Sign Me and Pay Me...All Before I Play

I am a pretty big sports fan. I find myself watching something daily. Football is my favorite of all the sports. Whether it is the NFL or college, the games are usually exciting matchups and in some cases; instant classics. I follow baseball a little less and than the other sports here and there. Since, I am such a huge football fan I look at various aspects of both the pro and college levels. One aspect and the purpose of my post is the NFL Draft and rookies. Every April, in my opinion, the best draft; at least in terms of promoting it and the excitement around; occurs. For two days (and starting in 2010, three days) all 32 teams dissect their big boards and listen to advise from analysts like Mel Kiper, Jr. Each team looking to find a way to improve from the previous season. The worst teams obviously get higher picks in hopes of evening their chances a little for the next season.

I have no complains about all this in terms of the sport (maybe besides a little too much analysis at times). The thing that kind of irks me a good deal is the fact that these 20, 21, or 22 year olds are being picked up and signed based on how they may have played against a mediocre school or even a big powerhouse. They are rewarded with riches before they have proven anything to that team. While you have guys around for 5 or 10or 15 years are placed in the background. I guess I come from a bit of the old school philosophy of you have to prove yourself to get rewarded. If someone comes out of college, I really doubt they are going to make as much as someone who has been around for 10 years. In baseball, some guys get very large salaries, but they tend to be guys who have played and at least displayed their potential. The same can be said of basketball or hockey at a smaller scale. Soccer and boxing are sports where some guys are raking in the dough (probably a little too much), but at least again they have proven their abilities at the highest level. To take this further, allow me to highlight salaries and increases. Is paying unproven athletes the best thing for your franchise or a great way to bring in revenue? Maybe. Maybe not.

For starters, lets look at the top pick in this year's NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions drafted Matthew Stafford, QB out of Georgia, signed a 6 year, $72 million deal with $41.7 million guaranteed. WOW! This guy is set and he has yet to even be named the starter. Nice. He could end up being the backup for QB Daunte Culpepper, but if the Lions are smart they can't sit their multi-million dollar man. Continuing throughout the top 5 picks, they signed on average 5 year contracts worth over $50 million and fairly close to the same guaranteed money that Stafford signed for. Are the Lions, Rams, Chiefs, Seahawks, and Jets so rich they can fork out cash to one individual who hasn't done anything when you have a roster full of guys who have earned more than you might pay them. Or the free agents you could sign you deserve some of that money. Why don't teams focus on getting an array of talent then focus on one or two guys in hopes of capturing a Super Bowl? Look at the salary of the last pick in the first round: The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Ziggy Hood, DE out of Missouri, and he signed a contract lasting 5 years and worth $11.3 million and $6.1 million guaranteed. What a difference 1 and 32 make! You can see why athletes who might be first or second rounders or top or bottom half first rounders scheme and study where they might go. Going at the top guarantees you so much more. Is that fair? Stafford has proven at the NFL level as much as Hood yet is going to make a hell of a lot more.

What then becomes of the guys who have played a year, 5, 10 or more? Two of the best quarterbacks if not players in the NFL are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. What do they make compared to these rookies? Manning signed a 7 year contract worth $99.2 million in 2004 and Brady signed a 6 year contract extension worth $60 million. These don't include the guaranteed money, but it is nothing like Stafford's. These are two men who have 4 Super Bowl rings and 4 NFL MVPs between them. Yet it took years of proving themselves to be their franchise's cornerstones to get money that these top picks seem to rake in. How about possibly the greatest wide receiver, Jerry Rice? Despite the fact that he may have been 40 years old in 2003, he was still outperforming many guys who were 10 or 15 years younger at his position. How much was he making? A mere $2.25 million. That is a fraction of a fraction of what a lot of these rookies are making. Then there is also the NFL's all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith. During the height of his career between 1993 and 1997, he had a contract worth $13.6 million in salary and bonuses. Another WOW! Granted money and value 15 years ago was viewed differently, but that contract would maybe be three or four times that today. That is simply a guess. Manning, Rice, and Smith were all first rounders. Manning the top pick. But Brady was a lowly sixth round pick. What does that say about the draft?

Each year the NFL scouts and franchises look at the array of talented college football players available. It is the first rounders, especially the top ones who make out like bandits while the lower round guys have to take what they can. They lower round guys have more to prove and have less of a chance for failure because they are more expendable.

