Rookie Wage Scale To Promote Significantly Reduced Rookie Salaries

by Josh Kirkendall on Jul 22, 2011 5:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: A.J. Green, #4 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, holds up a jersey after he was drafted during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

An area of interest with the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement that will greatly satisfy Bengals fans is the implementation of a new rookie wage scale. This means that the Bengals will no longer be held up with their first round draft picks during migraine-inducing negotiations. Cincinnati's previous seven first round draft picks have missed at least one practice, five of whom missed six days worth of Training Camp practices or more. Andre Smith missed 30 days in 2009, Justin Smith signing one day before the first regular season game in 2001, it's all over the map.

Year	Player	Pick	Length of Hold Out
2010	Jermaine Gresham	21st	Held out 5 days.
2009	Andre Smith	6th	Held out 30 days
2008	Keith Rivers	9th	Held out 10 days
2007	Leon Hall	18th	Missed a practice on the first day of Training Camp
2006	Johnathan Joseph	24th	Signed first day of camp.
2005	David Pollack	17th	Held out 19 days
2004	Chris Perry	26th	Held out 11 days
2003	Carson Palmer	1st	Signed two days before the NFL Draft.
2002	Levi Jones	10th	Signed first day of camp
2001	Justin Smith	4th	Signed one day before first regular season game.

Thankfully, this era of holdouts with first round picks can finally come to an end.

According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora (via PFT), NFLPA reps were "told in a presentation" on Wednesday that first overall draft pick, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, would make $22 million during the first four seasons on his contract. Because the CBA allows the fifth season to be a team option, that increases the salary that season to one of the top paid players in the league at that position, Newton could make upwards to $36 million over five seasons with that fifth year being worth $14 million.

To put the deal in perspective, Sam Bradford signed a six-year, $78 million contract with the Rams last year. He got $50 million guaranteed.

So at this point you can bet that Bengals fourth overall pick won't be making more than $22 million over the first four seasons.

Comparatively speaking, Andrew Smith, the Bengals sixth overall pick in 2009, signed a six-year deal worth $42 million, $21 million guaranteed with an option after four seasons. Green would likely see significantly less than that.

Most importantly, Green won't likely be a holdout. How does that sound?

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Comments

Do you wonder

why Mike Brown approved this agreement? This is one reason no doubt, as it will save him 10’s of millions each year.

by BENGALS69 on Jul 22, 2011 5:07 PM EDT reply actions

Not really

he’s going to have to spend more money overall

by Throw the ball on Jul 22, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions

No its a fact, this will save him big bucks.

Yes he must come up to 89% of the salary cap but we still don’t know his share of revenue sharing. Given he is likely to be drafting in the top 10 fairly often, the money he saves will be considerable on one draft pick. Since Brown approved and he is a notorious cheap skate I’m looking forward to see what his cut of the revenue sharing and TV deals will be. I’m guessing higher than what it was 2006-2010. He could be making more even though he’s spending more on salaries.

by BENGALS69 on Jul 22, 2011 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I dont understand your reasoning

the team will have to pay roughly 120 million in salary over the next couple season. In the past they paid between like $90-105 million. Seems to me like more money will be spent and not saved.

Now I do agree that it should be easier to better spend the money by paying more to experienced NFL vets versus unproven rookies. Of course, I fully expect 80% of NFL teams to over value role players to fill out rosters and actually be counter productive in spending money.

by Cedric Benson Boat Party on Jul 22, 2011 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions

best nfl news in a long time

This is the one great item from the new CBA. Finally a first round pick can serve their true purpose: provide instant talent to their team as opposed to wrecking the salary cap. A J Green, can’t wait to see your first post route!

3 yards and a pile of dust

by Hudepohl Dey on Jul 22, 2011 6:26 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I bet Andrew Luck is kicking himself in the ass now.

http://bengalsworld.com/forum/image.php?u=35&type=sigpic&dateline=1195110784

by Dr. Johnny Fever on Jul 22, 2011 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

ya. I can’t believe he missed out on 80 million just for a year of school.

by BigJungle on Jul 22, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

If the #1 pick this year

is under the new rookie rage cap, please explain how Luck is missing out on $80 million? He would be receiving a 4 year $22 million deal with the 5th year escalating offer.

by Cedric Benson Boat Party on Jul 22, 2011 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

JAKE LOCKER is kicking himself in the ass right now

by BeWarned on Jul 23, 2011 2:55 AM EDT up reply actions

when the draft was taking place there was no rookie wage scale in place. If trends continued he would have got 80 million. He decided to stay in school before the draft and any talk of the rookie scale. Thats how he missed on 80 million. Right now it looks like a good move move but before in feb he said that a year in school was worth giving up on that money. Thats what I meant.

Lots of these under age kids would not have come out to the draft if they knew about the pay scale. they would have stayed in school for another year thrying to raise there stock.

According to you the first round would be filled with third round picks because no one would want to be in this draft.

by BigJungle on Jul 23, 2011 4:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Damn that W sitting right next to the E :)

by JamesShively on Jul 22, 2011 7:12 PM EDT reply actions

this should have happened years ago

this should have been in place when stafford and ryan were drafted.

I’m also excited about next years draft. This will make for a lot more trades into the top five. now teams can go after a guy they really want even if its first overall. The bengals could take advantage of this in the coming years if they hold a high pick.

by BigJungle on Jul 22, 2011 7:17 PM EDT reply actions

I'm hoping the new rookie wage cap

leads to more trade activity in and out of the top ten in the draft. Really for no reason other that the excitement factor added to watching the draft.

by Cedric Benson Boat Party on Jul 22, 2011 11:39 PM EDT reply actions

not to be a wet blanket

But as far as I’ve been able to glean from reports, the new “rookie wage scale” is more of a system than a scale. Bonuses, guaranteed coin, incentives and escalators, etc. all remain subject to negotiation between players and teams. And it’s usually those kind of things, not total money, that hold up deals in Cincy.

I think this will help with holdouts but I’m not sure at all that it will eliminate them.

by BeerRun on Jul 24, 2011 12:03 PM EDT reply actions