Terrance Ferguson remains unsigned by Rams

[EastBayRamsFan]

Is this unusual as the Rams generally sign their draft picks early. Terrance Ferguson is good but not hold-out good.

Maybe a non-issue.

[DelMar]

Fair question, but after some research, here you go Eastbay...

Terrance Ferguson's unsigned status with the Rams likely stems from contract negotiations, particularly concerning guarantees for second-round picks. Only two second-rounders, Carson Schwesinger and Jayden Higgins, have signed fully guaranteed deals, and Ferguson is waiting to see if others in his draft range receive similar guarantees.

Guarantees Matter:
Players and their agents are keen to ensure a significant portion of their contract is guaranteed, especially in the second round where there's less of a guarantee than in the first round.

"Waiting Game":
Ferguson is likely waiting to see if players drafted ahead of him (specifically in the second round) sign contracts with similar guarantee structures to the ones signed by Carson Schwesinger and Jayden Higgins.

Rams' History:
The Rams have a history of rewarding second-rounders with good contracts, including Braden Fiske last year, who had three years of his deal fully guaranteed.

Ongoing Process:
While the negotiation process can take time, it's not unusual for rookie players to sign their deals closer to training camp or mandatory minicamp.

It's also worth noting, that only TWO other second rounders have signed their contracts to this point.

Last point...

As the 46th overall pick, Ferguson likely won't have a fully-guaranteed deal, but he and his representation fight for an increase over 2024's numbers. Last year's 46th pick was Jonathon Brooks, a running back for the Carolina Panthers. He signed a four-year, $8.417 million deal, with $6.24 million in fully-guaranteed value (74.13% of the deal).

The second round is a tough area of contention, but it's not anything close to what happened before the rookie-wage scale era. It's normal, and it should be soon solved for everyone involved. These days, it's rare for rookie players to reach training camp (or even mandatory minicamp) without a deal in place.

[EastBayRamsFan]

Thanks for the very thorough and well researched reply. I was really unsure how all of this worked with second round picks.

Oh, and regarding your "rookie-wage scale era"-another thing with can all thank Samantha Badford for!

[Fatboy]

It seems to me they used to sign them all up on the same day . -- the Fatboy

[DelMar]

It seems to me they used to sign them all up on the same day . -- the Fatboy

They usually do, but it seems Terrance got himself a tough negotiator for an agent.

[Ramsfan08ny]

Thanks for the very thorough and well researched reply. I was really unsure how all of this worked with second round picks.

Oh, and regarding your "rookie-wage scale era"-another thing with can all thank Samantha Badford for!

Wasn't Bradford, it was whoever was picked 1st, or are you forgetting the QB from LSU that the Raiders drafted?

[RamPower]

Regarding the second round, only the first two players selected in round 2 are signed so far, right?

https://www.footballdb.com/transactions ... nings.html

[Commish]

Oh, and regarding your "rookie-wage scale era"-another thing with can all thank Samantha Badford for!

The rookie wage scale is one of the greatest reforms ever made in the league, it ended the era of players' agents promising that their clients were sure-fire Hall-of-Fame performers before they had played a down in the pros, and thus demanding ridiculous rookie money even by NFL standards.

I'm certainly not missing all of that greed and posturing, with numerous teams' top draft choices still unsigned in mid-August of every year.

Where are those Super Bowl championships which Sam Bradford's agent guaranteed to the Rams anyway...??

RAM SEASON!!

--The Commish

[EastBayRamsFan]

Here is more on the reason Terrance Ferguson has not signed:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/wh ... 2a6d0&ei=9

[FelixTheStonerCat]

Thanks for the very thorough and well researched reply. I was really unsure how all of this worked with second round picks.

Oh, and regarding your "rookie-wage scale era"-another thing with can all thank Samantha Badford for!

Wasn't Bradford, it was whoever was picked 1st, or are you forgetting the QB from LSU that the Raiders drafted?

LSU dude was drafted in 07, Sam Bradford was drafted in 2010, at first overall if I'm not mistaken, by Coach Spags.