July 17 is the first day when rookies can report to training camp for the Las Vegas Raiders, but they face a dilemma that is popping up for most teams in the NFL.
When the Houston Texans signed 34th overall pick wide receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed rookie contract, it became the first deal of its kind handed out to a second-round pick. The Cleveland Browns had no alternative but to offer the same terms to the pick before Higgins (linebacker Carson Schwesinger), but those two are the only second-round picks to be signed so far with training camps closing in. The Raiders are dealing with this situation with wide receiver Jack Bech, and these rookies are now running the risk of missing out on key development time through no real fault of their own.
However, the Raiders do have one alternative in the event Bech chooses not to participate in training camp due to the lack of a deal.
Bech’s holdout could give a fellow rookie a golden opportunity.
Should Bech not participate in training camp, fourth-round rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. could get an extended look during training camp.
Thornton exploded onto the national scene during the NFL Combine, when he became one of only three wide receivers to stand at least six-foot-four and run a 40-yard dash time of 4.3 seconds or less (Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf are the others). When the Raiders selected him in the fourth round, they were getting a receiver that needed refinement on the more technical aspects of the position, but with a size-speed profile that coaches simply can not teach. However, Thornton has been one of the standouts of the Raiders’ offseason program so far, and Bech not being in front of him on the depth chart would give him the opportunity to showcase his skills as a starting option.
It would be unfortunate for Bech, but he is caught in a tricky situation that is out of his control.
With Schwesinger and Higgins getting fully guaranteed deals, the rookies currently hold all the leverage on negotiations. They have now set the precedent, and the other rookies unsurprisingly want similar arrangements for themselves. However, teams do not want to be the first one to make the move and completely shift the power to the players, leaving the other 30 second-round picks in a proverbial no man’s land.
Bech certainly did not want his NFL career to start under these circumstances, but Thornton has the chance to carry his momentum even further now.
