A Salary Debate - 2008 NFL Draft Countdown
It’s countdown time - we’re just hours before the 2008 NFL draft, and every day here at BCS Frenzy, I’ve been bringing you resources, news, and opinions as part of the draft countdown!
Note: Starting at 3, I’ll be covering the draft from start to finish!
On the (less than) 1 day before the draft, BCS Frenzy gave to me:
12 mock draft websites
11 early entries
10 past draft flops
9 no-name sleepers
8 returning juniors
7 draft opinions
6 Heisman winners
5 great quarterbacks
4 draft-deciding moments
3 smartest Miami moves
2 overrated “stars”
and 1 debate over salary rules…
In the NFL, a salary cap governs how much all players get paid. A certain amount of that money is given exclusively to draft picks, with higher picks getting paid more and lower-round picks getting paid less. Anyone who goes free-agent after the draft is usually only offered the rookie minimum.
The debate, in my opinion, is a good one. Yes, you want to reward the best rookie players and entice them to continue on in the NFL. However, rarely is a rookie the star of your team. Critics of rookie salaries say that more money should be given to the players that prove themselves in the NFL.
And we’re not just talking about “celebrity” stars like Tom Brady, Chad Johnson, Tony Romo who get a ton of press. I’m also talking about real, raw talent too, like Marvin Harrison, Brian Westbrook, and Ben Roethlisberger. Sure, these players are making their millions, but lets look at an example:
This year, Ben Roethlisberger signed an 8-year contract for $102 million. That’s an average of $12.75 million a year before other bonuses and incentives. Hey, I’ll take it.
As a comparison, JaMarcus Russell, last year’s first overall pick, scored a contract for $68 million over 6 years (with $31.5 million guaranteed). Let’s say hey plays out that contract - he’ll be making an average of $11.33 million a year.
Is it really fair that a rookie is making only about a million dollars a year less than someone who has proven himself in the NFL.
That’s not fair.
I’m a fan of lower minimums for rookies. It just makes sense. Let’s reward the NFL players we know and love, not the kids just out of college who may or may not pan out.
What do you think about NFL salaries?
0 opinions for A Salary Debate - 2008 NFL Draft Countdown
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: