Fix the rookie cap at the next CBA

[DHCBF66]

I am really upset with the whole Zeke hold out thing and it got me to thinking. At the next CBA signing owners should make it clear that when a rookie signs his deal he plays out the 4 years and can only get a new deal while playing under will the 5th year option. The new deal starts in year 6! I can see players wanting more $$$ but 1st rounders are paid pretty well and the 5th year option pays them a lot more $$$. Make these guys honor their contracts!

 

[conner01]

I am really upset with the whole Zeke hold out thing and it got me to thinking. At the next CBA signing owners should make it clear that when a rookie signs his deal he plays out the 4 years and can only get a new deal while playing under will the 5th year option. The new deal starts in year 6! I can see players wanting more $$$ but 1st rounders are paid pretty well and the 5th year option pays them a lot more $$$. Make these guys honor their contracts!

What if player doesn’t get or qualify for 5th year option

 

[DHCBF66]

What if player doesn’t get or qualify for 5th year option

Regardless, you sign a rookie deal you play it out, you sign a 3 year deal then you get paid in the 4th year, you sign a 4 year deal, no new contract till the 5th year. This is what I mean by "fixing it". Teams have 1st option to sign players they drafted, maybe more time to sign them, work it out!

 

[Future]

You're not trying to fix the rookie cap. You're trying to....tell players to stop holding out.

The rookie cap absolutely does need to get fixed so that players don't hold out. But it has to go the opposite way. Should be either a player option 5th year or team option 4th year and then free agency. Asking Zeke, Saquon, whoever to play for under-market value for 5 years is absurd.

 

[G2]

Running backs have an average career of under 4 seasons. If they are playing at an elite level for 2 or 3 they should be able to negotiate for more.
People don't realize the pounding they take.

 

[aikemirv]

You're not trying to fix the rookie cap. You're trying to....tell players to stop holding out.

The rookie cap absolutely does need to get fixed so that players don't hold out. But it has to go the opposite way. Should be either a player option 5th year or team option 4th year and then free agency. Asking Zeke, Saquon, whoever to play for under-market value for 5 years is absurd.

Yeah, I agree with that. If I were the owners I would then ask for a 2 yr franchise tag rate guaranteed at a discount versus the 1yr tag. Which means the player gets the guaranteed money for 2 yrs to give him some security at top dollar

 

[Altestic]

I just laugh at the morons who always side with the players who think they can't live on 7 figures because it's not 8 figures when almost everyone else is happy to work on 6 figures.

 

[Doomsday101]

I am really upset with the whole Zeke hold out thing and it got me to thinking. At the next CBA signing owners should make it clear that when a rookie signs his deal he plays out the 4 years and can only get a new deal while playing under will the 5th year option. The new deal starts in year 6! I can see players wanting more $$$ but 1st rounders are paid pretty well and the 5th year option pays them a lot more $$$. Make these guys honor their contracts!

Players Union could say fine make it 3 years on a rookie deal. 2 sides have to come to the agreement not just what owners want or what players want

 

[GoCowboysGo]

I am really upset with the whole Zeke hold out thing and it got me to thinking. At the next CBA signing owners should make it clear that when a rookie signs his deal he plays out the 4 years and can only get a new deal while playing under will the 5th year option. The new deal starts in year 6! I can see players wanting more $$$ but 1st rounders are paid pretty well and the 5th year option pays them a lot more $$$. Make these guys honor their contracts!

Are you also advocating the same for Owners? They have to honor the full length of the contract they signed as well, no matter how the player performs, injuries or stupidity?

 

[RodeoJake]

I'd be in favor of an opt out after 3 years clause if a rookie becomes top 5 at his position. The owners would never agree to that though.

 

[gmoney112]

Zeke pretty much guaranteed that the owners will 100% use rookies "holding out" with two years left on their deal as an issue in the next CBA.

And vets will largely be against rookies doing it. So, owners and vets will likely come to some other concession on veteran stuff to swing the pendulum on the rooks.

It'll be interesting to see how they handle it.

 

[John813]

I'd be in favor of an opt out after 3 years clause if a rookie becomes top 5 at his position. The owners would never agree to that though.

UFA after three years? Or, RFA after 3 years?

How do you define top 5? Especially for the "non skill" positions like offensive line?

Owners would have to get something big back to lose 1 year of cheap play to ever consider that.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The answer to “fixing it” is to make the players not want to hold out to begin with. But your answer is to just piss the players off more and show them who’s boss. Not smart.

 

[Jipper]

2 words, one name.....Jamarcus Russell....its fixed as is...no way are we going back to that kind of nonsense

 

[MrPhil]

I would like to see a sort of "soft salary cap" implemented that allows teams to go a certain % above to keep their own, drafted players. As a fan it sucks to see your team draft well, only to see those players leave because the team can't afford to keep them all.

Probably not realistic or easily implemented but........

 

[CowboyinMD]

Running backs have an average career of under 4 seasons. If they are playing at an elite level for 2 or 3 they should be able to negotiate for more.
People don't realize the pounding they take.

Absolutely. Unfortunately for them, especially Zeke, you offer a contract for what's expected of you performance -wise going forward, not a reward for what you've done at this point. On one hand, I totally get what Zeke is doing, but at the same time I also agree with Stephen in not wanting to be a "trend setter" and break the bank whilst Zeke still has two years on that contract.

 

[slick325]

Players must "honor" the contract BUT the team can release a player with years left on a deal because it can help them cap-wise, and that is "honorable"?

How about, these are millionaires or soon to be millionaires versus billionaires...let them conduct their business accordingly and the fans take it less personally.

 

[uvaballa]

Only thing that may make the players happy is to get rid of the 5th year option for first rounders. Then the owners would need something in return like players who sit out while under contract must pay back large chunks of their signing bonus or something.

 

[conner01]

Running backs have an average career of under 4 seasons. If they are playing at an elite level for 2 or 3 they should be able to negotiate for more.
People don't realize the pounding they take.

I don’t know how you structure it but I think something different for a RB would solve some of these gold outs and possibly get more RB drafted early

 

[conner01]

Regardless, you sign a rookie deal you play it out, you sign a 3 year deal then you get paid in the 4th year, you sign a 4 year deal, no new contract till the 5th year. This is what I mean by "fixing it". Teams have 1st option to sign players they drafted, maybe more time to sign them, work it out!

I get your goal
But you can’t force a player to play
Just not sure how you make it work but it is a big problem