A rookie wage scale is likely to be included whenever the NFL owners and the players' union agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement and John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach who has retired from broadcasting games, believes it's an idea whose time has come. "Everyone feels that needs to be corrected," Madden told the Los Angeles Times. "It just got slanted the wrong way, and I think they have to bring it back. This is the bigger question: If you take it away for the rookies, then who do you give it to? Do you give it to the owners where they make more money? Do you give it to the veteran players who are deep in their career? Do you give it to the retired players? Maybe you give it to the fans, think they'll get any?" Madden is a special advisor to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Asked to predict whether a lockout is coming in 2011, Madden wasn't sure. "I sure hope so," he said. "Usually these things, they drag-race to the cliff. The game is so good right now, and any place where it's not real good we are working to make it better. I just hope they don't screw it up." Source: National Football Post
I am absolutely in favor for a rookie wage scale. Incentive based contracts all over the place. Guaranteed money for the first "X" amount of players and that needs to be capped as well.
