So with the Lions giving defensive end Ziggy Ansah, the fifth overall pick in the draft, a fully-guaranteed contract with no offset language, the four picks taken in front of him will get the same term, right?
For the first, second, and fourth picks, most likely. For the third pick, there’s a concern that offset language will be forced upon defensive end Dion Jordan.
Last year, the Dolphins insisted on offset language for quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s contract as the eighth pick in the draft, even though the Dolphins presumably had been boxed in by the Panthers, who gave linebacker Luke Kuechly a fully-guaranteed deal with no offset language at No. 9.
This year, some league insiders fear the Dolphins once again will push for offset language, even after trading up from No. 12 to No. 3 for roughly half the extra picks that the trade chart contemplates. Specifically, the concern is that V.P. of football administration Dawn Aponte, the reputed “bad cop” of Dolphins contract negotiations, will demand the offset language, regardless of whether any and every other pick after No. 3 avoids offset language.
If the Dolphins insist on offset language, the question becomes whether Jordan’s agents will resist, and then how aggressively Jordan is willing to push it in order to win on a term that becomes relevant only if the player becomes a colossal bust.