The NFL has to do something about RB compensation

OmerV

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id rather see them do something about the ridiculous QB salaries. Hey fix that position, and it will allow teams to pay RB better. Bottom line is no way in hell will a single position have special rules in regards to salary cap.

What can they do? The owners can't legally collude to keep salaries down, and if a player is a free agent he has the legal right to seek the highest bidder. The teams are lucky to even have a salary cap, which the NFLPU agrees to in exchange for other concessions.
 

Whyjerry

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Full disclosure, I'm a running back guy. Love the running game. Emmitt is my favorite Cowboy of all time. Most of my all-time favorite football players are running backs.

That said, the NFL has to do something for these guys contractually. The system is WAY unfair for them.

Most draft picks that become great players take a good while to get there, often 2-3 years or more at the pro level. Then, they're rewarded with a HUGE contract after their rookie deal, and often another huge contract or two after after that one.

But not running backs.

Highly-drafted running backs are generally elite the moment they arrive at rookie OTAs. They're already about as good as they'll ever be, and they step right in and dominate from day one.

Gurley, Peterson, Sanders, Gore, George, Emmitt, Barkley, Zeke, McCoy, Andrews, Dickerson, McCutcheon, Campbell, Sims, Payton, and Dorsett (when Landry finally got over himself and put Tony in for good). There are hundreds of examples of them.

And now Zeke Elliott, who, off-field issues aside, is the most impactful player on the team and has been since his opening game. He's usually the best player on the field in any given game.

The league needs to address the fact that rookie running backs are WAY underpaid compared to the impact other players have initially, and the second contract potential those players have in comparison to running backs.

Often, these backs are a huge percentage of their teams offense, but take such a beating early that they go downhill quickly and never get paid like other players. They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

That needs to change because I don't want to see the best young running backs youth football insist on being converted to other positions over earning potential. Used to be that the best players wanted to play running back. Now, it's like financial death sentence.

Perhaps some sort of cap exception to pay them better? A different rookie scale for running backs to go with it? It's got to be simple to address.

Save the position. Pay these guys.

I agree but you can’t advantage one position vs another. The answer is probably changing the rookie contract length. No more of these 5th year options. I think you make the max rookie contract 3 years with a team/player 4th year option. Both parties have to agree if not player becomes a FA. People will argue about the QB position but presumably by year 3 you know what you got and should be locking that player up. It is a mess. Totally unfair to RBs.
 

OmerV

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I could certainly see the the next CBA addressing the length of rookie contacts as a way to mediate this.

The average length of career by position, combined with the average years before starting by position, therefore adjusting the length of rookie contracts so that a more fair percentage of the average career is discounted.

This is a reasonable thought, however even aside from opposition by the owners who want long rookie contracts, I could also see some opposition from the NFLPA. The NFLPA is working for the existing veterans, who far outnumber the rookies, and whose wants are going to outweigh those of future players/rookies not yet in the league. The veterans want there to be more money for them, rather than teams eating up salary cap on unproven rookies who haven't put the blood and sweat into the league they have. But perhaps the NFLPA would at least agree to one less year on rookie contracts.
 

Trendnet

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4. How about honoring your contract and then cashing in?

NFL GM/Owner cuts a player because they feel he isn't playing up to his contract/performance has slipped etc; I see no comments about 'honoring contracts'.

A player feels he isn't getting paid for his production/worth and wants a new contract it's all "OmGZZ, HonOuR yoUR ConRAct!"

I wonder why that is.
 

LatinMind

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Full disclosure, I'm a running back guy. Love the running game. Emmitt is my favorite Cowboy of all time. Most of my all-time favorite football players are running backs.

That said, the NFL has to do something for these guys contractually. The system is WAY unfair for them.

Most draft picks that become great players take a good while to get there, often 2-3 years or more at the pro level. Then, they're rewarded with a HUGE contract after their rookie deal, and often another huge contract or two after after that one.

But not running backs.

Highly-drafted running backs are generally elite the moment they arrive at rookie OTAs. They're already about as good as they'll ever be, and they step right in and dominate from day one.

Gurley, Peterson, Sanders, Gore, George, Emmitt, Barkley, Zeke, McCoy, Andrews, Dickerson, McCutcheon, Campbell, Sims, Payton, and Dorsett (when Landry finally got over himself and put Tony in for good). There are hundreds of examples of them.

And now Zeke Elliott, who, off-field issues aside, is the most impactful player on the team and has been since his opening game. He's usually the best player on the field in any given game.

The league needs to address the fact that rookie running backs are WAY underpaid compared to the impact other players have initially, and the second contract potential those players have in comparison to running backs.

Often, these backs are a huge percentage of their teams offense, but take such a beating early that they go downhill quickly and never get paid like other players. They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

That needs to change because I don't want to see the best young running backs youth football insist on being converted to other positions over earning potential. Used to be that the best players wanted to play running back. Now, it's like financial death sentence.

Perhaps some sort of cap exception to pay them better? A different rookie scale for running backs to go with it? It's got to be simple to address.

Save the position. Pay these guys.
You dont see guys getting paid big because there really isnt many great RBs like Elliot, Bell, Barkley. Gurley was great but he will never be what he was. This was the thing with him when he was drafted and everybody knew it was coming because of the seriousness of his injury. It came quick and ill be suprised if he is 70% of what he was.

RBs are being paid by committee for the most part in the nfl because thats what they are now. Position by committee unless you have one of the 4 guys mentioned. Gurley got paid, Bell got paid, Elliot will get paid as will Barkley. Kamara will most likely get paid but i doubt like the top guys. He had 1 100yrd game in 2018 and wa under 70 yrds in 11 games. and that was with Ingram missing 4 games. Kamara only had 238 more yrds too.

