Matt Forte and the Best Player Making Less $1,000,000 for All 32 NFL Teams

The NFL is full of players that sign massive contracts but never live up to the hype, but there are a few gems where the opposite is true, like the Chicago Bears Matt Forte.

I thought it would be interesting to take a trip through the salary cap for all 32 teams and look for the best players who make under one million dollars.

When doing my research, I took into account any amount of money that goes towards the team's cap.

This was an interesting study, and I'm sure you will be surprised at some of the players who are on this list. 

Pat McAfee, Punter, Indianapolis Colts: $494,500

Pat McAfee is better know for his drunken antics on a winter night last year than for his football prowess, but he has been a busy man in 2011 for the Indianapolis Colts.

Without Peyton Manning to guide the offense, McAfee has been a busy man. He has done well, too, posting a respectable 47.4 average for the season.

Greg Hardy, Defensive End, Carolina Panthers: $433,946

Greg Hardy is a bargain for the Carolina Panthers at his current rate. The second year player is having a solid season for the young team, posting three sacks and a forced fumble. 

Hardy should be a key member to the developing team in the years to come.

Brandon Gibson, Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams: $505,000

Brandon Gibson is Sam Bradford's best friend. He may be the young St. Louis Rams quarterback's only friend. The Rams have been decimated by injury this year, and Gibson has given them a target on the outside.

So far this season, Gibson has caught 28 balls for 332 yards and one touchdown. 

Everson Griffen, Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings: $540,000

Everson Griffen of the Minnesota Vikings is another pass rusher that is producing on the cheap. Griffen benefits from the strong presence of teammate, Jared Allen. That shouldn't be held against him, however, and his steady play has made the team forget the loss of Ray Edwards to the Atlanta Falcons.

Griffen has more sacks than the aforementioned Edwards, and he has put together a solid season so far. His stats include 16 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble. 

Cameron Wake, Outside Linebacker, Miami Dolphins: $480,000

The Miami Dolphins' Cameron Wake is a bargain at under a half a million. He leads the Dolphins in sacks, with 6.5. 

After a rookie season in which he collected 5.5 sacks and last season's 14 sack effort, Wake isn't just a flash in the pan. Pass rushers are paid like quarterbacks nowadays, and he is likely to see a fat contract in his near future.

Dwight Lowery, Safety, Jacksonville Jaguars: $671,125

Dwight Lowery is a solid starting safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He isn't flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but the fourth year player is playing well.

So far this season, Lowery has defended seven passes, intercepted two and sacked the quarterback once for his struggling Jaguars, while collecting thirty tackles.

Calais Campbell, Defensive End, Arizona Cardinals: $855,000

Calais Campbell is a smoking deal at under a million this season for the Arizona Cardinals. The fourth year defensive end is playing very well, and he has collected five sacks so far this season.

When you consider that the Atlanta Falcons paid an average of six million per year to get Ray Edwards from the Vikings only to see two sacks out of the deal, you get an understanding of just how valuable Campbell is for the Cardinals.

Fred Davis, Tight End, Washington Redskins: $900,500

The Washington Redskins are tumbling down this season amidst a quarterback carousel and Mike Shanahan's impatience. That hasn't stopped Fred Davis from having a fantastic season for the struggling team.

Davis has been the best offensive weapon for whichever quarterback gets called upon for the Redskins. So far this season, Davis has caught 49 passes for 639 yards and two touchdowns. 

Joshua Cribbs, Wide Receiver, Cleveland Browns: $957,000

Joshua Cribbs is having a down year, but so are Browns fans. The Cleveland Browns star receiver is still one of the most explosive players in the NFL.

Still, on a down year, Cribbs has caught 28 passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, Cribbs has returned punts and kicks for approximately 750 yards.

Jon McGraw, Safety, Kansas City Chiefs: $810,000

After safety Eric Berry went down early in the year, the Kansas City Chiefs were in need of help. Tenth year veteran Jon McGraw has stepped up and is having the best season of his career.

So far this season, McGraw has collected 36 tackles, has defended four passes and intercepted two, and he has forced one fumble. That is awesome production for him at his salary.

