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NFL Rookie Signings Occuring at Snail's Pace


McKelvin, four other rookies unsigned (Photo Source)

With the start of the Buffalo Bills' 2008 training camp a mere nine days away (camp practices begin on Friday the 25th of July), half of Buffalo's ten draft picks remain unsigned.  Reaching deals with these five rookies before players are scheduled to report to camp (Thursday the 24th) now becomes Buffalo's top priority.

The inability to sign top rookies well in advance of training camp certainly isn't a new development, but it's still surprising how few of the draft's top 63 picks have actually inked deals with their new teams.

As of the time this article was written, just five players drafted within the first two rounds of this past April's NFL Draft have signed their rookie contracts.  Those players are:

Dolphins OT Jake Long (#1 overall): 5 years, $57.5 million, $30 million guaranteed
Falcons QB Matt Ryan (#3): 6 years, $72 million, $34.75 million guaranteed
Raiders RB Darren McFadden (#4): 6 years, $60 million, $26 million guaranteed
Bears RB Matt Forte (#44): 4 years, $3.71 million, $2 million guaranteed
Redskins WR Malcolm Kelly (#51): 4 years, $3.36 million, $1.655 million guaranteed

A few other rookies - most notably Bears OT Chris Williams (#14), Ravens QB Joe Flacco (#18), and Vikings S Tyrell Johnson (#43) - have at one point been rumored to be close to a deal, but were not signed as of press time.  With just five of the draft's top 63 prospects under contract, 58 high-profile rookies will be looking to secure their inaugural NFL deals within the next two weeks.  It seems likely, however, that there could be an unusual amount of holdouts this season, with Rams DE Chris Long the biggest name amongst that potential list.

McKelvin, Hardy top Bills' List
Five of Buffalo's rookies - fourth rounders CB Reggie Corner and TE Derek Fine, and seventh rounders OT Demetrius Bell, WR Steve Johnson and CB Kennard Cox - have signed their rookie deals and will be reporting to Bills training camp on time.  Clearly, the big names of Buffalo's draft class remain unsigned, including the club's top two picks, CB Leodis McKelvin and WR James Hardy.

As the top cornerback drafted in April, McKelvin's contract will likely be the most difficult for the Bills to put together.  Last season, the Bills signed #12 overall pick RB Marshawn Lynch to a six-year, $18.935 million contract with $10.3 million in guaranteed money.  A pick higher and a year later - and as the top selection at his position - McKelvin's deal is expected to be closer to $25 million in total money than the $19 million deal that Lynch signed last year, with closer to $14 million in guarantees.  Keep an eye out for news regarding Bengals LB Keith Rivers, Patriots LB Jerod Mayo, and Broncos OT Ryan Clady - those players surrounded McKelvin in the pecking order in April, and will give Buffalo a ballpark figure for McKelvin's deal.

Hardy's contract is much easier to figure, and should precede McKelvin's.  Forte, drafted #44 overall - just three spots after Hardy, whom the Bills selected at #41 - signed a modest four-year deal with $2 million in guarantees.  Hardy, therefore, already has a ballpark figure - look for the Bills to try to get a five-year deal out of him initially.  Second-round picks typically sign shorter deals in an effort to maximize their contractual status in as few years as possible, expecting that they'll exceed their modest rookie deals quickly.  Hardy's camp will push for a four-year deal, likely worth slightly more than $4 million total with close to $2.5 million in guarantees.

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You would think that rookies (espesially ones fighting for a possible starting spot like Hardy and McKelvin) would get signed before camp. It’s really in their best intrest to miss zero time.
In McKelvin’s position, missing a few days of camp could mean falling that much further behind Greer or James.
Hardy doesn’t have the same kind of competition, he’s fighting the “rookie recevier road block.” He’s got a lot of adjustments to make from the college game to the pro game.
Neither of these guys can afford to miss any time.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jul 15, 2008 1:39 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Concurred.

There isn’t a whole lot of time to get these deals done, especially considering that the Bills will need to wait at least a little while for some other contracts to be signed. We need these guys in camp. Keep the fingers crossed…

by Brian Galliford on Jul 15, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

you'd think they'd learn

Look what happened to two of the bigger QB rookies:

Jamarcus Russell didn’t get in on time and then couldn’t get on to the field until late in the season, severly hampering his growth, it looks like this year will be his real rookie season.

Brady Quinn didn’t get in on time and when Frye failed the Browns turned to Anderson, who saw his opportunity and let his hard work pay off by taking the job and never letting go. I’m sure Brady wishes he had signed earlier.

These agents and the players need to learn to miss as little time as possible

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jul 15, 2008 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

This seems to happen quite often

Last year was an exception. Hope you enjoyed it.

Donte Whitner missed a couple of days of training camp a couple of years ago (was it 8 days or 8 practices or some other number I’ve forgotten?). This is simply the price paid for all haggling over the fine print in the contracts. Everyone loses in a protracted holdout situation. That’s life in today’s NFL.

Adding to all the fuss is trying to hammer out contracts in preparation for the uncapped year looming on the horizon…

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Jul 15, 2008 3:24 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I’m pretty sure that uncapped year is 2010, and the Bills have at least started that process. And that’s still not a sure thing that it’s going to happen…

by Brian Galliford on Jul 15, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Salary cap unplugged?

What’s the latest on the CBA to avoid the uncapped season? Will there be another 11th hour agreement thrown together like last time?

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Jul 16, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hardy

I can not see Hardy being a training camp no-show. Since Forte and Kelly are signed Hardy’s contract should be relatively easy to get done. Looks like the 2nd rounders are going on 4 year deals. I would like a 5 year deal for Hardy but even if he is nothing more than a solid #2 we get him at a bargain price for 4 years or about 1 million a season. Same w. Poz from last year. Having your second and third round picks become starters regardless of how good they are is big in today’s age of spending on Free Agents etc.

by Berg79 on Jul 15, 2008 3:40 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

If anyone’s looking for a Poz comparison, the Bills only got him signed to a 4-year deal last season. He was drafted #34 overall.

4 years, $4.75 million, $2.55 million in guarantees.

by Brian Galliford on Jul 15, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hardy/Leo

Hardy will be signed soon enough. You don’t hear about too many 2nd rounders or later who miss the start of training camp. He’ll be ready to go.

Leodis on the other hand will be a toss up. Hopefully, he doesn’t go the Darrelle Revis route and hold out, though I doubt he will. Not with Whitner chirping in his ear about how important he is and how much he has to learn. McKelvin will probably be ready to sign once some other players around him start signing too. I have no doubts he’ll be ready, or miss a practice or too at most…

~K

by Kurupt on Jul 15, 2008 5:59 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

how in the hell

are these rookies getting signed for 60+ mil…that is hoooorrrrrendous…seriously what happened to having to prove yourself and what you’re worth…esp at QB I’m sure Ryan will be ok or good but lets think about all the qb busts in the NFL that are not playing any more one comes to mind that was drafted before payton manning cough (ryan leaf) cough

i wish coming out of college my bosses paid me millions before i even showed them what i could do

by Lion Alum on Jul 16, 2008 8:46 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Ryan Leaf was drafted #2 to Peyton Manning’s #1 in the same year. But your point remains valid.

by Brian Galliford on Jul 16, 2008 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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