Jake Long has deadline to seal pre-draft deal

By Tim Graham | Monday, April 14, 2008, 12:20 PM


Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Peter King wrote in today’s Monday Morning QB column the Dolphins have given Michigan tackle Jake Long a deadline to sign before Commissioner Roger Goodell strolls to the lectern April 26 to reveal the first pick.

King, who didn’t know the date of the deadline, went on to explain Dolphins football operations chief Bill Parcells is trying to maneuver his way into a No. 1 contract that’s cheaper than the one the Raiders gave quarterback JaMarcus Russell last spring.

But, as Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com pointed out, “The problem is that no agent wants to be known as the one whose client agreed to take less money. That means there’s a good chance that the Dolphins will fail to find a player willing to take less than Russell got last year — even though some player might end up turning down an offer from the Dolphins, only to eventually accept a deal for even less money from a team that takes him later in the draft.”

King also wrote the Dolphins are not in negotiations with any other player despite reports they have been talking with Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. ESPN also reported late last week the Dolphins and Gholston hadn’t met.

However, King noted an NFL front-office source who’s close to Parcells believes Gholston is next on the Dolphins’ wish list after Long.