Rookie Salaries - Out of Control

[Ade Jimoh Fan Club]

Is there any reason that the NFL can't go to a slotting system like the NBA, where the league determines that #1 gets $X million, #2 gets $Y, etc...?

This would solve two problems: there would be no holdouts because of contract negotiations and the league could simply set rookie salaries at a reasonable threshold.

I think rookies shouldn't get paid a ton - they should have to perform in the NFL and get paid with their second contract. Rookies - even 1st rounders - are no better than a 50/50 chance of being any good in the NFL, so this would protect the teams, their salary caps and the league as a whole.

Players would have to deal with it if it was league wide.

I saw in an article on CNNSI that Freeney just got $30M (guaranteed)as the best pass rusher over the past few years in the NFL, where Joe Thomas got $23 (guaranteed) without ever taking a snap. What if he's not all that good (ala Gallery)?

QB's rarely play in the first couple of seasons. I mean, if Campbell turns out to be as good as we are hoping he'll be, we'll have to pay him huge $$ to keep him, even though he hasn't done crap for 3 years.

It just makes good sense to have rookies all sign 3-year deals for low $$ (but still making more than any of us) and then after that they can go to the bank if they actually performed.

Is there something I'm missing?