COMMENTARY : High draft picks might not be worth trouble

[Wolf]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs are obligated to give defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey at least $23 million after selecting him with the fifth pick in last year's NFL Draft.

In return, they received 50 tackles and one sack last season. Though it's far too early to write the obituary on Dorsey's career, his situation illustrates the madness for the teams having one of the draft's top picks.

They are more expensive than ever, but they don't develop into Pro Bowlers with any greater frequency than they ever did. So it's little wonder that few - if any - teams want these socalled premium picks at the top of the draft.

There hasn't been a trade for a topfive pick in five years.


"In terms of trades near the top of the draft, you just don't see any," longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper said. "It's not like the '90s and the '80s and the '70s, where teams are moving up and down and around. The top five, six picks are not going to be traded. It's just too expensive, both from a financial standpoint and from a picks standpoint as to what you have to give up.

Charley Casserly was the Houston Texans' general manager in 2006 when they had the draft's top pick.

"We had zero offers for our pick," Casserly said "I called the Jets and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Mike says, 'What are you going to give me to take that pick?' That's kind of the attitude: 'We don't want this thing.' "

http://www.topix.com/search/article?q="houston+texans"&x=0&y=0

 

[bah007]

Rookie salary cap

 

[Thorn]

A rookie salary cap is the only logical answer. I don't blame the teams for not wanting to trade up for those picks. These guys are getting to much money (relative to veterans) before they ever make one step into an NFL locker room.

 

[MojoMan]

As long as the NFL continues to use anything close to the existing salary structure for rookies, I hope the Texan's never draft higher than #15 ever again. It is too expensive, and you do not on the average get good value for what you are paying. As things stand, it is better to draft later in the first round than in the top five, even if you are the worst team in the league.

 

[Mailman]

As things stand, it is better to draft later in the first round than in the top five, even if you are the worst team in the league.

Unless, of course, there's a Mario Williams, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson or Carson Palmer available.

 

[Texan JBZ]

Rookie salary cap

Amen

 

[bah007]

A rookie salary cap is the only logical answer. I don't blame the teams for not wanting to trade up for those picks. These guys are getting to much money (relative to veterans) before they ever make one step into an NFL locker room.

To be honest, I don't blame the kids for trying to get as much money as they can either.

They are the ones with the leverage. Who knows how many other opportunities they will have after their first contract? It would be smart to get as much as you can on the first one.

The problem is that the league has let it get out of control. If I was a veteran player in the NFL, I would be pissed off to see some kid who has never played a pro down make more money on his first contract than I have made in my career.

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

That's a really interesting quote from Casserley and the Jets GM.

I wonder if it would actually be a smart thing if you had the #1 or 2 or top 5 kind of pick... and traded that and say your 3rd or 4th round pick to move down! LOL, people would be so confused! Then again I guess you can just let the clock run out. hmm

 

[threetoedpete]

A rookie salary cap is the only logical answer. I don't blame the teams for not wanting to trade up for those picks. These guys are getting to much money (relative to veterans) before they ever make one step into an NFL locker room.

But what the players are saying: They want that money....the money lost in the rookie pool.....going back to the players.....the veteran players. Now I've got no problem with a chunk of the money being wielded in their direction. But some of the money needs to be targeted for the not so successful and the injured legacy guys. I was at an old Oilers party a very long time ago...and I remember them passing around a little bottle after a game. Now I don't know what was in the bottle for a fact....but I'm guessing they were mixing perkidan(Sp? What it is C-nnn-d) with their beers. So what I know is all of these guys pay a terrible price to play the game.

And on the other hand: you've got the owners who will not open the books.
So we're never going to know exactly what they are making and what their cost are. Heck the Houston Sports Association has never told the voters what was the final cost for Reliant Stadium. Never been a final accounting that I've seen. Seen five hundred million. Never seen that number certified by an accountant. What we know for a fact is that the Harris County Commissioners court is never going to retire the bonds owed by the Astro Dome. Haven't done it in fifteen years now....since it's been empty.
So basically we've been paying the interest on 63 Million without paying anything on the principal. And we still are paying for the last renovations and the first building costs. That first sixty-five million is never going away. LOL.

And the third rail: The players union just hired a hatchet man..who's only qualification is he has political connections....with people who have no problem with the ends justifying the means.

This onion has many layers. And everyone will cry a little bit until they reach the core.