The clock is ticking for the Chicago Bears to sign rookies Luther Burden III, Shemar Turner, and Ozzy Trapilo. Bears rookies are set to report for training camp in Lake Forest, Illinois, in exactly one week, on July 19.
Only two players in the second round of this year’s draft have been signed. The Houston Texans made history by giving wide receiver Jayden Higgins, the No. 34 pick, a fully guaranteed deal. The Cleveland Browns then had to give linebacker and No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger a fully guaranteed deal.
Second-round picks have never been signed to fully guaranteed deals before, and teams with picks from No. 35 to No. 64 aren’t eager to continue the trend that the Texans and Browns started.
The Chicago Bears are taking a risk with 3 rookies
But the Bears are taking the risk that three rookies could hold out to start training camp. Remember, Burden didn’t practice with veterans this spring because of a soft tissue injury, but the way he handled his business by not being present at practice during OTAs appeared to irritate head coach Ben Johnson.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Network, unsigned rookies face no financial penalties for holding out during camp.
“Reminder: There’s a difference between holdouts who aren’t under contract and those that are. Unsigned draft picks face no financial penalties for staying away from camp,” Florio wrote.
A Los Angeles Chargers rookie didn’t report on Saturday
Florio’s reminder comes as the No. 55 pick in the draft, wide receiver Tre Harris, did not report with the rest of his rookie colleagues for the start of the Los Angeles Chargers training camp on Saturday.
The Bears might see the same happen with Burden, Trapilo, and/or Turner.
Chicago needs Burden on the field as soon as possible so he can get on the same page with Caleb Williams when veterans report to camp. There is a good possibility that Trapilo can win the starting left tackle job if he practices during training camp.
Frankly, those three players should not report to camp and practice until they have signed their rookie deal, in which the value of the contract was already determined by the CBA.
How much does newly-extended general manager Ryan Poles value keeping to the norms of not fully guaranteeing second-rounders?
