Upshaw opposed to Rookie pay reforms

When we wrote last week regarding Roger Goodell's criticism of Rookie contracts, we mentioned Gene Upshaw being the only potential problem in getting a deal done that - on paper - would suit everyone.

And, right on cue, Upshaw has thrown his proverbial spanner into the works:

"If the owners want to stop paying the rookies, all they have to do is stop, nobody puts a gun to their head and forces them to pay what they pay."-NFLPA Head Gene Upshaw on Bloomberg Radio

Upshaw goes on to point out that "...You would think it was every rookie that ever played got huge contracts. That's just not true", and that it's only the top ten picks in the draft that are the issue. Of course, the fact that even Upshaw recognises that those top ten are being paid obscene money for their unproven talents, slightly undercuts his position.

The problem with Rookie contracts is that of those top ten picks, roughly 4-5 of them will turn out to be major busts, going by historical patterns. Jerry Jones chose to pay $63m to Tony Romo this year, based on nearly two years of play at the top level. Do you hear people up in arms about that? No, and that's because Romo arguably deserved that, and Jones knows that this is not a gamble.

Compare that with Matt Ryan, a guy who has played precisely zero snaps in the NFL, and his $70m contract that he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Nobody is saying that Ryan shouldn't get paid. He's earned that right as a top draft pick. It's his reward for playing well in college, but it's an NFL team that will carry the can if he proves unable to make it at the pro level. In fact, a top draft prospect going wrong can financially cripple a franchise in the long run, and even when they go right (a la Larry Fitzgerald), can severely impair that team's ability to re-sign veterans. Hell - even Ryan himself can see the point.

To put it bluntly, the NFLPA would be ten times better off without Gene Upshaw. Unfortunately some of the players seem to believe that Upshaw did a good job negotiating the previous CBA, despite the fact that the owners have taken the first available avenue out of it. Until players like Walt Harris work out that their own interests are better served with a more moderate stance than Upshaw will give, we are going to face the prospect of a work stoppage every 3-4 years.

This could be the issue that turns opinion against him though. Sooner or later the NFLPA will wake up and realise that the main obstacle between the two sides can be removed...