INDIANAPOLIS – Rookies get down to business next week, and that likely coincides with the Indianapolis Colts taking care of business.
The team added eight players in last week’s NFL Draft, which means eight contracts must be finalized. That occasionally meant a handful of prolonged negotiations, perhaps even a holdout or two, but the rookie wage scale included in the collective bargaining agreement since 2011 has streamlined the process and eliminated the massive contracts for players taken at the top of the draft.
Draft picks are slotted and can anticipate a bump from the player taken in the same spot last year. The increase is tied to the yearly increase in the overall salary cap.
Tight end Tyler Warren, taken with the No. 14 overall pick, is due a guaranteed four-year contract valued at $20.96 million with a $11.88 million signing bonus, according to overthecap.com. Last year’s No. 14 pick – New Orleans offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga – received a four-year, $17.348 million deal with a $9.436 million signing bonus.
Deal for first-round picks also included a fifth-year team option.
Last offseason, eight of the Colts’ nine draft picks had signed their rookie deals two weeks after the draft. The final one – second-round wideout AD Mitchell – was finalized June 6.
The Colts are immersed in week 2 of their offseason workout program, and rookie minicamp is May 9-10.
According to overthecap.com, these are the four-year deals the eight draft picks can anticipate, including each player’s cap number.
Prior to contracts for the draft picks and undrafted rookies, the Colts are approximately $23.15 million under the salary cap.
*Round 1/14 overall – TE Tyler Warren: $20.96 million, $11.884 million signing bonus; $3.811,025 cap hit.
*Round 2/45 – DE JT Tuimoloau: $9.942 million, $3.875 million signing bonus; $1.807 million cap hit.
*Round 3/80 – CB Justin Walley: $6.444 million, $1.326 million signing bonus; $1.171 million cap hit.
*Round 4/127 – OT Jalen Travis: $5.121 million, $921,268 signing bonus; $1,070.317 cap hit.
*Round 5/151 – RB DJ Giddens: $4.624 million, $424,748 signing bonus; $946,187 cap hit.
*Round 6/189 – QB Riley Leonard: $4.435 million, $235,244 signing bonus; $898,811 cap hit.
*Round 6/190 – DT Tim Smith: $4.434 million, $234,360 signing bonus; $898,590 cap hit.
*Round 7/232 – Hunter Wohler: $4.331 million, $131,068 signing bonus; $872,767 cap hit.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.