FOXBORO The Patriots want the six rookies they drafted to be at training camp on Monday.
And how many of those rookies are currently signed? Ummmm, two. Fourth-round pick Jarvis Green, a defensive end from LSU, and running back Antwoine Womack from Virginia. Womack is rehabbing from a knee injury and may miss all of 2002.
That leaves four picks unsigned, including first-round pick Daniel Graham, the tight end from Colorado.
This worries the Patriots not a bit. It is, in fact, their M.O. -- one that doesn't get rave reviews from agents or the players union, but one that has proven economical and effective.
What the team does is let the rest of the league sign their rookies. The Pats then come in and offer their first-year players deals that have 25 to 30 percent less guaranteed money than players drafted at around the same time. To counter that, the Pats offer rookies higher incentive packages.
"Basically, they wait for the rest of the league to do something and then mark (the contract) down," explained Brad Blank, the agent for former Patriot Chris Slade and current seventh-round draft pick David Givens. "The (players union) is not very happy with the way they do it because the union wants as much guaranteed money and as little 'if' money as possible.
"From a fan's and owner's perspective, the Patriots are paying for performance, and that's the American way," reasoned Blank. "But anyone you talk to with the union would agree the biggest problem is lack of guarantees. But the Patriots just won the Super Bowl. They're kind of bulletproof right now."
Blank declared that the Patriots are the only team in the league doing this.
Here's what they did with Green's deal. He gets a three-year deal worth a possible $1.26 million. The guaranteed money is $245,000 -- about $25,000 less than other fourth-rounders got this year. But he can make $35,000 in incentives in each of the first two years of the deal and $40,000 in the third year if he reaches playing-time incentives (15 percent of defensive plays in the first year; 30 percent in years two and three) and the defense improves in one of three categories. The three categories are total defense net yards allowed (the team was 14th in the AFC and 24th overall last year), average net yards per rush (10 and 21 last year) and average net yards per pass (12th and 19th).
He's fine with it.
"It gives me an urge and hunger to go and get it," said Green, who is at 286 pounds and running a 4.6 40 (according to his agent). "The way the contract is based, it puts it on me. I want to be after something, and it's a motivation."
As for the other rookies, the agent for Graham didn't return calls yesterday, nor did the office of second-round wide receiver Deion Branch. Joel Segal, the agent for fourth-round pick Rohan Davey, said the negotiations are going "fine."
