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The bizarre debate regarding the handling of rookie contracts as to players taken at the top of the draft continues.
We call it bizarre because, in this case, it’s the league and not the NFLPA that is looking out for the best interests of the veterans.
The latest voice to speak in favor of reducing the money paid out to the first few draft picks is Patriots owner Bob Kraft.
“It’s kind of nuts that you pay draft picks in the top 10 as if they were free agent veterans on their second contract and have been to a Pro Bowl,” Kraft said, according to the Boston Globe.
“We’ve suggested to the Labor Committee and the commissioner that we scale that back and take that money and give it to the veterans. We’re still going to spend the money, [but] we think it’s a misallocation of resources and actually can cause problems in your locker room when a young guy who has never played a down is getting paid more than some of your vested veterans.”
Kraft should have even greater credibility in this regard because his team rarely “earns” the privilege of paying an unproven player more than $30 million in guaranteed money.
“Maybe it’s good we let it continue that way for our competition,” Kraft said.
Three of the Pats’ AFC East foes picked in the top eleven based on their outcomes in 2007. The Patriots had the No. 7 overall pick due to a trade from a year ago with the 49ers.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:16 am
“Three of the Pats’ AFC East foes”
-So when did the other AFC East foes pick… lol
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April 30th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Or Kraft is sending a signal to Mayo’s agent that negotiations aren’t going to be easy.
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April 30th, 2008 at 8:37 am
It’s good to see an owner speaking out on something that is so crazy. Of course nothing will change until Upshaw is exiled.
I can hardly wait to hear what the haters have to say about this.
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April 30th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I don’t see whats so hard about this topic. Until 2010 I think rookie wages should be scaled. We can all agree a team cannot rebuild effectively if they select in the first five three years in a row. They’re shelling out 90 million guaranteed spread out over three players. Veterans argue that it benefits them, but I don’t see how that’s possible. Zach Thomas whom has a shot at being statistically the best linebacker in the hall of fame is only guaranteed 1 Million dollars this season. While most linebackers who have been taken in the top 25 in the last 2-3 years are getting that guaranteed.
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April 30th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I wonder how many players are going to declare early if this starts picking up more steam?
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April 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am
This makes a lot of sense until you realize that it’s coming from some guy named Kraft who sells people about 3 cents worth of dried macaroni and cheese powder for a dollar fifty, and then it just sort of makes him look like some rich dick who thinks its fine to use the free market when it suits him but not so fine when it suits someone else.
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April 30th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Kraft’s comments are, like, what? A note of sanity? Wow. Shouldn’t his words be coming from, you know, like Gene Upshaw? Upshaw represents far more proven veterans than rookies.
Isn’t Upshaw represented by an agent who represents rookies? And he’s all for rookies keeping the big bux? Therefore, the agents keep getting a big cut? So, Upshaw is really, like, keeping the agent’s interests first and foremost?
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April 30th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I wonder if Kraft the cheater would have said anything if the Pats hadn’t just exercised a #7 overall pick.
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April 30th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Kraft is dead on. Its insane some of the rookie contracts that come out of the draft. It makes me laugh when rookies holdout.
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April 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am
“This makes a lot of sense until you realize that it’s coming from some guy named Kraft who sells people about 3 cents worth of dried macaroni and cheese powder for a dollar fifty, and then it just sort of makes him look like some rich dick who thinks its fine to use the free market when it suits him but not so fine when it suits someone else.”
It amazes me how many people post on here without actually having… oh what the hell is the name of that thing… oh yeah, a clue.
Robert Kraft is not the guy who owns the Kraft cheese brand nitwit. And as for him being a rich dick: he’s a self made rich dick who kept the team in NE when it had one foot in St. Louis and PRIVATELY funded Gillette Stadium. I think he knows a thing or two more about the free market than you.
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April 30th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Kraft is a cheating scumbag. It doesn’t surprise me that it bothers him to pay his players fair market value. Maybe he’ll have to raise ticket prices again.
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April 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I think if they started paying rookies less the players would also be more inclined to stay in the farm sys … errr in college longer.
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April 30th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Robert Kraft is not selling Mac & Cheese at your local megalomart. If you want his biography, go to wikipedia. Robert Kraft is not Kraft Foods any more than all people with the Miller surname are brewing beer.
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April 30th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I don’t think the league is looking out for the veterans. The league is looking out for the league. period. —> . <—
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April 30th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
“This makes a lot of sense until you realize that it’s coming from some guy named Kraft who sells people about 3 cents worth of dried macaroni and cheese powder for a dollar fifty, and then it just sort of makes him look like some rich dick who thinks its fine to use the free market when it suits him but not so fine when it suits someone else. ” ??????
Hey dumbass, your post made a lot of sense until you decided to touch the keyboard !!
Kraft funded Gillete privately and prevented the team from leaving town in the bad old days of Victor Kiam.
Do you actually disagree with his stance or is it simply because who he is that is the problem. You may not like him, but at least get your facts right before spouting on a public forum.
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April 30th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
“If you want his biography, go to wikipedia.”
Until some wiseass that sees this decides to go and change it haha.
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April 30th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
If I were an NFL team, I would trade out of the first round every year without regard for the idiotic trade value chart. The first round isn’t worth the money anymore, especially when you’re talking about the top 15 picks. Upshaw is a moron and like most union leaders, he’s never had the best interests of the average union member in mind. He’d bankrupt the NFL in a second if he thought it would yeild him and his friends (agents, union leaders, ect) more money and power.
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