Update on Colts 2 unsigned draft picks, the last unsigned players in the NFL

[TKnight24]

Mariota has signed, leaving the Colts as the last team to sign their picks

Titans wrap up Marcus Mariota. Then there were 2 unsigned: #colts 3rd rounders D'Joun Smith, Henry Anderson. NO CHANCE they miss any of camp

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51)

July 22, 2015

GM Ryan Grigson told me recently there were "language issues'' to finalize Smith/Anderson deals. No reason not to have done by Aug. 1. None.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51)

July 22, 2015

[TKnight24]

Only 2 draft picks who remain unsigned in the NFL. https://t.co/tWBt3nkmpz

— George Bremer (@gmbremer)

July 22, 2015

With rookie slotting system, #colts D'Joun Smith due about $3.5M over 4 yrs with $800K SB, Henry Anderson $2.9M and $610K SB.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51)

July 22, 2015

[CR91]

good stuff TK. keep it up during training camp

[MTC]

Fire Grigson.

 

/sarcasm

 

 

The reason Anderson and Smith aren't signed is due to language issues. Should be solved soon.

[PrincetonTiger]

Thanks for the info

[IndyD4U]

I thought they both spoke English....

[Yoshinator]

Language issues sounds like an excuse to me. This is literally the easiest part of being a GM, signing draft picks that you aren't competing with anyone else to sign. Grigson is probably trying to do something similar that the titans were doing with Mariota. At least with the Jaguars, they lose their picks to injury, we don't even get a chance to get our players injured lol. I hope this goes away soon, because I'm at the point where I'm getting nervous as there are two picks to be signed, not 1.

[NewColtsFan]

Language issues sounds like an excuse to me. This is literally the easiest part of being a GM, signing draft picks that you aren't competing with anyone else to sign. Grigson is probably trying to do something similar that the titans were doing with Mariota. At least with the Jaguars, they lose their picks to injury, we don't even get a chance to get our players injured lol. I hope this goes away soon, because I'm at the point where I'm getting nervous as there are two picks to be signed, not 1.

 

Why would you think this is the EASIEST part of being a GM?

 

The two players have agents who don't want the off-set language and Grigson wants it.   (or the other way around....)

 

It's a stalemate.     One side or the other is going to give....   the hope is that it's the agents.    Otherwise,  there's going to be a holdout,  which I would suspect is going to be short,   but I don't expect Grigson to give in.    At some point the players would have to say to their agents that it's not worth missing camp over.

 

But,  I don't see anything easy about this from Grigson's standpoint.....

 

p.s. -- still waiting to hear whether the Titans or Mariotta won the battle over the off-set language...   I don't think that's been revealed yet.    I'd expect that will come out sometime this week....

[jskinnz]

Language issues sounds like an excuse to me. This is literally the easiest part of being a GM, signing draft picks that you aren't competing with anyone else to sign. Grigson is probably trying to do something similar that the titans were doing with Mariota. At least with the Jaguars, they lose their picks to injury, we don't even get a chance to get our players injured lol. I hope this goes away soon, because I'm at the point where I'm getting nervous as there are two picks to be signed, not 1.

 

Oy vey...

[Superman]

Language issues sounds like an excuse to me. This is literally the easiest part of being a GM, signing draft picks that you aren't competing with anyone else to sign. Grigson is probably trying to do something similar that the titans were doing with Mariota. At least with the Jaguars, they lose their picks to injury, we don't even get a chance to get our players injured lol. I hope this goes away soon, because I'm at the point where I'm getting nervous as there are two picks to be signed, not 1.

 

It's not Grigson's job, actually. It's Mike Bluem's job, who is the contract/cap/compliance guy. 

[Yoshinator]

Why would you think this is the EASIEST part of being a GM?

 

The two players have agents who don't want the off-set language and Grigson wants it.   (or the other way around....)

 

It's a stalemate.     One side or the other is going to give....   the hope is that it's the agents.    Otherwise,  there's going to be a holdout,  which I would suspect is going to be short,   but I don't expect Grigson to give in.    At some point the players would have to say to their agents that it's not worth missing camp over.

 

But,  I don't see anything easy about this from Grigson's standpoint.....

Being a GM, you manage the salary cap, which is tough. You sign FA's, which is very difficult because of age and scheme fit along with trying not to overspend. You draft players, literally the hardest part of being a GM as there are thousands of players to scout. All he has to do now is sign the players he drafted at a certain value. No other team is trying to draft him. We are down to the point where we have the last two picks in the league unsigned and they are our 2nd and 3rd pick. I'm not making a big deal of it, but I'm very nervous and it should of been done by now. This isn't baseball where you can sign above or below slot value.

[Yoshinator]

It's not Grigson's job, actually. It's Mike Bluem's job, who is the contract/cap/compliance guy. 

Ah, that explains it then. Something seemed off that Grigson wouldn't get something this easy done. Thanks for the correction Superman. I'll wait it out and hopefully they get signed in a few days.

[Superman]

Why would you think this is the EASIEST part of being a GM?

 

The two players have agents who don't want the off-set language and Grigson wants it.   (or the other way around....)

 

It's a stalemate.     One side or the other is going to give....   the hope is that it's the agents.    Otherwise,  there's going to be a holdout,  which I would suspect is going to be short,   but I don't expect Grigson to give in.    At some point the players would have to say to their agents that it's not worth missing camp over.

 

But,  I don't see anything easy about this from Grigson's standpoint.....

 

p.s. -- still waiting to hear whether the Titans or Mariotta won the battle over the off-set language...   I don't think that's been revealed yet.    I'd expect that will come out sometime this week....

