Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 4760104)

I don't think this will have much impact on Dorsey. Long signed for $57 million with $30 million guaranteed. QB's will always make more money than anyone else.

I agree though that the NFL does need to do what the NBA does as far as rookie slotting.

Originally Posted by Molitoth (Post 4760087)

Matt Ryan Leaf

Originally Posted by Amnorix (Post 4760019)

This, of course, is part of why teams want to renegotiate the CBA. Slotted rookie salaries makes a helluva lot of sense, and I have no idea why the union would oppose them. It makes no sense for a rookie to get more than anybody except a multiple pro bowl veteran.

Originally Posted by Molitoth (Post 4760087)

Matt Ryan Leaf

Originally Posted by Basileus777 (Post 4760040)

This is why the old CBA had to go. The NFL needs to get their act together and implement and NBA style rookie pay scale.

He has a larger contract than the new one Romo just signed...the system is broken.

Originally Posted by Hootie (Post 4760149)

The NFL is so much tougher than the NBA or MLB because most players only get ONE contract, maybe two...

So for some of these top rookies it is important to get the money while they can...especially since contracts in the NFL aren't guaranteed like the NBA and mostly in the MLB.

I don't know what they can do...other than maybe guaranteeing two year contracts or giving the players SOME leverage...or giving the team that drafted you your rights for 4 or 5 years like the NBA...it's just more difficult in the NFL.

Originally Posted by Hootie (Post 4760149)

The NFL is so much tougher than the NBA or MLB because most players only get ONE contract, maybe two...

So for some of these top rookies it is important to get the money while they can...especially since contracts in the NFL aren't guaranteed like the NBA and mostly in the MLB.

I don't know what they can do...other than maybe guaranteeing two year contracts or giving the players SOME leverage...or giving the team that drafted you your rights for 4 or 5 years like the NBA...it's just more difficult in the NFL.

Originally Posted by Amnorix (Post 4760157)

NFL will resist guaranteed contracts to the death, and rightly so. Guaranteed contracts have destroyed baseball and basketball, IMHO.

I'm not saying rookies should be paid peanuts, but the draft is ridiculously topheavy -- 1st round picks make 100x 3rd rounders, who generally get little/no guaranteed money, and top of hte 1st round get paid like they're proven vets.

I'm not arguign to reduce the cap, I'm just saying the $$ should be redistribution as between vets and rookies.

Originally Posted by Hootie (Post 4760152)

The only way to fix it, in my opinion, is for said scale and TWO year deals with an option year...the average NFL career makes these rookies try and get as much as humanly possible because most of them only have one contract to make their money...whether it be the massive rookie one they sign or the second contract they sign like LJ...

Originally Posted by Hootie (Post 4760165)

I don't disagree...I'm just saying the NFL is in a tough predicament with these contracts...not only for rookies, but for veterans...or for guys like Ryan Grant, who makes NOTHING, has the running style that will see him out of the league in two-three seasons...he'll be the featured back for a playoff/super bowl caliber team...and make less than a million dollars (that's just me guessing because he runs so hard he will be out of the league in no time)...

In a perfect world, they would pay based off of performance in all pro sports...but then it would turn into a TO circus of everyone becoming me, me, me, me...

Either way, the NFL is HUGE...and the players get treated far worse (money wise) than any other major American sport.

And in all reality, football does the most long term damage to these players as well...

Originally Posted by Hootie (Post 4760152)

The only way to fix it, in my opinion, is for said scale and TWO year deals with an option year...the average NFL career makes these rookies try and get as much as humanly possible because most of them only have one contract to make their money...whether it be the massive rookie one they sign or the second contract they sign like LJ...

Lets say LJ played out his rookie contract and the foot injury happened his final season...he only signed for what, like 7 million total for the first 5 years he was in the NFL? Yeah, 7 million is a lot to you or me but when guys like Brian Cardinal are making 50 million dollars for 6 years of NBA service...I can see why the NFL guys ask for so much money when they are top picks...or holdout after breakout seasons...the organizations always have all of the leverage.

Originally Posted by Basileus777 (Post 4760169)

I agree that you would have to have short contracts with a pay scale. But I think 2 years is too short, I would give them a 3 year deal and then they become RFAs. You'd have to get rid of poison pills too. The players would benefit by becoming free agents sooner, and while first round picks might earn less, other players who've earned the money would benefit. I would rather have this system than the current one if I was a player. Good players would earn a lot more by getting to their 2nd and 3rd contracts much sooner.

NBA players earn a lot more because they have 15 men on their rosters instead of 53. Even with NFL revenue being much higher, NFL players are never going to earn as much as an NBA player. But yeah, you can't blame the player for wanting as much money as they can get, thats why the system needs to be fixed.

Originally Posted by Amnorix (Post 4760157)

NFL will resist guaranteed contracts to the death, and rightly so. Guaranteed contracts have destroyed baseball and basketball, IMHO.

I'm not saying rookies should be paid peanuts, but the draft is ridiculously topheavy -- 1st round picks make 100x 3rd rounders, who generally get little/no guaranteed money, and top of hte 1st round get paid like they're proven vets.

I'm not arguign to reduce the cap, I'm just saying the $$ should be redistribution as between vets and rookies.

Originally Posted by Amnorix (Post 4760166)

No, usually the real money is when they hit free agency the first time. Keep in mind that only 1st round picks get decent money -- even 2nd rounder's money isn't great, especially on the guaranteed side. Rookies who actually turn out to be decent hit big twice, at least.




The economics of the other sports are VERY different. 82 or 162 games versus 16. 12 players or 25 players versus 53. Tom Brady makes less than JD Drew or something silly like that. Garnett/Pierce/Allen ALL make more than ANY NFL player. And the reason is 100% because NFL economics are very different.

In baseball you have a 25 man roster, but only about 13 matter ALL that much, and with about 4 superstars you are a dominant team.

Basketball -- 5 guys on the court at any point in time, and 12 people total on the team.

Football -- 22 starts, plus special teamers. Your great QB doesn't matter worth a damn without an OLine and some decent WRs.

It goes on and on. The economics just aren't the same.

Originally Posted by Basileus777 (Post 4760174)

I don't think the NFL should implement guaranteed contracts, it wouldn't work for football, but they haven't destroyed basketball. The NBA salary structure/system works rather well, I'd argue that it works better than the current NFL system.