The Lone Holdout

[Beantown Bronco]

NFL team executives are watching the negotiations between the Jacksonville Jaguars and first-round holdout Derrick Harvey with great interest. Ultimately, they’re monitoring whether the traditional “cliffs” for rookie contracts will be maintained.

Or whether teams will continue to act as if they have no choice but to jump off those cliffs.

In recent years, there had been a significant gap between how much guaranteed money was received at the No. 3 and No. 4 slots. The same applied between the No. 7 and No. 8 picks. However, in part because of a salary cap that’s grown from $85.5 million in 2005 to $116 million for this upcoming season, rookies drafted in the top 10 are increasingly cashing in and the line of divisions are threatening to be diminished.

For example, Sedrick Ellis signed a reported five-year, $49 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. The No. 7 overall pick received a reported $19.5 million guaranteed, up from the $17 million guaranteed that Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson received in the same slot last year.

Jamaal Anderson signed a reported five-year deal worth $31 million that included $15.4 million guaranteed as the eighth overall pick with the Falcons last year. Yet, Harvey’s representatives are apparently seeking terms close to that of Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard ($18 million guaranteed), according to a report in The Florida Times-Union last week.

With Cincinnati’s signing of linebacker Keith Rivers Tuesday, Harvey is the last unsigned first-round pick.

“The deals in front of [Harvey] are outrageous,” Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio told the newspaper. “What’s happening at the top of the first round is ridiculous.”

Starting with the $30 million guarantee for No. 1 overall pick Jake Long of the Dolphins on a five-year contract and continuing with a record $34.5 million as part of a six-year deal for No. 3 pick Matt Ryan, each of the top six picks in this draft received guarantees of at least $20 million. That’s double the number of rookies to reach that level in 2006 or 2007. Beyond the guaranteed money, there has also been a jump in the amount rookies can make by merely reaching “minimum play time” (25 percent as a rookie and 35 percent after that).

“Just because one team makes a mistake when it negotiates a contract, why should we all have to pay for that?” a league executive, requesting not to be identified, asked rhetorically. “But that’s exactly what’s happening and this year is the worst. Even after everything that commissioner (Roger Goodell) said this offseason, it’s like one team panics and thinks it has to get a guy signed and then everybody has to do the same thing.”

From the perspective of veteran players, the increases for rookies are a growing annoyance – a view contrary to that of NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw, who says the lucrative rookie deals are good for all players.

“I read what the union says, but I think if you took a player poll it might tell a different story,” Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said last week. “It might tell a very different story. I’ve seen what Gene has said, he’s very open on it. I personally disagree and it would be my guess that over 90 percent of the guys disagree. That’s just a guess.

“I think Gene makes some good points and I would be open to hearing everything he had to say about it. But truly and honestly, at first glance, when you say that the highest paid left tackle in the league is the kid from Michigan (Long) and not Walter Jones, I have a problem with that. The highest paid left tackle in the league should be Walter Jones, not Jake Long, period, in my opinion.”

Hasselbeck’s opinion is in line with many who have expressed sentiments that a drastic overhaul in the format of rookie contracts is needed. In addition to the idea of implementing structured pay scales by draft slots, similar to the NBA, at least one NFL exec thinks shorter contracts is the solution.

“They should all be three-year contracts and we should just live with having to make decisions on guys a lot sooner,” said a second team executive. “We’re smart enough that we can make decisions about a guy after three years. Really, we all have a pretty good idea after one year if a guy is going to make it and be a contributor. You just don’t know if he’s going to be a contributor or a star.”

Until then, teams have to deal with the trickle-down effect of the Long and Ryan contracts.

This year, the gap between Ryan’s deal and No. 4 pick Darren McFadden of Oakland was increased significantly. While Ryan – whose deal far exceeded the reported $22 million-$23 million guaranteed that Joe Thomas received as the No. 3 pick with the Browns last year – received a record $34.5 million in virtual guarantee, McFadden received $26 million.

McFadden’s deal, which was negotiated by agent Ian Greengross, represented an $8 million increase in guaranteed money over the contract for 2007 No. 4 overall pick Gaines Adams, who signed a six-year deal with Tampa Bay. In addition, McFadden is expected to pocket $23 million in the first 14 months of the contract, an enormous cash flow advantage.

While some agents have been critical of the McFadden deal because he won’t make as much in the later years for minimum play-time incentives, that criticism comes off as hollow. McFadden can make $42 million over the six years of his deal in minimum playing time and another $8 million in reasonable incentives. That’s a total of $50 million if McFadden is simply a decent player.

Or as one agent put it: “The people who talk about minimum play time on six-year deals ignore the fact that if all the player is doing by that year is playing the minimum, he’s not going to be on the team.”

