Arrowhead Addict
FanSided

Kansas City Chiefs sign Jehu Chesson, Leon McQuay & Ukeme Eligwe

By Matt Conner

Nov 5, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) is hurried by Georgia Southern Eagles linebacker Ukeme Eligwe (7) during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) is hurried by Georgia Southern Eagles linebacker Ukeme Eligwe (7) during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially signed their final three draft picks to rookie deals: Jehu Chesson, Ukeme Eligwe and Leon McQuay.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced they have come to terms with the final three of their six overall selections from the 2017 NFL Draft. The list includes fourth round pick Jehu Chesson, fifth round pick Ukeme Eligwe and sixth round pick Leon McQuay III.

Each pick will receive a four-year deal with an already-established monetary amount thanks to the league’s collective bargaining agreement that came with a rookie slotting system. Here’s how much each player is projected to receive (per Spotrac):

  • Jehu Chesson, WR, Michigan (4th): 4-year, $2.819 million
  • Ukeme Eligwe, LB, Georgia Southern (5th): 4-year, $2.6 million
  • Leon McQuay III, DB, Univ. of Southern California (6th): 4-year, $2.5 million

Given the rookie slotting system, every rookie should be expected to sign fairly soon. The only rookie with any real leverage to complain or ask for something further would be the annual offset language in negotiations that sometimes take place with first round rookies, in the Chiefs case, that would be only Patrick Mahomes.

For review, offset language can be broken down by the following:

  1. If a team decides to ever release the first round player, they are on the hook for the rest of what is guaranteed to that player.
  2. If the released prospect, signs with another team, they could essentially “double dip” contractually, receiving money from their old team (the guaranteed portion that was still owed to them) as well as the new contract they just signed.
  3. Offset language means the NFL team who still owes that player can just take the new money to recoup their losses.
  4. Players hate offset language because they can conceivably make more money down the road without it.

Depending how much Mahomes wants to play hardball about offset language, or whether the Chiefs are feeling generous, will be the difference in how early we hear about Mahomes signing. For the other two, second round defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and third round running back Kareem Hunt, another announcement should be on the way.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs Draft