar.
The longer the Saints go without extending Olave, the more risk they run of other receivers signing contracts. Players like Puka Nacua or George Picks could sign a contract and raise the ceiling at the position. While Olave won't be in that tier, the top end money still raises what the players underneath could secure.
They saw the impact of waiting with London. It wouldn't be surprising to see Olave get a deal in the $35.5-$36 million range now. He and London aren't far apart, so getting paid similarly feels most likely. Since Olave got paid second... you get it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google