While Ryan can make $66 million over the same period, much of that can be put off to the “quarterback premium” that teams have been willing to pay.

McFadden’s deal then led to a sharp increase for No. 6 overall pick Vernon Gholston, who was the next-highest drafted player to sign.

Gholston received a five-year contract with $21 million guaranteed in a deal negotiated by agent Ben Dogra. Moreover, Gholston can earn $32 million on minimum play-time. Gholston’s contract is a significant increase from the deal for 2007 No. 6 overall pick LaRon Landry, who received $17.5 million guaranteed, $21.4 million on minimum play time. However, Landry had a series of incentives based on minimal achievement (similar to the McFadden deal) which make his contract reasonably worth $27.9 million.

Thus, the Jets lumped Landry’s incentives into the deal for the basis of the contract with Gholston. The Jets generally do not believe in paying incentives for individual performance, such as rushing, receptions, tackles or sacks, a source said. The belief, which began in the late 1990s when Bill Parcells took over as coach and was in charge of football operations, is that incentives should be tied to team performance.

In addition, the Jets have preferred that their contracts feature more cost certainty so that they can predict future spending. In short, the team has generally preferred to pay up front rather than have a contract become exorbitant in the future. In 2003, the team structured a contract for defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson which eventually made his contract difficult to deal with and the Jets traded him to Denver this offseason.

The other issue for the Jets regarding the Gholston deal is that it features the second-highest guarantee in Jets history behind guard Alan Faneca, a 10-year veteran who signed with the team as a free agent this offseason.

“It puts you in a delicate situation when a rookie is the highest paid player on your team,” another team executive said. “You can have a lot of resentment over that.”

The bottom line to all of it is this: It seems that the vast majority of people involved in the process are seeking change.

Significant change.

[Kaylore]

Please post a link to this fine article. Whoever did this deserves some praise. I want to send an E-mail.

[Beantown Bronco]

yahoo sports

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

[CBF1]

Let the A-hole sit and lose serious value in the future. As we saw last year with our rookie class, they are over paid for what they contribute.

[Broncosfreak_56]

Great article. The Rookie salaries are way to high.

[FADERPROOF]

and to think they traded up to reach big time for Harvey as well...

[tsiguy96]

Originally Posted by FADERPROOF

and to think they traded up to reach big time for Harvey as well...

everyone was scratching their heads on that one. they prolly coulda had harvey at #15 atleast..

[BroncoMan4ever]

Someone needs to take a baseball bat to Upshaw's head. this guy is beginning to **** up the NFL. I am sorry, but rookies are being paid way too much for having done nothing.
there needs to be a flat rate pay scale for college players, because it is insane that some of these rookies are making more than some proven veterans made their entire career.
Nalen is one of the best NFL Centers of the past 25 years if not ever, and i can guarantee that he is nowhere near made as much as the 60million that Jake Long got.

[Dukes]

I think the main problem is the agents representing the players. They are the ones giving advice to these players telling them to get more money.
I have no problem with players getting as much money as possible, but it's become blatantly obvious rookies are being given WAY too much.

A first round bust can dangerously hurt a team for years with their current contracts. It's time the NFL did something about it. I doubt they will.

[bronco0608]

Isn't this America? Shouldn't we let the market decide what a player can get? It's bad enough they can't choose what city to work in. I mean, no one is holding a gun to the heads of the team executives and telling them to go above and beyond what rookies are suppose to get. If the market can afford to give these guys this much money, and a sane GM/Owner/Management is willing to pay the dough, then the player should get it. And besides, all this uproar about rookie pay is only relevant to the first 10 picks of the draft. The rest of those guys don't get that much money.

Can you imagine graduating from college and saying, "I don't know where I'm going to be, I just hope I get drafted by the National Accountants League. If I don't get drafted by them and work in that league, there isn't much oppurtunity to work as an account in this country. If I do get drafted, the money isn't guaranteed except for the most outstanding accounts from the big schools like Harvard who go at the top of the draft. Then, if do make the National Accountants League, during the year they can release me at anytime and not have to pay the rest of my salary! All I get to keep is my signing bonus and no severance package! Nothing!

Yea, this is a bummer, I could be working in Buffalo, Seattle, Jacksonville, Cleveland, or even Green Bay, Wisconsin! Is this really fair?"

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by Dukes

I think the main problem is the agents representing the players. They are the ones giving advice to these players telling them to get more money.

Actually it's the slotting system. You have some wiggle room, but really it's all slotted and the increase is going up more and more each year. Basically the system is broken for the top twenty generally and the top ten specifically.

[Popps]

Not only is the draft a crap-shoot, if you draft high enough... it's an expensive crap-shoot.

