The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement has, essentially, eliminated rookie hold-outs and made signing drafted rookies to contracts worlds easier than in the past. The Seattle Seahawks are already taking advantage of the new rookie pay scale in an effort to get their draft picks in training camp right away. In just three days, the Seahawks have inked six of their nine draft picks, with only the first three picks -- James Carpenter, John Moffitt and K.J. Wright -- still working on agreements.
Richard Sherman and Malcolm Smith were among the latest signings, and were in camp this morning working with the backups, according to the Seahawks' official website.
Six of the team’s nine draft choices were signed in time to participate in the 105-minute session – wide receiver Kris Durham (fourth round), cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Mark LeGree (fifth round), cornerback Bryon Maxwell (sixth round) and linebacker Malcolm Smith and defensive lineman Pep Levingston (seventh round).
Sherman, LeGree, Levingston and Smith were working with the No. 2 defense, with Maxwell and Durham on the third units.
You can read more about the Seahawks' rookie signings here. For more on Maxwell, check out this scouting report. To learn more about Pep Levingston, check out this post.
We'll be tracking more of the Seahawks' rookie signings in this StoryStream. Over at Field Gulls, Danny Kelly will be publishing an impressive array of posts on undrafted free agents, so keep an eye out for those.