News And Events

The new collective bargaining agreement makes signing rookie draft picks much easier these days, thanks to a slotting system.

So the Cardinals took advantage Tuesday, agreeing to terms with four of their seven draft picks already, long before it has happened in the past.

Fourth-round pick Bobby Massie highlights the group, which included everyone except the top two picks, first-rounder Michael Floyd and third-round selection Jamell Fleming, and seventh-rounder Nate Potter.

Massie, guard Senio Kelemete (fifth-round), quarterback Ryan Lindley (sixth-round), safety Justin Bethel (sixth-round) all will sign four-year contracts (or have signed; Massie tweeted out earlier Tuesday he had inked his deal.) Terms of the deals were not announced, but negotiating contracts these days has become a very simple process under the new agreement.

Many teams in the league had already signed all their picks. It’s a far cry from the way contracts were done just a couple of years ago. Signings didn’t come until June at the earliest when there was haggling going on, and many first-rounders didn’t sign until right before – or a few days into – training camp.

That won’t be the case anymore. There is no timetable set for the signings of Floyd, Fleming or Potter, but it won’t interfere with the start of training camp any longer.