Players selected in the 2012 NFL draft will be eligible for new contracts once the 2014 regular seasons ends in December. Teams with 2012 first-round picks on their rosters will have to decide whether or not they want to extend rookie deals for a fifth year.
In an unprecedented lack of production, more than half of the top 10 draft picks of 2012 may not receive an extension. Let's break down the list of players in order:
1. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Yeah, I heard this guy was pretty good or something. Extending his rookie deal one more year is a no-brainer.
2. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
I think this scathing review of the Dan Snyder era by Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post accurately sums up the state of the Redskins. Airlines point to a "cascading effect" in which multiple things go wrong on several different levels in plane crashes. That seems to be the case with RGIII. From injuries to poor coaching to an inept front office and just plain old poor play, so many things have gone wrong for Griffin in D.C. that a split seems more than likely.
3. Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (drafted by the Cleveland Browns)
I don't think "LOL" does this situation enough justice. We might need to bust out the rarely used ROTFLBTRIA3.3YPCFHC (Rolling on the floor laughing because Trent Richardson is averaging 3.3 yards per carry for his career). The Colts will almost certainly not extend T-Rich.
4. Matt Kalil, Minnesota Vikings
Kalil is an odd case. A stellar Pro Bowl rookie year has now turned into a running gag of awful play. I mean, how many times can one left tackle get beaten by a swim move? The Vikings didn't extend Christian Ponder, and the belief is that they will handle Kalil similarly.
5. Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville Jaguars
Blackmon's option will be delayed because he is currently serving an indefinite suspension. This is a sad case of an enormous amount of talent being wasted because of poor off-field decisions. I hope he gets his life straightened out.
6. Morris Claiborne, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys initially traded up for the talented corner, but he has failed to live up to expectations in Dallas. A season-ending injury isn't helping his case either. Jerry Jones may love spending money, but it probably won't be on this guy.
7. Mark Barron, St. Louis Rams (drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Barron is another player from the secondary who hasn't matched the pre-draft hype. While he hasn't been awful since being traded to the Rams in October, he also hasn't played like a former first-round pick. It's doubtful that St. Louis would want to commit past this year.
8. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
Tannehill's case is one of the tougher of the top 10. On one hand, he is on pace to set a career high in touchdown passes, rushing yards and completion percentage this season. On the other, he's been inconsistent during his pro career and never elevated himself past pretty good. I think the Dolphins will give him another year to show them something.
9. Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
Will the Panthers extend Kuechly, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year? Does a bear...well, you know how it goes.
10. Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo Bills
What's with defensive backs from the 2012 draft? It's not like Gilmore is a bust, he's definitely a solid player. But he hasn't developed into the star shutdown corner Buffalo thought it was getting. It's doubtful he gets another shot with the Bills.
As many as eight of these top 10 picks could be looking for new homes after the season. Pretty bizarre.