Report: Top pick Goff expected to sign contract Thursday

Jared Goff, the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft, is expected to sign his rookie contract with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Goff's four-year deal (with a fifth-year team option) is expected to be worth about $28 million. That's a far cry from the last quarterback the Rams drafted first overall: Sam Bradford, whose rookie deal included $50 million in guaranteed money.

The new CBA negotiated in 2011 is the reason for the large disparity in rookie wages. For the Rams, Goff's manageable deal likely means much more flexibility to assemble a strong roster around the prospective franchise passer than the team had after drafting Bradford.