Ryan Rule? Bears, Jets quickly close all deals with draftees

The New York Jets have signed all of their draft picks. So have the Chicago Bears. That's not news if it's mid-July, but we're over a month away from the start of training camps. So what in the name of Mark Sanchez is going on?

I'll tell you what. Nothing.

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez gets a major jump by signing quickly. (AP)

What initially struck me as a trend is nothing more than a continuation of last year's business, with the Jets picking up where Atlanta left off. The Falcons made quarterback Matt Ryan their first pick, third overall, last year, and they had him signed by late May. So the Jets make Sanchez their first choice and the fifth pick overall, then have him signed by June 10.

"It's business as usual," said Octagon agent Mike Sullivan.

The proof is in the numbers. As of last Friday there were two first-rounders (quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Sanchez) signed, as well as two thirds and three fourths. At the same time in 2008 there were three No. 1s who reached agreements, (Ryan, Jake Long and Darren McFadden), two threes and four fours.

With the Jets' addition of third-rounder Shonn Greene on Monday, the market is on schedule from a year ago.

"You look at the numbers," said Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, "and most of the guys who signed are sixth- or seventh-round draft picks. They want to get the money now because the longer you wait the smaller the rookie pool becomes, and if you can't get it now it's going to go the first- and second-rounders."

The Jets' quick move with Sanchez makes sense. The club envisions him as its starter and would like that to happen sooner rather than later. Having him signed by mid-June increases those chances because he's in camp absorbing the Jets' offensive system, working with coaches and taking all the snaps and getting all the reps he can. The Jets made a bold move by trading up to acquire him, so they want to do what they can to ensure he has every chance to succeed ... and succeed immediately.

Contrast that to, say, what happened to Oakland's JaMarcus Russell two summers ago. The first pick of the 2007 draft, he missed all of training camp before signing in September. Then he didn't play until late that season, long after the Raiders bowed out of the AFC West race. Russell's late arrival meant he had to spend the season playing catch-up, learning what he should have picked up that summer, and what happened to him convinced Atlanta it would not commit the same mistake.

Apparently, the Jets came to the same conclusion.

"They had every reason to get it done," said another agent who asked not to be named. "When you look at rookie signings, they're the easiest things in the world. You're talking about a signing bonus, an option and a 25 percent rule [salaries cannot increase by more than 25 percent from one year to the next]. It's all laid out for you.

"The first quarterback [Stafford] already was signed, so that tells the Jets what the guaranteed money should be. It was a no-brainer. Now, if it were a defensive end taken at the fifth spot it's a different story, and he's not signed by now. But it's easy when you're dealing with the same position."

Which means Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman, the third quarterback taken in the April draft, should be among the next to sign.

"He should be the next one down," said the agent. "There is no reason Tampa Bay can't get a deal done quickly. You just figure out the numbers."

According to some GMs, there is no reason teams can't -- or should not -- get early deals completed with most of their second-day draft picks. The Chicago Bears signed both of their third-round draft choices last week, and that was noteworthy because it completed their list of unfinished business.

Yep, the Bears, typically one of the most aggressive teams when it comes to rookie signings, have contracts with all nine draft picks -- the first club to circle the bases. The Jets joined them when they added Greene, one of the team's three draft choices.

As of June 14, there were 42 draft picks signed, according to the NFL. A year ago there were 35 through June 14. But don't be misled: While the numbers are up, this not the beginning of a league-wide surge. That happens this time next month. "We all know what the end result will be for a high-percentage of them [if they sign late]," said San Diego general manager A.J. Smith. "They might get less money, and they're going to be put behind the 8-ball. I don't know if there's a trend. I just know how it works."

Now, so do you.