We’ve been confused regarding the specific reasons for the fact that, as the first 2009 training camp opens today, only two first-round picks have signed contracts.
At the top of the round, the reason is obvious. The two players who have signed — Matthew Stafford at No. 1 overall and Mark Sanchez at No. 5 — are quarterbacks, and they received the so-called quarterback premium. Thus, the guys in the vicinity of those picks likely are struggling with how close they should come to the quarterback contracts.
A league source has explained that two other dynamics are contributing to the delay.
First, as to the picks at the bottom of the round, there’s a perception among other agents (a perception, by the way, that might simply be erroneous) that many of the second-round contracts are not good for the players, and thus there’s a fear that teams in the general vicinity of those selections will try to make the contracts look like these second-round deals.
The other reality in round one is that CAA and Athletes First represent 14 of the 32 picks. Other agents are reluctant to do deals until the CAA/Athletes First contracts begin to come in, given the possibility that a non-quarterback will land a major deal that could then influence the contracts paid to other picks.
Actually, it might take a major deal somewhere in the top half of the round to counter the attempts by teams to stop trying to reap the benefits of the second-round deals in the bottom half of round one.
At this point, it’s unknown when or if any of the CAA/Athletes First deals will get done. As far as we can tell, negotiations are ongoing but, as of yesterday, nothing was imminent for several CAA clients: Rams tackle Jason Smith (No. 2), Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (No. 7), Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (No. 12), Redskins linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo (No. 13), and Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin (No. 19).
So stay tuned. Eventually, the deals will get done.
We think.
so the economy & upcoming CBA has no effect on the negotiations ?
I hate the agents that wait until the deals before and after the slot are signed, they are doing absolutely no work. When will the players realize that?
I thought Darius Butler got a big premium over the guy picked last year?
Many teams are lazy, too. They wait until their pick is slotted before starting negotiations. If too many do that, you get a logjam of unsigned picks, each waiting for what the next guy does.
What the NFLPA needs to do is set a limit on how many first rounders an agent or agency can sign. That makes it best for the process. Both the players and the agents will have to carefully think about who they choose.
Also, there needs to be a limit on how many players per team an agent/agency can represent. We are already seeing some agents leveraging their positions with the teams when they have multiple free agents.
It is getting to the point a single agency can wreck a team, if they choose to do so.
I thought there were some differences in the CBA contract as to how the bonus money was counted and distributed over future years that was affecting the tlaks as well. Is this correct or not?