Let's nip this in the bud before it has any chance of becoming a thing.

On Friday, a day after the Falcons became the first team to sign their entire 2016 draft class, came this:

@BlackBlueReview have we signed any of our picks? Is there any rush to?

— Roderick Freeman (@RodFreeman05) May 6, 2016

Because those worries are still common, now's a good time to remind that the answer to the second question is NO.

Rookie contracts became what are essentially boilerplate deals when the current CBA passed in 2011. Negotiations and holdouts are no more. Instead, draft picks sign four-year, slotted contracts.

According to Spotrac, these are the estimated total values of the Panthers' five draft picks:

 

Vernon Butler - $8.60 million

James Bradberry - $3.96 million

Daryl Worley - $3.43 million

Zack Sanchez - $2.61 million

Beau Sandland - $2.40 million

 

The Panthers' picks will cost them around $3.88 million against the cap in 2016, the smallest sum in the league.

Those contracts could start getting done as soon as Monday, which marks nine days since the end of the draft. That's how long it took the Panthers to lock up their rookie class last year. The process lasted longer in 2013 and 2014 when everyone was signed within 26 days of the draft.

2015

 

Draft: Apr. 30-May 2

Signed:

May 7

Shaq Thompson
Daryl Williams
David Mayo

May 8

Cameron Artis-Payne

May 11

Devin Funchess

2014

 

Draft: May 8-May 10

Signed:

May 17

Tyler Gaffney

May 20

Tre Boston
Bené Benwikere

May 29

Kony Ealy

June 5

Kelvin Benjamin
Trai Turner

2013

 

Draft: Apr. 25-Apr. 27

Signed:

May 22

Kawann Short

May 23

A.J. Klein
Kenjon Barner
Star Lotulelei
Edmund Kugbila