Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw are the two draft picks still unsigned by the Detroit Lions. This is the reason.
The 2024 Detroit Lions rookie minicamp is already in progress, and there’s a tonne of stuff to learn. Along with reading about camp observations, fans also learned more about the positional ranges of the players, heard some amusing quotes, discovered which jersey numbers were assigned, and witnessed which rookies are signing NFL contracts. Additionally, fans gained some clarity regarding how the Lions intend to use their newly acquired players.
The Lions signed fifteen undrafted rookie free agents and selected six players this summer. Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, the first and second-round picks taken by the Lions on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, are the only unsigned rookies on the team. Of the six players selected in the draft, four signed NFL contracts before going to rookie minicamp.
What is preventing you from signing a rookie deal, then?
The money guarantee is at the centre of it. There isn’t much opportunity for negotiation in the player’s total contract amount due to the NFL’s pre-determined slotted rookie pay scale, but it is possible to modify the amount guaranteed, when it is disbursed, and when it is due.
Last season, as second-round choices in the NFL campaigned for greater guarantees in their contracts, we witnessed one illustration of this. Consequently, Lions wide receiver Sam LaPorta had more guaranteed money in year four of his contract than any other second-round selection. Adding his $3.8 million signing bonus, LaPorta would wind up with over $4 million in guaranteed income. Selected eleven spots after LaPorta, fellow second-round rookie Brian Branch of the Lions guaranteed $2.8 million in salary and an additional $2.8 via his signing bonus.
First-round picks’ contracts consider how and when the guarantees are delivered, in addition to the amount of money guaranteed (usually the entire deal). For instance, Jack Campbell, a fellow first-round selection selected six spots below Gibbs, only receives a roster bonus in years two and three, whereas 2023 Lions first-round choice Jahmyr Gibbs receives a completely guaranteed roster bonus in years two, three, and four.
Players selected in the first two rounds of the draft frequently experience delays in signing contracts as a result of these negotiations. Last season, Gibbs and Branch didn’t agree on contracts until mid-July, a few days before training camp, while Campbell signed at the end of May and Laporta signed in June.
The CBA’s “rookie participation agreement” allows Arnold and Rakestraw to continue playing at rookie minicamp even if their contracts are still being negotiated. Draft selections are permitted to participate in these activities with the good faith assurance that, in the event of an injury, they will still be entitled to the same contractual protections as if they were well.
Deals for players selected on Day 3 are usually finalised sooner in the process since their contracts are simpler because the signing bonus is the only thing that is guaranteed.
With a little help from OverTheCap.com, let’s examine the terms of the contracts for the Lions’ third-round draft selections.
Manu Giovanni, OL
Bonus for signing: $725,656 ($181,414 assured every season)
Cap hit for 2024: $976,414
Cap hit for 2025 is $1,141,414;
for 2026, it is $1,256,414;
and for 2027, it is $1,371,414
Vaki Sione, RB
$528,700 as a signing bonus ($132,175 assured every season)
Cap hit for 2024: $927,175
Cap hit for 2025: $1,092,175
Cap hit for 2026: $1,207,175
Cap hit for 2027: $1,322,175
Mekhi Wingo, DT
$186,800 as a signing bonus ($46,700 assured per season)
Cap hit for 2024: $841,700
Cap hit by 2025: $1,006,700
Cap hit in 2026: $1,121,700
Cap hit for 2027: $1,236,700
G. Christian Mahogany
Signing bonus: $138,396 with a guaranteed $34,599 for every season
Cap hit for 2024: $829,599
Cap hit for 2025: $994,599
Cap hit for 2026: $1,109,599
Cap hit for 2027: $1,224,599