The clock continues to tick, counting down the hours until the Eagles report to training camp in two days and on the Drew Mukuba contract situation.
There is some hope that a deal will get done after most of the second-round picks signed their rookie deals in the past week. Not so with Mukuba, the 64th and final selection of the second round in April.
Only two of the second-round picks were signed entering the week. Now, it’s down to just six, though the Browns aren’t in any rush to sign running back Quinshon Judkins. The 36th overall pick has been charged with allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. He won’t attend the start of Browns camp as he tends to his legal troubles.
In addition to Mukuba, the other unsigned second-rounders are defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (No. 41, Buffalo Bills), cornerback Will Johnson (No. 47, Arizona Cardinals), defensive end Oluwafemi Oladejo, and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (No. 52, Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
The difficulty in signing second-round picks this year as been the demand for guaranteed money, after the Browns and Texans gave guaranteed money to their picks at No. 32 and 33, respectively.
Since then, with Judkins the exception, every pick through No. 40, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, received guaranteed contracts. Others who have signed after that have received various percentages of their full deals guaranteed.
The last Eagles player to hold out from training camp was DeSean Jackson, who missed the first 11 days of training camp at Lehigh in 2011 in a contract dispute. Recently, the latest general manager Howie Roseman went before signing player was four years ago when he didn’t get offensive lineman and second-round pick Landon Dickerson locked up until July 26, just two days before camp opened.
In three days, the Eagles will take the field for their first practice of camp. Will Mukuba be there wearing uniform No. 24?
