With more and more 2018 NFL Draft picks signing their contracts as we inch along in July, Buffalo Bills fans are beginning to wonder why their first-round quarterback hasn’t yet but pen to paper. With training camp now less than three weeks away, questions are valid but concerns are premature.
In 2017, all of the draft picks were signed by the start of training camp. Tennessee Titans receiver Corey Davis was the final piece of the puzzle, inking his deal on July 29th. Tennessee began training camp the same day. Six first round picks remained unsigned all the way to July 20th a year ago but got done in the final few days.
Two years ago in 2016, Joey Bosa missed all of Chargers training camp holding out for better offset language in his contract (and probably more money in the front few years of his deal). After a shift to lead agent Todd France within his agency at CAA, Bosa was signed at the end of August. The two other unsigned players from the middle of July both signed before 2016 training camp.
In 2015, only Marcus Mariota remained unsigned by the middle of July.
Allen is represented by CAA, the same agency as Bosa, but agent Tom Condon is representing him along with the aforementioned France along with Patrick Collins and Jim Denton. France was also the lead negotiator for Buffalo’s other first round pick, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
It was June 19th that John Wawrow of the Associated Press said negotiations were “slow going” and we haven’t head anything since. We’re now halfway between that report and training camp.