So with the Packers showing reducing profits and the league generally creating the impression that money is tight, should the Rams fork over $50 million guaranteed to the first overall pick in the draft, quarterback Sam Bradford?
Some say that the Rams should take a stand against a huge deal for Bradford, even before a rookie wage scale is implemented.
It’s the topic of our latest offering for SportingNews.com.
The Rams cannot afford a holdout, so they have to pay him commensurate to what previous #1 picks have been paid.
Until a plan to pay rookies appropriately is in place, the insanity will continue.
They should offer him 1 mil a year and a 1 mil signing bonus and that’s it.. if he doesn’t like it, he can sit out a year and go back into next years draft.. where i seriously doubt he’ll be selected #1 and probably not in the top 10.. maybe not even in the first round.
They should take a hard stand against this insanity. The Rams have too many holes to fill to let a $50M player get busted up and sit out most of the season. Then there will be no NFL in 2011. It just doesn’t make any sense.
Every year that goes by with the Packers books being open to the public is another blow to the NFL. Green Bay is the smallest market of any of the major US sports by far. And they profit. How much profit do the Huge market teams bring in?
The Devil is always in the details. It would depend on how the contract is structured. How much guaranteed money there is. Incentives, etc.. We all know the rookie salary situation is something else that will have to be addressed in the C.B.A.. The money going to NFL rookies is alarmingly disproportionate and no longer sustainable. The players need to be mindful that they could easily skewer the Golden Goose. We all love the game but there are limits.
GO STEELERS!
Bust
Total crap, $50 million guaranteed without even playing a snap. When we thought the assholes at AIG were bad enough, this crap is no different. The NFL really needs to fix itself.
Yes, they should stand firm.
he hasnt even played a snap in the NFL. Ridiculous question.
The Rams should offer Bradford $5 Million and say “Take it or Leave it”. What’s Bradford gonna do, he can’t make 5% of $5 Million anywhere else, much less $50 Million.
I don’t understand these NFL owners bidding against nobody with these salaries.
Of Course they should. It should be called the Jamarcus effect. Although, character wise, Bradford seems like he actually has a work ethic; let him earn the money he’d get.
can someone tell me what the email is on here?
The Rams would be wise to do so considering Bradford is going to be a mega-bust.
Should have drafted Tebow
You can’t put the onus on an individual franchise to initiate a change in the way rookies are paid. Bradford should NOT make $50 million, but the Rams should NOT try and heroically change policy all on their own. It’s a risk they shouldn’t have to take alone, there has to be collective action towards negotiating a rookie pay scale.
Rams are 6-42 over the past three seasons. They can’t afford to take a stand right now.
It would be wise to consider the economy…
that would cement any collusion accusations for sure.
The Rams are really key players in the entire future of NFL salaries here.
If I were the Rams I’d offer $4 MIL a year for 5 years – $20 Million. If that aint enough, bleep him ! Bradford is already damaged goods in that his shoulder has been busted up twice already, and who knows one good pop on that shoulder on the hard artificial turf could damage him for good.
What are Bradford’s options, hold out and get nothing and then try to re-enter the draft again next year ???
a.) If he’s already turned down mega-millions in one contract offer, what makes he or his agent think he’d get MORE in 2011 ???
b.) Who says there will even BE a season in 2011, and if there isn’t, what’s Bradford going to do, wait until 2012 before he gets his money ??? Doubtful.
Quite frankly the Rams hold ALL the cards here. They can’t get much worse than their 1-15 record last year, and who honestly believes that Bradford will lead them to more than 4 wins (TOPS) this year anyway.
I say hold firm St. Louis and make Bradford like it, or let him sit and rot !
I have always been against huge rookie contracts, but the precedent has been set. Sam Bradford will get his payday, and things cannot and will not change until a rookie pay scale is implemented. I hope the next CBA addresses this disparity in the league. The big money should go to those who prove they can perform, not the rookies that have the potential to perform. Anyone who disagrees needs only to think of the names Jamarcus Russell(first round pick) or the likes of any of the bevy of late round picks that are the current top performers at their respective positions.
