An FYI On Contract Negotiations With Rookies..........

Printable View

05-18-2012, 11:05 AM
soulman

An FYI On Contract Negotiations With Rookies..........

Brandt: Why rookie negotiations are moot

May, 17, 2012 May 17

11:45
AM ET

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com

One of the first bits of advice I got on covering an NFL team: Don't worry about the contracts of draft picks until the end of July. Most years, teams I covered were frantically working on deals until the morning of the first practice -- if not longer.

ESPN.com's Andrew Brandt offers an expert analysis of how and why that late-July sprint has disappeared in the NFL. After all, here we are on May 17 and two of the NFC North's teams have signed all of their draft picks, and a third -- the Detroit Lions -- are one pick away. The Minnesota Vikings haven't signed anyone yet, but as Brandt explains, there is almost no wiggle room for either side on these deals in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Brandt: "In the past, teams were allotted a rookie cap with no specific guidelines on each pick. The new system specifies percentages of the rookie cap for each draft choice, giving every negotiation an easy marker. Thus, the negotiations have essentially become 'maxing out the slot,' where the two sides take the allotment number, back out the minimum salary and figure out the maximum signing bonus, prorated over four years."

One of the few question marks now is whether first-round draft picks get all four years of their contracts fully guaranteed. The Chicago Bears guaranteed less than half of defensive end Shea McClellin's fourth year, according to Brandt. Meanwhile, Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Perry got three fully guaranteed years, but his fourth is not guaranteed.
05-18-2012, 11:17 AM
soulman

Gone are the days of haggling over millions and holdouts. No more multi-million dollar signing bonuses that can lead to "cap hell". There's now a rookie salary scale based on your draft position and the deal must fit within those guidelines. The only thing that's up for grabs is how much of the contract is guaranteed.

I don't think we'll very many "lazy" rookie getting fat and happy off their first contracts anymore. The signing bonuses first round picks used to get were more than the entire 4 year package they're getting now. This is another reason why teams won't spend big on high turnover positions like RB.

You can draft a kid in the first round and pay him over his first four years less money than you'll give to the vet just as a signing bonus. Let's look at the Bears situation from the money standpoint. Do you risk guaranteeing your #1 RB whose already spent four years toting the ball in a high risk position $20 mil over the next four years or do you draft a guy and guarantee him $6-$8 mil and have fresh legs?
05-18-2012, 12:05 PM
Riczaj01

Wonder how Benson would have gone if they had this in place and there had been no holdout. I know TJ still would have been pissed, and had garnered some support from other players, but I don't think it would have been as bad. And I think it would have made for an easier transition. Maybe, just MAYBE he wouldn't have been the failure or felt like an outcast in the locker room if the deals were basically set.
05-18-2012, 11:37 PM
soulman

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Wonder how Benson would have gone if they had this in place and there had been no holdout. I know TJ still would have been pissed, and had garnered some support from other players, but I don't think it would have been as bad. And I think it would have made for an easier transition. Maybe, just MAYBE he wouldn't have been the failure or felt like an outcast in the locker room if the deals were basically set.

That's a good question Ric. I think there would still have been a rivalry between him and TJ but if the Bears didn't have the $$$ into him they did it may have been easier to just use him as a backup for another few years or as the power back in a duo. That big contract gave him a big head to go with it.

Like I was saying no more "bonus babies" who made a killing off they're rookie deals. Now the big money will come in that second contract and it will be based on what they did as a pro not what they did in college. This may well have been the smartest deal the owners cut in that new CBA.
05-19-2012, 02:58 PM
Riczaj01

I definately don't think the annimosity would have been as high; and if you look at the #'s they put up together, it was probably one of the best rb duo's that year. Both averaged about 4.5 yards and had the same TD's. It was a devistating pair, one came out the other came in and there was no drop in production at all; and our AP had that 4+ ypc also. I long for the days of that OL on this team again.
05-19-2012, 04:36 PM
soulman

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

I definately don't think the annimosity would have been as high; and if you look at the #'s they put up together, it was probably one of the best rb duo's that year. Both averaged about 4.5 yards and had the same TD's. It was a devistating pair, one came out the other came in and there was no drop in production at all; and our AP had that 4+ ypc also. I long for the days of that OL on this team again.

Yeah there was a lot of veteran savvy there at that time. We probably considered Garza the weakest one of the bunch and now he's the leader.