Personally I think this draft could end up very wild if the players/owners don't get together before then and free up the FA's that are out there.
Add to that the possibility that the new rookie pay scale may hold up and a guy like Thompson could move up and get a player for three times less than it would have cost last year.
Lot's of moving parts that could make for a VERY interesting draft. We may see moves never made before and probably won't see again.
"warhawk" wrote:
I totally agree. The CBA is totally reshaping the draft. Teams won't be able to sign FAs so will look to fill more needs with the draft. Additionally, teams can't trade for players so guys like Matt Flynn and Kevin Kolb are likely to stay put.
The largest implication would be the implications of a rookie pay scale. Teams often shy away from taking the "best" player if he's not at a certain position. Look at Carolina, everyone would think they were crazy if they picked Patrick Peterson first and gave him Sam Bradford money. But a 5 years deal at around $30 million is very good money for a starting corner.
Teams have a LOT less to gain by trading out of those top spots if there is a rookie pay scale.
Additionally, there seems to be a clause to make first round picks 5 years contracts and second round picks 4 year contracts. This would give Ted incredible bargaining power to a QB hungry team. If you were a team like Cinci or Washington, would you rather pay your potential starting QB like a rookie for 4 years or 5? Obviously, a 5 year deal (especially if it is a developmental prospect like Locker or Kaepernick.) You'd trade up in a heartbeat to make sure you got your guy for an extra year on a rookie salary.