Latest news with #NFL draft
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Why are so many NFL rookies still unsigned as training camps arrive?
The threat of a prized NFL rookie missing time on the training camp practice field because of a contract dispute mostly is a fading memory. That scenario has been all but erased by the league's rookie pay system that was implemented as part of the 2011 labor deal between team owners and the players' union. But there's a bit of an issue this summer as camp reporting dates arrive for teams. There are 32 players chosen in April's NFL draft still unsigned, including two first-round picks and 30 of the 32 second-round selections. 'It's highly unusual that you have almost an entire round that's not the first round unsigned,' said Joel Corry, a former agent and now a contracts and salary cap expert for CBS Sports. 'This looks more like the pre-rookie wage scale stuff prior to 2011. And even then, you didn't have this many picks of an entire round unsigned as training camp approached.' The second-round logjam has resulted from a negotiating impasse between players and teams over fully guaranteed contracts. The portion of guaranteed money in the players' contracts is one of the few items that needs to be negotiated under the rookie pay system. 'Any time there's anything at all to be negotiated, there's the potential for this to happen,' said one agent who represents a player drafted in the second round. 'It's your job to get the best possible deal for your client.' That agent and several others who represent second-rounders expect deals to get done either right on time or soon thereafter. 'It's a deadline league,' the agent said. Under the NFL rookie pay system, rookies selected in the draft sign four-year contracts (undrafted rookies get three-year deals). Teams have a fifth-year option on first-round choices. The value of the contract is not precisely determined by the player's draft slot, but there is a narrow range for each draft spot. Some contract mechanisms commonly seen in deals involving veteran players, such as option bonuses and voidable years, are prohibited. So most of the haggling between teams and the players' agents occurs over details such as the amount of guaranteed money in the deal and issues related to contract language. Until this year, no player chosen in the second round ever had received a fully guaranteed contract. In May, the Houston Texans signed the second selection of the second round, wide receiver Jayden Higgins, to a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth just more than $11.7 million. The Cleveland Browns followed by signing the opening pick of the second round, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, to a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth just more than $11.8 million. The question has become how deep into the second-round draft order the cutoff for fully guaranteed contracts will extend. Next in line is safety Nick Emmanwori, the third selection of the second round by the Seattle Seahawks. He's represented by prominent agent David Mulugheta. 'If [Nos.] one and two have gotten fully guaranteed contracts,' Corry said, 'David Mulugheta is going to want a fully guaranteed contract' for Emmanwori. The player chosen fourth in the second round by the Browns, running back Quinshon Judkins, was arrested Saturday in Fort Lauderdale on a battery charge in an alleged domestic violence case. The Los Angeles Chargers had their rookies report to training camp Saturday. Wide receiver Tre Harris, their second-round pick, was not on hand. A group of teams had their rookies scheduled to report Tuesday. For most teams, their veteran players report to camps next week and full-squad practices begin soon after. The New Orleans Saints have their rookies and veterans scheduled to report to camp next Tuesday. The stakes could be particularly high for them because quarterback Tyler Shough, unsigned after being selected with the eighth choice of the second round, could be their starter following the offseason retirement of Derek Carr. Shough's negotiations might be a bit different from those of other second-rounders, as quarterbacks are sometimes able to secure more favorable contract terms. 'Some of these things will get done, if not at the rookie reporting date, the veteran reporting date,' Corry said. 'People don't want to look foolish. So everyone has decided to table it until there's more information. That's really what it comes down to. … Let's say Shough gets done and then [Nos.] seven and eight get done and you went first at No. 5 and you don't have a fully guaranteed contract. That's the fear. That's why people are waiting.' The unsigned first-round picks are Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Shemar Stewart and Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron. Stewart's negotiating stalemate with the Bengals has resulted from a dispute over contract language related to the potential voiding of guarantees. The rookie pay system generally has worked as intended. The league and owners wanted to curb ever-more-expensive contracts being given to unproven rookies and eliminate the long absences from training camps that complicated, high-stakes negotiations often produced. The players were willing to agree to that, on the premise that the money teams saved on rookies would be spent on veteran players under the salary cap system. In 2010, quarterback Sam Bradford signed a six-year, $78.05 million contract that included $50 million in guaranteed money after being selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Rams, then based in St. Louis. A year later, with the rookie pay system in effect, quarterback Cam Newton signed a fully guaranteed four-year, $22.03 million deal with the Carolina Panthers after being drafted first overall. This year's No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward, signed a four-year contract with the Tennessee Titans worth a fully guaranteed $48.8 million. Under this system, teams regularly get their rookies signed well ahead of the opening of training camps. Camp absences due to contract disputes have become rare. 'At some point the agents, some of these players aren't going to want to miss time. … They're not under contract, so you can't fine them,' Corry said. 'The only thing is they'll be missing time, which can help them with a starting job. That's why I think Tyler Shough is counting on the Saints caving, because they want him to start. So do they really want to go to war with him over this issue and have him miss reps?'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears rookie Ozzy Trapilo drawing comparisons to Kyle Long
The Chicago Bears prioritized rebuilding the offensive line this offseason. Outside of adding key veterans in guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as center Drew Dalman, they also found their potential starting left tackle in Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. As Braxton Jones recovers from ankle surgery, Trapilo has an opportunity to steal the starting job away from him in his rookie season, and he's made quite the early impression. Advertisement Bears reporter Adam Jahns of CHGO recently discussed Trapilo's early showings, comparing him to long-time Bears offensive lineman, and fan-favorite, Kyle Long. "On the field, Ozzy Trapilo looks like Kyle Long," Jahns said on the CHGO Bears podcast. "It's not just his (jersey) number, but physically, he's built like Kyle Long, he moves like Kyle Long. We know how good Kyle Long was here, albeit for a different position for the Chicago Bears." In his career, Long played left guard for seven seasons, mostly with the Bears. He also spent a brief stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, but never played a snap for them. During his time with Chicago, Long proved to have a nasty streak that made him beloved by the fans. Long was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and named Second-Team All-Pro in 2014. If Trapilo has even half of the impact that Long had with the Bears, he's sure to become another fan favorite, which isn't always the case for offensive linemen. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookie Ozzy Trapilo drawing comparisons to Kyle Long
