I take another perspective -- the NFL is the only major sports league that does not have guaranteed contracts -- that is, you cut a guy and you don't owe him a dime of what's left on his deal. So by that regard, a rookie who comes in and suffers a devastating injury that ends his career does not get the salaries from his contact in subsequent years. Similarly if you sign a guy to a deal with huge salaries and he's under performed, he can be cut and won't ever see the money.
Think of all the cuts and the years of deals that don't get paid out. That sort of situation saves NFL teams likely close to a billion dollars a year.
The trade off -- and one that the teams KNOW they have to make is that when you sign high picks and free agents that you have to guarantee part of the deal. That's a trade that I believe NFL owners gladly make. They want it this way. Is there risk? Sure. But overall, far less risk than having every deal guaranteed like in other sports.
