If they weren't already, contract talks between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyson Jackson's agent Eugene Parker should be heating up. The St. Louis Rams have officially announced the signing of second overall pick Jason Smith.
With this done, three of the top five picks are in place.
1. Matthew Stafford (Lions) - Signed $41.7 million guaranteed
2. Jason Smith (Rams) - Signed terms unavailable
3. Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) - ???
4. Aaron Curry (Seahawks) - ???
5. Mark Sanchez (Jets) - Signed $28 million guaranteed
The ceiling is set for third overall pick Tyson Jackson. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell recently discussed the idea of having a ceiling and a floor in place when starting contract negotiations.
"Yes, you'll start to see that," Ruskell said. "When a guy has a ceiling that is a few picks ahead of them and there's a guy below them, then at least you have a range. And if you have a range, you can negotiate off of that."
Ruskell would likely prefer his ceiling be set with Jackson.
With Smith's signing, the Chiefs are one step closer to getting their lone unsigned draft pick into camp on time.
Update: Via GenericBrand in the FanShots, via Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star, Smith's deal is expected to be for five years.
Update: Per Mike Florio of PFT:
Per a league source, Smith will receive $33 million guaranteed on a six-year deal that voids to only five.
The duration is the key; based on a five-year haul, his average guaranteed money per year is $6.6 million.