The number of unsigned draft picks is dwindling, as teams make their final preparations for training camp. Second-round Packers draftee Luke Musgrave signed his rookie deal Wednesday.
Green Bay chose the Oregon State-developed tight end No. 42 overall in April's draft. This contract follows the Saints’ agreement with No. 40 overall pick Isaiah Foskey, with New Orleans breaking some ice for players chosen in the middle of the second round. As second-rounders keep making guarantee inroads, their respective negotiations have become more complicated.
The Carolina Panthers guaranteed the first three years of the deal for the No. 39 overall pick, Jonathan Mingo, with additional guarantees in Year 4. Foskey and Musgrave’s agents undoubtedly pushed for the same terms. It is not yet known if either received them, but both are now signed. Musgrave will be expected to vie for immediate playing time, given the Packers’ tight end situation.
Green Bay let Robert Tonyan sign with the Chicago Bears in March and Marcedes Lewis remains a free agent. A four-year Packers starter and one of the game’s best blocking tight ends, Lewis has said he wants to become the first tight end to play an 18th season. The Packers are not expected to re-sign him, though, opening the door for Musgrave and third-rounder Tucker Kraft as rookies.
The nephew of veteran NFL assistant Bill Musgrave, Luke Musgrave played four seasons with the Beavers. He was the fourth tight end selected this year, behind Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta and Michael Mayer. Musgrave did not deliver prolific stats at the Pac-12 school, but an early-season injury cut his senior season short. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rated Musgrave as this year’s No. 31 overall prospect and the Packers saw enough from the small sample size — receiving-wise, at least — to make him a key component of their first Jordan Love-directed offense. As of now, Love will be targeting a host of first- and second-year players this coming season.
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