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Yet another veteran NFL player has spoken out against the money paid to players who have never taken a snap in the NFL.
This one is Broncos safety John Lynch, one of the most respected players in the league.
“I’m with them on that,” Lynch said of the owners’ desire to reel in rookie pay. “I’d like to come up with an NBA system where you put a cap on the rookies. I can see the owners’ problem there. You look at JaMarcus Russell. He may turn out to be an awesome quarterback, but you’re investing $60 million right off the bat. It’s reached the point where everyone who picks in the top five wants to get the heck out of there. I would like to see that pool of money redistributed.”
Somewhere, Gene Upshaw is repeatedly saying, “Serenity now.”
May 21st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
And the vets are now starting to complain about this? This should have been dealt with 5+ years ago. Now the money beast turns its ugly head, and the vets want to start crying foul.
I agree with Lynch…they have got to put a cap on the amounts rookies are paid. What Ryan recieved was great for him…but God only knows what is going through the minds of those who had to put up with the Vick crap…and are paid well under Ryan.
As the world turns…
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 21st, 2008 at 6:08 pm
as a raider fan i do agree we paid russel to much and think the first pick should be paid 30mil and 5 mil in gaurantee and should drop off by 1.5mil per pick until it gets to the 11th pick then it should be 19 mil with 2.5 mil in gaurantee and then decreases till it gets into the 20th pick which would be 10 mil and atleast 1 mil gaurantee though i still think the top five and ten would be much but it won’t be as bad as JRock’s contract and the what the hell were they thinking falcons gave to matt ryan
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 21st, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Lynch is like E F Hutton. When he talks , people listen.
The capon rookie pay is a good idea. I’m sure they won’t starve, regardless.
PS. Never mind.
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Which veteran would think that this is fair? And when I say veteran, I mean at least five or six years in the league. I never get why they designate second year players as veterans.
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Good for John. This is one instance where the media will come in handy - the more players that are asked the “What do you think of rookie salaries” question at OTA’s and training camp, the better it will be for the future of the league.
If there isn’t an NFLPA impeachment rule, then they should make one, and then impeach Upshaw. He is completely out of touch with the players, and is hell-bent on nothing more than defying his old reputation of being weak against the owners.
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Hat’s off to Lynch and Mawae (sp?). I can understand the logic in an environment where it’s “get yers when ya can”…But rookie pay is WAY out of wack. The league will get better when some controls are put into place. Proven veterans will benefit, as they should.
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Gene Upshaw just puckered another inch of leather up his keister.
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
well gee… seems like Gene isn’t representing the players interest very well is it…
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May 21st, 2008 at 6:58 pm
“I would like to see that pool of money redistributed.”
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need, eh comrade? I didn’t know John Lynch reads the Daily Worker. Hopefully he doesn’t try to play Santa at the mall next Christmas.
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May 21st, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Question – What, other than precedent, is forcing the owners to give the top 10+ draft picks huge money? What would happen if owners simply took the stance of “we’re not paying any top pick more than $20mm over 4 years”? Is this part of the current CBA?
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May 21st, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I wish players would quit bellyaching about money and just play football!
/funny how the responses are different on different subjects, like how you guys criticize T.O and CJ85 for “asking for their worth” but THEY are just overpaid prima donnas rite??
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May 21st, 2008 at 7:57 pm
No socialism is the system in place now. The money given to rookies who have never played, may never play much, is taken from the players who have played and produced. The guys who made the game interesting are losing out to people who have never worn an NFL uniform.
Rookie pay has become insane. It’s not like these guys will be homeless if they only make a million a year versus several million a year. In fact, maybe if they don’t buy fast cars, and big houses and try to have big lifestyles because of all the money thrown at them, they might act a tad more responsible.
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May 21st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
of course he chooses Jamarcus Russell over Matt Ryan, since Russell is in his division. Ryan would be the best example since he’s been paid the most, ever.
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May 21st, 2008 at 8:00 pm
its about time they started getting up in arms about this problem. rookie salaries take money away from vets who have proven their worth. no first round rookie will be on the bread line with a salary cap. the only people trying to kill this are the agents who will lose out on big cuts and their lackey Gene Upshaw who should have been s**tcanned a few years ago.
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May 21st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
If the vets are starting to openly talk about this, including someone in as influential position as Mawae, than I think you can bank on this being a major issue in the upcoming round of CBA talks.
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May 21st, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Should be interesting to see how this works out. With a slotted system and what could be a fair set amount available to 1st round picks each year, there’d be little need for rookies to have agents - at least much less than there is now.
It’s also clear by now that a system designed to help the worst teams get better is potentially keeping them perpetually bad. Even if they don’t use their pick on a bust, allocating that type of money limits the cap money that such a team should be using to find quality depth - the middle class players per se.
It’d make more sense to let the worst team decide where in the draft they want to pick. Sure there’d be no gurantees but in a year like this the Dolphins might have chosen to pick 4th instead of 1st and likely still gotten one of their top 3 picks they were negotiating with - at considerable savings.
Then let the 2nd worst team decide where they’re going to pick etc… likely such pick swappig would settle down after the first 5 or so, but if the “market value” of the players of that draft deemed that no one wanted the #1 pick and the best team got “stuck” with it, so be it.
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May 21st, 2008 at 8:33 pm
erpete says: “I would like to see that pool of money redistributed.”
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need, eh comrade? I didn’t know John Lynch reads the Daily Worker. Hopefully he doesn’t try to play Santa at the mall next Christmas.
I think you’ve missed the point comrade. Lynch is a capitalist pig. He doesn’t think a rookie who hasn’t stepped foot on an NFL field has done anything to earn a guaranteed $60 million. He’s right.
He clearly wants to see that go to players who have earned it. Personally I’d like to see it go to supplement a special class of roster exempt players - guys with 10 or more years on a team who can serve as great role models and locker room resources for rookies and the rest of the team.
These guys have proven performance but often are cut to make way for rookies with upside and potential. It helps the rookies, the organizations, and the NFL if teams are granted the funds and the roster exemption to keep them with their teams a little bit longer.
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May 21st, 2008 at 10:24 pm
The point about behavior is the best argumet yet. Maybe if Adam Pacman Jones had a few less drops of rain in his gangsta roll, he might think twice (presuming he left West Virginia with cognative ability beyond his fascination with boobies and paper currency) about behaving in the manner in which he did. In addition to reeling in the salaries and guaranteed money paid to rookies, the NFLPA and owners need to mandate some sort of financial counseling because it’s clear young kids who never had money and then all of a sudden have more money than they could have ever imagined don’t know how to behave. They quickly learn that money solves most problems…in turn, they begin to believe that money solves all problems. Anyone remember Rae Carruth?
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May 21st, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Hoochie Mamma
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May 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
Two guys make a chorus? Oh, wait, Florio makes three.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 am
Somewhere, Gene Upshaw is repeatedly saying, “Serenity now.”
LOL
That was awesome Florio but I think Gene’s already to the point where he’s on his knees with his eyes screwed shut, shaking his fists at the heavens while yelling “SERENITY NOW!!!”
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May 22nd, 2008 at 3:33 am
So is anyone else but the soon to be NFL draft eligible college students and Gene Upshaw still for this system?
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May 22nd, 2008 at 9:10 am
damayan, the agents are all for it. and gino’s agent is on the retiree compensation board. talk about yer classic “conflict of interest”.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Add T.J. Houshmanzada to the chorus as well. I heard him on the Pulse last night on ESPN radio saying the same type of things.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
instead i bet capo gino is making a list of people for whom he wants to break their muther-friggin necks.
maybe he will put it in a new edition of “100 words”.
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