Detroit Lions rookies are scheduled to report to training camp on Monday. When they do report, they could be without first-round offensive tackle Riley Reiff, the team's lone unsigned draft pick.
Details of the negotiations with Reiff, one of 11 unsigned first-round draft picks, are scarce, but Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press suggests the Lions could be waiting on a deal for Matt Kalil, the No. 4 overall draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings who plays the same position as Reiff, the No. 23 overall draft pick.
We know that Reiff's four-year contract worth around $8 million with a signing bonus of between $2.5 and $2.7 million, based on his draft slot. Over 80 percent of the contract -- Reiff's signing bonus and base salaries in 2012, 2013 and 2014 -- will be fully guaranteed.
One possible holdup with Reiff's contract is the size of his signing bonus. Philadelphia Eagles guard Danny Watkins, last year's No. 23 pick, received a signing bonus of $4.2716 million, which was nearly $25,000 higher than his draft slot had called for.
Another potential holdup is offsets. The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins did not obtain offset language on Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III contracts, which was no surprise, and as a Top 5 pick Kalil may avoid offset language, as well.
For a player chosen in the bottom third of the first round, though, offsets could be something that teams push for. Reiff is one of four unsigned picks in the 20 to 24 range and if those other players agree to offset language, the Lions will want that, too.
Monday is a soft deadline since veterans don't report to training camp until next Thursday and the Lions' first training camp practice is not until a week from today. A deal will eventually get done, though, and Reiff should have plenty of time to compete for a starting job.
