Tag: rookie contract

Bengals rookie OT signs contract, finalizing 1st round picks

Amarius Mims is the last first-round pick to sign his rookie contract.

On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed first-round pick Amarius Mims to his rookie contract. The Bengals selected Mims with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. With the signing of Mims, the entire first round of the 2024 NFL draft class is under contract.

The 2024 first round was remarkable for several things. This was the only draft where six quarterbacks were selected in the top 12 picks. This draft was also unique by not having a single defensive player selected in the first 14 picks. Defensive end Laiatu Latu went No. 15 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. In all, only nine defensive players went in the first round.

Now that Mims is under contract, Mims is set to hit training camp and battle it out with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle spot. The Bengals signed Brown as a free agent from the New England Patriots in the offseason.

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Cowboys sign rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland to complete ’24 draft class contracts

From @ToddBrock24f7: The DE out of Western Michigan was the team’s 2nd-round pick but the last to sign his 4-year rookie deal.

The Cowboys’ entire draft class of 2024 is now officially official.

On Tuesday afternoon, the club announced the signing of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, the last of this year’s draft selections to put pen to paper on his rookie contract. The Cowboys took Kneeland in the second round, using the 56th overall pick on the Western Michigan prospect.

Kneeland brings an imposing physical presence to the end position and showed strong athleticism throughout the pre-draft process. He played five years of college ball, so if you’re looking for a downside, he’ll turn 23 in July, making him slightly older than most rookies. And he did face primarily small-school competition while in Kalamazoo.

Kneeland may have a leg up on climbing the Dallas depth chart, though, given the offseason departures of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. He’ll join a D-end group that already includes DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, Chauncey Golston, Viliami Fehoko, Tyrus Wheat, and Durrell Johnson… not to mention a certain superstar linebacker who typically lines up on the edge.

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The Cowboys appear to have high hopes for the 6-foot-3-inch Kneeland; they assigned him the No. 94 jersey, the same number previously worn by such franchise notables as DeMarcus Ware, Randy Gregory, and Charles Haley.

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Details of Patriots QB Drake Maye’s rookie contract revealed

Here are the numbers on QB Drake Maye’s rookie contract with the Patriots

The contract details for New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye have reportedly been revealed.

It’s a fully guaranteed four-year, $36.63 million deal that comes with a $23.46 million signing bonus tacked on, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Maye agreed to the contract on Tuesday, as the rookie looks to stabilize and rejuvenate the Patriots’ quarterback room.

He has been impressing coaches with his work ethic since his arrival, which is key for a Patriots team that ranked 30th in the NFL last season in total offense. Many of their issues stemmed from inconsistent quarterback play.

Now the question is: When will Drake Maye start? New England has a veteran quarterback in Jacoby Brissett, who could serve as a bridge option while Maye learns the offense.

This time around, it appears that New England has a plan in place to make sure the development of their rookie quarterback goes smoothly. Having that plan in place is important for the future of the franchise.

Jaguars sign former Longhorn RB/KR Keilan Robinson to rookie contract

“It definitely brings the two kickoff returners into play and that’s the reason we went out and got Keilan. That’s going to be a main responsibility of his, along with some other things.”

Former Texas running back Keilan Robinson has inked his rookie contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Continue reading “Jaguars sign former Longhorn RB/KR Keilan Robinson to rookie contract”

Broncos signing DB Kris Abrams-Draine to 4-year contract

University of Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine is now a Denver Bronco.

The Denver Broncos have signed defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine to a four-year contract on Thursday, according to the Denver Gazette.

Abrams-Draine (5-11, 179 pounds) was the 145th overall (5th round) selection in last month’s NFL draft, where he came out of the University of Missouri.

Abrams-Draine looks to become a contributor in the Broncos secondary, alongside Patrick Surtain, Ja’Quan McMillian and Caden Sterns. The secondary looks very different from how it was last season, after the release of safety Justin Simmons.

Prior to signing his contract, Abrams-Draine was assigned Simmons’ number 31. In relation to this move, Simmons showed tremendous support for the rookie, encouraging Abrams-Draine to “make it HIS number.”

Abrams-Draine’s four-year contract is projected to be worth $4.368 million, with a $348,264 signing bonus. He’ll count $882,066 against this season’s salary cap, according to Sports Illustrated.

He joins fellow rookies Bo Nix, fellow fifth-round selection Audric Estime, Nick Gargiulo and Devaughn Vele in signing their rookie contracts.

Broncos signing QB Bo Nix to 4-year contract

Quarterback Bo Nix is officially a Denver Bronco.

The Denver Broncos have officially inked their first round draft pick (12th overall), quarterback Bo Nix to his rookie contract on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Nix is the first of the first round quarterbacks to sign his rookie deal, according to Schefter.

