Georgia defensive back Kelee Ringo Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles fourth-round draft pick remains only unsigned rookie

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated 5/22/23

The Philadelphia Eagles and first-round pick Nolan Smith agreed to a four-year, $11.9 million deal, making fourth-round pick Kelee Ringo the team’s only unsigned rookie. Philadelphia expects to get a deal done, but what can Ringo expect from his first NFL contract?

According to spotrac.com, the talented cornerback should expect to sign a four-year deal worth around $4.6 million dollars with a signing bonus of over $800,000. That’s pretty good money for a guy still 20 years old, but based on recent comps, that number seems a bit low.

Eagles have $13.45 M in cap space, now that they’ve signed Nolan Smith, their final rookie signing that affects their salary cap space

(Kelee Ringo’s cap hit will not count against the cap) pic.twitter.com/ZsUKrqdpjN
— On The Road To Victory with Jimmy Smith (@OTR2Victory) May 22, 2023

Ringo was taken with the 105th pick in this year’s draft. Last year, SMU wide receiver Danny Gray went to the 49ers at 105. Gray had one catch for 10 yards after signing a four-year, $5,044,908 contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

This year, the Minnesota Vikings took USC’s Mekhi Blackmon three spots ahead of Ringo and gave him a four-year, $5.3 million contract. Blackmon’s college stats were better than Ringo’s, but Blackmon played five seasons to Ringo’s two.

Utah’s Clark Phillips was the first cornerback taken after Ringo, and he’s already signed with the Falcons. The 113th pick signed a four-year, $4.6 million contract with a signing bonus of $773,532. Could this be where Spotrac is getting Ringo’s numbers?

Luckily for Ringo, the Eagles aren't afraid to spend money on their secondary. The offensive and defensive lines typically take up the most cap room, but for the last two years, defensive backs have been a solid third.

According to the depth chart, Ringo will start the year as the Eagles’ third right cornerback. A strong training camp could change that, but he needs to sign a contract first.

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