The Falcons have become the first NFL team to agree to terms with their first-round pick from the 2016 draft, striking a deal with safety Keanu Neal less than a week after selecting him. The team announced the agreement today in a press release, adding (via Twitter) that Neal will officially sign his contract when he reports to the team’s rookie minicamp on Thursday.
A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Neal informed the Falcons he wanted to focus on playing football, rather than negotiating a contract. That prompted the two sides to get the rookie deal for the Florida product done quickly, allowing him to get under contract before fully participating in the club’s offseason activities.
Neal’s four-year pact will be worth about $10.738MM in total, with a signing bonus of $6.009MM and a 2016 cap figure of $1.952MM, according to Over the Cap. As is the case for all first-round picks, Neal will have a fifth-year option attached to the end of his contract, allowing the Falcons to keep him under contract through 2020 if they eventually pick up that option.
Neal, a favorite of Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, came off the board with the 17th overall pick last Thursday.
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