OT - Report: Agreement reached on rookie wage scale

[Hypothesis]

One obstacle in reaching a new CBA seems to have been resolved. Still more work needs to be done on the more pressing issues, but this is a step in the right direction.

From ProFootballTalk

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that the two sides have reached a compromise on a rookie wage scale. The new plan will replace the current rookie salary cap and limit the amount of guaranteed money and signing bonuses available to draft picks.

 

[Goldfield]

Good news. This was a flaw in the NFL IMO.

 

[ARodg]

Both sides wanted a rookie wage scale and it took us this long to get it. That's bad news for future negotiations.

 

[THESMEL]

It was the top 10 picks that were out rages, I think the owners could have just refused to pay that Stupid money, that ones on us.

Not backing the Owners against the agents.

 

[AsUdUdE]

Its progress...

My guess is the deadline will be extended another week, and we will have a deal by March 18th...

 

[Jersey Girl]

Its progress...

My guess is the deadline will be extended another week, and we will have a deal by March 18th...

If not by then, with additional extensions, by the end of March. (That's my thinking anyway.)

 

[Krangodnzr]

Both sides wanted a rookie wage scale and it took us this long to get it. That's bad news for future negotiations.

Not true. The Player's Union very much did not want a rookie payscale.

You have to remember that rookie pay increases the franchise tender. When a rookie comes out and gets the highest paying deal ever at their position, all players that play that position that are franchised get paid more.

When Rookie QB X gets paid $22 million, Peyton Manning can also argue that he deserves $24 million.

On the other hand, veterans making $750,000 a year have something to worry about. A rookie making $350,000 is a threat to take his job. But the Larry Fitzgeralds/Peyton Mannings/Julius Peppers of football are the ones whose voices matter.

 

[ARodg]

Not true. The Player's Union very much did not want a rookie payscale.

You have to remember that rookie pay increases the franchise tender. When a rookie comes out and gets the highest paying deal ever at their position, all players that play that position that are franchised get paid more.

When Rookie QB X gets paid $22 million, Peyton Manning can also argue that he deserves $24 million.

On the other hand, veterans making $750,000 a year have something to worry about. A rookie making $350,000 is a threat to take his job. But the Larry Fitzgeralds/Peyton Mannings/Julius Peppers of football are the ones whose voices matter.

The players don't like the giant deals because they don't like the newbies taking such a big piece of the pie. They'd much rather protect the backup players that make up a large part of the votes and leave more money for the stars.

 

[kerouac9]

The players don't like the giant deals because they don't like the newbies taking such a big piece of the pie. They'd much rather protect the backup players that make up a large part of the votes and leave more money for the stars.

Honestly, players dont' really care what the last player's contract was worth, because it always pushes up his value. Do you really think that Fitz wasn't tickled pink when Andre Johnson signed his new deal? You don't think that Peyton Manning was stoked when Tom Brady signed first?

Backup players are at the bottom of the roster, anyway; they'll play for anything, which is more than the zero dollars if they get cut.

 

[devilalum]

Not true. The Player's Union very much did not want a rookie payscale.

You have to remember that rookie pay increases the franchise tender. When a rookie comes out and gets the highest paying deal ever at their position, all players that play that position that are franchised get paid more.

When Rookie QB X gets paid $22 million, Peyton Manning can also argue that he deserves $24 million.

On the other hand, veterans making $750,000 a year have something to worry about. A rookie making $350,000 is a threat to take his job. But the Larry Fitzgeralds/Peyton Mannings/Julius Peppers of football are the ones whose voices matter.

There is still a cap. If a rookie wage scale is instituted and the cap stays the same how do vets not get more?

 

[kerouac9]

There is still a cap. If a rookie wage scale is instituted and the cap stays the same how do vets not get more?

Most of that money doesn't come until years 5 and six of those deals, anyway. It's only going to affect teams who are picking in the Top 5 or 10 every year. But when Vernon Davis gets paid the highest TE salary ever, it helps Antonio Gates, and Dallas Clark, and Tony Gonzales, and Zach Miller, etc., etc.

 

[ARodg]

Honestly, players dont' really care what the last player's contract was worth, because it always pushes up his value. Do you really think that Fitz wasn't tickled pink when Andre Johnson signed his new deal? You don't think that Peyton Manning was stoked when Tom Brady signed first?

Backup players are at the bottom of the roster, anyway; they'll play for anything, which is more than the zero dollars if they get cut.

Only a certain amount of money can be allocated for contracts though. Peyton Manning would rather have a bigger percentage of that money go to him rather than a rookie who hasn't proved anything.

 

[Buckybird]

Its progress...

My guess is the deadline will be extended another week, and we will have a deal by March 18th...

I don't think there's really been any progress. According to Mort, the owners aren't going to open the books & if you heard Smith's comments today he's not giving back $800 mil/a year if the owners dont show them how teams earnings are going down. I still say this Friday is D day. It's going to be a long one folks!!!

 

[Krangodnzr]

There is still a cap. If a rookie wage scale is instituted and the cap stays the same how do vets not get more?

That's not what I'm arguing. What I'm arguing right now is that rookies help to inflate the value of contracts right now.

The will get more; but under current conditions, you don't think veterans give a hoot if you have to cut a couple of expensive backups so they can get paid more? They don't.

The cap also doesn't stay the same, it increases all the time, so veterans can always get more from a bigger pie too.

 

[Duckjake]

Not true. The Player's Union very much did not want a rookie payscale.

You have to remember that rookie pay increases the franchise tender. When a rookie comes out and gets the highest paying deal ever at their position, all players that play that position that are franchised get paid more.

When Rookie QB X gets paid $22 million, Peyton Manning can also argue that he deserves $24 million.

On the other hand, veterans making $750,000 a year have something to worry about. A rookie making $350,000 is a threat to take his job. But the Larry Fitzgeralds/Peyton Mannings/Julius Peppers of football are the ones whose voices matter.

Question: Aren't most of a rookie's dollars in signing bonus with a low salary and the franchise tag a function of salary? Or does signing bonus count as salary in the year it is paid? Or is it treated the same for franchise tag purposes as it is for salary cap calculations? Prorated over the length of the contract.

 

[kerouac9]

Question: Aren't most of a rookie's dollars in signing bonus with a low salary and the franchise tag a function of salary? Or does signing bonus count as salary in the year it is paid?

Most rookie dollars are in the last two years of the contract, usually in salary but sometimes in roster bonuses or other functions. #7 was supposed to make some $18 million in salary in 2011 had he still been on the team. I think that Levi Brown is on the books for as much if not more in 2012.

To circumnavigate the rookie cap, teams usually allot payments to high-dollar rookies in roster bonuses in Year 2 and sometimes 3 of the contracts.

I think that it's important to continue to specify that we're talking about 1/3 of the 1st round rookies, or less than 10% of a total draft class here. It's just a tiny number, which is one reason it's weird that the NFL is making this an apparent priority when there are so many other issues that affect the whole league.

Also, marquee players don't care what percentage of a team's entire salary cap they get; teams are going to make room for their top players regardless of how much they're getting paid.