The NFL has to do something about RB compensation

[Silver Surfer]

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.

And the people who pay those engineers and others value their services at a given wage, thus establishing their worth in their respective labor markets...... just like the NFL owners establish the value of the players/positions in their market.... same thing.

Many NFL owners at this point are effectively saying, "We can win without a top tier RB". If something/someone causes them to change their minds, then they'll start paying more.

 

[Diehardblues]

how many superbowls between the two?

how many superbowl winners with top running game over the past 10 years...

NFL shouldn't intervene with making accomodations for any position. they make rules....like make passing easier...then the market adjusts...if they make rules that makes running easier, then teams adjust to the new rules and markets adjust....like I said in my post, FB position is almost non existant today...should NFL have done anything to save the FBs?

Some good points..

NFL curbed the passing rules to produce a more fringe fan friendly game with scoring and protect the most valuable component in the QB.

It’s not likely they’d curb the rules for Rushing unless it presented similar benefits to the game.

And I’d agree. Rushing in the NFL doesn’t carry the same weight . Most of these teams which have had success with Rushing had a dominant defense and in most cases a less than Elite QB.

I can see how this would be more attractive to our fan base now especially since we’ll need to win without an Elite QB and Prolific Passing offense.

But I’d agree I’m not sure this will be a growing trend except for those teams without an Elite QB. Which isn’t the norm for the top teams as we saw last year with NE, KC, NO and LA.

We have one of the worst passing offenses for most of the playoff teams ( at least final 8)and struggle scoring so defense and rushing game is our strength now.

 

[bsbellomy]

Ya, I feel really bad for NFL running backs. Make separate rules for running backs and you’re opening a HUGE can of worms. Having said that, it’ll never happen.

It would obviously take something the NFLPA would agree to. I'd say remove a year from the rookie contract for RB's at least.

 

[Floatyworm]

You guys saying RBs should have shorter contracts at the draft are just setting them up to be drafted much later and thus make less money!

Good point...still...I think the cream will rise to the top....and the top backs will get drafted high...just a couple in the first 2 rounds.

 

[bsbellomy]

I think it should be tied to snaps played and production somehow.

A 5th-round pick like Richard Sherman or Josh Norman shouldn't have to play four seasons to get compensated to what their draft position should have been. That's a lot of uncompensated risk they have to take.

And Dak is WAY under-compensated given how much he's played. No, he's not worth $35 million, but he's worth far more than what he's getting.

There should be a way to correct player personnel idiocy.

The whole point of drafting well is so you don't have to pay those guys for awhile. Why punish those who draft well? RB I am on board with you, they take more punishment than any other position and have far shorter careers than any other position.

 

[Diehardblues]

And the people who pay those engineers and others value their services at a given wage, thus establishing their worth in their respective labor markets...... just like the NFL owners establish the value of the players/positions in their market.... same thing.

Many NFL owners at this point are effectively saying, "We can win without a top tier RB". If something/someone causes them to change their minds, then they'll start paying more.

I think they’d all like a top tier RB but unwilling to alter their Cap to retain one. Meaning the answer is in the draft.

It’s a position most feel is the easiest to come in and make a more immediate impact or contribution. And most would agree. There appears to be rare exceptions.

Elliott is probably one of those exceptions. We’re not likely to replace his talent level with a mid to later pick. The difference is not all good teams QB’s are as dependent on their RB. This creates a different scenario for us.

And make no mistake. Elliott’s talent level keeps defenses more honest with Dak. I’m not sure a Pollard delivers the same impact.

 

[bsbellomy]

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.

Is there somewhere in your set of parameters that says you can't also reduce the length of contracts for later picks as well?

 

[bsbellomy]

I’m not sure a Pollard delivers the same impact.

Wow, how in the world would you arrive at that conclusion?

 

[Diehardblues]

The whole point of drafting well is so you don't have to pay those guys for awhile. Why punish those who draft well? RB I am on board with you, they take more punishment than any other position and have far shorter careers than any other position.

I tend to agree with this. Shouldn’t punish teams for drafting well. But as I mentioned earlier set new guidelines for salaries and length of contracts in each round similar to how we separate 1st round picks.

 

[Diehardblues]

Wow, how in the world would you arrive at that conclusion?

We‘ve actually had some fans who seem fine going with Pollard and why felt warranted being mentioned despite how obvious.

 

[Diehardblues]

[


Seattle won one Super Bowl and would have won a second if not for a horrible play call on the goal line.

That’s right.

But also worth noting ; if Packers hadn’t fumbled the Champ game wouldn’t have made it to SB. Seahawks were very fortunate that year. Not the dominate performance they had in SB win previously.

 

[dfense]

7 million is extremely low for a 10+ year veteran NFL player, especially with the workload and number of times he's been tackled.

You don't compare NFL players to working class civilians... that's dumb as rocks.

Tell Adrian Peterson that. And last time I checked, football players are civilians to.

