10 Questions about rookie salary cap
Seems that the installation of a rookie salary cap is important to a lot of people around here. The commissioner has expressed a want for such a rookie "limit" as well.
I don't think the PA is going to simply agree that the past players are worth more and simply 'get more' than future draft picks. I think they will want some kind of guarantees that the 1st overall pick will still get his 'due' money if certain achievements are reached. Thus, in a sense, making them 'earn' that 'first overall' bonus money. But no way do they simply say "you don't get it" to the picks of the future.
So I have some questions as to how that will work, and would like to hear some of your thoughts on how you see it happening/working.
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1) I know we don't know the exact numbers as to what a rookie draft choice will receive, but do you see it being limited by the contract, the length, or the signing bonus?
2) Lets say player "A" is the first overall pick. He gets "x" amount of money his rookie season. Now, what happens his sophomore season? Was he just "limited" on the amount of money he could make his rookie year, or is he limited on the amount of money he can make after that??
3) If its just their rookie season, then how much of a raise do they get their sophomore season?
4) If we are limiting salaries, when can that player renegotiate?? Since they aren't making as much money from the start, do we then lessen the length of their rookie contracts?? No more 6 year deals for that 1st over-all pick, right? I mean who would sign a long term deal if they are already being told they are limited in what they can get?
5) If we limit the amount of their rookie contracts, either by bonus or by salary.... what kind of 'achievements' must they hit before they get their 'earned' raises? Is it playing time? Do they have to start for so many games their rookie season in order to get a 'raise' that would them give them the money they WOULD have made being a high draft choice?? Is it making pro-bowls, or is it purely going to be 'productive' based...by rushing yards, receiving yards and/or throwing yards??
6) If the players must reach certain incentives in order to get their raises, wouldn't it be an incentive for the owner/GM to not play the rookies as much??
7) If the player doesn't reach the agreed upon incentives... what happens to them? Do they go FA? I mean, if a player feels he was held back so as to NOT reach certain incentives, doesn't he have a legitimate complaint? Veteran players have complained about this for years, I think if rookie salaries are low and can 'remain' low by simply limiting their playing time, I think that's a legitimate concern.
8) If the signing bonuses are the only things that's being limited, do we then increase the money they make in salaries, or do we put MORE incentive laden deals in their contracts over the term of their rookie contract in order to 'make up' the difference that wasn't paid upfront? If that's the case, the contracts would be considered "likely to be reached" or "unlikely to be reached" as far as salary cap hit. Would it really save a team salary cap space if their incentives are 'likely to be reached?' If not, then why would the PA agree to have rookies not only get less money, but then agree that the way they get that money is through incentives that are 'unlikely to be reached?'
9) If a player isn't paid as much in bonus money, and the contracts aren't as long because of it...what happens to the players that DO make their incentives?
...........a) Does the team get to put a 'restricted' tag on a player that reaches his incentives? So then the owners get to limit his rookie contract, but then get to limit his contract after that by putting a 'restricted' tag on the player?
10) If we are paying the rookies less money up front, we know that their rookie contracts are going to be shorter. Owners can no longer justify a 6 year deal because of the large bonus paid. Does this mean we'll see an increase in FA's available 3 years down the road?
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Originally Posted by Ravage!!!
