Should the Bears Be Concerned About Their Three Unsigned Rookies?
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson completed his first NFL Draft earlier this year in April. Johnson would draft eight players, of whom five would sign their rookie deals. As for the other three, their deals have not been finalized, with training camp less than a month away. Those players were all selected in the second round, being wide receiver Luther Burden III, defensive lineman Shemar Turner, and offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo. Fortunately for the Bears, this issue isn't just causing problems for them, but affecting the entire league.
Nearly all second-round picks selected in this year's draft are in dispute with the NFL about fully guaranteed pay. As things currently stand, none of the players are willing to go down without a fight. While the total value of the contracts is predetermined and non-negotiable, the guaranteed portion of these contracts is completely negotiable. While in the past this was never an issue in the league, that would all change this year after Houston Texans draft pick Jayden Higgins and Cleveland Browns draft pick Carson Schwesinger became the first second-round picks to receive fully guaranteed contracts. NFL teams generally don’t offer fully guaranteed contracts to second-round picks; however, these two players becoming the first has created a ripple effect across the league.
While the Bears may not be alone in this situation, they hold a lot of value in their second-round selections this season. Burden was a huge addition to the Bears’ wide receiving room, with the potential to become a superstar who can grow with quarterback Caleb Williams. He would also fill a big need for the Bears’ slot receiver position. Chicago would also get upgrades on both sides of their line, with Trapilo and Turner being major needs in the offseason at their positions. Johnson has already voiced his concerns with players like Burden not participating in OTAs this spring, believing that this is the most important period for these rookies to grow. With training camp just now under a month away, the situation is becoming dire for the Bears to solve. Not only will it be a situation to monitor for the Bears, but also for every NFL team as they head into training camp in just a few weeks.
