Report: Both Dalton Risner and Drew Lock have reportedly agreed to their rookie deals and will be there for the start of training camp. The details of Lock’s contract are currently unknown, but Risner has reportedly signed a deal that will dish out $7 million dollars.
The 2019 draft has the pieces to hypothetically lift the Broncos back into contention in the AFC moving forward, but how much they’ll contribute this season is yet to be seen.
Two of the most important rookies in the Broncos’ most recent draft, offensive lineman Dalton Risner and prospective quarterback of the future Drew Lock, are among the league’s 11 rookies who still have yet to ink their rookie deals.
They also could reportedly miss part of training camp. As of now, it appears likely that both Lock and Risner will miss the first meeting for rookies which is on Wednesday and the first practice of training camp on Thursday.
The current dispute centers around how much their rookie deals will shell out. With the most recent CBA, rookie contracts are “slotted” meaning each rookie’s pay scale is determined by which pick is used on them. Pick 28 makes a little more than pick 29 and so on.
Lock (selected 42nd overall) and his agent are pursuing the “quarterback premium” which would bump up the amount the Broncos’ are expected to pay him on his rookie deal. Meanwhile, Risner is reportedly hung up on the idea of the player being drafted after him by the same team, getting paid more.
While it’s unlikely the Broncos get this contract situation sorted before the start of training camp, Broncos fans shouldn’t fret just yet. General Manager John Elway and the rest of the front office will almost certainly have the contracts settled before the start of the preseason and Risner and Lock should still see plenty of reps in training camps. Ever since the NFL moved to the slotted pay scale for rookies, long-lasting hold outs have been nearly unheard of. The lone exception was Joey Bosa, who didn’t sign his rookie deal until late August. That didn’t have much of an impact on his inaugural season as he still racked up 10.5 sacks.
That being said, Elway and his team should try to come to terms with Lock and Risner as soon as possible, even if that means paying each a chunk of change more. Rookie deals are relatively small, so the extra cheddar wouldn’t hurt the salary cap, it’d get the relationship with their prized rookies off on the right foot, and most importantly it would get both players in practice where they need to be.
Risner is expected to start on the line from day one, and Lock will likely take over the starting job before season’s end. These reps in summer could be the difference between a promising rookie season and a disatrous one.
