NFL Rookie Contacts and Why They Suck

on 08 12, 2010

This sucks.  For two straight years, the Buffalo Bills first-round draft picks (Aaron Maybin in 2009 and CJ Spiller in 2010) have been holdouts through all of part of camp.  Last year, the linebacker out of Penn State missed the entire training camp month because of contractual issue.  He was clearly behind all season long and made next to no impact in the already disappointing season.  I thought the Bills would learn their lesson with this.  But, sadly, they did not.  CJ Spiller was also a holdout, but he finally signed his rookie deal a few days ago—but not without missing the first three weeks of training camp.  I haven’t yet been to camp since he reported, but I’ve heard he’s taking minimal snaps and being worked into the running back rotation slowly.  Not good for a horribly struggling offense.

But all this stuff really makes me wonder.  Why is this so difficult?  I mean, I feel like this issue with getting rookies signed is absolutely ridiculous.  First of all, these players haven’t played a single NFL game ever.  And yet, the first round picks make more than some of the veterans on the team.  Heck, in a case with crappy teams (like Buffalo), the first-round picks make more money than some of the fan-favorites, the team captains, the guys who have jersey’s for sale all over the mall.  CJ Spiller signed a deal worth $21 million guaranteed cash and he has just as much NFL experience as the Bills number one fan.  Yet, Trent Edwards, the starting quarterback for the team, the most talked about player on the team, the guy who probably sells the most jerseys, does the most interviews, gets the most recognition and takes the most heat will make around $900,000 next season.  Spiller will make at least four times that amount next year!  What?!?  Trent will probably play more snaps (barring injury), get hit more, get put under more pressure and have a very difficult season.  Spiller has yet to take the NFL stage.  It’s absurd.

The second point that really grinds my gears with these rookie deals is the time it takes for these guys to sign.  Here’s what I don’t understand—is there some sort of rule that prohibits players from signing until July?  Why do front offices, players and agents wait three months after the Draft to work out a deal?  If I’m a team like Buffalo or San Francisco who had a major holdout last year, I’m starting my negotiations the day after the Draft.  Start immediately so you know that your guy will be at camp and the whole camp.

I remember last year when Maybin held out his entire camp.  Fans were pissed.  They sent him tweets asking him what the hold up was.  He would always text back, saying things like “I don’t know what the hold up is” or “This is bigger than you guys understand” or “You don’t get what’s going on behind the scenes.”  I always thought Maybin was just a bullshitting chump.  But then, when it happened against with Spiller, I’ve changed my mind.  It’s not the players—it’s the organization.  It really is bigger than I understand.  I really think these rookies want a fair salary, the reasonable, expected salary.  It’s the teams that are trying to shortchange them.  I mean, it isn’t Spillers fault that Sam Bradford got a massive contract and that the other draft picks are making what they are making.  He only wants what he is entitled.  These NFL teams think they can get these guys for a bargain just because they are in the league and will take anything.  But they won’t.  The NFL, like it or not, is a business.

Maybe this is just a problem in Buffalo.  But this is all I know, so maybe my team is just cheap and weak.  But what I do know is that these rookie contracts are outrageous.  All I want is for players to be in practice, on time and ready to go.  And it pisses me off.  Maybe next year.

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