 

[DFWJC]

That’s why they can renegotiate if their talent far exceeds. Plus the lower draft picks are only tied to a 4 year Rookie contract.

But this is part of the new format which is IMO much better for the teams than previously with grossly over paying higher draft picks before we saw their performance or contribution.

Cannot renegotiate a rookie deal, but I think after 3 years you can start working out an extension

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

It was not that long ago when RB's commanded some of the largest contracts in the NFL. Like everything else in the NFL, its cyclical. It would be asinine for the NFL to try and manipulate salaries beyond what the natural market value is determining current salaries.

 

[BigD49]

Life's not fair /end thread

 

[xwalker]

not a fair comparison given no one will pay $300.00 to watch those types do their job

Is the concept really that difficult?

It's not fair that a guy that has purchased $100 per week of lottery tickets that his neighbor wins the lottery after purchasing 1 ticket ever.

It"s not fair that Garrett was "gifted" the job while similar coaches never get a chance at an NFL HC job.

Obviously we all understand free market economics in the USA.

In reality true unregulated free market economics would NOT result in the mega-contracts. The government artificially props up players by forcing anti-monopoly policies onto sports leagues.

If the NFL had structured itself as 1 company with each owner a 1/32nd shareholder, they could have set salaries at whatever they they wanted. The only option for players would be a start-up rival league. The NFL would have to pay enough to keep other leagues from successfully taking NFL players.

The NFL should avoid blocking a rival league like the upcoming XFL.

Then the NFL could reorganize into 1 company with shareholders without being a monopoly if there was a rival league. As a single company the NFL could set salaries across the board. Players would have the option to go to the XFL if they didn't like it.

Starter type players would still get paid more than average Americans but it would be far below today's NFL salaries.

On the flip side US policy allows US jobs to be outsourced to countries where the employers don't have to pay US income tax. US companies have shell companies in other countries that hire cheap labor and don't pay any US tax. The US company can then "hire" that company and it's labor force cheaply because that company and workers are not burdened by US taxes. The money paid by the US company is deducted from the US company's income and therefore no tax is paid on it from that perspective either.

 

[Diehardblues]

Cannot renegotiate a rookie deal, but I think after 3 years you can start working out an extension

By negotiating I mean holding out for a new contract which Elliott might be doing or sign a new contract early like Dak is possibly doing.

So there are unconventional ways in renegotiating a Rookie contract. Not very many players would be in position obviously.

 

[erod]

Wow, how in the world would you arrive at that conclusion?

Pollard is a much smaller and slimmer guy than Zeke.

Darnell Henderson carried most of the load at Memphis. Pollard was the "Tavon Austin" of their team.

Henderson carried the ball 214 times. Pollard was third on the team in carries with only 78.

 

[Lutonio]

And the people who pay those engineers and others value their services at a given wage, thus establishing their worth in their respective labor markets...... just like the NFL owners establish the value of the players/positions in their market.... same thing.

Many NFL owners at this point are effectively saying, "We can win without a top tier RB". If something/someone causes them to change their minds, then they'll start paying more.

Nailed it. And this gets even worse if the Patriots keep winning without an elite running back. Who would you guys say has been closest to elite level for them during this run? I'm actually curious what the consensus is.

The Steelers lose Leveon and hit something like #4 in total offense

Meanwhile. You have players like AP. He's the best running back in maybe the last 15 orn20 years, and he has no championship to show for it.

 

[Diehardblues]

Is the concept really that difficult?

It's not fair that a guy that has purchased $100 per week of lottery tickets that his neighbor wins the lottery after purchasing 1 ticket ever.

It"s not fair that Garrett was "gifted" the job while similar coaches never get a chance at an NFL HC job.

Obviously we all understand free market economics in the USA.

In reality true unregulated free market economics would NOT result in the mega-contracts. The government artificially props up players by forcing anti-monopoly policies onto sports leagues.

If the NFL had structured itself as 1 company with each owner a 1/32nd shareholder, they could have set salaries at whatever they they wanted. The only option for players would be a start-up rival league. The NFL would have to pay enough to keep other leagues from successfully taking NFL players.

The NFL should avoid blocking a rival league like the upcoming XFL.

Then the NFL could reorganize into 1 company with shareholders without being a monopoly if there was a rival league. As a single company the NFL could set salaries across the board. Players would have the option to go to the XFL if they didn't like it.

Starter type players would still get paid more than average Americans but it would be far below today's NFL salaries.

On the flip side US policy allows US jobs to be outsourced to countries where the employers don't have to pay US income tax. US companies have shell companies in other countries that hire cheap labor and don't pay any US tax. The US company can then "hire" that company and it's labor force cheaply because that company and workers are not burdened by US taxes. The money paid by the US company is deducted from the US company's income and therefore no tax is paid on it from that perspective either.

The Anti Trust exemption protects the NFL enabling them to effectively operate as a legal Monopoly.