The Miami Dolphins signed Michigan tackle Jake Long to a five-year, $57.75 million deal that had a $3 million cap number. That contract left $3.538,400 for the other eight draft choices, which include two seconds and a third. The Chiefs with 12 picks had the highest pool. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3385956
I guess we're rolling the dice a little on putting all that money into these rookies, but hey we have so many unproven players that we have to get lucky on at least a few right? JK I think we'll be fine.
Rookie Pool Allocation: How is it possible that Cleveland gets 1/4th of what we have without any picks until round 4, and 5 picks total. Theres something wrong with the allotment system when theyre allowed about 1.8 mil and we're allowed only 6.53 to sign 9 picks total including #1 overall, 2 2nds, and a 3rd. Anyway heres the list. Have to question the NFL's sanity on this allotment thing though. Its simply not enough even when they get around the allotments with easy to achieve escalators and such. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3385956 Top 5: Team Picks Pool KC 12 $8,221,790 ATL 11 $7,918,670 MIA 9 $6,538,400 STL 8 $5,997,510 CHI 12 $5,791,190
Jake Long's 2008 cap number is $3 million, thus y'all have $3,538,400 left for the other draft picks and UDFAs signing bonus prorations
I couldn;t fathom how we were supposed to fit them under that amount either. The sad thing is, this is probably a combination of factors.. It might be the NFL trying to show veteran players that they are doing something to 'save' enough of the money for THEM to get paid... but this is not the solution... the solution is to fix the screwed up slotting system that overpays rookies irrespective of their position played, or the fact that they have proven nothig in the NFL. The assumption that they deserve giant contracts based on potential, and that if the cap goes up, they somehow DESERVE an proportionately higher piece of the cap just because it went up... both flawed assumptions to me. Anyways, the NFL doesn;t want to anger agents and rookies (who benefit from gross overpay in the current system) but they have to look like SOMETHING is holding the line to keep money available for vets, so maybe this is the back-door squeeze on teams to ake it harder to pay rookies obscene amounts. That way the commissioner's office need not legislate a solution. it transfers the pressure to the Front Offices, who can then squawk at the owners about it. Then the owners might actually agree to vote on doing something about it. Or that could be a wrong, conspiracy-type theory and maybe the league is just stupid with numbers. I find that hard to believe with how well the league runs it's business-side. Additionally, it sets up a situation where teams might be inclined to retain fewer of the rookies for the 53 man roster. If the pool allotment is too tight, maybe that marginal rookie doesn;t get signed and you take the vet player with a few years experience so you have more rookie pool space to sign the non-marginal guys. Again, a way to help vets by helping marginal vets win roster spots. hey, if you;re big on conspiracy theories, maybe the NFL wasn;t pleased that we announced our #1 overall four days before the draft, removing a lot of the anticipation from the potential TV audience the league was trying to build for it. Maybe they were annoyed enough to not be generous to us when allotting the rookie pool amounts. The honest answer, though, is I have no idea why our amount is so little. I say we cut Jake Long... that way we have space to sign our UDFAs. Bpk
They need to make the slotting system definitive like the NBA gives a year over year increase based on draft position not what the agents can negotiate. Thats how it should be handled. And so far as negotiating a solution...all i can say is the next cba comes up in a year or two and Im willing to bet the issue comes up. Hes got his hands full trying to create that solution....
I'll say. They picked the best defensive player, one of the best offensive linemen, and one of the best corners. If they get a quarterback, KC is going to be one of the young teams, along with the Chargers and Jags, that knock the Colts and Patriots off the top of the AFC.
