When you can lock down a guy like Cam Newton for 4 million a year and you can’t get John Carlson for that, it really adds tremendous value to the draft picks. A few years ago having the worst record in the NFL meant you get a mediocre QB (Bradford) for top 5 money. It buried teams deeper. Once Bradford is really good (assuming he reaches potential) he’ll be hitting the market anyways.

Now when you finish with a terrible record you can get a great player at reasonable cost. Panthers have now only 3% or so of their wage tied up in a top 5 QB in Newton which positions them extremely well for the next few years. A team like Denver spending 6 times that money on their QB is not in nearly as good of a position.

With the new wage scale I think you’ll truly see team strength cycling more. Good year, bad year. And you’ll also see teams forced to trade marquee players for draft picks to stay competitive.

Take for instance RB’s, they have even a shorter career than say, a lineman. Are teams willing to give them a big payday for a body that may be seen to have a lot of “miles” on it?

I think of Matt Forte, he is a big part of that Chicago offense and it’s been an uphill battle for him to snag that multi-year deal that he’s been seeking.

I don’t agree with giving untested guys large deals, that handicap a team if they are a bust, but I don’t see teams paying Vets much either because of the mileage factor.

I see this as a huge win for the the owners, they have justification to not pay rookies AND seasoned vets, and they just pocket the difference.

That way, a pro-bowler drafted in round 5 will get paid as such sooner rather than working for peanuts, getting hurt, and never getting his pay day.

The issue here is one of exploitation. NFL gets an anti-trust exemption so that it can basically run like a trust, but to be fair to the players, they need to be able to make a buck too. Everyone concentrates on the Jamarcus Russel busts, but they forget that there’s lots of guys who way over perform their salary and the teams will continue to under pay them for as long as possible.

I do agree with rookie salaries being lower, but every day we see more and more reason to believe Smith was a bad choice for the players. He either didn’t understand what he was signing/agreeing to or he misled the players to get it voted in. OR, maybe the players simply are protecting him by not complaining. I just can’t think of any scenarios that let De Smith off the hook though.

That said, if they’re going to limit rookie contracts, then they also ought to decrease the years so young guys who outperform their initial contract will get a fair shake at earning market salary commenserate with their production.

MLB at least has their drafted player wages under control. Matt Wieters is making $500k this year. He will rake it in on his next contract, but it’ll be for playing well in the Bigs, not for having potential.

I’d hold out after 8 games of doing well if I was a top 5 pick forced to make less than “proven” mediocre veterans.

For every Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel you would like to not have paid a ton, there’s a Peyton Manning and Michael Vick. Imagine Peyton getting a 4 year $22M deal. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeit.
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Peyton had to play out a 6 year deal. So does Bradford and the like. So while Bradford is still making $13 mill a year for the Rams, Cam could be getting 15-16 mill in a year or two when they tear up his contract. So basically, these rookie deals are better for the rookies because they hit their 2nd contract much earlier, therefore have more potential to earn

IMO All Professional sports personnel are overpaid, its a game. But it is what it is. If/When I have a kid he WILL be kicking field goals at age 3, gotta get em primed early.

Oh, the indignity of having to sign a contract that, by the time you’re 25, earns you ten times what most people make over their entire lifetime. How shall they endure the shame?
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Typical of the talentless. The reason they get paid that much is that their talents bring in that much money to their employers. In other words, they are worth every penny. Just as you are worth every cent you earn at Burger Heaven.

However, the flip side to this is predicated on teams recognizing their hard working veterans, and rewarding them appropriately with a second/third contract.