Mark my words.. this contract will lead to a work stoppage in the NFL unless the Union allows this rookie scale to be put into place to properly control the draft contracts.

IMO, that is probably one of the main lynch pins in opting out of the current CBA... this is nuts, the top 10 selections pay.. not to mention look at what is happening.. instead of a reward to poor teams, it actually is a sand bag of a weight tied around their neck in an deep ocean.

BTW.. most veteran players want this, more money in the veteran pool for salaries than being tied up in unproven players.

The reality of a changing economic world is going to start catching up to these NFL teams quickly.. Wait til the next TV deal.. it is changing and the NFL isn't reacting fast enough. Players, Union and Teams alike.

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I think any league that doesn't control the salaries of rookies is foolish for not doing so. They have proven NOTHING on the turf they are to make their living. Compensate them well, sure, but christ if you're a top 10 pick, once you sign your contract you don't need to do a single thing in life again. You don't even to play a single down!!

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That's what drives me nuts about this contract. If he never plays a single down, he still makes over $40 million. No one on the face of this planet deserves that kind of money without some guarantee of performance.

I have a feeling the owners will be demanding the rights to have clauses that allow them to recoup "guaranteed" money if the player doesn't show some minimal level of performance. I personally think that the more money is guaranteed, the higher should be the minimum performance standards to retain it. These players are drafted based on expectations, yet they actually have a disincentive to work hard: the money is theirs, no matter what happens.

In other words, when it comes to draft picks, I think their money should be almost entirely incentive based. If they don't pan out, it costs the team essentially nothing.

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To put this signing into perspective, Stafford will be making his rookie season what Brett Favre made his final season: between $12 and $13 million.

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