Gunzlingr
07-15-2003, 08:20 AM
The agent for Vikings first-round draft pick Kevin Williams met with team officials Monday and will resume discussions today about a contract.
Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski confirmed the meetings but declined to discuss details. Players are expected to report for training camp in Mankato on July 25. The Vikings want to avoid what happened last year, when offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, selected seventh overall, held out for 98 days.
Williams' agent, Tom Condon, and the Vikings have had a good working relationship. In 2000, he and Brzezinski hammered out first-round pick Chris Hovan's deal after a slow start to negotiations. Hovan, the 25th overall pick, missed one day of camp, but his contract was more clear-cut than Williams' will be.
The higher a player is selected in the NFL draft, the more complex his deal becomes. Because Williams was selected ninth overall, his contract will include significant bonuses and can include salary escalators or incentives based on many factors. Sometimes, players can even have the final year of a contract voided, enabling them to more quickly become a free agent.
MORE (http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/football/6303999.htm)
Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski confirmed the meetings but declined to discuss details. Players are expected to report for training camp in Mankato on July 25. The Vikings want to avoid what happened last year, when offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, selected seventh overall, held out for 98 days.
Williams' agent, Tom Condon, and the Vikings have had a good working relationship. In 2000, he and Brzezinski hammered out first-round pick Chris Hovan's deal after a slow start to negotiations. Hovan, the 25th overall pick, missed one day of camp, but his contract was more clear-cut than Williams' will be.
The higher a player is selected in the NFL draft, the more complex his deal becomes. Because Williams was selected ninth overall, his contract will include significant bonuses and can include salary escalators or incentives based on many factors. Sometimes, players can even have the final year of a contract voided, enabling them to more quickly become a free agent.
MORE (http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/football/6303999.htm)