Post by TheShadow on Jun 29, 2008 10:41:31 GMT -5
bleacherreport.com
by Dan Boone
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell criticized his league's current rookie payscale situation, saying "there has to be some recognition of the costs" as a weakening economy has made the practice of doling out lucrative contracts to unproven players even less appealing.
"There's something wrong about the system," Goodell said Friday during a question-and-answer session concluding a sports symposium at the Chautauqua Institution, according to The Associated Press. "The money should go to people who perform."
Right on, Roger!
Most of the rookie money is wasted on players who wash out. Players who take that first big check and run.
Well, actually, in running back Cedric Benson's case, they don't run. Run very fast, anyway. Benson joins Curtis Enis as recent high-priced Chicago Bear flops.
Benson quickly learned a back can't run over defensive players in the NFL as easily as he did when the defensive uniforms were those of Rice, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M.
It's a major adjustment, and coaches and GMs don't really know if a college guy can actually do it until he actually plays against the big boys on Sundays.
Cade McNown, meet Rex Grossman. First-round quarterback flops doom a franchise to offensive failure for half a decade.
A string of high-priced, early-round rookie wastrels can devastate a team for a decade. That money, which could have been used to pay tested veterans to improve the long-term quality of the team, is gone.
Lost on the wild gamblers' roll that is the NFL draft.
Paying millions to 22-year-old college kids is a good way to get burnt.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach John McKay once said he had a five-year plan because he had a five-year contract; he then said if he had a six-year contract he'd have a six-year plan.
But five years is long enough for a player to show if he has the legs and the brains to make it in the NFL.
Let's look at the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, to see how well teams' money was spent on top rookies.
The quarterbacks, the big-money position, the glamour guys that make coaches heroes or goats—teams either solidify or collapse around them.
The 2003 No. 1 overall choice was Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer, who has been a quality player.
But then we hit Byron Leftwich, who had a brief run of above-average success, but is now done. He must be considered a disappointment. Kyle Boller has shown that he is nothing more than a streaky backup.
Rex Grossman, who has reached the Super Bowl, but has proven a hindrance to his team's ability to win games. He must be labeled a bust.
That's 1-for-4 on the spinning quarterback wheel of first-round luck.
How about the total duds—players who offered no return at all on the owners' investments?
No. 2 overall, wide receiver Charlie Rogers, was a mental mess and yet another overrated failure for Lions GM Matt Millen. Rogers was an all-time, Texas-sized bust.
No. 6 overall, Jonathan Sullivan, has been a major disappoint for the New Orleans Saints, but still clings precariously to a roster spot.
A pair of 2005, Penn State Nittany Lions first-round flops were defensive linemen Jimmy Kennedy for the St. Louis Rams and Michael Haynes, who hardly hit the field, for the Chicago Bears.
Two defensive tackles taken in Gotham have been big disappointments.
The New York Jets grabbed Dwayne Robertson with the No. 4 overall pick, and he is already out of New York and heading rapidly out of the league with injuries. The crosstown Giants grabbed Miami Hurricane star William Joseph, and he has not done much of anything for the G-Men's defense.
Instead, it is unheralded 2005 third-round pick Justin Tuck who is the Giants' best defensive lineman. Hungry and dominating, his outstanding play was recently rewarded with a $30 million deal.
Another Miami Hurricane star has been a big flop in Philadelphia. Jerome McDougle was supposed to bring the heat as a pass-rush specialist. Instead, he has been a cold, injured player who seldom touches the field.
Ten of 2003's 30 first-rounders have made the Pro Bowl: Palmer, Andre Johnson, Terrence Newman, Kevin Williams, Terrel Suggs, Marcus Trufant, Troy Polamalu, Willis McGahee, Larry Johnson, and Nnamdi Asomugha.
Ten out of 30 are quality NFL players. About another ten are total flops. The rest are, as Bill Parcells describes them, "just guys." Average players.
But, they are unproven, average players who made a mint as rookies. A mint they didn't deserve. But at least they did more than the total flops, anyway.
Paying 30 players who have yet to play in a pro game All-Pro-caliber wages is not a good business model, or a way to build a team.
Paying the proven players will make teams stronger and lead to better quality of play in the league, not to mention better team morale. First picks making piles of money and not producing can have a demoralizing effect on a team with veterans looking to get rewarded for superior performance.
Gene Upshaw knows what his old Oakland Raiders would have felt about an untested rookie being paid on a much higher wage scale than a proven, playoff veteran.
And if the guy's a loudmouth, overpaid, obnoxious flop, what then?
It would have been enjoyable to see what the old Raiders would have done to spoiled Ryan Leaf, but it likely would have involved a felony or three.
If a team ties up a salary-cap crippling amount of money in a first-round flop, it can be a burden for years. Top overall picks Alex Smith, David Carr, Tim Couch, Ki-Jana Carter, and Mike Vick all cost their teams dearly with their various degrees of spectacular failure.
Improve league-quality pay to the players who have performed.
Establish a rookie cap.
One heavily laden with incentives to reward rookie production, playing time, and positive impact on the team.
Too many rookies are taking the money and running...
Away from the field....