Utah running back Joe Williams becomes the first of the San Francisco 49ers rookies to agree to terms with the team, per Tom Pelissero of USA TODAY. Pelissero notes that Williams is also believed to be the first of the 253 drafted rookies to be signed.


The 49ers selected Williams with the 15th pick in the fourth round (121 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. The 49ers traded a fourth-round pick (143) and fifth-round pick (161) to the Indianapolis Colts and received a fourth-round pick (121) to move up into this spot.

Williams was a controversial selection by the 49ers because he was not even on the team's draft board but head coach Kyle Shanahan pushed to select him and general manager John Lynch, after much thought and a call to the running back, eventually agreed.

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In August of 2013, Williams was suspended for credit card theft and illegal use. He decided to retire from football early in 2016, but following injuries to Utah's running backs, he returned and finished the year in the top 20 nationally with 1,420 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through nine games. During his second game back, a matchup against UCLA, Williams tallied 332 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 222 yards and a touchdown in a Foster Farms Bowl victory over Indiana.


Thanks to the 2011 CBA, all rookie contracts are now for a length of four years. Only first-round selections come with an option for a fifth year, which does not apply to Williams. Having set numbers for each spot eliminates the need to negotiate salary and only leaves items like bonus payment terms, roster bonus allocations, and other miscellaneous structural items.

The total value of Williams' contract is believed to be $2,990,787 or very close to that amount, according to Spotrac.com. That includes a signing bonus of $635,787 and a 2017 salary cap figure of $623,947.

The 49ers have a three-day rookie minicamp beginning on Friday with players reporting to the team's facility and being available to the media on Thursday.
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