LeGarrette Blount, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $405,000

What I'm about to say about LeGarrette Blount you can go ahead and apply to every other running back on this list: Chris Johnson got PAID and has produced the equivalent of a wet fart this season in response. 

Blount had a great rookie campaign, and his second season has been more of the same. He runs people over with the greatest of ease, and he can leap over tall defenders who are on their knees. 

His stats would be greater if not for the beating he suffered at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers defense. So far he has carried the ball 118 times for 541 yards and four touchdowns.

Antonio Garay, Nose Tackle, San Diego Chargers: $640,000

The San Diego Chargers are getting a smoking deal, because they have a starting nose tackle in Antonio Garay who can anchor the line for under a million per year.

Garay was nobody in this league for five years until last season, when he broke out for the Chargers. He has continued his strong play this year, and he has 39 tackles and two sacks to show for his efforts.

On a side note, this is becoming a trend: nose tackles can often be overlooked until later in their development after the players' body has had more time to mature. 

Lesean Mccoy, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles: $822,500

LeSean McCoy is one of the top 5 best running backs in the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles are paying him in peanuts compared to the contracts Chris Johnson or DeAngelo Williams received from their teams. 

McCoy's value to the Eagles is understated due to the overall performance of the team. So far this season, McCoy has carried the ball 188 times for 1,019 yards and ten touchdowns. Additionally, McCoy has caught 34 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

Doug Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks: Undisclosed Rookie Free Agent

Not many people outside the West coast know who Doug Baldwin is. The Seattle Seahawks signed Baldwin to an undisclosed contract as a rookie free agent out of Stanford(rookie free agents don't make much, if you don't know).

He has been a gem for the Seahawks this season, collecting 32 passes for 544 yards and two touchdowns. 

David Nelson, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills: $405,000

David Nelson of the Buffalo Bills is a second year player that has been playing well all season long. His performance is a steal at under a half a million per year.

So far this season, Nelson has caught 40 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns. He has been the lone bright spot for the Bills the last couple of games.

Shonn Greene, Running Back, New York Jets: $706,250

Shonn Greene is a very good running back for the New York Jets. I don't believe he should be a featured back, and I think the Jets misuse his talents. That being said, he is still a fantastic bargain for what they are paying him.

So far this season, Greene has carried the ball 148 times for 573 yards and two touchdowns. 

Joe Mays, Middle Linebacker, Denver Broncos: $574,073

Joe Mays is a fourth year player out of little old North Dakota State, and he just so happens to start at middle linebacker for the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos defense is starting to come together, and with the addition of rookie outside linebacker Von Miller they might become one of the feared units in the NFL, given a few seasons to mature.

So far this season, Mays has collected 50 tackles for the Broncos. 

Jason McCourty, Cornerback, Tennessee Titans: $502,454

Jason McCourty, in his third season, has begun to develop into one of the better all-around cornerbacks in the NFL. 

He has collected a staggering 81 tackles as a cornerback so far this season. His efforts have also garnered him two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble.

Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver, New York Giants: $405,000

Victor Cruz is one of the top second year playmakers in the NFL. The New York Giants are lucky to have such cheap elite talent at the wide receiver position.

So far this season, Cruz has put together a very nice set of stats: 46 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns. 

Thomas DeCoud, Safety, Atlanta Falcons: $700,000

Thomas DeCoud has been the starting free safety for the Atlanta Falcons for three years in a row. He is one of the best bargains in the NFL. He won't ever be mistaken for Ed Reed, but he is a very solid starting option for the Falcons.

So far this season, DeCoud has made 50 tackles and has intercepted three passes. 

Denarius Moore, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders: $375,000

Denarius Moore is one of the best young players in the NFL. At $375,000, the Raiders are getting one of the best bargains in the league.

So far this year, this rookie out of Tennessee has caught 24 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns. I expect his production to continue in an upwards direction as he and Carson Palmer start to develop more chemistry.