It's just nuts to think of some of these kids coming in and immediately making more than the established stars. But, the teams have got themselves to blame, to an extent.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by bronco0608

Isn't this America? Shouldn't we let the market decide what a player can get? It's bad enough they can't choose what city to work in. I mean, no one is holding a gun to the heads of the team executives and telling them to go above and beyond what rookies are suppose to get. If the market can afford to give these guys this much money, and a sane GM/Owner/Management is willing to pay the dough, then the player should get it. And besides, all this uproar about rookie pay is only relevant to the first 10 picks of the draft. The rest of those guys don't get that much money.

Can you imagine graduating from college and saying, "I don't know where I'm going to be, I just hope I get drafted by the National Accountants League. If I don't get drafted by them and work in that league, there isn't much oppurtunity to work as an account in this country. If I do get drafted, the money isn't guaranteed except for the most outstanding accounts from the big schools like Harvard who go at the top of the draft. Then, if do make the National Accountants League, during the year they can release me at anytime and not have to pay the rest of my salary! All I get to keep is my signing bonus and no severance package! Nothing!

Yea, this is a bummer, I could be working in Buffalo, Seattle, Jacksonville, Cleveland, or even Green Bay, Wisconsin! Is this really fair?"

That's the problem though, if they were on the free market (FA) then these guys wouldn't be getting this kind of money. Top tier FAs aren't getting paid as much as these kids are. The salary cap does not raise by the 10-15% some of these guys get over previous year deals so that 10-15% has continually added up until those salaries have substantially passed the salaries of the game. If given the opportunity, I venture to say no team would negotiate these deals with these players in FA. The only reason they pay it now is because someone established that 10+% is the standard over the previous year's contract at the same position. A 10+% raise is outrageous and when that % has added up for the last 10 years as it has, it's going to get unbearable soon and we'll see more of these cases. When a rookie is taking 8-10% of your salary cap all by himself, something is terrible wrong.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by bronco0608

Isn't this America? Shouldn't we let the market decide what a player can get? It's bad enough they can't choose what city to work in. I mean, no one is holding a gun to the heads of the team executives and telling them to go above and beyond what rookies are suppose to get. If the market can afford to give these guys this much money, and a sane GM/Owner/Management is willing to pay the dough, then the player should get it. And besides, all this uproar about rookie pay is only relevant to the first 10 picks of the draft. The rest of those guys don't get that much money.

Can you imagine graduating from college and saying, "I don't know where I'm going to be, I just hope I get drafted by the National Accountants League. If I don't get drafted by them and work in that league, there isn't much oppurtunity to work as an account in this country. If I do get drafted, the money isn't guaranteed except for the most outstanding accounts from the big schools like Harvard who go at the top of the draft. Then, if do make the National Accountants League, during the year they can release me at anytime and not have to pay the rest of my salary! All I get to keep is my signing bonus and no severance package! Nothing!

Yea, this is a bummer, I could be working in Buffalo, Seattle, Jacksonville, Cleveland, or even Green Bay, Wisconsin! Is this really fair?"

Dude... they get paid absurd money to play a ****ing game.

If they don't like it, finish their degree while they're in school and use it to get a job wherever they want to go. Then they can let the market decide their entry level $50,000/yr value.

[Beantown Bronco]

I can't believe it took a 33 day holdout to come up with this contract....idiots.



Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Derrick Harvey has ended his 33-day holdout Wednesday after reaching agreement on a five-year contract that could be worth $30 million.

A month of stalled negotiations came to an end when Harvey and the Jaguars found creative ways to get around the differences between the seventh pick and the ninth picks in the draft. According to a source, Harvey will receive guarantees of $17,177,500.

Harvey was the last first-round draft pick to sign.

His base package will be $23.8 million over the five years. The key tradeoff that ended the holdout was the ability to get $6.2 million of incentives and escalators based on playing time. A source said those escalators and incentives have less of a trigger than the picks above and below him.

If Harvey becomes a Pro Bowl-caliber player, the contract could max out at $33.4 million.

The Jaguars traded into the No. 8 spot in the draft to acquire Harvey to improve their pass rush as they chase the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.


The plan is for Harvey, who missed all of training camp and the Jaguars' first three preseason games, to reach the Jaguars headquarters on Wednesday for a physical. If he gets there in time, he will try to join the team for its trip to the Washington Redskins on Thursday, the team's preseason finale.

Harvey had 20.5 career sacks at Florida and was the defensive most valuable player of the 2007 BCS national title game against Ohio State. The Jaguars liked -- and needed -- Harvey so much that they traded up 18 spots to get him. They may not have expected him to be so expensive, however.

