SerpApi.Org
Los Angeles Rams rookies and veterans will report to Loyola Marymount for training camp on Saturday, but one player is still without a contract. Ty Simpson has yet to sign his rookie deal with the Rams, despite being drafted nearly three months ago.
While it’s not typical for a draft pick to go this long before signing his contract, it’s also not unprecedented. He’s one of eight rookies who still have not signed ahead of camp, four of them being quarterbacks.
Coincidence? I think not.
The No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, hasn’t signed his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders yet, either. Though contracts for draft picks are set by the rookie wage scale, some players negotiate payout schedules for signing bonuses, as well as offset guarantees.
Because Mendoza and Simpson play the same position, as do the next quarterbacks drafted (Carson Beck and Drew Allar), it appears Simpson is waiting on Mendoza to sign his deal before inking his with the Rams. It’s a negotiating tactic by agents, aiming to get their players similar structures as guys who were drafted before them. The same happened with Terrance Ferguson last year when the first two second-round picks both signed fully guaranteed contracts, which created a hold-up for the other second-rounders picked after them.
Both Mendoza and Simpson participated in OTAs this spring, so it’s not as if either one has started a holdout, but with training camps rapidly approaching, it’s something to monitor.
Raiders rookies are set to report to camp on Thursday, two days before Simpson will arrive at LMU for Rams camp. Assuming Mendoza signs his contract before camp begins, Simpson should do the same.
Either way, there’s no reason to believe Simpson won’t be on the field participating in practice once camp begins.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Fernando Mendoza might be reason Ty Simpson hasn't signed Rams deal yet
