Draft pick holdouts were always mystery. Why wouldn't a freshly drafted college football player want to put that first check in the bank and get to the work of becoming a professional football player. Instead, the tedious process of rookie contract negotiations would often extend into training camp. Holdouts were frequent and those contracts got way, way out of control. The entire pay structure of the NFL was destroyed. Players that hadn't even played an NFL snap were being paid far more than players that had been doing so for a decade. The Collective Bargaining Agreement of 2011 changed all of that. If it did nothing else, that agreement reeled in the bloated rookie contracts. It also made those rookie contract negotiations a breeze. The front offices and agents might have taken a couple of years to familiarize themselves with these new negotiations but they seem to have them down now. The signings of the players selected in the 2014 NFL Draft have been beautiful to behold. So quick. So easy. It's just past the middle of June and only eight players have yet to sign their rookie contracts. Eight!
Here are the eight players that are still slugging it out in negotiations:
First round selections:
8. Cleveland Browns CB Justin Gilbert
11. Tennessee Titans T Taylor Lewan
29. New England Patriots DT Dominique Easley
Second round selections
35. Cleveland Browns G Joel Bitonio
39. Jacksonville Jaguars WR Marqise Lee
46. Pittsburgh Steelers DE Stephon Tuitt
61. Jacksonville Jaguars WR Allen Robinson
Third round selection
67. Miami Dolphins T Billy Turner
There were years when the number of players signed by mid-June might total eight players. This is incredible. So wonderful. 26 of the 32 teams have signed all of their drafted players. That's inconceivable.
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