The Seahawks hold their first practice of training camp on Wednesday, but their top draft pick Devon Witherspoon will not be on the field.

Witherspoon, whom the Seahawks selected with the fifth overall pick they got from the Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade, is still unsigned.

And it does not appear he will practice without a contract. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Witherspoon is not expected to be on the field when the Seahawks hold their first session of camp at 1:30 p.m. PT.

As he is not under contract, Witherspoon will not be fined for missing practices.

Witherspoon is the only member of the 259-strong draft class not signed to a rookie deal. According to Brock Huard, speaking on Seattle Sports (h/t ESPN's Brady Henderson), the stumbling block in negotiations relates to how much of the signing bonus is paid immediately.

Per Henderson, Witherspoon's slotted signing bonus is $21.17 million. The three quarterbacks taken ahead of him reportedly received all of their bonus up front. Third overall pick Will Anderson is said to have got 85 percent up front with 15 percent deferred.

There is no motivation for Witherspoon to practice without a contract with zero protection from potential injury. The overwhelming likelihood is that he will be signed sooner rather than later, but the longer this saga rumbles on without a compromise, the more it will hurt the Seahawks.

Witherspoon is set to start immediately in year one at cornerback across Tariq Woolen, coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year caliber season. 

Seattle is looking for him to provide an immediate impact having entered the league after a stellar college career at Illinois, where he excelled at making plays on the ball and demonstrated the kind of physicality that would have made him an excellent fit for the old 'Legion of Boom' defense.

Though Woolen and Jets star Sauce Gardner enjoyed excellent rookie seasons last year, corner is a notoriously difficult position to play as a first-year starter. As such, every day of practice time is important for Witherspoon, and each day missed could hinder what the Seahawks hope will be a speedy adjustment to life in the pros.

Rookie contract sagas are largely a thing of the past, with Zach Wilson the last top-five pick to miss the start of training camp in 2021. Wilson missed the first two days of camp for the Jets that year. Seattle can't afford to let Witherspoon's absence drag on much longer than that.

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