
With about a week and a half until training camp opens the Vikings have completed signing their rookie class, as the team announced they have agreed to a contract with first-round pick, Mike Hughes.
Big news for Big Mike!@_Bigmikee1 has signed his rookie contract!
📰: https://t.co/nLbIFgQDi5 pic.twitter.com/LRdhVrtX0X
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 19, 2018
#Vikings CB Mike Hughes gets a four-year, $9.87 million deal. He received a signing bonus of $5.256 million and will have a 2018 salary-cap number of $1.794 million.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 19, 2018
The hold up in Hughes’ contract likely stemmed from having offset language in the contract. For those unfamiliar with what offset language means ProFootballTalk makes it very easy to understand:
The contracts at the top of the draft are fully guaranteed. With offset language, a team that cuts a player taken at the top of the draft within the four years of his contract receives a dollar-for-dollar credit if/when he lands with a new team. With no offset language, the player gets to double dip, keeping the money he gets under his rookie contract and pocketing whatever he makes elsewhere.
Now that Hughes is under contract he can focus on just playing football and establishing himself in the cornerback rotation. Hughes is likely to start camp with the 2nd-team defense as the no. 4 corner and will likely battle with Mackensie Alexander for the starting nickel-corner job, as well as fight with veteran Marcus Sherels for the teams’ punt return duties.