The guys who are great are getting paid, they are just a few of them the rest are replaceable.
 

Hawkeye0202

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You dont see guys getting paid big because there really isnt many great RBs like Elliot, Bell, Barkley. Gurley was great but he will never be what he was. This was the thing with him when he was drafted and everybody knew it was coming because of the seriousness of his injury. It came quick and ill be suprised if he is 70% of what he was.

RBs are being paid by committee for the most part in the nfl because thats what they are now. Position by committee unless you have one of the 4 guys mentioned. Gurley got paid, Bell got paid, Elliot will get paid as will Barkley. Kamara will most likely get paid but i doubt like the top guys. He had 1 100yrd game in 2018 and wa under 70 yrds in 11 games. and that was with Ingram missing 4 games. Kamara only had 238 more yrds too.

The guys who are great are getting paid, they are just a few of them the rest are replaceable.

Good post.......many try to compare Zeke risk to Gurley but as you mention, Gurley had knee issues coming out of college.
 

LatinMind

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Good post.......many try to compare Zeke risk to Gurley but as you mention, Gurley had knee issues coming out of college.
Yup, the Rams have already said Hurley isnt going to be the workhorse going forward. And the team has already been gasing up Henderson as Gurleys replacement. Actually pretty disrespectful to him IMO.
 

TwentyOne

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They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

Ultra critical to me means the RB position in common is more valuable to a teams success than most other positions. Do i get your sentence right ?

If i am right can you show me stats that prove your thesis ? Like this RB was the leading rusher in this year and thats why his team won the SB.

Then can you give me a list in order which positions are more and less ultra critical to a teams success compared to the RB position? For instance is the OL less or more critical to the success of a team then the RB position.

For the list, lets assume all positions to compare with play at the same talent level. That means all are average or all are great. But not the RB is great and the QB is very medicore.
 

Lutonio

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If I died tomorrow, my company would have my job posted on the following Monday. I do excellent work, but often times people are ultimately replaceable.

The truth is that RBs are 99% replaceable. The market pays what they're valued.
 

Swanny

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The only way to help this is to eliminate the salary cap. The players would benefit from no salary cap. The owners would be foolish to eliminate the salary cap. The salary cap will never disappear.
 

John813

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Running backs aren't paid as high cause supply > demand.
Quarterbacks get 30mil cause supply << demand.

Elite RB's will still get paid. Won't reach the DE/QB market, but that's cause they aren't worth that amount. Just what it is.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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Every team I played on tried to turn me into a water boy!


Yeah, but that Dude is awesome!


ashamedillfatedbongo
 

DFWJC

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About 10,000,000 people in the US are capable of being engineers, military personnel, and firemen.

About 20 are capable of being an above average running back in the NFL.

Compensation is reflected by the ability to produce more money than you make and how difficult it is to replace you.
Im sure his point was based on importance.

The world goes around just fine if football did not even exist. Zero loss really. People would just find another form of entertainment.

Capitalism has done more great things for mankind—as far as raising standard of living, curing more diseases, improving technology, feeding billions, etc—but a weird quirk is that it wildly overpays enertainment too.
Just a quirky side effect of free choice in a free market
 

HungryLion

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I understand this. I mean, I don't begrudge them either, for wanting to make money but I can not say that I agree with Zeke here. He signed a contract and he's been treated better then a lot of guys who play the same position so play out your deal and then, if you want to make more, go find a team who will pay you more. If that isn't a reality, then the market has spoken. It's not like Zeke has been playing for Bell money. Not trying to say that this is what you are saying in your post, just trying to convey a point.

Fair enough. Although I’m still waiting to see if Zeke does in fact hold out.

He may not even hold out. His camp may be using the possibility of a hold out as a negotiation tactic, but not actually hold out. Which I could understand using that tactic.

We don’t really know until it happens.
 

Hawkeye0202

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Fair enough. Although I’m still waiting to see if Zeke does in fact hold out.

He may not even hold out. His camp may be using the possibility of a hold out as a negotiation tactic, but not actually hold out. Which I could understand using that tactic.

We don’t really know until it happens.

This the part I don't understand. Why would he need a negotiating tactic when Stephen has already 1. said he deserves more than Gurley ( highest paid at the time) and 2. promise to take care of him as soon as a couple other priority contracts are taken care of. Just find it hard to believe Zeke people understand this. I can see them having every intention of playing THIS year w/o any contract adjustment but sending a clear message things WILL be different next year and don't even think about DeMarco Murraying me (lol).
 

Outlaw Heroes

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2. Stop with the tired signing a contract if not going to honor it. NFL teams terminate player contracts all the time, all year long. Why do they sign them, if they aren’t going to honor them? Unless of course you think the NFL should have guaranteed contracts like MLB, NHL and NBA.

There is such a thing as terminating a contract in accordance with its terms. (That’s what NFL teams do.) It should be distinguished from refusing to fulfill the contract by withholding your services (in other words, holding out) which, by its very nature, cannot be in accordance with the terms of the contract.

It’s actually you making the oft-repeated but ill-conceived argument in this case.
 

aikemirv

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Understand the point but don't think it is a situation that you can fix. The 5 year deal/option that Zeke has is a bit unfair but I don't know if that is NFLPA driven or not. Not familiar with those rules. Length of first contract would the the best way to fix for the RB but that will just result in a lower draft position and less money.

Fact is that Leveon shot himself in the foot with the suspension issues and Zeke may have with his behavior issues. Without them Dallas might open the pocket books a little more freely.

Supply/demand and offensive schemes have driven the RB position to what it is today. The only way to change that would be to let DB get more aggressive and bring the game back closer to what it was.
 
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