NIL and the end of the NFL draft

[Fiji Mariner]

So the current NIL seems like a slippery slope which will ultimately lead to the end of the NFL draft as we know it.

Congress slapped the hell outta the NCAA and it’s ridiculous system of everyone but the entertainers getting paid. Now with the NIL working to get money in the hands of the athletes how long can the NFL draft as we know it be allowed to continue?

A player like Addison can not even be in the portal but basically be offered a 3 million dollar deal??? Wow

The 8th pick in last years draft Seahorn was slotted approximately 21 million.
Now the 8th pick in this draft London will get a slight bump over that or about 5.5 per year as a very high pick WR or almost twice as much as Addison will get:

As college players become accustomed to being paid close to what or more than many NFL players are making I can’t help but see a change in the draft coming.

In a free market to earn one’s maximum potential income I find it highly likely these college players will go class action and take on the NFL system of limiting earnings through the draft and slotted salaries.

Should these college entries into the NFL be allowed for all 32 teams to just bid for their services as the standard free agents they are? Seems like a lawsuit to dismantle the draft could be coming sooner rather than later.

I am of the opinion that as one enters the NFL they should have freedom to go where they want and maximize their earning potential. Let the salary cap do its job and keep all teams on an even field as far as spending. End the commie BS that is the antiquated system of blocking the entertainers earnings through the NFL draft.

Thoughts???

 

[Troglodyte]

The terms of the NFL draft are part of the CBA with the players union, college players are free to seek alternative employment if they wish.

 

[Troglodyte]

Why would you support the salary cap but oppose the draft? They serve the same purpose.

 

[SteelerSask2]

The new rules are a slippery slope but when college sports became a thing could anyone consider the kind of money generated in exchange for scholarships? And after 16 you have a right to earn a living off of your talents.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

The terms of the NFL draft are part of the CBA with the players union, college players are free to seek alternative employment if they wish.

Yeah, but don’t underestimate the power of politicians to mess that up haha, and the CBA doesn’t last forever.

This may be the last CBA that includes the draft as a provision as the league gets filled with kids that have been getting paid their whole career.

I’m thinking more and more the draft’s days are numbered.

I’m guessing the supplemental draft is also written into the CBA and includes pay slotting too, any knowledge of that is correct?

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Why would you support the salary cap but oppose the draft? They serve the same

Why would you support the salary cap but oppose the draft? They serve the same purpose.

I would argue the cap serves purpose of equality through spending, the draft is nothing more than a tool by owners to keep the pay scale down and pad pockets…nothing about equality other than the order of the draft being worst to first. Quite different purposes in my mind.

 

[Troglodyte]

I would argue the cap serves purpose of equality through spending, the draft is nothing more than a tool by owners to keep the pay scale down and pad pockets…nothing about equality other than the order of the draft being worst to first. Quite different purposes in my mind.

Compensatory picks also promote equality.

I think getting rid of the draft would screw over the vast majority of rookies. The top 5-10 picks, those seen as can’t miss prospects and potential all pros, would get monster deals and it would decrease drastically from there. NFL teams would prioritize spending on proven veteran free agents. Why would they aggressively bid against each other for unproven prospects they are sure will pan out?

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Compensatory picks also promote equality.

I think getting rid of the draft would screw over the vast majority of rookies. The top 5-10 picks, those seen as can’t miss prospects and potential all pros, would get monster deals and it would decrease drastically from there. NFL teams would prioritize spending on proven veteran free agents. Why would they aggressively bid against each other for unproven prospects they are sure will pan out?

Comp picks do promote equality in theory, but they are awarded through a system which can be manipulated as well…some teams are great at it though. That’s another whole can of worms.

You definitely may be right about how it would work out in the end for the majority.

I still see the end being near just because that seems to be the direction we’re heading in today’s world and I don’t see future generations of employees being as tolerant of this system which would be totally illegal if not for the players union. East peazy, sue the **** out of them and change will come. The problem for the majority could become “be careful what ya wish for, ya just might get it” and the majority could suffer…or maybe not…maybe it spurns a youth movement in the name of not paying the 2nd contract guys because too much money going to top WRs $25-30M and QBs 40-50M and the incoming guys make more than they would through the draft…which almost guarantees a near minimum NFL wage for 80% of the “new hires”

If anyone is capable of large scale collusion to keep their deep pockets filled it is the NFL ownership.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Let's be real, what Addison is going to get isn't an NIL deal, it's a pay for play deal. I wonder how long boosters will be paying guys without any return on investment, especially when you start seeing these prospects starting to sit out "meaningless" bowl games.

 

[madinsomniac]

Most athletes are at best getting a local nil deal that is minor compared to the nfl… the guys getting giant nil deals are also the guys going to go at the top of tge draft… you may see more underclassmen stay in school rather than risk it though… i don’t see it affecting the draft at all.. the nfl draft survived several other leagues poaching talent at will… i think a couple overpaid guys not coming out right away is probably a good thing

 

[MTC]

Most athletes are at best getting a local nil deal that is minor compared to the nfl… the guys getting giant nil deals are also the guys going to go at the top of tge draft… you may see more underclassmen stay in school rather than risk it though… i don’t see it affecting the draft at all.. the nfl draft survived several other leagues poaching talent at will… i think a couple overpaid guys not coming out right away is probably a good thing

The nfl isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be interesting how the smaller schools fare out in all this

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

The draft will never go away. How else would players get allotted to teams? The main reason it will never go away is because the players will keep voting for it, for one simple reason. NFL players are in the union. College players are not. They don't get a vote. That's why the union voted to greatly reduce rookie salaries so more of the cap goes to vets.

