Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said he expects the team to begin signing its rookie draft picks very soon, even before the teams rookie camp begins on May 12.
In an interview with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Roseman said he expects to have little trouble signing the teams rookies so theyre able to receive their bonus money before participating in minicamps.
Unlike other years, all rookies outside the top 10 picks are slotted into an exact salary position, so it doesnt make sense for agents to wait before signing deals because theyre not going to get more money in July or August than they would now.
In fact, most rookies really dont even need agents to negotiate their rookie contracts, because the salaries are predetermined. An agent would take a percentage of the contract for doing what a typical accountant could easily do as well for a small fee.
Well try to do that here and get going, Roseman said in a transcript of the interview posted on Pro Football Talk. That was out goal to have that done quickly so these guys can focus on getting down to business.
You hear that theyd rather get the money in their pocket now as opposed to waiting a couple months because its going to be the same deal theyre going to get anyway, and they have the peace of mind of having that before they get on the field.
So I think youll see a bunch of deals done here, before certainly our minicamp next weekend. Not necessarily only with us but with other teams in the league as well.
Roseman also connected the Eagles emphasis on the defensive line in last months draft two of their first three picks were defensive linemen with the success the Giants have had focusing on building through the defensive line.
Theres no question the Giants have created a blueprint for the rest of the league with two Super Bowls in the last five years and their ability to create pressure on the quarterback, and its something we really believe in as well, he said.
Roseman also spoke at length about several other topics, including the Asante Samuel trade and why the Eagles didnt trade him for more than a seventh-round pick when they could have last year, how long Michael Vick can play at a high level with the Eagles, Vince Youngs future, the Eagles linebacker situation and much more.
The full interview is right here.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com.