I was blaming the Raiders on not getting a deal done before the season started, but rumor was that Russell was wanting 30M straight up!! I don't think any team would have given him that. I think the NFL needs to keep a VERY CLOSE watch on these rookie deals and hopefully set some type of parameters for the future. $30M in guarantees is too much for a kid who has yet to step on a NFL field. And the trend will only continue for agents to look to match and beat previous #1's. It's just too expensive to pay someone that may very well be a bust, but teams will have no choice but to pay them at the end. The NFL should be very weary of this trend and where its going IMO.
I am thinking the same thing and you always heard commentators state that the top picks in the draft are always wanting more than what last year's rookies received. I understand to from a players perspective though because NFL contracts are not guaranteed, just in case you flop in the league you want all the financial backing you can get.
i cant believe it has taken this long. With everyone else signing and also considering what mario got last year then the terms should have been pretty easy to reach. Its not like the kid is known for making great decisions and being able to read defenses well in the first place...the last thing he needed was to miss all of camp.
Like I posted...Russell's camp was basically wanting a $30M signing bonus!! Mario's (and almost all other rookies) guaranteed is spread out through the contract. I don't think there is a single owner is sports willing to give a rookie a $30M check.
The same thing happens every year with the #1 pick so I don't follow your reasoning. And the main problem was not the money, the Raiders were willing to pay him all along, it was a standard injury clause that every other team usually has no problem agreeing to that was holding the whole thing up. Russell wanted a certain amount of guaranteed money in the case of career threatening injury or other unforseen events and the Raiders were trying to lowball him out of it.
so, $60 mil and $31 mil guaranteed. assuming, it's $5 mil per year for 6 years, he's gonna be in the leauge for at least 3, that's about $46 million guaranteed. niiiiiice.
That is just crazy, insane $$$...I hope he proves he's worth every penny...Sux that he's behind the curve and won't be game ready for a while...
I can't blame the kid at all. With the way NFL contracts work out, the relatively short length of the average career, and the greater possiblilty for injury you have to go get what you can when you can. To expect it in a lump sum is silly. Why not take it over the course of years. That way you've got a paycheck coming in no matter what. Someone mentioned here before that Steve Young is still getting $1 million/year FROM HIS USFL TEAM.
I wasn't talking about the money per se, I know it will probably be eclipsed next year. It's just kind of foreboding that your #1 pick/rookie QB missed the entire training camp and preseason. He's way behind the learning curve now.
Doesn't surprise me, those USFL contracts were so ridiculous. No wonder the league went under in 3 years. As for Russell, this is a risk you've got to take. With 2 Veteran QBs on the roster in front of him, he'll be able to sit and learn (hopefully) this season and after his first training camp next year hopefully he'll be ready for some action.
It's becoming silly to even want a top 3 pick anymore, considering the cap hinderence that comes along with it. How are you supposed to build a team when you slot 10% of your cap space into a rookie? I hope one of these guys becomes the NFL's Danny Ferry so that they put a lid on this escalating problem. Evan
Will he be the next Ryan Leaf? Great arm, couldn't cut it as NFL QB. Good thing the colts got Manning instead.
