Getty ImagesEarlier today, we pointed out that, once Friday’s coin flips lock in the 2012 draft order, the Colts may sign Andrew Luck, or any other player whom they’d like to make the first overall pick in the draft. Unlike past years, the presence of a true rookie wage scale with little room to maneuver and few topics about which to negotiate, it’s far more likely that a contract will be signed before the draft begins.
And given the ease with which first-round picks can now be negotiated, some of you have expressed concern regarding the ability of the Rams at No. 2 and then the Vikings at No. 3 and then the Browns at No. 4, and so on, to sign their first-round picks and make the first night of the draft less meaningful.
Fear not. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells PFT that only the team holding the first overall pick may strike a deal in advance of the draft.
So if (when) the Colts ink Luck, the Rams (or the team to which the Rams trade the second pick for the ability to take Robert Griffin III) will have to sit tight until the first night of the draft.
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Does anyone here know if the 2012 Draft will be streamed on NFL.com? I cut the cable cord last year.
Hasn’t this been standard procedure for years that only the team owning the first pick can sign the first overall pick before the draft?
Colts r going 2 draft RG3.
So it’s basically like every other draft in the past?
Remember the good ‘ole days where a team would sign their No. 1 pick weeks in advance of the draft?
Bruce Smith inked a contract with the Buffalo Bills three weeks in advance before the ’85 draft………maybe those days will return under the rookie cap.
Good to know, thanks Mike
I hope the Rams trade that pic to an AFC team; the NFC has too many good QBs as it is. RG3 will be good.
@ kmart0319
You are correct, yet it comes up every time the #1 overall pick signs before the draft.
Very happy to hear this. I love watching the draft unfold and hate watching Schefter and Mortensen jump all over each other trying to be the first one to spoil the picks minutes before they happen
Why even bother have a draft. Since so called media and draft experts seems to calling the shots in the NFL why don’t TPTB simply let them dictate where each player should go and cancel the NFL Draft all together.
IMO, unlike other sports, the media really seems to be pulling the invicible strings for the NFL I guess since they pay so much money to air the games, they might as well have a say in who goes where and for how long…SMDH
Amazing how they have been trying to recreate 1998 but this time starting Andrew Luck. While trying to shove Peyton out of the pocket.
Yeah, anyone who has followed the NFL for more than a few years should know this by now. It comes up every time the #1 pick gets signed more than 24 hours before the draft. It happened back in 08 when the Dolphins signed Jake Long, like a week before the draft. People wanted to know if the Rams could turn around and start negotiating with who ever they choose to pick. And it was confirmed that the answer was no.
Also, why the heck would any of them sign players early. Especially, the Rams this year. Some team is going to offer a kings ransom to jump to that 2 or 3 spot and grab that Baylor kid before the Browns. This isn’t like the last few years of the last decade where top 10 picks were pretty much untradeable and trading to the top 5 was almost unheard of because of the rookie windfalls.
I’m surprised the NFL is still even allowing The Colts to sign Luck, figured Goodell would want the drama to play out a few more weeks.
At what point can the Rams deal their #2 overall pick for other teams picks? I’m assuming any time.
@xxxviichamps
The Rams could trade it at any time… but there’s no reason for them not to sit on it and let teams stew on the thought of trading into the spot for RGIII.
The Rams have the sweetest spot in this draft. They’re probably going to get a boatload for their pick, and if it goes to Cleveland they can still grab a top player at a position of need (Kalil or Blackmon)
Per the draft rules and the last line of this article anything with regard to the draft past the first pick has to wait until the first night of the draft. That means NO, not anytime, the first night of the draft. Pretty clear IMO.
Does anyone here know if the 2012 Draft will be streamed on NFL.com? I cut the cable cord last year.
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It will be on NFL Network just like the Combine this week/weekend.