NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When the Tennessee Titans and Marcus Mariota agreed to terms last week, sources said there were partial offsets that suggested a compromise on the lone big negotiating issue.

The contract details provided by ESPN Stats & Information show that any offsets included in the deal are connected to small base salaries, not the big guaranteed roster bonuses.

Offsets allow the original team to save money if a player is cut and signs elsewhere.

With an offset, the original team is discounted the new money paid by the second team. Without an offset, the player double dips in such a situation, getting paid by both teams.

Titans QB Marcus Mariota has $6.06 million coming in in guaranteed roster bonuses over the course of his contract. AP Photo/Eugene Tanner

A look at the deal, where the dollars are pretty much prescribed by the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players association from 2011.

Signing bonus: $15.87 million

2015

Base salary: $435,000, fully guaranteed

2016

Base salary: $525,000, fully guaranteed.

Roster bonus: $1.01 million, fully guaranteed with no offset, paid fifth day of training camp.

2017

Base salary: $615,000, fully guaranteed.

Roster bonus: $2.02 million, fully guaranteed with no offset, paid fifth day of training camp.

2018

Base salary: $705,000, fully guaranteed.

Roster bonus: $3.03 million, fully guaranteed with no offset, paid fifth day of training camp.

So the big roster bonuses do not have offsets; the small base salaries do.

If Mariota was cut after three years, it would mean he was terrible. If he was terrible, a deal with a new team would be for a minimum base salary and he couldn't double dip on that.

If it had a roster bonus, that too would be minimal, but he'd get that bonus on top of the fully guaranteed roster bonus from the Titans.

(His three roster bonuses are guaranteed whether he's on the roster or not -- silly semantics!)

What's accomplished here?

Mariota has $6.06 million coming in those guaranteed roster bonuses. Picks lower in the first round typically get lesser roster bonuses, or none.

Taylor Lewan, 11th overall in 2014, got two fully guaranteed roster bonuses worth $1.2 million.

Chance Warmack, 10th overall in 2013, got three guaranteed roster bonuses worth $2.78 million.

Kendall Wright, 20th overall in 2012, got three roster bonuses worth $1.47 million the first two were guaranteed. The third one is not.

All those bonuses included offsets, so the Titans made what I'm sure they view as a significant concession with Mariota.

Going forward, the Titans can say they've maintained their principle of having offset language on base salaries and have stayed vigilant on that.

If they draft near the top again, the precedent is set for the degree to which they will be flexible on the offset issue.