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Who wants a first round draft pick?

Urrymonster

By Urrymonster,
in Carolina Panthers

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Urrymonster Newbie

Urrymonster

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I apologise for making this thread in the midst of training camp, but I am just startled to see the current situation of the first round draft picks. Currently five rookies are still yet to sign and report to camp after nearing two weeks of holdouts. We also have Crabtree threatening to sit out the year because he wants to be paid MORE than Heywood-Bey, who was picked three slots ahead of him. His reasoning? Mock drafts. Insane.

As of the 29th of July only FOUR first round players had signed. Leaving last minute negotiations and a whole host of holdouts for the rest of the teams as they started their training camps.

The simple question is, who on Earth really wants to get involved with the money and distractions that are involved with first round picks now. The 32nd pick of the draft netted a contract with over $6million of guarenteed money. Not astronomical, but it's still a investment to be considered for the duration of the contracts.

With the CBA up and the uncapped 2010 looming, one can only assume this draft is a dress rehersal for next season. Where agents are trying creative ways to get more money out the teams, using the uncapped year as a bargaining chip. It is safe to say that next year will be even worse, with money being thrown at even the mediocre first round draftees.

In my mind we have made an excellent decision. We drafted two players in 2007 who carried moderate contracts - no where near the 2009 contracts. Then we followed this up by drafting away next years first rounder as well. What we have effectively done is played the economy in the NFL and taken ourselves out of having to make huge financial commitments that will be coming and have done to some teams.

Billicheck and NE started the trend by stockpiling second round draft picks and even stating that there is little desire to be in the first round. We have continued this theory, that higher up in the draft is actually becoming counter productive. Anyone think Maybin is THAT much better than Brown? How about Jason Smith being THAT much better than Otah?

Yes we will not be picking early next year. Would we really want to be though? The commitment needed next year will be ridiculous, leaving many more capable vets being cast out. Plus if we have no first rounder, we have more freedom in playing hard over the Peppers fiasco...

So who actually wants a first rounder?

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j2sgam Collaborator

j2sgam

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Does anyone really think that next year will stay uncapped? I dont believe it, there is still plenty of time for a new CBA, and it will be in place before the HoF game next season. We all see what the Yankees are to baseball, and there is no way that Goodell will allow an equivalent in this sport. I think its all just a way for the league to f__k with the minds of Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft and a few other owners...

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Cyberjag Newbie

Cyberjag

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I don't care what round they come in, as long as they turn into solid players. Beason and Williams both came at the bottom of the first round. Smith was a third rounder. Wharton and Kalil were third and second rounders. Delhomme and Hoover weren't even drafted.

Bernadeau has looked good in camp, he was a seventh rounder last year. All our tight ends came late in the draft. In our secondary only Gamble was a first rounder, and that area's a team strength.

As long as they keep adding and developing young talent, who cares what round they're drafted in?

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Captroop Veteran

Captroop

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Does anyone really think that next year will stay uncapped? I dont believe it, there is still plenty of time for a new CBA, and it will be in place before the HoF game next season. We all see what the Yankees are to baseball, and there is no way that Goodell will allow an equivalent in this sport. I think its all just a way for the league to f__k with the minds of Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft and a few other owners...

Unfortunately, i don't think it will be so easy to get a new CBA. I have to acree with Moose's prediction: Lockout

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Urrymonster Newbie

Urrymonster

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Does anyone really think that next year will stay uncapped? I dont believe it, there is still plenty of time for a new CBA, and it will be in place before the HoF game next season. We all see what the Yankees are to baseball, and there is no way that Goodell will allow an equivalent in this sport. I think its all just a way for the league to f__k with the minds of Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft and a few other owners...

Problem is that those few select owners could veto a lot by simply not agreeing witht he others. If the owner's association can't even reach an agreement then how are they supposed to agree with the player's association who will oppose a rookie scale.

Ironically the majority of the vets agree with a rookie scale. The suits who runt he player's association do not. How odd.

In my mind there are simply too many opposing ideas to be sorted out come the end of this season. I was always under the impression that the last year of the CBA was uncapped as a way to force the issue? If that is the case we have mere months until they have to get it sorted.

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mountainpantherfan Newbie

mountainpantherfan

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As for the OP, I completely agree. Not having 1st round picks can be a blessing especially when you look at the holdouts and contracts this year.

As for the CBA, I have to say that I don't think an extension is coming by the begining of the new season. BTW the begining of the new season isn't next September but at the end of February, which means something has to get done by then, not next summer. But unlike baseball, and dispite what some have said, an uncapped league will not be in place for long for three simple reasons.

1) Without a salary cap there is no salary bottom. Yes, a couple of owners will try to act like the Yankees but most will act like the Pirates or more probable like the Marlins and try to win on the cheap. The average pay per player will drop dramaticly and staples of the NFL like Vetern Minimum contracts will be a thing of the past.

2) NFL contracts are not gaurenteed. Few players will get gaurenteed money and the rest will be left not knowing if they will have an income day to day. Gaurenteed money is a tool that teams use now under the salary cap but without a cap what real advantage would it give a team? None and so they will be used less and less.

3) And this is probably the most important. The NFL only employees 1696 players, 53 per team, during the regular season. There are another 288 spots on practice squads but that is it. Baseball, unlike football, have "farm systems" that allows teams to have an almost unlimited amount of players at any given time and here is where all "rookies" go for at least 3 years. Baseball can "sit" on rookies while they develop. NFL teams just do not have that luxery. So while even a team like the Cowboys may have an unlimited amount of money to spend, it is only on 53 players per year.

There is no chance of the NFL turning into MLB. Now, with new rules and guidelines that will be in place once a new CBA is in place, sometime in the future, the NFL may look more like the NBA but I'm not sure if that wouldn't be a good thing because personally I don't like the current set up of the CBA and salary cap.

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mountainpantherfan Newbie

mountainpantherfan

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Not having first round picks is a really bad way to go about business.

Technically, the Panthers have had, and used, their first round picks. They just used them a year early. Trading a 1st for coaches, Vet players, ect. isn't a good stradegy but what the Panthers have been doing, in my opinon, is smart. However, don't expect three years in a row of the Panthers trading next year's first. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen.

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