Chatter from NFL Owners' Meeting

[sportscurmudgeon]

The same agent who represents LaVar Arrington also represents Orlando Pace in St. Louis. Pace was the franchise player last year and will likely be the franchise player this year too. If so, he will earn about $7.7M for one year. the reason that a long term deal that is a bit more "cap friendly" in the early years has not bee reached is that the agent has asked for a 7-year contract worth "over $75M" with a $27M signing bonus. The Rams' GM called that a ransom note and not a contract proposal.

Lots of talk about how the signing bonus lid has been blown away this year because next year Tom Brady will be a free agent. He has two Super Bowl rings in the past 3 years and Payton Manning has two playoff wins in the last three years. Manning got $34.5M as a signing bonus; some people in Flroida are worried that Brady might get $40M or more.

Owners are counting on the cap going up significantly after the next round of TV negotiations (more money coming in as revenue drives up the cap) because it appears that NFL football is the only major pro sport on TV that actually brings a profit for the networks. NCAA basketball is also profitable and so are some of the minor sports that have no significant rights' fees (bowling and Arena Football). So, the owners hope to jack up the rights' fees on the basis that their games provide big time promotional opportunities for networks AND bring them profits. Interesting to watch that unfold - and to see just how many contracts have big bonuses in the 06/07 timeframe counting on a "cap jump".

More later???