Around the NFL: My Solution to Rookie Contracts
This week wasn’t an extremely active one in terms of NFL news, but there were a couple of things that happened. Let’s get brushed up on those things, and then I’ll get into my rant about rookie contracts and what I would do to help solve them if I were in charge.
Lynch Suspended
Buffalo Bills star running back Marshawn Lynch received a three-week suspension from the league for “violating (the NFL’s) personal-conduct policy” as reported by the Associated Press. This is the result of a hit and run accident last May and most recently a misdemeanor gun charge last month.
What this means is that the Bills will be without their workhorse running back for the first three games of the regular season. Expect them to sign a veteran to pair up with Fred Jackson before the season begins in order to get through those first three games if they don’t address the situation in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft.
Bengal Problems
It seemed that the Bengals this time last year were trying to clear their image, letting go of troublemakers Odell Thurman and Chris Henry. Then they signed Henry back. However, Henry seemed to behave himself this season and we haven’t heard his name much. Now, their 2007 first round pick CB Leon Hall is reportedly facing a possible DUI charge, ending the almost full year of Bengals non-contact with the law. Hall is a budding star on Cincinnati’s defense, and they can ill afford to lose him to a suspension or worse.
As if Hall’s troubles aren’t bad enough, the Bengals signed former recipient of a personal conduct suspension, DT Tank Johnson, as a free agent this week. To be fair, Johnson, who spent the last couple of years in Dallas, has kept his nose clean since the Bears released him after some legal issues involving unregistered firearms. Still, it seems as though this signing is going against the morale remodeling that the Bengals started last year. Maybe they’ll bring in Michael Vick too. It is worth noting that Johnson was miscast in the Dallas 34 defense and that he’ll be a better fit in the Bengals scheme. If he stays out of trouble, he could be very productive lined up next to Domata Peko.
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Garcia Returns to the Bay
The other primary signing worth noting this week was QB Jeff Garcia’s return to the bay area. Garcia had several very productive seasons as a 49er following Steve Young’s retirement. This time however, he’ll be backing up JaMarcus Russell as an Oakland Raider. This was an inexpensive, very intelligent signing by Al Davis, as Garcia will provide excellent leadership in the locker room, a good example for Russell’s development, and a capable backup should his services be necessary. At age 39 you have to believe that Garcia won’t be around much longer. Raiders fans will hope that Russell learns as much as he can from this wily vet before he retires.
Solving the Rookie Salary Issue
It seems to me that there’s something wrong with rookie contracts. However, I truly don’t believe that the powers that be fully understand the issue that these outrageous rookie contracts have caused. Do you realize that in a professional sports league, nobody wants the first pick in the college draft? To me, that concept alone makes rookie contracts one of the more serious issues in the league today. So while the league executives are making more ridiculous rules to try and protect Tom Brady, I’ve come up with the best way to address this rookie salary issue.
If I’m the Detroit Lions, I’m going to create a contract that is incentive-laden, and fair based on the average salary of all the starters in the league at that position. Once I’ve created this very fair contract, with a length of roughly three-four years with escalating bonuses based on production and goals met, then I’ll compile my wish list of players. Then it’s simple; I take the contract to the top guy on the list the week of the draft. If he turns it down, I go to the second guy on the list. If he turns it down, the third and so on until I find a player willing to accept the contract. Keep in mind, this contract will be fair, and by the time I get to the players ranked 10 th-20 th on my list, I’ll be offering them a contract that they’d be expecting to get anyway, so they don’t lose any money and they get the chance to be the top pick in the draft.
Look, hitting on your first round draft pick is a shot in the dark anyway, and every year it seems as though there are just as many successful picks in the 10-20 range as there are in picks 1-10 (though, admittedly, I haven’t fully fact-checked that statement). Last year for instance, five of the top ten picks had successful rookie seasons, while six of the next ten players were successful. The biggest bust in that group was picked sixth overall (Vernon Gholston). I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to get the best player in the draft, but I am saying that if you wind up with Patrick Willis instead of JaMarcus Russell, then worst things have happened. Also, if you end up with Akili Smith or Ryan Leaf, the financial implications don’t set your team back another five years, leaving you in a big Detroit Lions cycle. Basically, it’s cheaper to miss on your top pick this way.
Let’s say the Lions sign somebody like Michael Oher to an incentive-laden contract and he goes first overall in the draft. Suddenly, the leverage in rookie contract negotiations shifts to the owners. The players union will be angry, but the owners haven’t done anything wrong in this situation. Teams are going to dislike the idea of overpaying the second and third overall choice for considerably more money than the top pick received and, after a few years, the contracts will start to come down. Soon, the precedent will be less and the top players will accept the fairer contracts. The players union will continue to be angry and will then decide that in order to keep the players’ best interests in mind, a structured rookie salary system should be put in place. Compromises abound between the NFLPA and the owners and soon everyone’s agreeing on something that should’ve been put into place long ago. Problem solved.
The downside is that you might not get the “best” player in the draft. However, the bright side is that it won’t be devastating financially if your pick turns out to be Ryan Leaf, and in all likelihood, you’ll still get one of the top 10-20 guys on your board. I believe that the Lions should take this outlandish approach. It just might work. What do you think of this idea? How would you solve the rookie salary issue? Do you think it’s even an issue at all? Let me know at letstalknfl@hotmail.com.
Just over two more weeks left until the draft!
By: Brandon Niles
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer