On Thursday, NFL Network research guru Matt Pomeroy noted that four teams -- the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams -- had not signed any of their 2012 draft picks. Twenty-four hours later, that list is down to three.
The St. Louis Rams' seventh-round draft pick, linebacker Aaron Brown, announced on Twitter that he had officially signed his contract, the Turf Show Times reported on Friday. The financial terms of his deal were not disclosed, but as the 209th overall pick in the draft, he is expected to receive a signing bonus of between $68,000 and $69,000.
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In addition to Brown, fourth-round pick Chris Givenshas also signed his contract with the Rams, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported Friday. Givens, a wide receiver, was the first player selected in the fourth round and, based on that slot, is expected to receive a signing bonus of just under $500,000.
While I've speculated on the specific signing bonuses that would come with other recent signings, doing so with the Rams can be a foolish endeavor. In recent seasons, Rams CEO Kevin Demoff, who also handles contract negotiations for the team, has signed mid-to-late round draft picks to contracts with palindromic signing bonuses. For example, Jerome Murphy, a third-round pick in 2010, received a signing bonus of $937,739. That same year, to ensure that sixth-round pick Eugene Sims would receive a signing bonus ($103,301) that contained a palindrome, Demoff included a $564 roster bonus that was due two days after signing.
The new collective bargaining agreement has streamlined the process of signing rookies. Only one player from this year's class -- Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu -- has received a signing bonus that was different from his draft slot. Demoff could increase that number, as the new CBA did not change his approach in 2011. Seven of the team's eight picks last year received palindromic signing bonuses, including tight end Lance Kendricks, who received a signing bonus of $1,573,751 after being picked in the second round. We'll be keeping an eye out to see if Demoff breaks up the monotony again this offseason.
