With less than a week before rookies are scheduled to report for training camp, the Patriots have nine of their 12 draft picks in the fold. But even though all dozen aren’t yet present and accounted for, according to league sources, there is real optimism that they’ll all be ready to go when needed.
Of the Patriots' NFL-high 12 picks, as of Monday evening, only second-round pick Patrick Chung, third-round selection Tyrone McKenzie and sixth-round pick Jake Ingram remain unsigned. A reported season-ending knee injury at rookie minicamp makes McKenzie’s contract less of an issue. But as for Chung and Ingram, while the two aren’t yet officially inked, apparently there’s little reason for concern with either of them.
Chung, a second-round draftee out of Oregon, was the 34th overall selection this past April and the first player taken by New England. (He was taken with the pick the Patriots obtained from Kansas City in exchange for quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel.) Reportedly, he’s been working out back in Oregon with fellow alum Max Unger, and sources indicate the safety is likely looking at a four-year deal, one that will come before the beginning of camp.
However, deciphering comparable dollars is another matter -- currently, only two players taken ahead of Chung have agreed to a contract -- making it tough to read the market for Chung. In addition, only four of the 32 second-round picks have signed (three of whom are fellow New England draftees -- Darius Butler, Ron Brace and Sebastian Vollmer).
By way of comparison, the draft pick closest to Chung who has signed is Brace, who was taken 40th overall, six picks after Chung. Brace signed a four-year contract with $2.82 million in guaranteed money.
Taken 198th overall, Ingram is also looking at a four-year contract, with one source telling WEEI.com a deal involving the Hawaii product would be done “shortly.”
As was the case with Chung, there were no dollar figures given, but given the status of the players who were selected around him, it’s reasonable to suggest the long snapper would be in line for a contract that included roughly $1.8 million -- the player taken four slots ahead of him got $1.85 million, and the player taken two slots after him got $1.83 million.
McKenzie is a unique case. The linebacker out of South Florida was reportedly injured in rookie minicamp, an injury that will leave him sidelined for the season. While there is certainly no rush to get him signed because of his injury, how does such an injury affect negotiations?
According to some agents I’ve been in touch with for this story, most teams have a tacit agreement between the team and injured player to split the difference between the pick above and below in the current year. That means McKenzie, the 97th overall selection, could realistically expect something between the three-year, $1.665 million deal (with a $480,000 signing bonus) that 96th overall pick Keenan Lewis got from the Steelers and the four-year, $2.369 million contract (with a $500,000 signing bonus) 99th overall pick Juaquin Iglesias received from Chicago.
Overall, when it comes to getting rookies signed, the Patriots are in pretty good shape compared to the rest of the league -- at 9-for-12, they have 75 percent of their picks in the fold. Percentagewise, when stacked against the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots are second only to the New York Jets (all three of their picks have signed). Buffalo has two of their eight picks signed, and Miami has five of their nine draftees ready to go.
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