Rookie Deal Timeline: When Brad Holmes Gets His New Toys Under Contract
The Lions might have some drama getting second-round pick Derrick Moore signed to his rookie deal ahead of training camp. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s the same song and dance they went through with Tate Ratledge last year.
Let’s break down when each of Brad Holmes’ six draft picks should get their deals done, based on recent history.
The Easy Ones: Any Day Now
Keith Abney, Kendrick Law, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Tyre West should all be locked up within days. The Lions signed their fifth, sixth, and both seventh-round picks on May 9th last year, just a week and a half after the draft ended.
Other teams are already getting their late-round guys under contract. Detroit will follow the pack here. No drama, no holdouts, just business.
The Middle Ground: Late May to Early June
Blake Miller and Jimmy Rolder fall into the next tier. Last year, Isaac TeSlaa got his deal done on May 20th, followed by Tyleik Williams a day later.
Miller being a first-rounder complicates things slightly. Higher pick means bigger money, which could push his timeline back a touch. But we’re still talking weeks, not months.
The Wild Card: July
Here’s where it gets interesting. Derrick Moore, the second-round pick, could be waiting until July.
The holdup? Other second-round picks might push for fully guaranteed contracts. When that happens, agents start playing the waiting game to see if they can squeeze the same deal for their clients. It’s exactly what happened with Ratledge last year.
Moore’s camp will be watching to see what precedent gets set elsewhere. If someone breaks through with a fully guaranteed rookie deal, expect Moore to hold out for the same treatment.
Look, this is just the business side of football. Holmes has been through this dance before and he’ll get it sorted. The question is whether Moore misses any training camp time while the lawyers figure out the fine print.
Anyone else getting flashbacks to contract holdouts from the dark years, or are we finally mature enough as a fanbase to trust that Brad Holmes knows what he’s doing? Drop your take below.
