Dallas Cowboys are one key step away from completing a big offseason task

Once the NFL Draft is over and undrafted free agency calms down, teams move on to completing a relatively simple yet very important offseason task: Signing every draft pick to their corresponding contract.

The Dallas Cowboys are almost done with that task, making it happen with surprising speed ahead of rookie minicamp heating up, but they’re still one step away from being able to check that box.

They signed every draft pick except for second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland, out of Western Michigan.

The team announced that the following players have already signed their deals:

• OT Tyler Guyton
• iOL Cooper Beebe
• LB Marist Liufau
• CB Caelen Carson
• WR Ryan Flournoy
• OL Nathan Thomas
• DT Justin Rogers

Additionally, the Cowboys also announced they signed every member of their UDFA class, making Kneeland and tryout QB Mike Hohensee the only two players with no deal in rookie minicamp this weekend.

Naturally, many fans are wondering if they should be concerned about the lack of a deal for Kneeland? The answer is not really.

Should fans be concerned about the Cowboys not signing Kneeland yet?

Even though it’s odd for him to be the one player the Cowboys have yet to sign, this isn’t a rarity in the NFL, as draft picks sometimes are signed in June, even.

Negotiations for draft picks are limited by certain guardrails as there’s a pre-determined amount that rookies are set to receive each year as CBS’ Joel Corry explains:

“There’s a league-wide limit on the total amount of compensation for rookies with specific salary parameters for each draft slot. Teams have maximum and minimum amounts that can be spent on their picks based on draft position.”

So what can be negotiated? Corry lays out the two biggest things that can hold up the process:

“There are very few negotiable items with rookie contracts anymore. The two primary negotiating issues, particularly at the top of the draft, are the payment schedule of the signing bonus and whether salary guarantees will have offsets. Another important consideration is the language outlining the voiding of salary guarantees.”

Realistically, Cowboys Nation should understand Kneeland will end up signing his deal. If anything, and we don’t know what the reason for the hold up is in this case, it’s taking longer for something that should be easily resolved later in the offseason.