July 07, 2006
Deep sixed
Over two of the last three years, the Patriots and their first-round draft choices have negotiated six-year deals.
The six-year term was at the root of Benjamin Watson's holdout in 2004. His agent at the time, Tom Condon, didn't want to sign for that length.
But the six-year deal isn't an option for this year's first-round pick, Laurence Maroney (No. 21).
As part of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players association, the maximum length of Maroney's rookie deal can be only five years.
The breakdown is as follows:
Picks 1-16: Six-year maximum
Picks 17-32: Five-year maximum
Second-round picks and lower: Four-year maximum
(note: no rookie deal can be renegotiated for two years)
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 07:24:57 AM