Report: Ja'Wuan James, Broncos Agree to $52M Contract to Become Highest Paid RT

The Denver Broncos have upgraded their offensive line with the addition of offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the two sides agreed on a four-year, $52 million deal. The contract also reportedly includes $32 million worth of guarantees.

As ESPN's Cameron Wolfe noted, this will make him the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. It also places him not too far behind Trent Brown, who agreed to a $66 million contract with $36.75 million in guarantees Monday to become the highest-paid offensive lineman in history, per Schefter.

James had spent his first five years in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, starting all 62 games he played. 

He has been a reliable part of the Dolphins offense since Miami selected him with the No. 19 pick of the 2014 draft. He started all 16 games during his rookie season and, when healthy, remained a lineup fixture for the next five years.

The 26-year-old now joins a team that has been looking to solidify the offensive line for years. Even before news of the signing broke, Nicki Jhabvala of the Athletic pegged this as a good fit:

Wolfe also noted James isn't a new target for Denver:

If he can remain healthy, this move could be vital in helping the Broncos turn things around following two straight losing seasons.

However, his injury history should be a concern after he missed 18 games over the past four years. A groin injury ended his season early in 2017, and a strained patellar tendon in his right knee limited him during 2018.

After committing this much money, Denver will hope James can stay on the field as much as possible in 2019.