Our #1 draft pick is talking, and starting to work.

Don't hold your breath.

 

That's a good question. It could be moot.

 

Yes and no... if his shoulder is not healed enough to go full out, does that reduce the Dolphins urgency to get him in, Dion's urgency to come in, or BOTH sides urgency.

I think it's the last one.

Yet, he did show for the previous work and did some strength and conditioning and classroom stuff, so does he show up for that and just not put on pads til a deal is done? That would remove some of the agent's leverage though, whicvh is for the Dolphins to feel like Dion is falling behind.

I smell holdout. But hope I am wrong.

 

Anyone else notice Dion Jordan is a sort of afterthought in the NFL media?

They are focused on the Wallace signing and Tannehill, DJ has -0- pressure on him so far.

PFT was bagging on the Kraken saying he won't top last yr's 15 sacks.

I like this situation, we've all watched what Wake can do, watch the Oregon film and you'd have to be blind not to see Jordan's talent, let alone Vernon and Shelby et al.

 

Not sure we'll see as many snaps of Jordan as some woild hope.

I'm okay with that so long as the snaps he gets are the ones that count the most.

 

I kinda have to pinch myself that this is the #3 pick of the draft we got here, the top defender.
I know it might mean more in other years but still.

 

Pads made a good point, no one is really talking about him. I dunno if it's b/c he's coming off of the surgery, un-signed, overshadowed by Wake and the FA signings but I hear about Geno Smith 20 times for every time I hear about Jordan.

And what does it say about our defense that we took arguably the best defender that college football had to offer and...he's going to be a backup. None of our rookies will be handed a job like Mingo, Jarvis Jones, Loutelei, Milliner etc. They'll have to beat out established vets and earn their spot the hard way. On the flip side our established vets now have young rooks behind them gunning for their spots so they know they cant afford to coast through camp and the preseason. It's a good dynamic to have and IMO it lowers the likelihood that the team will come out flat/under achieve early on in the season.

 

From what I can tell, Dion Jordan, Lane Johnson and Barkevious Mingo are setting up to be the three players that fight hardest over the offset language. All three teams are expected to be the only ones in the top 10 to insist, although the Browns seem like they're waiting to take their cues from the Eagles and Dolphins.

Last year the only player in the top 9 to sign a contract with offset language was Ryan Tannehill, although it was partial and involved some compromise.

Dion Jordan is represented by Octagon.

Last year Octagon got a contract for Brandon Weeden at #22 overall that had a partially guaranteed fourth year (partial offset language). The contract did not get done until July 24th, and was one of the final seven 1st round picks to sign his contract. As of the 23rd, the only unsigned 1st rounders were #3, #4, #5, #8, #11 and #20 and #22.

The contract signed by Shea McClellin with the Bears at #19 overall had the entire fourth year guaranteed (no offset language). Kendall Wright and the Titans at #20 overall remained in a battle over the issue all the way until July 31st, so that deal had not been done before Weeden and the Browns agreed at #22 overall. The contract signed by Chandler Jones at #21 overall had half of his fourth year guaranteed (partial offset language). Just before Brandon Weeden agreed to terms, Riley Reiff at #23 overall agreed to a contract with the Lions that had no offset language in the first three years, but did have offset language apply fully to the fourth year.

However, Octagon also represented Whitney Mercilus who was taken at #26 overall and that contract ended up containing offset language (as did every contract signed by a 1st rounder taken below Mercilus). But this happened way back on June 14th. He was one of the first 1st round picks to sign with his team...and in the statements that came out immediately after he signed, he seemed to make it clear that signing quickly was a priority for him because he didn't want to worry about anything other than football. Mercilus signed his deal even before the Texans were able to sign their 3rd round picks DeVier Posey and Brandon Brooks.

What can we conclude from this?

I think the answer is that some people will conclude that Octagon will play ball with the Dolphins, since Whitney Mercilus had no fourth year guarantees at all and Brandon Weeden only got a partial guarantee. But other people will conclude that Octagon will play hardball with the Dolphins.

Count me in the latter.

I think it's fairly clear that Mercilus getting signed so quickly had a lot to do with client directive rather than his representation's preferences. He was one of the very first 1st rounders to sign and had his contract done even before the team's 3rd rounders. If Dion Jordan were going to be that kind of client, he would already be signed by now.

I think what happened with Weeden was more representative of what will happen with Jordan. Weeden was an old baseball pro so he was not new to this process. He was inclined to let the agents do their thing...and in this case their "thing" was to insist on zero offset language in all four years of the contract until they were fully bracketed at #21 and #23 overall by contracts that either had partial offsets in the fourth year (#21), or full offsets in the fourth year (#23). At that point Octagon agreed to a partial fourth year offset.

I don't think that's a GOOD sign for the upcoming battle...because it appears Octagon is A) Willing to drag the process out to some degree even though most picks around them have already signed, and B) Very sensitive in their negotiations stance to what has been done with the picks immediately around them.

Like I said, in 2012 you won't find any player in the top 7 that had offset language inserted into any part of their contract, let alone the top 3. You won't find offset language in the contracts of Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel at #1 or #2 overall this year. It appears the Eagles are willing to go to battle with Lane Johnson at #4 overall but part of that has to be because they know the Miami Dolphins are entrenched in a team policy of offset language being included in every contract. In other words, don't expect the Eagles to get Lane Johnson to cave before the Dolphins get Dion Jordan to cave.

This is going to be a battle and I don't expect Jordan in camp on time.