 

The ESPN article says they agreed to limited offset language. Not sure what that means. 

 

In any event, I don't think the Smith/Anderson issue is offset language. The precedent so far is that players drafted where Smith and Anderson were drafted don't get guaranteed salaries. They get a signing bonus, typically about 19-22% of the total value of the contract, and that's fully guaranteed, but none of their future salaries are guaranteed. Offset language is about the payment of future guarantees, not signing bonuses. So there's nothing to which offset language would apply.

 

I would bet the language issue has to do with suspensions and/or off field behavior. Just my guess.

[Superman]

Ah, that explains it then. Something seemed off that Grigson wouldn't get something this easy done. Thanks for the correction Superman. I'll wait it out and hopefully they get signed in a few days.

 

Like Andrew Brandt always says, deadlines spur action. Nothing to worry about.

[alawai]

Thanks guys!

[NewColtsFan]

The ESPN article says they agreed to limited offset language. Not sure what that means. 

 

In any event, I don't think the Smith/Anderson issue is offset language. The precedent so far is that players drafted where Smith and Anderson were drafted don't get guaranteed salaries. They get a signing bonus, typically about 19-22% of the total value of the contract, and that's fully guaranteed, but none of their future salaries are guaranteed. Offset language is about the payment of future guarantees, not signing bonuses. So there's nothing to which offset language would apply.

 

I would bet the language issue has to do with suspensions and/or off field behavior. Just my guess.

 

You maybe right....   you typically are....

 

But the idea of a Stanford kid (Henry Anderson)  potentially holding out over language concerning possible suspensions and off the field behavior seems pretty far fetched....

 

The next time a Stanford kid gets into any kind of trouble is likely the first time....

 

And Smith got high marks for character as well....     so, this still seems....    odd to me....

[Superman]

You maybe right....   you typically are....

 

But the idea of a Stanford kid (Henry Anderson)  potentially holding out over language concerning possible suspensions and off the field behavior seems pretty far fetched....

 

The next time a Stanford kid gets into any kind of trouble is likely the first time....

 

And Smith got high marks for character as well....     so, this still seems....    odd to me....

 

That could be exactly what their point is. 'Why should we agree to any kind of character clause?'

 

They haven't missed any work yet. This is pretty much a non issue at this point in time. Camp doesn't start for a week and a half. Like you said earlier, one side or the other will likely come off whatever sticking point there is right now and the deal will get done right before camp starts. This isn't anything new. Most rookie contracts went down to the wire in the first couple years of this CBA. Castonzo missed the first 3(?) days of camp over the amount of the 4th year guarantee, and we see how that worked out four years later. 

[Jim H.]

It's not Grigson's job, actually. It's Mike Bluem's job, who is the contract/cap/compliance guy. 

As the general manager, Grigson is responsible for everything.

[Superman]

As the general manager, Grigson is responsible for everything.

 

Sounds great, but not true. The contracts, length, value, structure, everything, is already determined. Language issues are a compliance thing, and the GM doesn't deal with compliance stuff. That's why Mike Bluem has a job, so Grigson doesn't have to try to understand and navigate that stuff. 

[SteelCityColt]

Sounds great, but not true. The contracts, length, value, structure, everything, is already determined. Language issues are a compliance thing, and the GM doesn't deal with compliance stuff. That's why Mike Bluem has a job, so Grigson doesn't have to try to understand and navigate that stuff. 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong too but in terms of say something like cap management Grigson will also have an executive big picture level input and it will be down to the capologist to advise him regarding cap management?

 

I guess the clue is in the GM job title  

[Superman]

Correct me if I'm wrong too but in terms of say something like cap management Grigson will also have an executive big picture level input and it will be down to the capologist to advise him regarding cap management?

 

I guess the clue is in the GM job title

 

Absolutely. 

[SteelCityColt]

Absolutely. 

 

I'd also hazard a guess given his background and from what I've seen in interviews he's still very hands on though when it comes to scouting. 

 

But that's the same of a lot of senior management figures in companies, they gravitate to their backgrounds. So engineers who become CEOs tend to still be very interested in the tech side... someone from a say a financial background maybe not so much. 

[GoColts8818]

As the general manager, Grigson is responsible for everything.

universal arguement people use when they either don't want to blame the person whose real job it is or when people want to blame the person they are saying is responsible for everything.

[Jason_]

As the general manager, Grigson is responsible for everything.

 

As the fan, you have no idea what Grigson's exact responsibilities are. 

[RealityIsLuck]

Starting to get nervous... Hopefully we can rap these up soon.

[ColtsBlueFL]

Starting to get nervous... Hopefully we can rap these up soon.

 

I am sure it will get done before camp.  Neither player can afford to miss any of it. Grigs and Pagano know this as well.  Whatever minor issue(s) in the tiny print clauses that is still in the way, will get cleared up as Training Camp opening day approaches.

[MB-ColtsFan]

Just curious, does anyone know who the agents are? Are they "new" to this or do they have a past of holdouts?

Just wondering if any posturing is being done.

[jskinnz]

Starting to get nervous... Hopefully we can rap these up soon.

Why would you be nervous about something you have zero control over?

[braveheartcolt]

I can't sleep for worrying about this. Seriously. Oh, stuff it, I'm off to bed.

[krunk]

_{Anderson and Smith are Expected to be Signed Before Training Camp}

_{http://www.chatsports.com/indianapolis-colts/a/Anderson-and-Smith-Are-Expected-to-be-Signed-before-Training-Camp-2-11605949}