rookie signings

[Nconroe]

Is it quieter this year in Texans news than past couple years, or am I just more impatient this year? maybe it will start this week going by the signing history you gave.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

Is it quieter this year in Texans news than past couple years, or am I just more impatient this year? maybe it will start this week going by the signing history you gave.

Last year we started camp on the 25th, this year not until the 31st, I am sure this has a little to do with our impatience.

If you look it seems that most guys are signed during the last 7 days before camp starts.

[nunusguy]

But to complicate the rookie signing process the Texans obviously have other considerations this year they haven't had in the past with the ongoing contract negotiations involving key veterans DeMeco & OD and the whole D-Rob drama. Smith and staff only have so much time in each day and these
other situations may delay the completion of signing all rookies in 2009, especially by the beginning of TC ?

[NBT]

I wish they would hurry up and sign the rest of the draftees. But I know it will be the last week before TC before it finally heats up and comes to a boil.

[nunusguy]

I realize these contracts have many parameters and to a degree all are
unigue in certain aspects, but on the other hand there's got to be a certain
degree of standarization for many of the terms. I guess I dunno why it takes
so long ? I mean once there's an agreement in priciple about the basic terms, does it still take that long to dot the "is" and cross the "ts" ?

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

I realize these contracts have many parameters and to a degree all are
unigue in certain aspects, but on the other hand there's got to be a certain
degree of standarization for many of the terms. I guess I dunno why it takes
so long ? I mean once there's an agreement in priciple about the basic terms, does it still take that long to dot the "is" and cross the "ts" ?

I wonder if this is precisely why the deals are put off until just before training camp. If the team knows that they can reach a deal pretty easily when necessary, seems it would make sense to let McNair keep his signing bonus money for as long as possible. Also, I don't know the answer to this, but there may be some concerns about having guys get injured while under contract. For example, assume a 3rd round pick signs in late May. Does anyone know whether he would be entitled to any different compensation if he were to blow his knee out while, say, training on his own than if he wasn't signed?

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Joshua

I wonder if this is precisely why the deals are put off until just before training camp. If the team knows that they can reach a deal pretty easily when necessary, seems it would make sense to let McNair keep his signing bonus money for as long as possible. Also, I don't know the answer to this, but there may be some concerns about having guys get injured while under contract. For example, assume a 3rd round pick signs in late May. Does anyone know whether he would be entitled to any different compensation if he were to blow his knee out while, say, training on his own than if he wasn't signed?

That what I was thinking was the cause for the late date. This way no late minute injury or mishap with the law get in the way of the player completing the contract.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Joshua

I wonder if this is precisely why the deals are put off until just before training camp. If the team knows that they can reach a deal pretty easily when necessary, seems it would make sense to let McNair keep his signing bonus money for as long as possible. Also, I don't know the answer to this, but there may be some concerns about having guys get injured while under contract. For example, assume a 3rd round pick signs in late May. Does anyone know whether he would be entitled to any different compensation if he were to blow his knee out while, say, training on his own than if he wasn't signed?

Yep, this is what my answer would be.

As for injury pay... those are gray-ish scenarios. Iirc there is boiler-plate type language in contracts that talks about non-football injuries. These come up from time to time, like when a player blows out a knee playing beach games (Robert Edwards) or riding motorcycles (The Chosen One).

In the case of Edwards, I don't think the Pats owed him anything. Even though the injury occured in an NFL properties sponsored event, Edwards signed some waiver. As for K2, the Browns had special language in the contract against high-risk activities, so I think they were in a position where they could call for a breach of contract and recoup prorated bonus money. Instead, I think they just used it as leverage to renegotiate the contract to make it more incentive-based.