PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA too?

[pats1]

League proposes immediate changes to rookie pay | ProFootballTalk.com

League proposes immediate changes to rookie pay
Posted by Mike Florio on January 14, 2010 1:16 PM ET

In December 2008, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the current system for changing rookie pay would not change until 2011.

Apparently, there's been a calendar malfunction at 280 Park Avenue.

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the league has proposed the implementation of a rookie wage scale for the April 2010 draft. She also reports that the NFLPA has responded with a proposal that would change the structure of the rookie deals beginning in 2010, too.

The league's proposal, per Mullen, would pay players a fixed amount based on draft slot, with a "significant" portion of the savings being distributed to retired players. The NFLPA responded Tuesday with a proposed three-year limit on rookie contracts, along with a two-year extension to the current labor deal and a commitment by the owners to match the payment to the retired players arising from the contribution flowing from the savings in rookie pay.

It's safe to assume that the league won't agree to an extension of the labor contract merely in order to cap rookie pay. The owners are poised and motivated to attempt to make major changes to the system for paying all players, and there's a sense on the management side of the table that the players are on the ropes. A request to hit the pause button for two years will do little to alter that perception.

 

[BradyManny]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

The sooner the better. How the Seymour trade gets evaluated is directly tied to whether this gets done.

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

This should make the Patriots happy if it happens. It really doesn't matter if it happens this year, as long as it does happen by next year.

 

[mgteich]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

IMHO, a new CBA this year will NOT advantage the patriots. The restrictions on the top 8 would be rmoved. Gostkowski, Mankins and Woods would be RFA's.

I find it unlikely that we would have a rookie pay scale without a new CBA.

And yes, I do think a new CNA could be negotiated in the next month or two, moving out the free agency dates a couple of weeks if necessary.

This should make the Patriots happy if it happens. It really doesn't matter if it happens this year, as long as it does happen by next year.

 

[bradyovermanning]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

It's about time the rookie pay scale got restricted. the contract these guys are earning for no service time is ridiculous.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

People continue to allow themselves to be played for suckers. There's already a rookie cap in the NFL.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

People continue to allow themselves to be played for suckers. There's already a rookie cap in the NFL.

The issue is not the rookie cap per se.

The issue is the ridiculous proportion of the total salary cap that goes to players in the top 5-10 of each draft.

It sounds like the NFL wants to create a system where the top rookie might get, say, $15M/4 yrs instead of $60M/6 yrs.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

People continue to allow themselves to be played for suckers. There's already a rookie cap in the NFL.

Yes and no. We talked about the rookie pool and what it is supposed to do in other threads but the idea of a rookie cap is to prevent things like contract escalators, post first-year option bonuses and one-time incentives that are used to circumvent the actual purpose of the rookie pool. As you know, the intent of a rookie cap is to prevent the crazy money that is being doled out by owners. NFLPA reps have spoken out about this many times.

Either way, its a provision to protect the owners from themselves...

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

Yes and no. We talked about the rookie pool and what it is supposed to do in other threads but the idea of a rookie cap is to prevent things like contract escalators, post first-year option bonuses and one-time incentives that are used to circumvent the actual purpose of the rookie pool. As you know, the intent of a rookie cap is to prevent the crazy money that is being doled out by owners. NFLPA reps have spoken out about this many times.

Either way, its a provision to protect the owners from themselves...

The problem is that the size of the rookie pool itself, combined with the exorbitant top-5 salaries basically forces these perverse contracts. [The rookie pool only gives about $3M or so to sign a top-5 pick.]

 

[WhoaDirty]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

People continue to allow themselves to be played for suckers. There's already a rookie cap in the NFL.

There's a rookie pool cap. Which is not the same as what they are suggesting.

I'm not sure I like the three year max contract thing ...

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

There's a rookie pool cap. Which is not the same as what they are suggesting.

I'm not sure I like the three year max contract thing ...

They want to avoid having to deal with the agents, because they've been getting their ass kicked in negotiations for years. This will allow the teams and, by extension, the league, to keep more money through the use of the same gimmick accounting they currently employ. After all, the only contracts that typically are truly "real" in the NFL are the rookie deals and the deals handed out to the truly elite players.

