The Place for Football Education
The Football Educator recently addressed the elimination of option bonuses in rookie contracts and the effect this had on the upper selections of the first round in the annual NFL Draft. Option & roster bonuses provided loopholes to circumnavigate rookie pool restrictions on NFL Clubs as they signed their rookie class under the NFL Salary Cap for a given season. Contracts were constructed with nominal year one costs to abide by rookie … [Read more...]
The National Football League has gone through extensive changes over the past few seasons (on and off the field). The League’s front office and Competition Committee have taken progressive steps toward the safety of NFL players with extensive rule changes applied to techniques long thought to be just “part of the game”. The extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement ensured measures to guard the health and welfare of the NFL’s … [Read more...]
The 2013 NFL Draft was historic from an offensive tackle perspective. There have been years where two or three tackles were selected in the Top 10 of the first round (most recently in 2009), but perimeter OL’s at picks one, two, and four is unheard of. Traditionally this stratus is usually reserved for the “skilled” of the college player pool; quarterbacks, defensive corners, wide receivers. Sign of the times? A recent national post … [Read more...]
I received this question via Twitter from an inquisitive fan; Henry S. – “Mr. Sundquist can you provide any insight on how trade discussions happen between two teams?” Simple I suppose. I was part of an NFL front office that was one of the most active in professional football for 16 years. Perhaps one of the most significant trades in Denver Bronco history emerged while I was General Manager. We sent former Offensive Rookie of the … [Read more...]
How did we get here? The infatuation of the media and fan base with NFL player contract structure and negotiation? Seems every season during the free agency period there’s an intense debate about how much NFL players are paid and whether they’re worth it. The latest deliberation revolves around the extension of Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo and so called the $108 million commitment made by “America’s Team”. Perception isn't … [Read more...]
I was never formally trained in the art of negotiation prior to becoming a general manager in the National Football League. There was really nothing in my professional background or experience that might lead you to believe that I would ever be successful in selling a roster opportunity in exchange for multi-millionaire dollar deal. Most might argue that this responsibility would be best left up to attorneys, wise in the ways of spinning … [Read more...]
It’s interesting to analyze the logistical strategy that was built into the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Player’s Union (NFLPA) and the National Football League (NFL). Since its inception the official start of the free agency period has coincided with the start of the new League Year. Traditionally that’s around the first week of March and with it, the feeding frenzy of NFL clubs looking for a quick fix to what ails … [Read more...]
Market value - the price that an asset would trade in a competitive auction setting. Usually a term relegated to common stocks, equities, and commodities, "market value" has also been used to keep certain positions out of the Top 10 of the annual NFL Draft. No matter how valuable the player might be on the field, his “market value” as an offensive guard, or nose tackle, or fullback, or offensive center just didn’t justify selecting him … [Read more...]
It’s easy to throw out the notion of a trade; the idea to get equal or greater value, putting your club in a better CAP situation and or with a prime pick in the coming draft. If only it were that easy. Real time example Player finds himself on a team entering 2013 League Year (LY) almost $24.0M over projected CAP. His individual charge as a Top 51 on his roster is $9.0M calculated; $3.0M in 1 year proration of past guarantees, $3.0M in … [Read more...]
Out of the 2012 regular season there are 6 NFL Clubs that are at least $10M over the Salary Cap entering the new League Year. None were playoff contenders; New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants. Both the Panthers and Jets have chosen to seek new front office management and are looking for ways conventional and creative to make room for upgrading their rosters next … [Read more...]