I’ve been saying this since before the draft. Bradford has the least leverage of any top pick in years. What are his options? Take a respectable deal (that will still guarantee him more than most Americans will ever earn in their lifetime) or re-enter the draft after the imposition of a rookie pay-scale and earn even less?
If the Rams give him a record breaking contract the entire front office should be fired immediately.
If they want him to play, they need to pay him more than last year’s #1 pick. It’s not very complicated.
This guy couldn’t stay healthy taking snaps in the shotgun at Oklahoma. He’s gonna get destroyed taking snaps under center behind that offensive line just like Bulger did. He’s demanding all this guaranteed money because he knows he has a bum shoulder and his career will be over in 3 years. Go ahead St. Louis. You were stupid enough to draft him. Might as well go all the way and pay him. Stupid is as stupid does.
Don’t understand why it’s the Ram’s “duty” to lowball a 1st rounder, NO other teams have done it over the last 25 years (and won).
The Rams “won” the 1st-pick-sweepstakes by being pathetically bad… now they need to help themselves get better… and it will cost them. IF they were going to make a stand it should have been BEFORE the draft, and picked a guy that they had pre-signed.
Great idea. Oh, and enjoy A.J. Feely as your starting QB.
Hey now, easy on Feely! He’s had some success in this league. It’s not his fault the Dolphins gave up a 2nd rounder for him. He’s better than Bulger, Boller, whoever else they ran out there last year.
I agree with BuckStallion…At the present time there is no Rookie wage scale in place so the rule of thumb has been the number 1 pick gets 10-20% higher wage then the previous year number 1, however going forward this is exactly why a rookie wage scale should be in place. The NBA has it right.
This is the thing I’ve never understood about US sports.
Why are rookies given ridiculous contracts when they haven’t played a single down or game or whatever in the pro levels?
I don’t care what round they were drafted in or how many points, yards, TDs, home runs they score against COLLEGE teams. The pro level is a whole new ball game. They should EARN the mega-buck contracts through hard work and perfomance and not get offered it on a plate when they’ve done F**K ALL to deserve it.
If this was the case, then players like JaMarSUCK Russell would have been ditched long ago and the Raiders would not have been forced to start him due to the stupid contract they gave him.
Yeah, right, the Rams should be the champions of rookie contracts and screw themselves in the process. I’m sure their GM and owner would rather take a moral stand then have an amazing prospect at quarterback on their team.
He will make a ton of money, but he will also help the Rams make a lot of money. Everyone loves a fresh new quarterback and Sam has a lot of charisma and a great attitude. The Rams instantly have a new face of the franchise.
These rookies may not have done anything yet but just like Bradford, they’re making the NFL a shitload of money before they even step on the field. New jersey sales, new “hope” for the fan base (sells tickets, believe it or not) and I cannot imagine the millions and millions of dollars that are made on the draft. It alone keeps people interested in football in the off season and is such an outstanding marketing tool for the NFL and a big reason that the NFL is considered the largest sport in America. Bradford is going to ‘repay’ the contract to the Rams probably twice over even if he isn’t the next great QB.
There does need to be a rookie pay scale, but people underestimate just how much money these rookies are bringing to the table FOR the NFL.
Damn if you do and damned if you don’t!
Some of you are saying, too many holes to play possum right now, give’em the 10% bump compared to Staffords contract and keep it moving.
But fact is fact, you are paying all that money for “maybe” – not proven, but he “may” get real good! Or he could fizzle like a pack of pop-rockets!?
I am sorry, but I would have not taken a dude, out of college that had two shoulder surgeries, from a spread offense
Everyone knows that the 1st overall pick gets a ton of garenteed money. If the rams didnt want to pay that amount, they should have either traded down, or simply waited untill the 3-5 pick to select their player.
Noone likes the rookie pay scales, but dont pretend that Bradford asking for a standard 1st overall pick $ amount is out of line.
The only time a team should not sign a player is when that player demands more money than his draft position warrents (ie. a 12th overall pick demanding top 5 pick money).
If they didn’t want to pay him, they shouldn’t have drafted him. Look, the Rams had the #1 overall pick, which gives them the right to negotiate pre-draft.
