NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As of Saturday afternoon, Femi Oladejo is one of eight NFL second-round picks still unsigned. But the Titans expect his rookie deal will be completed by the time players report to camp Tuesday. The team takes the field for the first practice of camp on Wednesday.
Oladejo was the 52nd pick of the draft out of UCLA. He converted to edge rusher from inside linebacker for his final season and is part of a move Tennessee is making to bring in bigger players on the outside.
There is no haggling about his salary. The CBA proscribes rookie salaries. The 52nd pick gets a four-year deal worth $8,805,580 with base salaries of about $1.5 million, $1.9 million, $2.3 million and $2.7 million.
The question is about how much will be guaranteed.
Second-round picks have been slower to sign this season. More players early in the round got fully guaranteed deals, all the way through Tyler Shough, who went to New Orleans 40th.
TJ Sanders, the 41st pick by Buffalo, came up just short of fully guaranteed.
Nic Scourton, picked 51st by Carolina, is also unsigned. But Elijah Arroyo, chosen 50th by Seattle, got 78 percent of his deal guaranteed.
Tampa corner Benjamin Morrison, No. 53, is unsigned too. But the Packers gave offensive tackle Anthony Belton (54th) 73 percent guaranteed.
So it should not be that difficult for the Titans to slot Oladejo between Arroyo and Belton.