NFL Teams Should Boycott The 1st Round
Letting Clock Run Out Is One Way To Protest Rising Rookie Contracts
Apr 12, 2009 Salvatore Stefanile
Ross Tucker of SI.com wrote in a column of his that the Detroit Lions, who hold the first pick overall in the upcoming NFL draft, should let the time allotted to hand in their draft card expire. You might be wondering why he would suggest such an idea. The first overall pick is supposed to be an asset that could potentially turn a team around after a horrendous season. And the Detroit Lions, after going winless, could definitely use it to improve their team. So, why give up such a valuable asset? The answer, as usual, is money.
Jake Long, drafted first overall by the Miami Dolphins last year, signed a five year contract worth $57.5 million, with $30 million guaranteed. Compare that to 10-year veteran Chad Pennington, arguably the team’s MVP last season, who signed a two year deal worth $11.5 million. There’s something wrong with the system when a player who hadn’t even played a snap in a professional football game makes more than the most important player on the field.
The Minnesota Vikings Are A Recent Example
Attempting to trade down in the 2003 draft and still be in position to draft Kevin Williams, the Minnesota Vikings were holding trade talks with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens. Without getting any deals made, the Vikings went to hand in their draft card for the 7th overall pick but the Jaguars and the Ravens beat them to the podium since the Vikings didn’t hand their card in before the allotted time expired. As you can see, there is some precedence that the Lions and the rest of the NFL could use.
Imagine a scenario where the Lions pass on the first pick, the Rams pass on the second pick and so on until the Steelers pass on the last pick of the first round. Madness would ensue. Of course this is just a dream or a potential nightmare as the NFL Players Association would argue that whoever was drafted with the first pick in the second round would be considered the first overall pick of the draft and should be paid accordingly so. Then we would just be stuck with the same old system.
NBA Rookie Scale Could Be A Template
One argument that analysts make is to copy the NBA rookie scale for first round picks. Currently, the NBA has a system in place where each first round pick‘s contract is already established, according to draft position. The scale’s set up until the 2011-2012 draft and sees the first overall player taken being paid just over $4 million in their first season. It’s a system that doesn’t hinder the salary cap and gives teams flexibility when it comes to filling out their roster.
Why should a team like the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted Alex Smith first overall in the 2005 draft be punished for that mistake by having to keep his massive contract on the books and not cut him without worrying about the potential salary cap ramifications?
It would be nice to see the NFLPA come to their senses and endorse a rookie scale but until they realize that the money used to pay rookies actually takes away from the funds that teams can use to spend on veteran players, the rookie contract issue will continue to rage on. And veteran players like Byron Leftwich, currently still a free agent, will have to sit back and watch as rookies like Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez will be raking in the big bucks without even having to step foot on the field.
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