*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***

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Jul 11, 1996: -- Dolphins Sign 4 Draft Choices --

According to a report on ESPNet, the Dolphins signed four of their draft picks yesterday - linebackers Zach Thomas and LaCurtis Jones, safety Shawn Wooden and fullback Stanley Pritchett.

The contract for Zach Thomas was agreed on last week and is reported to be for 3 years at league minimums with an $86,000 signing bonus. Jones also signed a 3 year deal for a similar base salary with a $207,000 signing bonus. Wooden's deal is for 2 years and undiclosed terms, but he was a low draft pick, so I would expect that his deal would be for the minimum base salary, also.

Stanley Pritchett's reported signing is a surprise, since there was no indication that he had closed a deal. I have no details on Pritchett's contract.

My Comments:

All of the draftee signings are important, but Pritchett's is probably the most significant of the bunch. He is the heir-apparent for Keith Byars at fullback and getting him signed before training camp is a high priority.

I've been pretty impressed with the way that the draft signings have gone this year for the Dolphins. Still, training camp