NFL Should Take Note of NBA Draft

DraftNation's BJ Pickard rants about rookie contracts.

Al Horford is a really good basketball player. That’s probably why he was drafted third overall in last year’s NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. In the NBA’s rookie pool, that gave him a contract that paid around $3.7 million this past year, $4 million next year and $4.25 the year after. I’d say it’s a pretty sweet deal if you can get it.

Here’s a sweeter deal. Matt Ryan was chosen third overall in this year’s NFL draft by Atlanta’s other bird mascot team, the Falcons. Ryan signed a six year, $72 million contract with $34.7 million in guaranteed coin. That’s an awful lot of money for a guy who, unlike Al Horford, may or may not contribute any time soon.

Now, I don’t have a problem with a man looking for his “Kwan,” but here’s what I do have a problem with: Matt Ryan now makes more money that every NFL starting quarterback outside of Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer. He’s making more than the number one pick of the draft, Jake Long and, presumably the number two pick, Chris Long.

There’s a problem here. Ryan, despite college successes, hasn’t proven a thing in the NFL and is making more than very talented, very productive and very deserved veteran players could ever dream of getting, simply because they weren’t a top five pick. There’s no guarantee he’ll even be any good. I’m not saying I don’t think Ryan can be a decent NFL QB, but he wasn’t even the top QB on my board, and it’s not like we haven’t seen rookie quarterbacks get drafted high and not pan out. In addition, after having their last franchise quarterback end up serving 23 months in the pokey, I would have thought Atlanta would have been a wee bit more judicious with their money.

Now, I don’t believe that any player is worth $72 million, but if that kind of money is going to be thrown around in sports, I do believe it should be earned. Even a phenom like LeBron James had to prove himself to earn his money.

Plus, it’s not like rookies will be hurting in the long run, for two major reasons. First, if you’re actually good, you’ll get paid. And second, do you really think the Reeboks, Nikes and Under Armors of the world are going to stop endorsing the hot new rookies every year? I don’t.

Bottom line -- the NFL needs to get this rookie salary scale under control. In my opinion, the NBA has got it right here, and the NFL would do well to adopt something very close to it. For a league that prides itself on being cutting edge, level and fair, the league will have to resolve this somehow. Because, quite frankly, they can’t afford not to.

Write that down.

BJ Pickard