 

[insaniti]

The draft will never go away. How else would players get allotted to teams? The main reason it will never go away is because the players will keep voting for it, for one simple reason. NFL players are in the union. College players are not. They don't get a vote. That's why the union voted to greatly reduce rookie salaries so more of the cap goes to vets.

Yup, Vets got tired of rookies coming in without any experience in the NFL making more than Vet guys without playing a snap. And a lot of times that didn't work out so well.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

The draft will never go away. How else would players get allotted to teams? The main reason it will never go away is because the players will keep voting for it, for one simple reason. NFL players are in the union. College players are not. They don't get a vote. That's why the union voted to greatly reduce rookie salaries so more of the

The draft will never go away. How else would players get allotted to teams? The main reason it will never go away is because the players will keep voting for it, for one simple reason. NFL players are in the union. College players are not. They don't get a vote. That's why the union voted to greatly reduce rookie salaries so more of the cap goes to vets.

You outlined the reason for a class action suit to bring down the players union quite well.
And that is how the draft does eventually die. When enough past and future players decide it’s BS that the collusion
is taking away their ability to maximize income in a very short career.

The problem is/will be players being “allotted” to teams. It’s real damn easy, kids enter as free agents like every other player without a team/contract. The highest bidder (most desirable package) wins like almost every other industry in a free market society.

Freedom of movement is coming, it’s a matter of time. I would guess 8-12 year range and the draft as we know it is gone.
There may be a choice for players that aren’t signed to enter a supplemental draft, but HAVING to enter through the draft is beyond antiquated.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

The nfl isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be interesting how the smaller schools fare out in all this

The NFL is definitely not going anywhere, the union not so sure

 

[SteelerSask2]

Yup, Vets got tired of rookies coming in without any experience in the NFL making more than Vet guys without playing a snap. And a lot of times that didn't work out so well.

Overall it was the right move. However, one position got screwed and that was running back. They get destroyed in their first 4-5 years and are disposable. They need to come up with specific rb rules like he gets heavy price options in year 3,4,5 or you lose control after year three.
If the Steelers pick up Harris 5th year his contract will cost 26-30 million over 5 and as far as I'm concerned he is pretty much done. If he is great someone will pay but under the current system I wouldn't.

 

[MTC]

Overall it was the right move. However, one position got screwed and that was running back. They get destroyed in their first 4-5 years and are disposable. They need to come up with specific rb rules like he gets heavy price options in year 3,4,5 or you lose control after year three.
If the Steelers pick up Harris 5th year his contract will cost 26-30 million over 5 and as far as I'm concerned he is pretty much done. If he is great someone will pay but under the current system I wouldn't.

Running back is a brutal career.
I always like to say I don’t feel sorry for these guys cause they make a lot of money, however I remember reading the brutality of the nfl. Some of these hits and guys are literally pissing and ******** blood. I don’t blame any player looking to get as much as they can monetary wise. I’d want to enjoy retirement with minimal health issues myself

 

[Drink IRON City]

Should the union be taken away there will be massive change to the NFL. Those owners greed will show way more. There will be 36 regular season games and 15 weeks of playoffs, you get my drift.

The NFL player will recede in quality because the good to great players will be short lived and never long enough to be associated to a team. A lot of the current player rights will be gone, similar to the kids working in the factory of the '20s.

I don't see the union being gone because even the dumbest athlete knows the union is what gets the overall players the money. The bottom 70% of the low paid players for out number the 30% who would be the then "high pay players.



Salute the nation

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

You outlined the reason for a class action suit to bring down the players union quite well.
And that is how the draft does eventually die. When enough past and future players decide it’s BS that the collusion
is taking away their ability to maximize income in a very short career.

The problem is/will be players being “allotted” to teams. It’s real damn easy, kids enter as free agents like every other player without a team/contract. The highest bidder (most desirable package) wins like almost every other industry in a free market society.

Freedom of movement is coming, it’s a matter of time. I would guess 8-12 year range and the draft as we know it is gone.
There may be a choice for players that aren’t signed to enter a supplemental draft, but HAVING to enter through the draft is beyond antiquated.

So you believe that job applicants have the right to sue a company they don’t work for and the union they don’t belong to?

The NFL players union agreed to the salary cap because it is proven that the league is more popular when more teams are competitive. The NFL is always looking for parity for this reason. The union agrees to the cap because they know this to be true. The cap also has minimum spending limits so the NFL doesn’t have deadbeat teams like MLB often does.

The NFL does have freedom of movement once a player earns that right of free agency.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Overall it was the right move. However, one position got screwed and that was running back. They get destroyed in their first 4-5 years and are disposable. They need to come up with specific rb rules like he gets heavy price options in year 3,4,5 or you lose control after year three.
If the Steelers pick up Harris 5th year his contract will cost 26-30 million over 5 and as far as I'm concerned he is pretty much done. If he is great someone will pay but under the current system I wouldn't.

The union should have negotiated escalators for rookies where they can achieve restricted free agency automatically after just 2 years if certain metrics are met.