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The second wave of free agency clearly has begun. And some of the deal done in the first wave make it clear that some players realize they still have work to do to get to the first tier.

Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn, for example, signed last week a one-year deal undoubtedly aimed at boosting his market for 2016. Per a source with knowledge of the contract, Clayborn (a first-rounder of the Bucs in 2011) is due to receive $3 million in 2015.

The money comes from a $750,000 signing bonus, a $1 million base salary, a $250,000 roster bonus due at the first game of the 2015 regular season, and $62,500 in per-game roster bonuses.

If Clayborn has a big year, he’ll be rewarded both on the open market and on the back end of the contract. His deal includes up to $1.25 million based on his presence on the 53-man roster and his total number of sacks. (The specific numbers necessary to unlock the extra money aren’t yet known.)

Clayborn had 7.5 sacks as a rookie and 5.5 sacks in 2013. Both years, he started all 16 games. In 2012 and 2014, injuries limited him to four total games. His final year in Tampa was ended by a Week One biceps injury.

Credit Clayborn for realizing he must establish himself as a productive player before getting a significant payday — and for not waiting until the second wave of free agency arrived to accept the best offer he was going to see. If he’d waited, chances are the offers only would have gotten worse.