If you’ve been a reader of Dawgs By Nature for years, then you’ll know about the “proven performance escalator (PPE).” Prior to the 2021 season, it would offer a fourth-year salary bump to players who were selected between rounds 3-7 of the NFL Draft and met one of these two conditions: (1) the player participated in 35% of the snaps in two of his first three seasons, or (2) posted a cumulative average of 35% of snaps in his first three seasons.
After the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) happened, eligibility was expanded. Under the CBA, there are three different “levels” in which players can qualify for it, each one with a different pay grade.