Looking back at last year's draft we see: Eddie Royal, WR, Denver Broncos,2nd round; Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears, 2nd round; DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles, 2nd round; Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens, 2nd round; Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions, 3rd round; Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans, 3rd round; and Tim Hightower, RB, Arizona Cardinals, 5th round had very good seasons despite not being first round talents. While individuals like Darren McFadden and Vernon Gholston, the 4th and 6th picks overall respectively, had less than stellar or even fair seasons for their contracts and hype. JaMarcus Russell was the first pick two years ago while Calvin Johnson was the second pick. Russell has struggled to say the least while Johnson has blossomed into a top receiver in the whole league. Johnson has earned his money while Russell has not. Despite Russell's failures, the Raiders and to put it lightly, their misguided leadership, is stuck with him because they have invested the money in him.

Guys drafted outside the first round have year after year proven that they are more worth the investment than a lot of these first rounders. And it goes beyond the late round or second day picks; there are also the undrafted free agents. The star at the head of that class is Kurt Warner. Not drafted, went to the Arena League, and comes to the NFL and gets a chance. What happens? Two MVPs, a Superbowl, and a Superbowl MVP. Last year he was close to another title and another possible MVP, either regular season or Superbowl. There is Jake Delhomme who wasn't drafted and he led the Panthers a few years ago to a Superbowl birth. In 1991, Brett Favre was not viewed as anything special because he played at Southern Miss and hadn't won a national title or been "displayed" as much. What has happened since? Oh yea...he has broken basically every record that is important for a QB to hold. The same type of point can be made for guys like Jerry Rice or Deacon Jones who many in the NFL ranks at the time they were drafted didn't expect much of them. Rice became the best wide receiver and owns a multitude of records and Jones was the original sack king before it was even a statistic or common.

That then brings me to another example that makes my point about how teams should not be giving these rookies ridiculous salaries. The season is close to starting and most of the rookies have signed and reported to camp. One who hasn't is San Francisco draft pick, Michael Crabtree. He is the WR out of Texas Tech, who was the top receiver the last two years as he was voted such. He felt he should have been the top receiver in the draft; however he was the second one taken and 10th player overall taken. He has spent the whole summer complaining and holding out in hopes of getting more money. He wants what the first guy got or more even though he was selected three spots higher. Every year we see the top couple guys sign relatively early after getting drafted then there is a dozen guys who hold out and that number slowly dwindles as the season approaches. A handful of guys annually miss the start of training camp because they are holding out. Last time I checked you get better through practice no matter who you are or how good you are. Not being there only hurts your future. But these young guys are all about the money and they want to get paid before they play.

Maybe all this garbage (cause that what it truly is) will start to erode itself. John Lopez of Sports Illustrated wrote the following: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/john_lopez/08/12/rookies/index.html

I unfortunately probably agree with Lopez in terms of a rookie salary cap not happening anytime soon if ever. I know it definitely must anger the guys who have proven themselves. Who have gotten injured and returned. Have won Superbowls, MVPs, and other awards. Some of these young guys forget to appreciate where the game has come from and who has helped shape it. If these guys don't want to play for the love of the game, put your winning instinct aside and move on without them. I hope Crabtree wises up soon, but if he chooses to sit out and reenter next year's draft; who knows what will happen. He will probably be a high pick again because of his talent, but teams need to evaluate what that talent is. I don't expect everyone to be a model citizen on and off the field, but if you haven't done a damn thing in the NFL then you don't have anything to negotiate from. Show up and shut up. Many of these guys are overpaid and should be thankful that they got their money. Now actually show up and prove you are worth that money or else your ass will be looking for a new team or new job before you know it. There have been plenty of Ryan Leafs and will continue to be, but it is the Tom Bradys of the 6th round that should be rewarded a little more when they show they deserve it.

Who knows maybe I'm in the minority, but sometimes I hate the fact that there are guys who go out and shut their mouths and year after year prove that they are one of the best players at their positions and not compensated for their performances. While these new guys who might have been really good in college have done nothing at the next level. The perfect example is the Heisman trophy winners. Look at everyone who has one the Heisman trophy. Less than half had suitable to good careers. Less than 10 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Carson Palmer is probably the only one of the last ten who has had a good career. Reggie Bush has been a bust in terms of what he was supposed to be. Matt Leinart is fighting to be the backup quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. Teams need to learn from the past to evaluate talent better to avoid these busts or mediocre early draft picks. If the gems of later rounds were drafted in the first round and given money similar then things would seem a little more balanced. All I am asking for is pay the guys who earn it. Too much attention is given to rookies and not enough to veterans. The teams that draft well usually win so having these trendy picks is only costing the franchise money. Who knows truly how this will develop in the coming years? Will the economy affect this all? Only time will truly tell...