Jermaine Gresham, Tight End, Cincinnati Bengals: $405,000

Jermaine Gresham is a steal for the Cincinnati Bengals. The three way combination of Dalton, Green and Gresham is going to give defensive coordinators nightmares for years to come.

So far this season, Gresham has caught 32 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns.

Sean Lee, Middle Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys: $705,000

Sean Lee has given the Dallas Cowboys some security at the middle linebacker position for a long time, provided he can stay healthy. The second year player out of Penn State is one of the few elite linebackers in the NFC, right behind Patrick Willis.

So far this season, Lee has made 72 tackles with one sack and three interceptions. He also missed a couple of games due to injury, so his stats could be even better.

Sammie Lee Hill, Defensive Tackle, Detroit Lions: $599,500

With Ndamukong Suh unquestionably about to be suspended, the Detroit Lions will need to depend on backup defensive tackle, Sammie Lee Hill, to fill Suh's large shoes.

This little known third year player out of Stillman College will need to play well for the Lions to make a run down the stretch into the playoffs.

Matt Forte, Running Back, Chicago Bears: $938,250

Matt Forte has earned himself a nice, new, fat paycheck next season. But for now, the Chicago Bears are getting the best bargain in the NFL. 

Forte is unquestionably one of the top three running backs in the NFL. He has been the only constant for the Bears this season, and they will now rely on him more than ever, since Jay Cutler is out for the season.

So far this season, Forte has run 186 times for 926 yards and three touchdowns. He has also caught 46 passes for 465 yards and one touchdown.

He is having a monster year. If not for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Forte would be a lock for the offensive POY award.

Rob Gronkowski, Tight End, New England Patriots: $853,120

Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in the NFL. The Patriots are stealing his services at under one million dollars per year.

So far this season, Gronkowski has caught 56 passes for 805 yards and ten touchdowns. He is on pace to crush the previous record for touchdowns by a tight end (13), set by Antonio Gates and tied by Vernon Davis.

Jimmy Graham, Tight End, New Orleans Saints: $571,285

Jimmy Graham is Drew Brees' new best friend. The New Orleans Saints second year tight end is on a torrid pace this season, and his numbers compete with some of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

So far this season, Graham has caught 62 passes for 873 yards and six touchdowns. 

Mike Wallace, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers: $663,333

Mike Wallace makes Ben Roethlisberger look better than he really is...and Big Ben is really, really good. The Pittsburgh Steelers are making out like bandits with this speedy wide receiver.

So far this season, Wallace has caught 53 passes for for 922 yards and six touchdowns. He is getting better, folks, and he can take it for six any time he touches the ball.

Arian Foster, Running Back, Houston Texans: $525,000

Arian Foster is one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL. He is the best dual threat runner in the game. The Houston Texans are stealing his services, compared to some inflated contracts in the NFL.

So far this season, Foster has run 171 times for 740 yards and six touchdowns. He has also caught 31 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns.

The Texans will be leaning on Foster heavily to carry the team into the 2011 NFL playoffs.

Ray Rice, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens: $830,000

Ray Rice is another running back on this list, and he is one of the best. This fourth year stud from Rutgers University is carving up opposing defenses for the Baltimore Ravens on a regular basis.

So far this season, Rice has carried the ball 179 times for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. Additionally, Rice has caught 54 passes for 537 yards and two touchdowns. 

Navorro Bowman, Middle Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers: $756,062

NaVorro Bowman has come on incredibly strong in this, his second year for the San Francisco 49ers. He is arguably the second-best middle linebacker behind his teammate, Patrick Willis, in the entire NFL.

While that is debatable, there is no debating the incredible value he is to the 49ers at his current rate of pay.

So far this season, Bowman has collected 103 tackles for the 49ers.

James Starks, Running Back, Green Bay Packers: $430,075

James Starks provides the Green Bay Packers with just enough balance in the running game to keep teams off their toes against the potent air raid Aaron Rodgers leads.

So far this season, Starks has carried the ball 124 times for 560 yards and one touchdowns. It may not compete with some of the others on this list, but the Packers are using Starks to their best advantage, and the team is 11-0.