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| July 17, 1998 Contracts for Edwards and Jones Not Far Away. The Patriots signed third-round draft pick Greg Spires and sixth-rounder Harold Shaw to multi-year deals yesterday, but, more important, moved closer to deals with first-round picks Robert Edwards and Tebucky Jones. Edwards and the Patriots will likely agree on a 5-year deal. A similar deal is also in the works for Tebucky Jones. Edwards agent Allan Wade told media, "When I started the day, it looked doubtful, but as the day progressed, my opinion gradually changed to the point where I think it can be done." Edwards's deal will be close to $1.5 million per season, which will be guaranteed, but according to Wade, there also will be a major signing bonus involved. "We want to make sure that in the fifth year of the deal that Robert Edwards is paid like one of the top backs in the league if he's achieved that level of performance and in our mind there's no reason to believe he won't," said Wade. The deal is expected to escalate in value after the first-year signing bonus. In the past, the Patriots have partially guaranteed some contracts in order to reduce signing bonuses. The team did it with Terry Glenn three years ago when it guaranteed some of his five-year deal. In fact, Glenn will have $1.25 million of his deal guaranteed this year and next. He'll earn $1.6 million in 1998 and $2.05 million in 1999. Last year's No. 1 pick, Chris Canty, had $325,000 per year guaranteed in his four-year deal. Spires, a defensive end from Florida State and the 83d pick in the draft, received a three-year deal worth just under $1 million with a $350,000 signing bonus. Shaw, a running back from Southern Mississippi, the 176th overall pick, signed a three-year deal averaging $190,000 per year with a $50,000 signing bonus. The Patriots have four draftees left to sign. Besides Edwards and Jones, second-round pick Tony Simmons, a wide receiver from Wisconsin, and fifth-round pick Ron Merkerson, a linebacker out of Colorado, have yet to sign deals. After Edwards and Jones sign contracts, Simmons and Merkerson are sure to follow. The Patriots also are negotiating a one or two-year deal with Adam Vinatieri's agents, Woolf Associates. Vinatieri is an exclusive rights player and must accept the Patriots' offer, but the team may want to tie him up long-term. The Patriots have yet to respond to a proposal from Ted Johnson's agent, Jack Mills, on a five-year deal. The Patriots are probably looking at how much they can pay Johnson after they signthe rookies. |