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Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
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2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, 49ers, Saints lead in UDFA Spending

Updated April 28, 2020
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

Sometimes, fans ask me why some undrafted free agents sign with one team that is loaded at a position versus their favorite team that is very thin at the same position. Typically, the answer comes down to money, as some teams are able to sign more undrafted free agents because they are willing to spend more. Players and agents can be disappointed about going undrafted, so getting more guaranteed money can appeal to them more than depth-chart considerations. This year, some team sources shared a spreadsheet tracker of undrafted free agent contracts, which was close to complete but had some missing names and contracts. It was a large list, however, and illustrated which teams were willing to spend the most. Those teams were the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.

Most undrafted free agents receive in the $10-50,000 guaranteed range, but bidding wars can push the price up for some players. This year, the Jacksonville Jaguars dished out the single largest payout. The Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs and Saints spent more on multiple players collectively. Here is a list of players who received $80,000 dollars or more in total guarantees:

Jacksonville Jaguars: cornerback Lui Barcoo - $180K
New England Patriots: linebacker Skuta Harris - $150K
Dallas Cowboys: cornerback Ron'Dell Carter - $145K
Cleveland Browns: cornerback A.J. Green - $145K
New England Patriots: linebacker DeJohn Harris - $140K

Dallas Cowboys: running back Jet Anderson - $110K
Dallas Cowboys: linebacker Francis Bernard - $110K
Kansas City Chiefs: wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb - $110K
Minnesota Vikings: wide receiver Quartney Davis - $110K
Kansas City Chiefs: center Darryl Williams - $107K

San Francisco 49ers: defensive tackle Darrion Daniels - $105K
Carolina Panthers: wide receiver Omar Bayles - $100K
Philadelphia Eagles: tight end Noah Togiai - $100K
San Francisco 49ers: wide receiver Chris Finke - $95K
New Orleans Saints: defensive lineman Malcolm Roach - $95K

New Orleans Saints: offensive lineman Jordan Steckler - $90K
San Francisco 49ers: running back Jamycal Hasty - $90K
Philadelphia Eagles: cornerback Grayland Arnold - $90K
Baltimore Ravens: center Trystan Colon-Castillo - $87.5K
New Orleans Saints: wide receiver Juwan Johnson - $85K

Atlanta Falcons: wide receiver Chris Rowland - $80K
Detroit Lions: safety Jeremiah Dinson - $80K

In speaking with some team sources, the spending policy for teams come from ownership and the front office. Thus, the teams above were more aggressive to spend to get the undrafted free agents they wanted.

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