Training camps are slated to start in the NFL on Wednesday, but Matt Kalil isn't with the Minnesota Vikings at the start as he and the team continue to work out the contract for the draft's fourth overall pick.
Under the new CBA, rookies are recieving a lot less money than they were in years previous, but guaranteed money is still a big seller in contract negotiations among rookies. In Kalil's case, the talks appear to be getting held up by an odd thing -- putting full offset language into whatever the potential contract is. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported on the matter on Wednesday:
Per a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the Vikings want offset language in the contract offered to left tackle Matt Kalil, the fourth overall pick in the draft. The Vikings are pushing the issue even though the player taken in front of Kalil (Browns running back Trent Richardson) and three of the five players taken behind him have avoided the offset duty completely. (The player taken directly after Kalil, Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon, presents a different set of circumstances given his post-draft DUI.)
For more on Matt Kalil and the Minnesota Vikings, head over to The Daily Norseman. More news and analysis on the NFL as training camps officially start up can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub as well as at SB Nation's Youtube Channel: