Lions sign Ansah, without offset language
Posted by Mike Florio on May 10, 2013, 10:01 AM EDT

Unsigned rookies typically participate in offseason workouts with a letter of protection that promises they’ll get the contract they would have gotten if they suffer a serious injury during offseason workouts.

In Detroit that won’t be necessary for any of their draft picks.

The team has announced that defensive end Ziggy Ansah, the fifth overall pick in the draft, has agreed to terms. All Lions draft picks are now under contract.

The process of negotiating rookie deals has become much simpler since the 2011 labor deal, which created a firm rookie wage scale, eliminating most topics for haggling and holdout. The last major sticking point for players taken at the top of the draft is whether the fully-guaranteed contracts will contain offset language, allowing teams to recoup part of the money if the player gets cut and signs elsewhere.

For Ansah, a league source tells PFT there’s no offset language. So if the Lions decide to cut him at any point in the next four years, Ansah gets the full amount of the contract — along with whatever else he can get from his next team.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -language/

Detroit Lions announce signing of all nine draft picks
Print By Justin Rogers | jrogers@mlive.com
on May 10, 2013 at 9:37 AM,
updated May 10, 2013 at 11:12 AM

The Detroit Lions have announced the signing of all nine 2013 draft picks.

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah, cornerback Darius Slay, guard Larry Warford, defensive end Devin Taylor, punter Sam Martin, wide receiver Corey Fuller, running back Theo Riddick, tight end Michael Williams and linebacker Brandon Hepburn all agreed to four-year deals.

As a first-round pick, Ansah's deal includes a team option for a fifth year.

Ansah is just the second first-round pick, and first in the top 10, to already agree to terms on a deal.

The team did not disclose the terms of the contracts, but those numbers can be accurately projected based on the league's rookie salary scale.

The Lions are scheduled to open up rookie minicamp on Friday. All eyes figure to be focused on Ansah.

"He's playing -- I don't want to say it's a completely different position -- but he's playing a different technique, a different style with us," Schwartz said on ESPN's "NFL Live" on Thursday. "Physically, we know the sky's the limit. We know everything he goes through is going to be a learning experience."

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/20 ... ing_1.html

This has to be a first for the Lions organization

Go Lions!!!

I'm not too thrilled about not having the offset language in there. I wonder how many of the other top 10 picks didn't have this language.

It won't matter if they don't cut him. I see a VERY low probability of them cutting him. He doesnt have a disruptive history when it comes to off the field issues, and would pretty much have to tank big time to get cut for his on the field actions. Seems like a pretty safe bet IMO.

Can someone kindly explain to me what offset language is?

It's language explaining how much of the contract is not guaranteed. From what I understand, it's how much the contract will be "offset" if the player doesn't complete the deal (whether it's because he can't complete it, or the team doesn't want him to complete it). It sounds like it was pretty standard language, and we waived it for Ansah. I just wonder how many other teams are doing the same, and what leverage was used by the other side to "bargain" for the better deal. We seem like we're horrible negotiators.

It matters if he suffers a career ending injury...

I'm not too thrilled about not having the offset language in there. I wonder how many of the other top 10 picks didn't have this language.

LOL, I KNEW you would find a way to put a turd in the punch bowl

There is a turd in the punch bowl. Sorry if you don't want to look at it, but it is there. If 7 out of the top 10 teams have done this, or 3 out of the top 5, I'd be ok with it. However, we CONSTANTLY agree to lesser terms than other teams, and it constantly bites us in the a.s.s... Why? Why are we so horrible at negotiating deals? Each provision has the potential to effect the team, yet time after time we seem more than willing to "bargain" our position away.