Sam Bradford at the 2010 NFL Draft
In light of today’s high salaried athletes, the NFL has seen the rookie contracts balloon to outrageous numbers. For instance, the number 1 pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, QB Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma University signed a 6 year 86 million dollar contract with 50 million dollars guaranteed. (BEFORE PLAYING AN NFL GAME!!!) He became the highest paid player on the St. Louis Rams that night, I wonder how the veterans on the team felt? The second pick of the 2010 NFL draft DT Ndamukong Suh out of the University of Nebraska signed a 5 year 68 million dollar contract with $40 million guaranteed. (BEFORE PLAYING AN NFL GAME!!!)
Now as we travel further down the list of the 2010 NFL draft we find that the 32nd pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, CB Patrick Robinson out of Florida State University signed a 5 yr 12 million dollar contract with 7 million dollars guaranteed. The very last pick of the NFL draft also known as “Mr. Irrelevant” Tim Toone a WR out of Weber State, signed with the Detroit Lions for 3 years 1.2 million dollars with a $26,000 signing bonus, I have no argument there.
Now, as we diverge to the NBA we examine that the contract of the 2010 No. 1 pick, John Wall was 2 years 9 million dollars with 3rd and 4th year team options. The expostulation here is that NFL management has no recourse if they find out the player can not play in the NFL so there should be a rookie salary scale like the NBA which give the players and owners options.
For example, in the 2009 NFL Draft the Miami Dolphins selected former University of West Virginia QB, Pat White in the second round and signed him to a multiyear contract worth 4.5 million dollars with 2.4 million dollars guaranteed. He spent the season as a 3rd string and Wild Cat QB and was cut at the beginning of the 2010 NFL season. Personally, I think Pat White can be a good NFL player but Pat White is now playing Major League baseball in the Kansas City Royals farm system. If they had to do it all over again, would the Dolphins have spent 2.4 million dollars on that asset?
Pat White as a Miami Dolphin
Aquil “Quil” Bayyan of The War Room, for War Room Sports
