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Projecting the Year 1 NFL Rookie Allocations
The salary cap has remained virtually level from 2011 to 2012, so you would presume the 2012 draftees will make about the same or just slightly more than 2011 draft picks did.
2011 NFL Rookie Signings & Contracts
Last year Cam Newton signed a 4-year deal for $22 million.
#17 pick Nate Solder's 4-year deal was for $8.5 million, with a $4.7 million signing bonus. His 2011 cap number was $1,552,500.
The #27 pick was CB Jimmy Smith with the Ravens; his 4-year deal was for $7,461,000
The #31 pick was DE Cameron Heyward; his 4-year deal was for $6.7 million.
Looking at a mid first round pick like Solder and what his cap figure is, to me first round picks have gone from a huge financial/cap risk to a great financial/cap value.
Aside from the potential terms and structure the $$ haven't changed dramatically at the bottom of the first and beyond. It's really the top 10 or 15 who have been impacted. Here is McCourty's deal from 2010 as the 27th drafted player:
Signed a five-year, $10 million contract with a possible 5th year incentive that could boost his salary by $3.2M. Jimmy Smith has a similar incentive in that if the team exercises the option to retain him through year 5 it will do so at the 2013 franchise tag rate for corners. So in the end he might make a couple of million more than the $13M McCourty may make...











