Report: Cardinals, Simmons OK terms
As the Cardinals’ rookie draft class begins arriving in the Valley, they’re not only starting to get ready for training camp by getting screened and tested for COVID-19. They’re also getting paid. First-round pick Isaiah Simmons reportedly has agreed to terms with the team on his four-year rookie deal. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the inside linebacker from Clemson will earn a guaranteed $20.6 million with a club option for a fifth year.
The deal will also include a signing bonus of $12.5 million, per Rapoport.
Those were the same contract numbers cited by on Monday in a story detailing the start of rookies reporting to camp this week. The figures were derived from projections courtesy of the sports salary-cap website Spotrac.
Simmons, the 2019 Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in college football, is expected to compete for the starting job at weakside inside linebacker. He was the eighth overall pick this year.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, also have reportedly come to terms with thirdround pick Josh Jones, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Spotrac projects his contract value at $4.8 million, including a signing bonus of $1,079,522.
Jones started 45 games at left tackle at the University of Houston, although the Cardinals plan to groom him as their starting right tackle of the future. Last year during his senior season, Jones allowed just one sack, no quarterback hits and only three hurries while earning a 93.2 grade by the analytics website Pro Football Focus – the highest grade ever given to a collegiate offensive tackle.
The Cardinals have not yet announced the signing of Simmons or Jones or any of the other four players they selected in this year’s draft: defensive tackles Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence (fourth round), linebacker Evan Weaver (sixth round) and running back Eno Benjamin (seventh round).