NFL Rookie Salary Cap

What would happen if some snot nosed 15 year old was hired at Wal-Mart and their starting wages were equal or higher to proven Wal-Mart employees? Or what if the new secretary was given a starting salary higher than the manager? How many fresh out of college Doctor’s or Lawyers pull down more than established professionals?

These are moot questions because it won’t happen. But in the NFL it does and there has never been rhyme or reason for it. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying professional athletes are overpaid. Because their salary is commensurate with the revenue that the industry generates. That is not the problem here.

The fact is that as enamored as sports fans and the sports media is with College sports it doesn’t change reality. Even at Division I football schools, the level of talent and play is not even close to the NFL level. So while their are obviously a handful of college players that will succeed at the NFL level, they should not be financially rewarded for what they do at the College level.

Understandably the order in which they are drafted will be influenced based on past performance and that is reasonable to expect. However even that is misleading. More often than not later round picks out perform first rounders. Part of the reason for that is that the so called college super stars are helped by the school and program they are in. For example if you go to USC, Florida, Texas, Ohio State or any other mega football school, you have a leg up on your peers. As QB at a big time school has an enormous opportunity to shine because they are throwing and handing off to higher recruited athletes. Or a running back is running behind superior offensive lineman compared to other schools.

Take Reggie Bush. While he is not a bust at the NFL level, it is obvious that part of his success at USC was enhanced by a superior level team compared to the rest of the PAC 10 and able to compete with the other elite schools. He does not have that advantage at the NFL level. And there is an endless number of examples like that.

Then take the fact that James Harrison, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year was not even drafted in 2002. In contrast the first overall pick in 2002 was David Carr. How did that workout? And again this is not a rare example.

Now let’s compare the salaries of the two? Or do we really need to? We all know who got the big pay day.

Frankly the NFL Players Union should be embarrassed. What happened to representing your members? All your members. Wouldn’t you give preference to Union members that have time served over unproven non-members? That’s right, they are not members when they are drafted.

I want to puke every time I see a first rounder immediately become one of the highest paid players on the team. And screw the Agents too. Why don’t they stand up for their veteran clients? Enough is enough, get the Rookie cap.

I am not suggesting that veterans past their prime should be overpaid either. But at least they have proven something and have a legitimate NFL resume.

How many more frauds have to be paid $10,000,000 plus signing bonuses before the Union and the Owners tell the agents and the Rookies to earn their money at the NFL level not the Junior circuit.