The NFL and the players' union continue to haggle over a new collective bargaining agreement. However, they have reportedly agreed on a rookie wage scale. According to Yahoo! Sports, the two sides have agreed to smaller guaranteed money and signing bonuses for draft picks four-year contracts for first-round draft picks and three-year contracts for players selected after thef first round. Per the report, NFL teams would still be allowed to place restricted free agent tenders on players after three years. “We all saw the problem with the current system, but you have to give a guy a chance to get paid if he’s a good player,†one source said. “After three years, you pretty much know if a guy is a good player.†Plus, teams want stronger language and the NFLPA is expected to be amenable to giving teams the chance to get money back when players have legal problems. Source: National Football Post
Kind of risky to take a QB in the second round now unless you're going to throw him out there to play practically from the get go...
Well the QB would still be a restricted free agent after his 3rd year. So if he panned out you can put a 1st and 3rd tender on him and get a chance to match. Not surprised this happened though, for the players to take less money then they needed less years in return. Since the argument is not wanting to overpay for unproven players then it shouldn't be a problem for owners, plus it's better for the guys who actually end up being quality players. More money will be available to them.
Agreed. But it's another small step in the right direction. Ultimately, the owners are going to have to open the books and they don't seem willing to do so...
True. But the time frame is so short for that position, that the player may never see the field or get enough snaps to get an accurate gauge on whether or not he is worth the money.