They could have easily done what the dolphins did the year Jake Long was taken #1 – play all the top-6 picks against each other until somebody takes a reasonable deal. The fact that they didn’t put them in this situation, and they knew what they were in for.
Saying they shouldn’t pay him is like walking into an expensive restaurant, ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, then balking at the bill. If you don’t want the bill, don’t order the lobster.
If you don’t want to pay the going rate, trade out of the slot, or even pass on the pick if you want to send a message. But don’t screw some rookie in the process. He didn’t negotiate the CBA.
I guess the Rams may want to be careful what precedent they set for next years #1 overall pick since they will probably be drafting #1 next year too.
Well, the Rams will be picking in the top 5 of next year’s draft whether or not they sign Bradford this year, so why not? Odds are he’s not going to live up to the hopes, so the least the Rams can do is use this to help create labor peace.
Just offer him a deal that’s 10% less than Stafford’s deal last year, and stand pat. As long as you sign him by next April, no harm done.
The Rams are screwed no matter what. Unless he pulls a Peyton Manning, there is no way he will justify the contract, and the Rams would be out 50 Mil no matter what. Forcing the worst teams in the league to take the biggest risks with the most money is one sure way to eliminate parity. Not that they are the best run organization.
Why not take the risk, offer him the 5 mil/year for 4 years, and a lot of incentives that come to 50 million if he achieves them all. Super Bowl win, MVP, lots of unachievable stuff, but mostly lower end numbers like 3000 yards, 20 TD, NMT 15 int, . . .
Frankly, I think the rookie contracts should start at the league minimum for the last pick in the draft and go up by $500 per pick. Then have ALL rookies have the exact same incentive clauses that are equivalent to their position. For example: All rookie RB’s get $20K for breaking 1000 yards. Attainable, but tough totals.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bradford?wasRedirected=true
Bradford had 1 shoulder surgery, why does everyone blow this so far out of proportion. Check the link, this guy broke a bunch of records as a freshman and sophomore. Yes he was in a spread offense, but so are a lot of teams and Bradford still broke some impressive records.
Drew Brees had the same shoulder injury as Vradford and he recovered fine. Get the story right, he had 1 surgery. He injured the ahoder initially and came back to early and injured it further. Give the kid a break and wait till he plays a couple years.
Duan, he had 1 surgery and only spent 1 year in a spread type offense.
And no shit, you are paying for a “maybe” that’s why they’re all called prospects
PossibleCabbage your post, just like your name, is retarded
What “reporter” starts an article with the word “So”? Florio sounds like a 16 year old high school girl who chomps on her gum too loud.
For all the haters saying he’s going to be a bust maybe you should go back and look at his stats.. And while you’re at it maybe watch a film clip or two.. Oh and then maybe look at his measurements.. This kids is going to be a great QB.. Despite what you may think he isn’t injury prone.. He had one surgery and the re-injured it playing Texas about four weeks before he should have played (but if you go to OU and your 50% healthy you want to play Texas regardless).
The rookie pay scale is what it is. Every team pays too much on “maybes”, but the precedent has been set. The Rams need this guy on the field so just go ahead and pay him. He’s a good kid and he’ll be a dominant force for a long time.
Or you could screw him over, make him feel unwanted and betrayed, and then in a couple of years watch as he wins game after game on another team.
Funny how it’s somehow admirable for the Rams to take a stand against the dumb rookie pay setup, but when Al did it last year he was a lunatic.
The Rams should try but what really needs to happen is a rookie pay scale ala the NBA
I’m no fan or supporter of ownership in general, but paying an unproven rookie $50 million guaranteed is Bullshit. As Susan Powter used to say, “Stop the insanity.”
As a RAMS fan, I’m on the fence on this one. On one hand, I totally agree that there should be a rookie pay scale. On the other, since there isn’t at this time and we desperately need quality players, the RAMS may have to bite the bullet and pay him. I feel the same way about rookies who haven’t proven themselves yet. But, unfortunately, that’s the way things are.
I never understood why teams … ran by billionaires who supposedly have an idea about how to make money … paid that much cash to the rookies. Well, at the end of the day it doesn’t cost the owners, just fellow players on the team (since teams have a budget, ahem salary cap).
