Colts president Polian says NFL draft needs updating
 

Good read, I thought:

http://www.nfl.com/combine/story?id=...o&confirm=true

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian isn't sure if having a top 10 draft pick would be worth it.
His Colts don't have a selection until late in the second round. He explained Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine why his team might be better off that way.
Polian said good teams like the Colts are less likely than in the past to trade up for an early pick because of the required financial commitment. Last year's top pick, JaMarcus Russell, missed all of training camp in a contract dispute before getting $29 million in guarantees.
"Trades are a unique thing in the first round anymore because of the cost of the top 10 picks financially," he said. "To take on that cost ... is almost counterintuitive."
Polian said agents have driven up the cost of the early picks, making it more difficult than ever for struggling franchises to improve. He said that cost can hamper teams for years, especially if they make a mistake on a pick or the player gets injured.
"The draft was designed to either allow the weakest teams, based on record, to choose the best players, or if they chose not to take a particular player, to gather a bunch of picks to further accelerate their growth and competitiveness," he said. "That's now been skewed by the cost of the picks in the first round.
"When that's skewed and changed because of the agents, that isn't a good thing for the game."
Polian said the system also makes it difficult for a team drafting early to acquire pieces to put around the high pick. He said making the right pick is possible, but difficult.
"What it can do, if you're fortunate enough to get a Peyton Manning, is it can change your franchise," he said. "It gives you a guy who can lead you to the promised land, can help you be a good team for a long time. If you miss on that pick, economics aside, you still set yourself back."
Polian said he expects the system to change eventually. He said the league could change the pay scale or create a slotting system like the NBA has, creating a fixed rate for draft positions.
But the current system, he feels, needs to be updated so the league can remain balanced.
"Our game is based on competitive balance and the fact that every year, every franchise believes they can win, unlike other sports. You can go from worst to first in a year.
"It's not about money, it's about the integrity of the game on the field."

"It's not about the money" ROFL

I kindof agree with him on this. I cant believe how much the top picks are "Guaranteed" without yet playing a single snap, having a single practice...

Its gambling.

OK, back to the Texas Hold'em table for me...

Well, it is about the money, but he's actually arguing *for* parity and the crappy teams. Limiting the money paid out to 1st rounders, particularly top 10 guys, would be AWESOME.

Slotting is the one thing that the NBA does that is superior to the NFL's draft. I would love to see that approach but don't think the player's union will go for it.

The NFLPA will never agree to that. Why should they?

Polian probably is just trying to rig things his way. So much for integrity.

The agents would definitely oppose it. The Player's Association shouldn't oppose it (though they probably will) if the slotting system is "salary neutral" -- raising the minimum salary and the spending floors to ensure that the same amount of $$ is going to players, just spread out a little more evenly.

uh ... maybe because if they slot the draft picks then the salaries of the veteran players will go up dramatically.


it's not about the players getting less, it's about the money that the players get being distributed differently.

"Bill Polian isn't sure if having a top 10 draft pick would be worth it."

What? Where does he think Peyton Manning came from? Where did Marshall Faulk come from? Where did Edgerin James come from? How many games have those three players won for the Colts?

Agree with Colts President Polian.

focus man ..... focus


he's talking about the price of the high picks going up so far that it hurts the team almost as much as helps. A "miss" on a high pick just kills a team.


he's right

I agree 150%. Isn't J. Russel one of the top 10 paid QB's in the league, and at the time, he had never even set foot on the field. That is bullshit in my opinion. what if he turns out to be a pile of crap, that means the Raiders paid 29 Million for Ryan Leaf part II. There should be a set amount that is awarder per draft selection. Draft Pick 1 gets X amount of dollars, and it slowly declines from there. This money shoudl not just go back to the owners though, it should be used to invest in the veterans, the proven commodities in the industry. Not some dumb punk who hasn't contributed shit to the team or the league yet.

The number one picks shouldn't be making more than the superstars already in the NFL.

This decision wouldn't affect existing NFL players negatively though, would it? In fact, limiting the $$ doled out to unproven rookies would create more available for players already on the team.

Whitlock makes a suggestion in his article up on Fox Sports about limiting rookie salaries to 2 years and maximum of $10 million or some such thing.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7850370?MSNHPHMA