At a time when rookie signings are coming so fast that it’s hard to keep up, one of the biggest names in the draft class is the latest to sign on the line that is dotted: Leonard Williams has signed his rookie deal with the Jets.
Williams, a defensive lineman from USC, was widely regarded as the single best prospect in this year’s draft. It was a surprise that he slipped to the Jets at No. 6, and he’s expected to provide instant results as a rookie.
In the old days, a player like Williams might have had a lengthy contract negotiation, but under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement there’s not much of anything to negotiate: The terms of rookie contracts are defined by the CBA.
So four months before the start of the regular season, Williams’s deal is already done. At this rate, it won’t be long before all 256 draft picks can say the same.
