Rookie Contracts: The Next Battlefield?

[Plankton]

One interesting angle to the capless season is that of the rookie wage scale. Near as I can tell, there is no rookie "signing pool" this time around, as there had been in the past when the cap was in place. This means that the owners can spend whatever they want when it comes to signing rookies.

This cuts both ways. While they can spend as much as they want, they can also lowball the offers to rookies. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out - this could be the next battlefield in the CBA discussions. Will the owners look to keep the same slotting system used in the recent past, or will holdouts be more protracted this time around as owners hold the line on salaries?

To me, the fact that Bradford has had no conversations about salary with the Rams, despite being the clear cut top overall pick since his pro day, is an indicator that this process could be far different than we have seen in years.

Thoughts?

 

[Yeagermeister]

Rookie cap....nuff said

 

[speedkilz88]

The rookie cap is here to stay. The owners are never going back on that. I thought it was funny that Jerry made sure that Eugene Parker was going to negotiate a contract for Dez at #24 before making the pick. Because of the Crabtree holdout last year.

 

[The Quest for Six]

there will be a rookie slotted salary cap, the owners won't agree to a new CBA without it, even Goodell said when asked over the weekend that there needs to be a rookie slotted salary, makes no sense to reward rrokies when they ar unproven, even the veteran players want it, agents don't for sure, but what else would you expect from them.

 

[Plankton]

The larger point here isn't what will be agreed to in the next CBA, but how the signings play out now. None of what has been mentioned is currently in place - there's no rookie signing pool and no rookie cap. The negotiations have the real potential to be acrimonious and lengthy.

 

[speedkilz88]

The larger point here isn't what will be agreed to in the next CBA, but how the signings play out now. None of what has been mentioned is currently in place - there's no rookie signing pool and no rookie cap. The negotiations have the real potential to be acrimonious and lengthy.

There is a rookie pool dude.