But linebacker Vernon Gholston, selected with the sixth pick by the New York Jets, signed a five-year deal worth $50 million, with $21 million guaranteed. And New Orleans gave the No. 7 pick, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, a five-year deal that reportedly included $19.5 million guaranteed.

Harvey's agent wanted a similar deal, but the Jaguars refused to give the rookie more guaranteed money than they gave quarterback David Garrard, who signed a six-year, $60 million extension that included $18 million guaranteed. It was the richest contract in franchise history.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Denver Crush]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Dude... they get paid absurd money to play a ****ing game.

If they don't like it, finish their degree while they're in school and use it to get a job wherever they want to go. Then they can let the market decide their entry level $50,000/yr value.

Amen Brother! Just like the rest of us.

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by bronco0608

Isn't this America? Shouldn't we let the market decide what a player can get? It's bad enough they can't choose what city to work in. I mean, no one is holding a gun to the heads of the team executives and telling them to go above and beyond what rookies are suppose to get. If the market can afford to give these guys this much money, and a sane GM/Owner/Management is willing to pay the dough, then the player should get it. And besides, all this uproar about rookie pay is only relevant to the first 10 picks of the draft. The rest of those guys don't get that much money.

Rookies should not make more money than proven pro-bowlers. Look at any job in this country and you will not find a single college graduate making more money than a professional in the same business with experience. Its just not going to happen.

Can you imagine graduating from college and saying, "I don't know where I'm going to be, I just hope I get drafted by the National Accountants League. If I don't get drafted by them and work in that league, there isn't much oppurtunity to work as an account in this country. If I do get drafted, the money isn't guaranteed except for the most outstanding accounts from the big schools like Harvard who go at the top of the draft. Then, if do make the National Accountants League, during the year they can release me at anytime and not have to pay the rest of my salary! All I get to keep is my signing bonus and no severance package! Nothing!

Yes, I can imagine it, if my starting pay was 6 or 7 digits. But 99.99999 percent of college graduates are not starting at 100,000K+ a year. They are starting at 30,000 - 50,000 a year base. The biggest difference in your analogy is that the NFL is a monopoly on football. There is no monopolies in any other professional field outside of sports. And even in sports, the NFL is alone in that there are really no development leagues as in the NBA and MLB (hockey doesnt count as a sport people, get over it).

Yea, this is a bummer, I could be working in Buffalo, Seattle, Jacksonville, Cleveland, or even Green Bay, Wisconsin! Is this really fair?"

For starting out at a league minimum of over 100K a year, yes. If I graduated college and knew I would have to go work in New York or Boston but was gauranteed a minimum of 100K a year to start and more if I graduated at the top of my class, you bet your ass I would take the job.

The problem is these athletes know football is a dangerous sport and have no backup plan because they coasted through college, got a degree in African American studies which is a worthless degree and will get no money in the real world so their only chance is to rob through their agents, the NFL.

In no way is it acceptable that Jake Long should make more money than Walter Jones. No way is that acceptable. Jones is going to the Hall of Fame. Jake Long may not survive in the NFL more than 3 years.

[Doggcow]

Such a bad move this was by jax

[Kaylore]

My problem is also that guys like Upshaw would argue that the Rookies salaries help raise the asking price of other proven players around the league. This in fact isn't the case at all. It's artificial inflation that doesn't trickle down.

[NaptownChief]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

My problem is also that guys like Upshaw would argue that the Rookies salaries help raise the asking price of other proven players around the league. This in fact isn't the case at all. It's artificial inflation that doesn't trickle down.

I know that now that he died we are all supposed to pretend like he was a great innovator and ran the NFLPA wonderfully but that is far from the truth. The overwhelming majority of NFL players and former players think very poorly of Upshaw. He paid himself around 5.6 million a year and did very little for the players. He was believed to be very self-serving by the players and did virtually nothing for the players on bottom that needed help the most.

Guys on the practice squad don't make squat, don't get any benefits or credit towards a pension yet are made to feel obligated to pay the NFLPA annual dues of about $5,000. That isn't much money for guys making $20 million guaranteed but that is a bunch for a guy scrapping by on the practice squad without a dime in the bank.

There is a reason why the players held a meeting last year looking to throw Upshaw out and it wasn't because he was such a wonderful leader like the media is trying to portray him now that he is dead.

[ward63]

And to think...most of the players that get drafted, don't make it. So they either have to join other football leagues or use their degree to get a job. The problem is, some students/players don't think and take majors that won't help them out in life and hurts their lives. I'm not saying all NFL/football players do, but some do and even some schools push their athletes to take easier classes. So I think the NFL rookies should be happy with what they get. Especially if they are a first rounder, b/c a LOT of other people don't get millions of dollars handed to them for just being good in college.