TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

UF Stars Keep Eye On NFL Rookie Salary Structure

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2008

The University of Florida football team has three juniors – playmaker Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes and quarterback Tim Tebow – who could become incredibly and immediately wealthy after this season simply by proclaiming themselves eligible for the National Football League draft.

All three - particularly Harvin and Spikes - are projected as early first-round picks if they are made available.

Their cost would be sacrificing senior years at a school and on a team that each have professed to love and value.

But there is another factor that could influence their decision, one that Gators football fans – not to mention other college supporters – may not care to hear.

There is growing disapproval inside the NFL about the amount of money rookie players are making, and this year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed a desire to change the rookie contract structure. Goodell offered this idea of implementing a rookie salary cap, similar to that of the National Basketball Association.

Goodell and the NFL Players Association have met and discussed this issue, and team owners are interested in following through with the idea of redistributing the money to veteran players who have already proven themselves and their worth.

This means, most likely at a time soon after next year's draft, big money for rookies before they even play a game will become a part of NFL history.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT