The Alabama Crimson Tide has been the most dominant program in college football for the past decade, and dozens of former Crimson Tide players have rightfully made their way into the NFL. Many of them are very-well compensated for their efforts
In fact, if you compile a 22-person starting lineup (we'll set aside special teams for the moment) an all-Alabama alumni roster would net just over $116 million when considering their current NFL contracts ($116,058,893 to be exact). That means under the 2016 NFL salary cap (about $155 million), you could get the 22 highest-paid Alabama players at each offensive and defensive position.
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It's important to note this starting lineup is entirely based on money. Because of rookie contract structures, better young players often make less money than veterans on the roster. Therefore a player or two might look out of place on this list — they're on the list because they make the most money of any Alabama alum at their position, not necessarily because of talent.
So here's a look at a 22-person starting lineup made entirely of former Alabama players:
Note* — All contract data reflects the average yearly salary for each player. Contract data courtesy of Spotrac.com.
Offense: $46,931,967 per year
| Player | Pos. | Salary | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. McCarron | QB | $600,413 | Cincinnati |
| Eddie Lacy | RB | $4,250,000 | Seattle |
| Mark Ingram | RB | $4,000,000 | New Orleans |
| O.J. Howard | TE | $2,773,714 | Tampa Bay |
| Julio Jones | WR | $14,250,000 | Atlanta |
| Amari Cooper | WR | $5,665,780 | Oakland |
| James Carpenter | OL | $4,775,000 | N.Y. Jets |
| Andre Smith | OL | $3,250,000 | Cincinnati |
| D.J. Fluker | OL | $3,000,000 | N.Y Giants |
| Ryan Kelly | OL | $2,612,747 | Indianapolis |
| Cam Robinson | OL | $1,754,313 | Jacksonville |
[divider]
Defense: $69,126,926 per year
| Player | Pos. | Salary | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcell Dareus | DT | $15,850,000 | Buffalo |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | $2,899,150 | Washington |
| Quinton Dial | DE | $4,000,667 | San Francisco |
| Dont'a Hightower | LB | $8,875,000 | New England |
| Reuben Foster | LB | $2,258,613 | San Francisco |
| C.J. Mosley | LB | $2,197,001 | Baltimore |
| Mark Barron | LB/DB | $9,000,000 | L.A. Rams |
| Dre Kirkpatrick | DB | $10,500,000 | Cincinnati |
| Kareem Jackson | DB | $8,500,000 | Houston |
| Marlon Humphrey | DB | $2,961,870 | Baltimore |
| HaHa Clinton-Dix | DB | $2,084,625 | Green Bay |
[divider]
Highest remaining contracts
| Player | Pos. | Salary | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damion Square | DT | $2,000,000 | L.A. Chargers |
| Landon Collins | DB | $1,530,140 | NY Giants |
| Chance Warmack | OL | $1,510,000 | Philadelphia |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | $1,478,444 | Jacksonville |
| Reggie Ragland | LB | $1,460,343 | Buffalo |
| Derrick Henry | RB | $1,351,983 | Tennessee |
| Ryan Anderson | LB | $1,331,181 | Washington |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | $1,308,410 | Detroit |
| Jarran Reed | DT | $1,222,409 | Seattle |
| Courtney Upshaw | DE | $1,150,000 | Atlanta |
| Dalvin Tomlinson | DT | $1,143,026 | N.Y. Giants |
| Cyrus Jones | CB | $1,001,673 | New England |
