DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Broncos have officially signed first-round pick Jahdae Barron, who is set to report to Broncos training camp following the agreement, according to ESPN.
ESPN said that the four-year deal was worth just over $18 million, including a signing bonus of $9.8 million. The Broncos had little concern about the deal getting over the line; it was just a matter of the payment schedule for the signing bonus.
Barron was taken with the No. 20 pick in the draft, after an impressive college career where he played in 55 games at Texas University, and won the Jim Thorpe Award for his final season when he accumulated 67 tackles, five interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
His exact position is yet to be pinned down, as he operated as a jack of all trades during college.
During his time at Texas, he played in positions, including:
Cornerback
Nickel
Safety
Linebacker
His diversity has piqued the interest of Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, who said he displays an understanding of the game rarely possessed by rookies.
“When you watch his game in college, you see a very intelligent player, you see a guy who played multiple positions in college,” said Joseph during the Broncos’ minicamp. “He’s a very mature, smart football player. His ball skills, his combine workout — the entire process was really buttoned up. He was a can’t-miss prospect for us.”
During the offseason, he has featured primarily as a corner, a position Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton insists will help him acclimate to the professional scene the quickest.
The Broncos have reportedly signed second-round pick R.J. Harvey on Thursday after stalled talks pulled through, according to Sports Illustrated.
Harvey was part of a league-wide trend that saw 30, now 29 with Harvey signing, out of 32 second-round picks refusing to sign a contract with the team that selected them, while they try to nail down a guaranteed deal — something that has never happened for second-round picks.
Second-rounders would typically see a portion of their contract guaranteed, but after the Houston Texans’ Jayden Higgins became the first player in NFL history to sign a fully guaranteed deal as a second-round pick, other players in the same position are holding out to try and replicate his situation.
A sports salary cap expert told Sports Illustrated that there should be no problem signing these second-round picks, as teams will eventually have to budge, and most wouldn’t consider the possibility of not signing their draftees.
