Despite NFL Player’s Association advisement to the contrary, five of the 11 draft picks from the 2017 Minnesota Vikings rookie class have signed with the team, according to the team’s official Twitter account.
Wide receiver Rodney Adams was the first to sign, followed by edge defender Ifeadi Odenigbo, defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, offensive guard Danny Isidora and linebacker Ben Gedeon.
The NFLPA is primarily concerned with the wording behind the offset language in the contract. Traditionally, offset language governs whether or not a team is on the hook to pay the rest of a guaranteed contract for a player they cut if another team signs that player and assumes some or all of that guaranteed money.
Offset language by itself is permissible by the language of the 2011 Comprehensive Bargaining Agreement — language agreed upon by the NFL and NFLPA — but they’ve been concerned that there has been impermissible overlap between allowable offset language and other, prohibited, contract terms.
It is possible that all of those concerns have been resolved. However, Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press indicated late last night that Adams signed against the NFLPA’s wishes, who didn’t think the terms were fair at the time of the signing.
There has been no indication yet regarding whether something has changed in the boilerplate contract language the Vikings offer their rookies, though Graff thinks it is unlikely.
This issue will likely be resolved by the Vikings and the NFLPA separately and it shouldn’t impact the ability of the Vikings to field a full slate of rookies for training camp, but it’s worth noting that the rookies selected by the Vikings have already begun signing deals with the team.
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