Draft Picks vs. Money

[zippo59]

Throughout this Branch drama I keep being reminded of the interesting motto that seems to apply to the NFL when dealing with players. Seattle has no problem making Branch one of the highest paid WR in the league, but seems to be much more hesitant about dealing their #1 pick. It seems to me that if a player is worth being payed among the highest at his position, then naturally he should be one of the best at his position. And if this is true then a #1 pick should be an appropriate thing to give up. The same goes for the whole league. We see teams throwing around money like it's candy, vastly overpaying for players, but then they become much more stingy when it comes to giving up draft picks.

I find this interesting because draft picks seems like more of a risk than active players. Tons of draft picks, even high ones, end up being total busts, because you never truly know what you are getting due to the fact that the players have never actually played an NFL game. On the other hand, when you get a player through a trade you know much more about what you are getting. They have played in the NFL so you can tell for the most part what they dan do.

This wouldn't be as much an issue if the NFL didn't have a salary cap, where teams can spend however much they want, and then naturally the rights to actually sign a player would be more of value. But in today's NFL the salary cap is a big issue, greatly limiting what teams can do it terms of player salaries, so the value of money is higher.

I can't really figure out the apparent disproportionate value of draft picks to money in the eyes many NFL franchises. I think it's interesting to think about. Any thoughts?

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Throughout this Branch drama I keep being reminded of the interesting motto that seems to apply to the NFL when dealing with players. Seattle has no problem making Branch one of the highest paid WR in the league, but seems to be much more hesitant about dealing their #1 pick. It seems to me that if a player is worth being payed among the highest at his position, then naturally he should be one of the best at his position. And if this is true then a #1 pick should be an appropriate thing to give up. The same goes for the whole league. We see teams throwing around money like it's candy, vastly overpaying for players, but then they become much more stingy when it comes to giving up draft picks.

I find this interesting because draft picks seems like more of a risk than active players. Tons of draft picks, even high ones, end up being total busts, because you never truly know what you are getting due to the fact that the players have never actually played an NFL game. On the other hand, when you get a player through a trade you know much more about what you are getting. They have played in the NFL so you can tell for the most part what they dan do.

This wouldn't be as much an issue if the NFL didn't have a salary cap, where teams can spend however much they want, and then naturally the rights to actually sign a player would be more of value. But in today's NFL the salary cap is a big issue, greatly limiting what teams can do it terms of player salaries, so the value of money is higher.

I can't really figure out the apparent disproportionate value of draft picks to money in the eyes many NFL franchises. I think it's interesting to think about. Any thoughts?

It's simple, they are "going for it" this year. A top round pick doesn't mean much to them as they figure it'll be a late first round pick. Almost like a baseball team trading a top prospect for a veteran during a pennant race.

 

[zippo59]

It's simple, they are "going for it" this year. A top round pick doesn't mean much to them as they figure it'll be a late first round pick. Almost like a baseball team trading a top prospect for a veteran during a pennant race.

If that is true then why didn't they give it up before the deadline. That is why the talks stalled. They didn't want to give up their #1. It seems they are coming around after many hours if not days.