You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

Possible Draft Strategery for the Detroit Lions: Skip the First Pick
I have heard some talk of this on different sites. If so how do you guys think it would effect us? (trades, etc...)
[url=http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/04/07/possible-draft-strategery-for-the-detroit-lions-skip-the-first/]Possible Draft Strategery for the Detroit Lions: Skip the First Pick --NFL FanHouse[/url]

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

lol @ strategery.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

No way in hell that happens. Its way to risky if you want a specific player. Not to mention your gonna piss of your fan base, player, agents etc. and have a difficult contract negotiation to deal with whenever you do pick. Plus why not just trade back and pick up a pick or 2 in the process?

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

They need to change the rookie pay scale. The fact that teams would even consider this stuff is silly.

No one wants to give damn near $40M in guarantees to a kid who has never played a snap of professional ball, especially if those teams with the top few picks aren't sold on any one player.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

IMO -- Not a terrible idea if you can't get a player signed pre-draft. It's a good way to save money and still get one of your top players. Perhaps Detroit has Stafford, Curry, Monroe, and the other OT (name escaping me right now) all ranked very closely. Why not save millions of dollars and still come away with someone you really want.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=GMScud;544005][B]They need to change the rookie pay scale[/B]. The fact that teams would even consider this stuff is silly.

No one wants to give damn near $40M in guarantees to a kid who has never played a snap of professional ball, especially if those teams with the top few picks aren't sold on any one player.[/quote]

It's the only logical thing to do. For a rookie to come into the league and be paid like a pro bowl player without ever playing a game at this level is ridiculous.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

ESPN actually has a cool mock draft application and in doing mine I got pretty scared. When I did it Crabtree fell to 7 and as a result Jeremy Maclin fell to us. It made me very sad face.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=GMScud;544005]They need to change the rookie pay scale. The fact that teams would even consider this stuff is silly.

No one wants to give damn near $40M in guarantees to a kid who has never played a snap of professional ball, especially if those teams with the top few picks aren't sold on any one player.[/quote]

Spot on.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

It would make a mockery of the draft system and would (or should) embarrass the NFL. The Lions would take some PR heat for it, but it would be a good statement about the absurdity of rookie contracts at the top of the draft. Maybe it would force the NFL to seriously consider a rookie pay scale, though I guess it would be the players would be resist such a move. Which doesn't make much sense to me since it would result in higher contracts for veterans (if the revenue was still divided in the same way) and the current system only benefits a small handful of guys.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

It sure would be interesting wouldn't it?

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=mrreddman;544003]No way in hell that happens. Its way to risky if you want a specific player. Not to mention your gonna piss of your fan base, player, agents etc. and have a difficult contract negotiation to deal with whenever you do pick. Plus why not just trade back and pick up a pick or 2 in the process?[/quote]

But, Detroit is not looking for a specific player and would be just as content with one of about 3-4 players, QB OL, or LB. You say why not just trade back, because NO ONE will trade for a top 3 pick.

Personally I think it would be hilarious if the draft went 30 minutes (top 3 teams) and no pick had been made because no one wanted to pay that 1st pick type of money.

I hope the new CBA (whenever it is reached) has a 2yr Rookie Contract clause. Is it possible to structure the pay based on average years per position? for example a RB may only average about 8-10 years, but a safety may average 13-15. So a rookie RB contract might be paid slightly higher, than at the end of 2 years, the drafting team is given a strong ability to re-sign the player at market conditions. It seems like this would enable teams to build home grown talent, plus make draft day trades more do-able.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

I will be..........waiting......watching

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

Uh Oh........Trirckle effect all ready? This is hilarious! Its like a game of hot potato for who picks "first". This is great!!!!
[url=http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/04/rams-willing-to-trade-2-pick/]The National Football Post | Rams Willing To Trade #2 Pick[/url]

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

I dont have the Lions taking Stafford anyways, so if they pass on the 1st pick, m ymock draft may look a little more realistic.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

Just makes me sick to think you spend all that money and it might not work out. IMO I would take the OL over the QB. Reguardless The Lions will still find away to mess things up.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

The team with the first pick has the advantage of negotiating with whoever they want. They could go to Alex Mack, for example, and negotiate a deal that recognizes that Mack isn't the best player in the draft, just the one that they are picking first. They could pay Mack like he was picked 15th - as long as he agrees.

