Earlier this week the Patriots signed their first member of the 2008 draft class, sixth rounder LB Bo Ruud. It's a four-year deal that will pay him a base salary ranging from $295,000 this year to $550,000 in 2011.
Expect the contract for first round draft pick LB Jerod Mayo to dwarf those numbers.
In fact, don't be surprised if he's the highest paid LB on this team, ahead of veterans Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Adalius Thomas. That's probably what it will take to sign the 10th pick overall.
Don't blame Mayo. It's the going rate. The contract for first pick overall Jake Long made him the highest paid OT in the game. Third pick overall, QB Matt Ryan, reached an agreement with the Atlanta Falcons that pays him more than two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.
The numbers are ludicrous. There's something very wrong with the system as-is. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners want a rookie salary cap, and they are not alone.
Veteran players see the money thrown at players that haven't played a down are wondering if they will get their fair share. They played a few years and deserve to earn more. But if first round rookies are taking a significant chunk out of the salary cap, it reduces the money that could go to vets that played a few years and earned a bigger piece of the pie.
The only person who disagrees is NFL Players Association President Gene Upshaw. He thinks bigger rookie contracts are good because it will increase the contracts of veteran players.
In a sense, he's right. The elite players in the league will be able to cash in. Brady can go to Scott Pioli and say, "You see what Matt Ryan is making? I should make more than him!" Or Walter Jones in Seattle could say, "Hey! I'm a two-time Pro Bowler. Long ain't done nuthin'! Give me mine!"
But the David Garrards, Jeff Garcias, Mike Gandys, and Ephraim Salaams, they may never get their share. And don't even think about valuable back-ups that form the foundation of every team. They'll be turned away like at the ticket window when it's sold out.
The league owners already unanimously voted to open the collective bargaining agreement made with the union. A rookie salary cap will be part of the negotiations. Hopefully Upshaw listens to the players and agrees to a rookie cap as part of his concessions.
Then Upshaw can handle the minor things, like the league salary cap and the players' share of revenue.
Keywords: Adalius Thomas, Bo Ruud, David Garrard, Ephraim Salaam, Gene Upshaw, Jake Long, Jeff Garcia, Jerod Mayo, Matt Ryan, Mike Gandy, Mike Vrabel, Roger Goodell, Tedy Bruschi, Tom Brady, Walter Jones
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