{"id":212231,"date":"2025-07-16T18:44:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T18:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/212231\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T18:44:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T18:44:17","slug":"seattle-seahawks-sticky-spot-with-draft-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/212231\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle Seahawks’ sticky spot with draft picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week we told you the Seattle Seahawks could find themselves at the center of a fascinating rookie contract situation<\/a>. As of Wednesday morning, it would appear they\u2019re very much there.<\/p>\n

Rost: What we can and can\u2019t learn from Seahawks training camp<\/a><\/p>\n

Seattle\u2019s rookies reported to camp Tuesday ahead of next week\u2019s first day of training camp. Noticeably absent, at least from social media posts, were their 2025 NFL Draft second-round picks: safety Nick Emmanwori and tight end Elijah Arroyo. Arroyo\u2019s last social media post, which was an Instagram story Tuesday, came from Miami. He was getting a workout in, but very much not in Seattle.<\/p>\n

For a very quick refresher on the situation: the league\u2019s second-rounders are looking for fully-guaranteed contracts. The Houston Texans signed their second-round pick wide receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed $11.7 million contract \u2013 the first time in NFL history a second round pick got a fully guaranteed deal \u2013 and that\u2019s now created a wave of potential holdouts.<\/p>\n

Higgins was the 34th overall pick, meaning the 33rd overall pick (Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger) fairly received that fully guaranteed contract as well. Next in line is 35th overall pick Nick Emmanwori\u2026 and 29 others. Because as of Wednesday, 30 of 32 second round rookies remain unsigned. And it\u2019s not likely anyone\u2019s budging until Seattle either does, or doesn\u2019t, give a fully guaranteed deal to Emmanwori.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 should they?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a privilege and a dream to play in the NFL, but every person wants job stability. Sure, teams want to know a player will be worth it before giving him the reward of a new contract three to four years in, but players \u2013 who have already shown enough to earn the job via getting selected in the draft \u2013 want assurance and to guarantee what, for many, could be their best payday. There aren\u2019t as many lottery tickets here, either: in Emmanwori\u2019s case, he was just three picks away from being a first-rounder and getting that fully guaranteed contract.<\/p>\n

Will this make history?<\/p>\n

Yes, probably.<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Bill Barnwell<\/a> thinks it\u2019ll be a mixed bag wherein some second-rounders are able to secure those deals and other teams refuse to budge.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, it all seems to stupid to me,\u201d Barnwell told us Tuesday on Seattle Sports\u2019 Bump and Stacy. \u201cThese are guys who are already on bargain deals relative to what veterans make. I know they don\u2019t all hit, but the ones who do hit are such bargains that it\u2019s worth it. NFL teams pay millions of dollars when they get an opportunity to trade for a second, third, fourth-round pick as part of a salary dump, so clearly they see it as being significantly valuable. Guaranteeing a little more money to get your guy in camp seems like a really logical and simple thing for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other factors at play<\/p>\n

\u2022 Seattle has typically been a team that hasn\u2019t budged. They typically don\u2019t guarantee money late into veteran deals, much less for rookies. Granted, the money Sam Darnold would command in year two is significantly more than what a rookie safety would get. Keep in mind these players aren\u2019t asking for record-breaking numbers, just guarantees.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The player\u2019s union might not be for all players here. In theory, the union represents the interests of the players, but what about when players have conflicting interests? Veterans have more power in the union, more power in the league, and technically, their pockets benefit from rookies accounting for paltrier sums.<\/p>\n

NFLPA denies tension, says executive director wasn\u2019t asked to resign<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 What about shorter deals? If the players union does get involved, campaigning for shorter contracts for rookies could be a middle ground solution here. Teams absolutely won\u2019t love paying more for players two years into a deal, but they\u2019ll at least have a brief understanding of what their player looks like in the pros. This should be especially intriguing for rookie running backs, many of whom enter into a veteran deal with wear and tear.<\/p>\n

More on the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n

\u2022 ESPN insider \u2018hopeful\u2019 but \u2018skeptical\u2019 of Seahawks\u2019 offensive playmakers<\/a>
\u2022 Barnwell: 2013 Seahawks are 2nd-best NFL team of past 25 years<\/a>
\u2022 Seahawks\u2019 Sam Darnold did way better than 49ers rival in golf event<\/a>
\u2022 Huard: Even with familiarity, expect a learning curve for Darnold<\/a>
\u2022 Seattle Seahawks\u2019 defense can be elite, even without slew of stars<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow @stacyrost<\/a><\/p>\n

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