NHL News: Sam Bradford get’s NFL record deal
Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, who was the number one draft pick of the season, has signed a 6-year $78 million dollar deal with the St. Luis Rams. $50 million of that loot is guaranteed money which has come out as a shocker for NHL teams around the country. Depending on how the coming seasons turn out, that number could be bumped to an unfathomable $86 million.
One would think that this may be a prank or a story out of The Onion, but it’s true. The deal just set an NFL record so the entire scepticism isn’t entirely unwarranted.
The rookie contract gives more guaranteed money to Bradford than veteran player Albert Haynesworth got in this season. He got a whopping $5 million more than the star and Bradford to date has never played a single NFL game. Phillip Rivers is an NHL veteran who is the highest paid player on the Rams squad could only get $38 million in guaranteed money. What exactly warrants that kind of trust in a rookie? It can only be called a gamble.
Bradford is a good player and has a number one draft pick. However, a record NFL rookie salary is definitely unbelievable. Some would give more credit to his agents, Tom Condon and Ben Dogra, for the record breaking deal. Last year, the two also represented second overall drafts who signed with the Rams. The Rams got both the players for a $62 million deal with $33 of which was guaranteed.
There is a disturbing trend. Last year’s number one draft pick was ridiculously overpaid too but Mathew Stafford’s $41.7 million guarantee seems very reasonable compared to the contract that Bradford just signed. Every year, the number one draft picks have been getting more and more guaranteed money as time passes by. In 2006, the number sat at $26.5 million which was bumped to $32 million as compared to Stafford’s $41.7 million until Bradford broke all records. The trend is painfully obvious. In the last 4 years, teams are willing to pay untested rookies a lot of money to play for them as against experienced veterans. So how does the 2011 season shape up for the players? Is a $60 million contract being formulated for the number one draft pick? It surely seems to be a lot to become a reality.
In that regard, Bradford can be considered very lucky. It is unlikely that next year’s number 1 draft pick would get the same kind of contract as Bradford got for the next two reasons. Firstly, because anything more than $78 million for a new and inexperienced player is simply ridiculous. Secondly, collective bargaining agreements could adopt a rookie salary scale like the NHL or the NBA.
College football is demanding and as good a judge of potential as any but no one can really say how well a player would do in the NFL. Most rookies won’t develop a $78 million value in their starting game for the NHL and of course, there is the very real possibility of injuries taking out those overpaid rookies. The Rams along with every other NFL team is risking millions and losing out on better prospects because of their enormous financial commitments to such rookies.
JaMarcus Russell would be the poster child for rookie busts. The first overall pick was signed for $10 million less than Bradford’s amount some two years ago and the Raiders, who signed him, got nothing in return for their investment. Russell has been allowed to go this year.
In Ram’s defence, they are pretty much the worst team in the NFL. The last season saw them suffer 1-15 and in their last 48 games, they have managed to win a measly six games. They were the lowest scoring team in the NFL and are in dire straits for an extensive overhaul. Sam Bradford is the player they are pinning their future on - the man who would make things happen for the Rams in the near future and for many years to come.
Bradford missed a considerable part of the last season to injuries. However, his 2008 season was more than sufficient for such a contract. In that season, he threw 4,721 yards with 50 touchdowns and was intercepted on eight occasions in the last season. The Rams need Bradford to be that rare promising rookie who can live up to the expectations if they are to have any hope of finishing this season anywhere except at the bottom.
Tags: