The NFL Rookie Holdout Domino Game

Greg Matzek Posted: Aug. 7, 2009

With training camp entering its second week, all signs point to a relatively healthy, relatively in-tact Green Bay Packers team whose focus is clearing the mind of a 6-10 season. Note the use of the term ‘relatively’. Yes, most of the pieces are in place, but one 320 pound piece is still on the sidelines waiting to don the pads for the first time since the final day of OTA’s.

Packers first round draft choice B.J. Raji will no doubt be a crucial piece to the Packers 3-4 puzzle, but even more crucial is that he be in camp to assert himself as the guy the Packers believe him to be. So what’s the hold up? The holdup is rookie WR Michael Crabtree – the 10th overall selection in April’s draft – taken one slot behind Raji. Crabtree has threatened not to sign with the San Francisco 49’ers, stating that he would sit out the entire season if necessary.

It’s a strange thing, first round rookie signings. A domino effect is in place where lower picks start the process and day by day, the higher picks get signed. Crabtree’s inability to reason is holding up the process on Raji, and four other top choices from the draft. The shame of the matter is that the NFL doesn’t have a process outlined in their collective bargaining agreement that slots rookies to an established pay scale. For all the lunacy in the front office of the NBA, at least they have rookie contracts under control.

The NFL does have a system in place, with their rookie allocation pool. League-wide for the 2009 NFL Draft class the pool was $150.755 million, which represented an increase of about 7 percent over the 2008 rookie pool. A record 12 teams each earned rookie pools of $5 million or more. So as each team’s rookies sign from lower rounds, teams should know exactly how much is left for year one of the rest of the team’s drafted rookie class. For example, the Lions signed Stafford to a six-year, $78 million contract with guarantees of $41.7 million. Stafford’s deal will count $3.1 million against the Lions rookie cap, leaving $4,974,992 million leftover for the team’s other nine draft picks.

Unfortunately the NFL’s rookie system is flawed in that the pool is restrictive often causing rookies’ agents to try inventive ways to dictate their price, terms, and incentives before even negotiating. There have been rumors that the NFL in the next version of the CBA will adopt a strict NBA-like rookie pay scale, where given a player’s draft spot, the rookie will make a set amount for a set number of years. The possible addition of a hard rookie cap in the next CBA would be welcome news to NFL veterans where current system allows a rookie like Matthew Stafford can make more than 3-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning before he has even stepped on the field.

Current status of top 10 picks from the 2009 NFL draft:

1. Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford; signed April 25th with the terms: 6-year, $78 million contract with guarantees of $41.7 million.

2. St. Louis Rams OT Jason Smith; currently unsigned

3. Kansas City Chiefs DE Tyson Jackson; currently unsigned

4. Seattle Seahawks LB Aaron Curry; currently unsigned

5. New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez; signed June 11 with the terms: 5-year, $60 million contract with guarantees of $28 million.

6. Cincinnati Bengals OT Andre Smith; currently unsigned

7. Oakland Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey; signed July 30 with the terms: 5-years, 38.5 million contract with guarantees of $23.5 million.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars OT Eugene Monroe; currently unsigned

9. Green Bay Packers DL B.J. Raji; currently unsigned

10. San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree; currently unsigned

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The NFL Rookie Holdout Domino Game