Phil Taylor Not in Camp As Browns Practice in Full Pads for First Time

Cleveland Browns training camp is officially off and running, as the team is three practices deep and finally doing drills in full pads.

The new collective bargaining agreement was supposed to help get top draft picks – typically the best cases to be holdouts – into camp on time, as there isn’t much wiggle room left for their agents to negotiate. However, that hasn’t stopped the Browns’ number-one pick, defensive tackle Phil Taylor, from being a holdout.

The apparent hang-up with Taylor is that his agent is looking for a fully guaranteed contract, which means all four years of the contract will be guaranteed. The Browns have wanted to stick with three, while Taylor’s agent is obviously looking for the full four.

If you’re looking for a little perspective on this, Taylor is one of seven first-round picks who have yet to sign, as many teams are unwilling to budge on the number of guaranteed years. Oddly enough, all of the current holdouts fall between picks 17 and 24. The good thing is that as the years go by, and everyone gets used to this new CBA and its rules, the time period of holding out will likely shrink each season.