Bad teams are bad because they draft poorly, handle free agency poorly, sign the wrong coaches and develop bad habits. Good teams that have bad years find Ben Roethlisberger in the draft.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

People continue to allow themselves to be played for suckers. There's already a rookie cap in the NFL.

The problem is not that there isn't a rookie cap, it is the rookie cap does not prevent the top of the draft from having some of the most expensive contracts in the league. There is a cap on how much money each year that each team can attribute to their overall salary cap to sign their rookies, but that cap doesn't stop teams from giving out $50 million deals to players who have never played a down in football. It is more about getting a more rigid rookie cap where teams don't have to give so much money to unproven players while rookies can reach free agency faster.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

IMHO, a new CBA this year will NOT advantage the patriots. The restrictions on the top 8 would be rmoved. Gostkowski, Mankins and Woods would be RFA's.

I find it unlikely that we would have a rookie pay scale without a new CBA.

And yes, I do think a new CNA could be negotiated in the next month or two, moving out the free agency dates a couple of weeks if necessary.

From a free agency standpoint, a new CBA does hurt since they have several key players who would be a RFA rather than an UFA without a new CBA. But with three second rounders this year and two first next year, the Pats would benefit greatly with a rookie cap. The Pats are in prime position to trade up and get several first round picks this year without worrying about gambling with high salaries.

 

[mgteich]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

There is already a rookie cap. A rookie pay scale would likely end up costing us MORE rather than less in the second round, if the scale even goes beyond the first round.

From a free agency standpoint, a new CBA does hurt since they have several key players who would be a RFA rather than an UFA without a new CBA. But with three second rounders this year and two first next year, the Pats would benefit greatly with a rookie cap. The Pats are in prime position to trade up and get several first round picks this year without worrying about gambling with high salaries.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

There is already a rookie cap. A rookie pay scale would likely end up costing us MORE rather than less in the second round, if the scale even goes beyond the first round.

I doubt it would; remember that Butler got a deal worth about $4M at #41.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

A rookie pay scale or wage/contract cap would not hurt us because it would open up the top of the round to us again. As for getting a new CBA, I think it's a ways off yet and this is just the first round of volleys. The owners won't settle for 3 year deals, maybe 4, or a two year extension of a bad CBA. Everyone has RFA's to deal with and part of any extension may screw those guys for a season as part of the settlement tradeoff, just like the 2010 draftees.... We have room to sign ours with the flexibility a new CBA would restore (as opposed to the restrictive limits in the expiring one) since one of the big two is a PK. We're probably in a lot better positon to carry on under a new CBA with a cap than some of the teams who were hoping for at least a one year get out of jail free card to unload some bad deals, including some they entered into under an expiring CBA. Might make it harder to trade a guy like Thomas is all... We can still tag Vince and he was the only one we would have.

 

[chevss454]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

There is already a rookie cap. A rookie pay scale would likely end up costing us MORE rather than less in the second round, if the scale even goes beyond the first round.

I dont see how it would cost us more...isnt the whole idea to REDUCE rookie salaries? Otherwise, why do it?

 

[chevss454]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

From a free agency standpoint, a new CBA does hurt since they have several key players who would be a RFA rather than an UFA without a new CBA. But with three second rounders this year and two first next year, the Pats would benefit greatly with a rookie cap. The Pats are in prime position to trade up and get several first round picks this year without worrying about gambling with high salaries.

Yeah, but that works both ways and in the long run could actually help the Pats to acquire a great player they otherwise couldnt/wouldnt touch.

 

[DarrylS]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next - new CBA to

I'm not sure I like the three year max contract thing ...

I really do not like this... many folks do not even reach their prime in this time.. go back to minimum of 5 years..

 

[mgteich]

Re: PFT: NFL, NFLPA looking into changing rookie pay THIS year, not next

The whole is idea is NOT to reduce rookie salaries. Then whole idea is reduce the salary of the top 10 rookies in each draft who are now being paid way too much.

Outside of the first round, rookies playing under rookie contracts are a inexpensive source of labor for all teams.

I dont see how it would cost us more...isnt the whole idea to REDUCE rookie salaries? Otherwise, why do it?