So with Sam Bradfords new 50 million guaranteed, should the NFL have a rookie salary cap?

IE so the Jamarcus Russells of the world can't screw a team over



I would say no based on principle. If they wanna hold out because you don't wanna pay them tons of money before they do anything, then let them. Thats gonna be the easiest way to access their character and see if they are even gonna be a team player

7/31/2010 2:37:01 PM

My assessment of a player who costs himself millions of dollars isn't "team player," it's "stupid."

A rookie salary cap would help the bad teams, because right now teams get more bang for their buck with a mid-20's pick than #1 overall.

7/31/2010 3:30:23 PM

I'm the sure the player's union won't have any problem trading a rookie salary cap for some guaranteed contracts.

7/31/2010 3:41:19 PM

yea, I'm sure the rookie salary cap will be one of the main issues discussed in the new collective bargaining talks.

7/31/2010 4:05:26 PM

Frank Garcia was saying he thinks the guaranteed rookie contracts are going to destroy the NFL...I kind of agree with him

It will be interesting with Bradford's guaranteed $50M to see what kind of money Tom Brady gets in his upcoming contract negotiation...seeing how Brady has actually played a snap in the NFL...and won a few Super Bowls

7/31/2010 4:22:05 PM

I don't see how there won't be a cap at the end of this collective bargaining agreement.

Most veterans don't like knowing that some rookie kid can come in and make more money without playing a down in the NFL. Gotta pay your dues first. There's certainly more veterans than rookies in the player's union...I'm sure they'll agree to cap rookie pay.

If they keep letting this go on, the league will struggle. When an owner overpays for rookie players and these guys tank, they lose big. They'll raise ticket and concession prices to make up for their losses. Customers and fans get screwed in the end. And owner's wonder why they struggle to put butts in seats..

7/31/2010 4:34:30 PM

DeMaurice Smith hates the idea of a rookie salary cap and since he heads up the player's union you can bet it won't be as easy an idea to sell as you'd think although personally I think it's needed

[Edited on July 31, 2010 at 4:40 PM. Reason : oh and my info comes from a source inside the league so im not just blabbing]

7/31/2010 4:40:14 PM

^In an interview the other day I think he did say they were alright with removing ~200 million from the allotted pool of money that goes to rookies and put 100 toward vets, and 100 toward retired players benefits.

So if he does hate the idea of a hard cap, I think he is in favor of moving money around though which would have the affect of lessening rookie salaries across the board even if it wasn't an actual hard cap system. I'm not sure what the current allotment of money for rookies is and what percent reduction 200 million would be.

7/31/2010 6:49:50 PM

I don't think there will be any difficulty getting that passed. It is absolutely ridiculous that a rookie make more than a proven veteran. How much sense does it make to pay a rookie QB more than Tom freakin' Brady. I have no sympathy for the owner's claiming they are broke when they stupid shit like that.

7/31/2010 8:17:32 PM

^^ about 4 sam bradfords

8/1/2010 9:44:16 AM

It's no wonder that agents are crawling all over these college campuses when rookies are signing the richest contracts in NFL history.

Get a top 10 pick to sign with you and watch the $texas roll in.

8/1/2010 9:59:48 AM

i dont know why the players union wouldnt be all for this. it adds money to the pool from which veteran contracts are paid without costing a single current nfl player any money. It will not affect a single player already in the league negatively. It is ridiculous that players who have never played a down in the nfl are getting contracts near the top of the nfl wage scale.

if a cap is put in place say goodbye to 4, 5, or 6 year rookie deals though. there will be more player movement, i have to imagine that restricted free agency will either be sooner or not at all. unrestricted FA will happen sooner to allow young players to get paid what they have earned sooner rather than later. this also may be the players oppurtunity to get rid of or amend the franchise tag so that it can not be used multiple years in succession on the same player.

some or none of this may happen, but if i was in the players union, these would be the things i would be pushing for.

[Edited on August 1, 2010 at 11:24 AM. Reason : .]

8/1/2010 11:23:12 AM

I know the situations are different, but in the NHL's CBA from 2005, rookie contracts are 3 years guaranteed with a max of just over $1 mil (I believe that's what it was this past season). It's worked out extremely well because the contracts are guaranteed and keep the rookies from holding out, while it keeps the owners from having to shell out $texas for the big name draft picks.

[Edited on August 1, 2010 at 1:59 PM. Reason : s]

8/1/2010 1:57:48 PM

the rookie pay scale the NFL should copy is the NBA's.

8/1/2010 2:07:44 PM

At first I thought it was absurd that Suh was holding out for a contract that guaranteed more money than Stafford got the year before. Then I realized he just really doesn't want to play for the Lions. I would ask for Fort Knox too if I were him.

8/2/2010 12:08:46 PM