The NFL bargains — strong Contract Value Index grades on below-market salaries.
Cap-strapped teams are built on the deals nobody complains about — the ones where a player vastly outperforms his paycheck. This page surfaces those bargains: the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the NFL board sitting on below-median salaries.
Rookie-scale contracts dominate the conversation here, but they are not the whole story. A veteran who took a hometown discount or a mid-tier free agent on a value deal can grade just as high, because the math is the same: elite return relative to cost.
For a front office, every name on this list is a small competitive edge — money saved that can be spent somewhere else on the roster.
The 20 NFL bargains below cost just $30.4M per year combined, led by value at P — a fraction of what their grades would command on the open market.
Salary figures are average annual value. Cuts and releases are excluded — the Contract Value Index is not a valid signal on a non-contract move. Grades reflect value to the team, not raw talent.
Below-median NFL salaries earning the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades. Ranked by grade quality, then by how little the team is paying.
| # | Player | Avg / Yr | CVI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emari DemercadoRB · Kansas City Chiefs | $1.3M | A+ A+ |
| 2 | Corliss WaitmanP · San Francisco 49ers | $1.3M | A+ A+ |
| 3 | Julius ChestnutRB · Tennessee Titans | $1.4M | A+ A+ |
| 4 | Cam Taylor-BrittDB · Indianapolis Colts | $1.4M | A+ A+ |
| 5 | Jaleel McLaughlinRB · Denver Broncos | $1.4M | A+ A+ |
| 6 | Mitch WishnowskyP · Buffalo Bills | $1.5M | A+ A+ |
| 7 | Johnny HekkerP · Minnesota Vikings | $1.5M | A+ A+ |
| 8 | Johnny HekkerP · Minnesota Vikings | $1.5M | A+ A+ |
| 9 | Bradley PinionP · Miami Dolphins | $1.5M | A+ A+ |
| 10 | Christian RozeboomLB · Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $1.6M | A+ A+ |
| 11 | Emanuel WilsonRB · Seattle Seahawks | $1.6M | A+ A+ |
| 12 | Corey BojorquezP · Cleveland Browns | $2.0M | A+ A+ |
| 13 | Joey SlyeK · Tennessee Titans | $2.0M | A+ A+ |
| 14 | Brady RussellRB · Seattle Seahawks | $2.4M | A+ A+ |
| 15 | Eli AppleDB · San Francisco 49ers | $1.3M | A A |
| 16 | Jack StollTE · Cleveland Browns | $1.3M | A A |
| 17 | Mike BrownSs · New England Patriots | $1.3M | A A |
| 18 | Kylen GransonTE · Tennessee Titans | $1.4M | A A |
| 19 | Willie Gay JrILB · Miami Dolphins | $1.4M | A A |
| 20 | Isaiah SimmonsS · Carolina Panthers | $1.4M | A A |
A contract lands here when a team is getting one of the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the board while paying below-median money — the bargains a smart front office locked in. These are the closest thing to a free win on the salary ledger. Read the full methodology.