Comments on: The possible downside to doing rookie deals early

By: ndallasruss

ndallasruss — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:15:41 +0000

I agree with others above. There are plenty of people willing to loan the rookies money before they sign their deals.

If anything, signing a contract earlier gets the player their own money, rather than someone else’s money that they have to pay back with interest.

Or not paying them back and then being distracted later with lawsuits – right Dez Bryant?!

By: jgedgar70

jgedgar70 — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:11:24 +0000

This is not a problem if the rookies have A) good agents and B) yet to acquire the “I have all this money, therefore I am God” big head. If they have rotten agents and/or the big head, it doesn’t matter when they get paid.

Bottom line, they need to surround themselves with people that can keep them grounded. I love what Herm Edwards said at the rookie symposium last year – “Be smart. Buy ONE house. Buy ONE car. Buy ONE gold chain. And I ain’t talking about the Mr. T Starter Set, you don’t need all that.”

Bottom line, in my opinion, whether these guys get in trouble or not get in trouble depends on their character and handlers, not when they get paid.

By: realitypolice

realitypolice — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:02:35 +0000

Nonsense.

These guys have money from the second they declare for the draft, if they are top rated prospects. They get “loans” from agents and other predators looking to get their hooks in them early.

If they sign early, they can use their own money instead of the high interest loans they use to live rich before they are rich, and maybe save themselves some headaches along the way.

By: dikshuttle

dikshuttle — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:02 +0000

paternalistic, bigoted, bullpucky.

By: countyk66ers

countyk66ers — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:29:22 +0000

This makes the hungry low round guys and UDFA very happy.

By: lainsocw

lainsocw — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:26:02 +0000

This is an absolutely ridiculous assumption, first of all these guys all come into the league with agents who either provide these kids with money to be paid back later or initially to procure representation. Also banks will loan a player money based on future earnings (sometimes in college) especially if they are drafted in the first round. So any player drafted in the first round should have no problem getting ahold of a couple $hundred K if he needs to before he signs his contract. And since you are so quick to make an uneducated assumption I’ll do the same and assume there are banks/lenders who seek them out as customers well before the draft.

By: juanquixote

juanquixote — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:03:34 +0000

…or what Ryan Leaf did

By: mark0226

mark0226 — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:48:50 +0000

I suspect that after being drafted, there are many, many people willing to give the rookies a loan using their soon to be signed contract as collateral, so this probably doesn’t really make a difference. I’ve seen several rookies that were expected to be drafted in the first round, show up the the draft wearing all kinds of bling that you know they could not afford (yet).

By: bigbadal21

bigbadal21 — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:13:31 +0000

There is also an upside. These rookie players will now have the time and the means to acquire housing and transportation before they are too busy with football.

By: rabbdogg

rabbdogg — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:06:16 +0000

or just give them their money and everybody just try minding their own business..why try and with hold these guys money?..really for what?..they gotta learn what having the money is like anyway…doesnt matter really if its now or training camp…why would grown men worry about when other grown men get money thats owed to them? unless u got a little hater in u.

By: 69firebird

69firebird — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:39 +0000

When are they going to stop treating these players like babies? If they keep treating them like this then when they get out they’ll blame the NFL because they weren’t able to transition into society and the players will start to sue the NFL because they didn’t keep taking care I them.. Oh wait a minute… Naw, that wouldn’t happen would it?

By: thegreatgabbert

thegreatgabbert — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:21:42 +0000

What’s the hurry, they have their public transit passes and their McDonald’s gift cards?

By: tolan04

tolan04 — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:05:44 +0000

Every rookie should take a class on how to spend their money wisely. Or just do the exact opposite of what Mike Tyson did.

By: morgan420

morgan420 — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:01:35 +0000

I can see how someone could get mad but I actually think thats a good idea. I don’t know from experence but I can imagine goin from college student to rich pro athlete I bet someone would get in trouble.