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Source: Sullivan ending holdout, agrees to 7-year, $19 million deal with Saints
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer

Saints first-round draft pick Johnathan Sullivan has agreed in principle to a seven-year, $19 million contract with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, ending a six-day holdout from training camp, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Times-Picayune.

Sullivan, the No. 6 overall selection in the NFL draft was expected to sign the contract Wednesday night. An official anouncement is expected Thursday. He is expected to participate in Thursday's 3 p.m. practice.

The contract includes $11.4 million in bonuses and clauses that void the final two years of the deal if Sullivan meets playing time thresholds during the first five seasons. He will receive a $7.4 million signing bonus and is due a $4 million option bonus at a later time. The final two seasons are void if Sullivan plays in 35 percent of the defensive snaps this season or 45 percent of the snaps in any of the next four seasons.

Negotiations between Sullivan's agent, Len Rowe, and Saints negotiator Russ Ball had reached a stalemate over the weekend but intensified Tuesday, when the two sides made considerable progress on the structure of the deal. Rowe and Sullivan were so optimistic, they flew to New Orleans on Wednesday morning to finalize details and language of the deal.

Sullivan, a 6-3, 313-pound lineman from Georgia, is expected to compete with veteran Grady Jackson for the starting nose tackle position.

His signing will leave only six first-round picks unsigned: Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich, Philadelphia defensive end Jerome McDougle, Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller, Buffalo running Willis McGahee, Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark and Giants defensive end William Joseph. Leftwich, the No. 7 pick, is the only top 10 pick who has not agreed to terms.