EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) β The Minnesota Vikings opened their rookie minicamp Friday to help all the newcomers get oriented to life in the NFL. In a twist, all 10 draft picks had their contracts signed before they set foot on the field.
The Vikings made it a priority to get every contract done before workouts began. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski went through a hectic few days to negotiate the deals and finalize them. That allows the players to have their minds focused solely on football this weekend.
The new collective bargaining agreement in 2011 changed the landscape of rookie contract negotiations. It established a slotting system with much more rigid guidelines, which has put an end to many of the holdouts that would stretch into training camp.
