Patriots Award $500K Bonus To Lawrence Guy, Even Though They Didn't Have To Pay
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Who says that Bill Belichick doesn't have a heart?
The Patriots head coach and de facto general manager is known for running his team without being burdened by emotions or the sensitivity that the rest of us mortals feel. But a story from the weekend shows that Belichick is not always about sticking to the black-and-white of contracts.
The Patriots decided to award defensive lineman Lawrence Guy a $500,000 bonus, applied to his 2018 earnings. The team did so after Guy played in 54.91 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps during the season. Had Guy played in 55 percent of the snaps, it would have triggered a $500,000 playing time bonus. Considering Guy was a key contributor in his first year with the Patriots, and considering he could have made that money if the coaching staff had employed him for just one more snap over the course of the season, the team opted to pay the man his money.
The transaction was first noted by Ian Whetstone on Twitter, and spotlighted by Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss noted that the team did something similar with Sebastian Vollmer in 2014.
That's awesome. Good for him and them. Surprises me given the precedent it sets and how closely they watch every dollar there but I like the message it sends to all the guys on the team.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) February 19, 2018
Noted Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan noted on Boston Sports Journal that the $500,000 bonus will impact the Patriots' cap in 2018.
Guy spent his first five NFL seasons playing for the Colts, Chargers and Ravens.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that such bonus decisions could negatively affect a locker room if the team opts to not make such decisions for other players. But prior to Super Bowl LII, Guy spoke highly of the camaraderie he shared with Patriots defensive linemen.
"Brotherhood. We have a brotherhood," he said. "We do everything together, and we try to make sure that we execute every play and have a great relationship with each other on the line. That's all you can do is have a great meeting space and a great locker room."
The awarding of the half-of-a-million dollars to Guy likely sends the message to all Patriots that a proper attitude and work ethic will lead to a reward when applicable, rather
The 27-year-old Guy recorded 58 total tackles (34 solo) and one sack in 16 during the regular season, and he recorded 14 total tackles (nine solo) with one sack in three postseason games.