The “union” (or the organization formally known as the NFLPA) and the owners are scheduled to undergo mediation starting now. While you shouldn’t hold your breath, at least they’re back on speaking terms, albeit imposed by a judge. One point of contention that I’m happy to hear is on the agenda will be the salaries of rookies. ESPN has reported that the NFL wants to cut guaranteed rookie money by almost 60 percent! While I can’t speak to the exact dollars and sense of what the league is offering and what the union will ultimately agree to as a fair compromise, the money top picks make is ridiculous and it desperately needs to be changed.
The fact that guys like Matt Stafford and JaMarcus Russell are making infinitely more guaranteed money than all quarterbacks in the league with the exception of like 3 or 4 guys is ridiculous. Players that have yet to prove anything in the league shouldn’t be getting the biggest contracts. As dysfunctional as the NBA is, they did get the rookie contracts right. They do a sliding scale where the players make a bit more each year based on performance and time in the league, but they don’t get really rich until their second contract. In the NFL, unless you’re a superstar, your rookie contract is typically the best contract you’ll ever get.
This is the major point of contention I have with how the league is currently run, and I’d like to see it amended. The fact that Reggie Bush was the second highest paid player on the team in 2010 and that he’s scheduled to be the highest salary on the team in 2011 (that’s right, higher than Brees!) makes no sense. His performance has never justified that kind of price, but he’s benefited from being the 2nd pick overall. Teams are handcuffed by these investments – it’s so much money they almost have to hope the player pans out even if he’s really struggling. Some will argue it puts a premium on scouting, and that’s fine, but I’d argue that scouting is always important in building a solid roster. With the violent nature of the sport, the risk is already high enough when you’re making an investment on a proven player.
The way I feel is simple: get these rookie contracts for top 10 picks fixed!
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