With NFL training camps opening, one pick in the 2023 draft remains unsigned: Devon Witherspoon, the cornerback from Illinois who went to the Seahawks with the fifth overall pick.
Witherspoon is not expected to be on the field when the Seahawks have their first practice of camp because his agents and the team have been unable to reach a contract agreement, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It’s unclear what the holdup is. The days of highly drafted rookies holding out into training camp because of contract disputes are mostly a thing in the past in the NFL, as the Collective Bargaining Agreement determines a player’s pay by his draft slot, and there’s not much for agents and teams to negotiate.
But apparently there’s something that is keeping Witherspoon from signing on the dotted line, and a player the Seahawks are hoping will make an instant impact on their defense won’t be available right away.