Owners don't actually have to pay a player they pick in the draft if they can't get a reasonable deal, but historically agents have bent the owners over a barrel and maybe they are just used to it.

The real issue with trading out of the tops picks is an outdated tradevaluechart which is very broken. If the team that has a top pick like #2 and wants to drop down to #8, theyshould be willing to make that trade for minimal compensation in return, like a 3rd and a 4th. But the stupid tradevalue chart says that the difference is 1200 pts. My point is that the point value of these top picks should be drastically diminished, the scale is way out of whack.

Maybe the team with the high pick that doesn't want it can do something imaginative with it, like trade it to another team for their 6th round pick for the next 100 years (which according to the chart, is a steal for the team giving up the 6th round pick).

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=53Fan;544007]It's the only logical thing to do. For a rookie to come into the league and be paid like a pro bowl player without ever playing a game at this level is ridiculous.[/quote]

Basketball Rookie Cap is the perfect way to do it imo, it is beyond ridiculus for teams to actually ponder not wanting to draft in 1st round. In fact i think this is why the bad football teams stay bad, cuz they get stuck with these insane contracts to guys that are not proven.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

For reasons that have never made a lot of sense to me, the NFLPA has vehemently opposed a rookie pay scale. Here is why I do not understand their position.

Every team in the NFL has a salary cap AND a salary floor. Every team has to spend more than X million dollars and less than Y million dollars on player salaries every year. If rookie wagers are "reined in", the salary money "saved there" has to go to other players who are not rookies. And "not rookies" are the players who are the current menbers of the NFLPA.

So, the NFLPA position seems to favor showering money on college kids who are not Association members at the time of the draft at the expense of putting that money in the pockets of current members of the Association.

I don't get it. But the reason there is no rookie wage scale is that the NFLPA - - and Gene Upshaw very specifically - - fought it tooth and nail.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

Yeah, the 1st overall pick is a curse rather than a gift that helps you build your franchise up. All it does is give you the first shot in a complete crap shoot and strains your cap.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=Zerohero;544192][B]Basketball Rookie Cap is the perfect way to do it[/B] imo, it is beyond ridiculus for teams to actually ponder not wanting to draft in 1st round. In fact i think this is why the bad football teams stay bad, cuz they get stuck with these insane contracts to guys that are not proven.[/quote]

I agree. It seems to work fine for them. From what I've read, the vets are a little upset about this as well and I don't blame them. Not having a rookie cap benefits no one except the rookie and his agent and puts a strain on the cap.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=sportscurmudgeon;544195]For reasons that have never made a lot of sense to me, the NFLPA has vehemently opposed a rookie pay scale. Here is why I do not understand their position.

Every team in the NFL has a salary cap AND a salary floor. Every team has to spend more than X million dollars and less than Y million dollars on player salaries every year. If rookie wagers are "reined in", the salary money "saved there" has to go to other players who are not rookies. And "not rookies" are the players who are the current menbers of the NFLPA.

So, the NFLPA position seems to favor showering money on college kids who are not Association members at the time of the draft at the expense of putting that money in the pockets of current members of the Association.

I don't get it. But the reason there is no rookie wage scale is that the NFLPA - - and Gene Upshaw very specifically - - fought it tooth and nail.[/quote]

This is right on. The real question is why is the NFLPA so insistent on this position? If the answer is to maintain a free market then the teams have no one to blame but themselves. Setting a "rookie scale" (can you see the agents buying this?) would relieve a lot of pressure from the veterans - and there wouldn't be anything wrong with renegotiating after a year.

Re: You think this would shake up the Draft!?
 

[quote=mrreddman;544003]No way in hell that happens. Its way to risky if you want a specific player. Not to mention your gonna piss of your fan base, player, agents etc. and have a difficult contract negotiation to deal with whenever you do pick. Plus why not just trade back and pick up a pick or 2 in the process?[/quote]


Indeed. The Lions should trade down for the 2nd best Qb and another impact player.