But they are in a super decent position to make a stand, considering the other quarterbacks they have on the roster are … a guy called Null, Keith Null, one with jersey number 99 (probably they told the leage he would play DT) and AJ “never lived up to anything” Feeley?
The reason you take Sam Bradford #1 overall is because you feel he is going to be worth the required investment (a 50+ million dollar contract). You could have any player in the draft and you take him.
If you screw up the pick, it’s on you and your scouting department.
I’m not on on the injury bust bandwagon – Bradford will be a Tim Couch/Akili Smith style bust. Forget the injuries.
The guy’s two toughest games came against Florida and Texas. He lost both games, but more revealing was how different his stats looked not to mention his performance on the television. UF and UT run rather simple defenses, but he was very average against team speed. Now the guy has to play against faster defenses than UT and UF that are for more complex than anything he saw at the college level. I’ve seen nothing from Bradford that shows he has the football IQ to play QB with any degree of success. The guy will constantly be lost on the field.
Unfortunately for the Rams they took a guy 1st overall who didn’t play one complete game in 2009. If he had, a lot of his flaws that were masked by a collection of offensive studs would have been revealed relegating him to a lower grade and ultimately a lower draft pick.
# CanadianVikingFan says: July 16, 2010 12:22 AM
Total crap, $50 million guaranteed without even playing a snap. When we thought the assholes at AIG were bad enough, this crap is no different. The NFL really needs to fix itself.
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I wonder if Bradford is gonna say “God Bless” when he signs his deal, thanking his maker for helping him get this mega-deal (when it’s really his scum of an agent)
How about donating $20 or 30 million to an orphanage in Africa, Mr Bradford?
(not so much, eh?)
You were kidding in that second to last paragraph, weren’t you Florio? Just trying to see if we’re awake?
“…players and agents who have preyed on the desperation of the NFL’s worst teams to win”
I can’t decide if that statement should leave me laughing or offended. Really, the all-powerful players and agents prey on NFL teams? Give me a break…
# mr_snrub says:
Unfortunately for the Rams they took a guy 1st overall who didn’t play one complete game in 2009.
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More ignorance from someone who obviously NEVER saw a Sooner game. Bradford played a COMPLETE game against Baylor before he was hurt against Texas.
The Rams giving Bradford a Stafford-like deal would kill their franchise for years to come
He may be an OK QB but that is it. He is nothing special and THAT TYPE of money is killer for anyone BUT A franchise changer
2 words……….
BRITTLE BRADFORD!!!
Mark my words, this guy will be injured again and again and again, ESP playing for the Rams!!!!
# mama tried says:
Mark my words, this guy will be injured again and again and again, ESP playing for the Rams!!!!
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What makes me laugh are all the injury experts here. Buffalo was laughed at for taking Willis McGahee and all he did was rush for 1000 yards for 3 of his first 4 years in the league.
Then there were the experts who said that the Vikings had made a mistake in taking such a brittle back as Adrian Peterson and he’s only played 46 of 48 regular season games and went over 1300 yards every season.
The only reason why Bradford got injured twice last year was because he made a stupid mistake and didn’t have the surgery that would have cost him most, if not all of the season but he probably could have made it back in time for the bowl. Contrary to what has been widely reported, he did not go down the last two times he was hit. He played a game between BYU and Texas and he was hit but didn’t get hurt.
DC_Bengals_Fan has it right: if the Rams wanted to make a stand, the right time to do it was before the draft. By drafting Bradford instead of signing him before the draft, the Rams basically grabbed their own ankles. At this point, it’s going to cost them $50 million to get their over-rated non-savior into camp, and there’s not a thing they can do about it. At this point, the only “statement” made by a low-ball offer is “We haven’t the slightest idea what we’re doing.”
Maybe Hardesty, Ward, Bradford and McCoy will be headliners on the PFT all injured reserve team this year? I cannot wait til Slammed into Sammie is picking the astro-turf out of teeth.
take a stand, st. loo. u need the $ to move.
and who in his right mind would give $$$$ to an orphanage in africa?
just throw it away on a rookie contract, why dont ya…