Something weird is going on. The Chicago Bears seemed to get their entire draft class locked up to their rookie contracts. Colston Loveland and four others put pen to paper by the end of the first week of May. Most fans assumed the rest would follow shortly. Another week passed. Then another. Then a month. It has now been almost two months, and none of the Bears’ 2nd round picks have signed their deals. Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, and Shemar Turner all remain unsigned, with training camp creeping closer.
People are starting to get nervous. Nothing has come out as to why deals aren’t being reached. As it turns out, this isn’t a problem exclusive to the Bears. No fewer than 30 picks from the 2nd round remain unsigned. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, there is a significant standoff between NFL teams and player agents about the structure of these contracts. Agents believe the smaller deals should be fully guaranteed since they aren’t as expensive as 1st round picks. Teams don’t appear eager to set that precedent.
This feeds into another recent story involving the Chicago Bears.
More accurately, it involves the entire NFL. Investigative reporter Pablo Torre uncovered recent evidence that Commissioner Roger Goodell and the team owners enacted a form of collusion to avoid handing out fully guaranteed contracts. This came in the wake of the disastrous deal the Cleveland Browns signed with Deshaun Watson. Teams don’t want to open Pandora’s box, believing the risks are too high to justify. This sudden stalemate over the 2nd round pick contracts feels like an extension of that battle between the league and the NFL Players Association. Players want more security. Teams don’t want to accept the risks involved. It appears the Chicago Bears are caught up in this situation, forced to wait until the needed domino falls
