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The Raiders rookies will report for training camp this week. And yet two of their rookies remain unsigned -- top pick QB Fernando Mendoza and round four CB Jermod McCoy. The former is obviously the most high-profile of the two and has many wondering why he has yet to make it official.
Noted cap specialist Joel Corry over at CBS Sports went about examining the potential reason for the holdup in Mendoza's rookie deal being signed. Mainly because most of the details are not negotiable as rookie numbers are set prior to the draft. But there are some details that can be negotiated and therefore make the whole thing take longer than expected.
Signing bonus payout
Corry notes that most rookies get their signing bonus in one lump sum. But the Raiders often choose not to do business like that.
The Raiders haven't been paying first-round pick signing bonuses in a lump sum. The payment schedule for the previous three first-round picks -- Ashton Jeanty (2025, sixth overall), Brock Bowers (2024, 13th overall) and Tyree Wilson (2023, seventh overall) -- was 77.5% within 15 days of signing, 12.5% in mid-September and the final 10% in mid-October.
Mendoza and fellow QB Ty Simpson are the only picks in the first round yet to sign their contracts. As Corry points out, should Simpson get his signing bonus in one lump sum, the Raiders may have no choice but to do the same with Mendoza. But if not, they could hold their ground, which would mean Mendoza's agent would have a decision to make.
Corry adds that as quickly as the top pick signing bonuses are rising, the Raiders may be just the first of many teams to no longer offer it in a lump payment.
Raiders rookies report this Thursday, July 23 with the rest of the team reporting next week on July 28. So, things could move quickly as neither side would want any kind of holdout situation.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL contract guru examines why Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza still unsigned
