Rookie Salary Cap

[NC STEEL]

I see this as being a need. There is no way that the highest paid lineman in the NFL should be a rookie who has never stepped on the field as a pro. There is no way that a rookie should be making more than an estabished starter, probowler, or all pro. This may be one area that the NBA is way ahead of the NFL. Give them a couple of years to earn there stripes, if they can indeed play....pay them.

[Sabin]

I see this as being a need. There is no way that the highest paid lineman in the NFL should be a rookie who has never stepped on the field as a pro. There is no way that a rookie should be making more than an estabished starter, probowler, or all pro. This may be one area that the NBA is way ahead of the NFL. Give them a couple of years to earn there stripes, if they can indeed play....pay them.

Yeah, I listened to Mike & Mike discussing this last week. They were using the NBA as a comparison point. I have to say, in theory it sounds like a plan well worth looking into. I'm not familiar with the structure of the NBA's system, though, and haven't seen a proposed model that could successfully be integrated into the NFL's salary cap/CBA structure.

[Coryea]

I've been bitching about this for a few seasons now. It's just plain stupid.

[FistfullofRings]

I think the NFL would be a much better if ALL salaries were based on production and incentive. For example, a certain amount for each game started, played, on the active roster, etc. and then based on statistics also. It would be complicated, but it could be done and already is in some contracts... it'll never happen though.

[steelersoldier]

well said. i couldn't agree more

[Max Power]

The CBA is a long way from being perfect. Items need to be addressed one piece at a time. That said, I feel it's more important to get some balance on signing bonus money for High Draft picks. It is entirely insane to pay some raw kid all that money before having even done one thing. There are guys making less than thier bonus money, doing work that effectively shortens thier life-span if not time-wise then by quality of life.

The real issue of pay by production is this, how can you effectively grade a line-man? What if he starts playing as a starter, gets injured and his replacement ends up with his playing time? He's done nothing to warrent a pay cut, but he would get one just the same.

Ya, that stuff is a good idea, I just don't see how it could be enacted. Therefore let's to after getting these Draft Picks to a stable point before worrying about the rest of it.

[stevew]

It would not be that hard to make a rookie slotted cap and have it make sense. First off, they would have to eliminate the "rookie pool" and all of the other existing nonsense to do with structure on rookie deals(max raise, etc).

Assign each slot a wage, each year have that slot go up by 3 percent. Give each team the leeway to deviate 25% from their slot amount. Cap contracts at 4 years max, and give each team the right of first refusal on their first round rookie the summer of their 5th year. Make each rookie contract be 50% guaranteed, or thereabouts.

For this first year, the #1 pick would get 4-36m. The 17th pick 4-14, the 32nd pick 4-8. Obviously the slot difference after the first few picks would be much smaller.

[Drac 58]

On a slightly related subject, I'd like the NFL to install a system where teams get a break in the salary can by resigning players that they drafted.

Something that would work as an incentive that would allow teams to protect their initial rookie investments.

Something like a cap exempt resinging bonus.

Basically the Larry Bird Rule that they use in the NBA.

[FistfullofRings]

On a slightly related subject, I'd like the NFL to install a system where teams get a break in the salary can by resigning players that they drafted.

Something that would work as an incentive that would allow teams to protect their initial rookie investments.

Something like a cap exempt resinging bonus.

Basically the Larry Bird Rule that they use in the NBA.

Right. I've had the same thought. Something like a pool of money set aside so that when a player reaches free agency, once he signs a contract with another team, his current team can match it but only be charged 90 or 95% of the contract terms.

I'm sure the NFLPA would have a problem with it. The current answer is the franchise and transition tags.

I'm all for encouraging teams to build through the draft and retain players. If nothing else, I think it's good for the nostalgia of the game to be able to identify a certain player with a certain team, and not many like Deione Sanders or Rod Woosdon.

[deljzc]

I'm not in favor of a huge overhaul of rookie contracts, size and structure. I really don't want to go to the every contract is three years and very low like the NBA.

I know this is sacriledge but hear me out a second.

1. The first point I want to make is from a selfish, Steelers perspective. Since it is highly unlikely we will ever draft in the top-10 with Roethlisberger as our QB, this issue actually HELPS us. We want to keep the bad teams bad. We want the Ravens to overpay for the #8 spot. We want Cincinnati to trade up and overpay for whoever they get. At pick #23 (similar contract to Santonio Holmes), the salaries, structure, length, guaranteed money are fine. Really, even Timmons contract is a blip on the radar screen in our salary cap management model.

2. Looking at it from a fan of the NFL, I still think the only problem is picks #1 through #10. The rest of the draft is fairly close to the risk/reward factor I want associated with the picks. I don't want every pick to have zero risk against the salary cap for teams. I think this will encourage teams to put character even lower on the totem pole than it already is. Isn't that opposite of the message the NFL is trying to promote? A bad character kid is a huge risk when you are paying him $15-$20 million in the top 10. Going to a system where he gets a couple million and a 3-year deal opens up the door for picking anyone.

3. If this issue is ever re-opened for negotiation by the NFLPA, the compromise to go to lower rookie salaries will be shorter contract lengths (like the NBA). In my opinion having very low fixed length contracts will create a real problem in college football. Just like in the NBA, there will be no reason for good prospects to try and improve their stock playing in college longer. And, just like in the NBA, players will be more concerned with how soon they get THROUGH their rookie contract and get to the big bucks. This will encourage a mass exodus of younger and younger college players. If there is very little difference financially or security wise between 1st and 4th round picks, why should a college prospect wait? Drafting younger players, considering how tight rosters already are, is not what NFL teams want. Teams don't have 2-3 roster spots floating around to groom young kids while they grow up like they do in the NBA.

In my opinion I like the risk associated with the pick, including the financial risk. I think it makes the NFL draft that much more interesting. Sure, I agree the top-10 picks are getting too much money, but I'm afraid that by opening up those spots for debate with the NFLPA, you could end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater and get rid of things I like: 5-year contracts in round 1, 4-year contracts available to all other prospects, appropriate financial risk with picks #15-32.

Our highest pick lately has been Roethlisberger and he way overperformed his contract value. I have no problem in having penalties in place for bad drafting even if it's a little too much right now. That's better than eliminating all the financial risk in my opinion.

[markymarc]

This is something that has been needed especially over the past few years. The NBA did a great thing by allowing a rookie salary cap and the NFL needs to put something in place for rookie salaries. It is NEVER right when a rookie who has never played a single down in the NFL and is the highest paid at their position.

[esteban13]

This is absolutely needed. Having a top 10 pick is a heavy financial taxation for a bad football team, and if the guy sucks, it could be devastating. As much as we all love the Steelers, no one wants to watch them play with themselves. There needs to other teams to compete against.

[Southern Steeler]

good post, deljzc

Hadn't hought about it like that before. I agree that the first ten picks are the problem. Fortunately, we rarely pick there.