Nix signed his rookie contract on the first day of Broncos rookie minicamp, which continues through May 12. Nix and his fellow rookies got to make their first impressions on head coach Sean Payton, the coaching staff and even members of the Walton-Penner ownership group.

Nix joined offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, running back Audric Estime, wide receiver Devaughn Vele and defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine who all signed their rookie contracts in the past week.

Nix’s contract is a four-year deal, fully guaranteed and worth up to $18.61 million, according to Schefter. This is quite the investment in the young signal-caller, who the franchise hopes to be the face of the team in the near future. The biggest question remains: Who will the Broncos start Week 1? It is too soon to tell.

Raiders sign TE Brock Bowers, 5 other draft picks to rookie deals

Raiders sign 6 draft picks including top pick Brock Bowers

The days of the Raiders slow rolling out their rookie signings are over. One the eve of Rookie minicamp the team rattled off six of the team’s eight draft pick signings, starting with top pick tight end Brock Bowers and ending with their entire Day three haul.

Here’s what those signings and contracts look like:

Rd 1 (13) TE Brock Bowers — 4-year, $18.14M, $3.3M ’24 cap hit

Rd 4 (112) CB Decamerion Richardson — 4-year, $4.8M, $995K ’24 cap hit

Rd 5 (148) LB Tommy Eichenberg — 4-year, $4.35M, $879K ’24 cap hit

Rd 6 (208) RB Dylan Laube — 4-year, $4.175M, $834K ’24 cap hit

Rd 7 (223) S Trey Taylor — 4-year, $4.14M, $825K ’24 cap hit

Rd 7 (229) CB MJ Devonshire — 4-year, $4.13M, $822K ’24 cap hit

The only remaining signings to be announced for the Raiders are Day two picks Jackson Powers-Johnson (44 overall) and DJ Glaze (77 overall).

Which as quickly as they rolled these signing out, I’d expect the final two to happen before the rookie take the field on Friday.

Broncos signing RB Audric Estime to 4-year contract

Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime signed his four-year contract on Wednesday.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with former Notre Dame running back Audric Estime, according to 9News’ Mike Klis.

Estime (6-1, 215 pounds) was the Broncos’ fifth-round selection (147th overall) in the 2024 NFL draft. Although Estime ran the slowest 40-yard dash among running backs, a 4.71 effort, he redeemed himself at Notre Dame’s pro day, running a 4.58.

Estime is projected to earn $4.359 million over his four-year deal, including a $795,000 base salary and a $339,120 signing bonus. Estime’s 2024 cap hit will be $879,780, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

Estime has already been compared to current Denver running back Javonte Williams, for his ability to bruise after contact, and running through tackles. Williams and Estime will likely compete for playing time as the three-down back in head coach Sean Payton’s offensive system.

Estime was one of three Broncos rookies to sign their rookie contracts on Wednesday. Estime was joined by wide receiver Devaughn Vele and offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo as the first rookies to ink their respective deals.

Broncos signing OL Nick Gargiulo to 4-year contract

Denver Broncos offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo signs his four-year contract.

The Denver Broncos have agreed on a four-year contract with offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, according to 9New’s Mike Klis.

The 6-5, 318 pound offensive lineman from both Yale and South Carolina was the second-to-last pick in the 2024 NFL draft (256th overall). Gargiulo performed well in the NFL combine, running a 5.25 40-yard dash.

The projected terms of Gargiulo’s four-year deal is $4.1 million with a $80,732 signing bonus, according to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel.

Gargiulo is an extremely versatile offensive lineman, who played both guard and center during his college career. The Broncos are looking for depth along the offensive line, where there has been severe injury problems throughout the past couple years. Gargiulo could have a legitimate spot at providing a solid backup at either guard or center.

His size, speed and experience in college should be an asset to an offensive line that features Mike McGlinchey and Garett Bolles in the trenches up front.

Gargiulo was part of the first batch of draftees by the Broncos to sign their rookie contracts. He was joined by wide receiver Devaughn Vele and running back Audric Estime.

Broncos signing WR Devaughn Vele to 4-year rookie contract

Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele was among the first to sign his rookie deal.

The Denver Broncos have signed former University of Utah wide receiver Devaughn Vele to his initial four-year contract, according to 9New’s Mike Klis.

The Broncos selected Vele in the seventh round (235th overall) in the draft.

Vele’s contract is projected to be $4.124 million on his four-year pact, with a $104,480 signing bonus, according to the Denver’ Post’s Parker Gabriel. The 6-4 Vele is projected to be a backup pass-catcher, who may fight for time along the front lines of Sean Payton’s passing attack. Vele looks to help fill the void that was left by wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who was traded in the offseason to the Cleveland Browns.

Vele is among the first batch of Broncos’ draftees to sign their rookie contract. Fellow seventh-round pick Nick Garguilo and fifth-round pick Audric Estime also signed their respective four-year contracts on Wednesday.

The contracts are set to become official when rookie minicamp starts on Friday, May 10.