What does 49ers deadline deal with Nick Bosa mean?
SANTA CLARA — Signing NFL draft picks to contracts is mostly a formality thanks to the 2011 installation of a pay scale, and, as a result, the 49ers have not had a top draft pick hold out even a full day before signing.
Nick Bosa, this year’s No. 2 overall draft pick, will not buck that trend.
A day before the 49ers start training camp, Bosa agreed Thursday to a four-year deal, ESPN first reported.
Bosa missed almost all of the organized team activities after sustaining a low-grade hamstring strain in May. He is expected to be medically cleared as the 49ers return to the practice field Saturday, clearing the way for his full integration into an upgraded defensive front.
Bosa said last month that he likely would need a couple weeks to get up to speed, “just getting those reps over and over again, and then you can keep improving from there.” He also noted that training camp and the exhibitions “will be plenty of time” to prepare for his NFL debut Sept. 8 at Tampa Bay.
Second-round draft pick Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver from South Carolina, also has agreed to his rookie contract, according to multiple reports. The 49ers have not confirmed either deal as being official.
Bosa’s slotted figures feature a $33.4 million contract with a $22.3 million signing bonus, according to spotrac.com. Samuel is to earn $7.7 million with $3.6 million at signing.
Just because Nick Bosa’s brother, Joey, had a four-week impasse with the 2016 Chargers, that didn’t mean the 49ers were in for the same contract standoff with his younger brother. Joey Bosa, by the way, went on to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The 49ers, albeit known for team-friendly contracts, have avoided deadlocks with top draft picks since Michael Crabtree’s franchise-record, two-month holdout in 2009.
Here is when their other top draft picks signed over the ensuing years:
Anthony Davis, 2010: Day 1 of camp.
Aldon Smith, 2011: Day 1 of camp.
A.J. Jenkins, 2012: June 20.
Eric Reid, 2013: June 5.
Jimmie Ward, 2014: May 22.
Arik Armstead, 2015: May 16.
DeForest Buckner, 2016: May 7.
Solomon Thomas, 2017: Day 2 of camp.
Mike McGlinchey, 2018: Four days before camp.