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[Editor's Note: This was an article written before the news broke today on the RGIII signing, I checked it and it should still be relevant]
We have been fed the line that "rookie contracts are already negotiated", "every rookie should sign the day he is drafted because it's all slotted and there is no negotiations", "the era of rookie holdouts is forever gone" etc. ever since the new CBA was signed last year. And after the 2011 rookie class was signed so quickly I think we all began to believe it.....I am predicting future rookie training camp holdouts right here people, you heard it here first (at least I hope I am the first, even if I'm not, don't tell me).
[Editor's Note: This was an article written before the news broke today on the RGIII signing, I checked it and it should still be relevant]
With the news breaking this morning from Adam Schefter that the Redskins have signed their next eight first round picks (or however many they gave up in the trade to land him), Quarterback Robert Griffin III, we should see the remaining Top 10 unsigned picks fall like dominoes (just waiting on the Jim Irsay tweet that says "We are close to signing #12", and this time it won't be a lie).
We have been fed the line that "rookie contracts are already negotiated", "every rookie should sign the day he is drafted because it's all slotted and there is no negotiations", "the era of rookie holdouts is forever gone" etc. ever since the new CBA was signed last year. And after the 2011 rookie class was signed so quickly I think we all began to believe it.....I am predicting future rookie training camp holdouts right here people, you heard it here first (at least I hope I am the first, even if I'm not, don't tell me).
To give you a little bit of background on the situation, last year all the rookie contracts (particularly high first rounders) were signed so quickly because the ink was still drying on the CBA, agents didn't have a ton of time to really delve into the details and find out what was available for negotiations, and with no offseason work and shortened training camps everybody was anxious to try and catch up before a year was completely lost on their already short NFL lifespans. This year the sticking point has been "offset language", which is essentially a "guarantee". For instance, if Morris Claiborne is a bust for the Cowboys and they cut him before his fourth season in the NFL, and the Cowboys owe him $5 million. Then he signs a contract with the Redskins for $2 million; the teams want the Cowboys to only owe him the $3 million difference while the agents want him to make $7 million....get it? Good! If not then tweet me and I'll explain it another way.
It seems like a minor thing to be haggling, and potentially holding out over, so what is the real reason behind these protracted rookie contract negotiations? Well my theory is that agents are trying to make themselves appear valuable to rookies, with these deals slotted the way they are there is no real need for an agent anyways. In fact, I honestly don't think rookies should hire "contract" agents until AFTER they have signed their rookie deals. Seriously, what's the point??? I mean some people will say this "offset" language deal is big, but realistically how many teams admit failure on a top 10 pick in the first four years? Exactly!
Since the money is slotted and there is no real negotiations on that part, there is no reason to give an agent 3%+/- of your deal to not do anything. I guess one of the advantages of having a "contract" agent for your rookie deal is the ability to use the "Training Compounds" that prepare you for your interviews and the combine. Those do seem to provide real value to the player as it helps them train for a bunch of tests that have little or no impact on how they actually perform during a football game.
For real, when does a football player run 40 yards, in sprinter style, in a straight line during a football game? Or when do they bench press 225lbs (or even use that same form) during the same 60 minute span? How often do they have a chance to stand there, gather themselves physically and mentally and jump up and/or out as high/far as they can? Get back on focus Bobby....
The agents can also help the players create a very carefully crafted public image/persona that they sell to the teams drafting them and the fans (i.e. Tebow on Broadway & the Gator Quotes) that has little or nothing to do with the "real person" under the helmet. The agents also act as "recruiters" by talking up their clients to potentially interested teams, going over the value that drafting "Player X" will bring to their organization. Does all this really help? Do teams really listen to agents over their own scouts, or in addition to them? I guess there must be some success or the agents wouldn't waste their time doing it.....right?
So with these agents reaching and stretching to give themselves value to their current rookie clients, while also giving themselves ammunition to recruit future rookie's, what will be the next point of contention that they can find to delay high first round pick rookie signings? Rest assured, agents WILL find something, it's just the nature of the business. Unfortunately since I don't have a copy of the CBA, or any experience in contract law, or negotiations; I really don't know what the next step is, but hopefully I can get some insight from some agents that can steer me in the right direction.
So the question ultimately becomes, are the services provided by the "contract" agent, services that cannot be provided by the player's marketing agents? And if they are, are they worth the 3% +/- that they charge for it, roughly $500,000-600,000 on the Top 10 picks rookie deals? Obviously the players think so, what about y'all? Would you hire a contract agent to negotiate an already negotiated rookie deal? Let us know in the comments!
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