Getting Rid of the Draft: All rookies are FA's instead

[Mike]

I know we all love the draft.... It's a lot of fun and good way for a team to improve.

On the downside, it randomly rewards bad teams with a chance to draft the next Manning. Imagine instead of all teams had a chance to sign the next franchise QB.

Salary Cap would still prevent teams like Packers, Cowboys, Pats to sign a 2nd franchise QB or load up on too much talent.

This would still give advantage to lower ranked teams with salary cap room.

[casdhf]

That's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I've suggested this idea on other boards and it has often gotten the same negative response. Fwiw the largest leagues without a draft are the European soccer leagues, but they don't have a hard salary cap.

[psubills62]

I see no actual downsides to the draft stated in the OP.

[sudzy]

Most rookies would want to play for Dallas or Miami or another big name, warm weather team. Teams like Buffalo and Cleveland would have to overpay for the crap players that no one else wanted.

[Luisito23]

That's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.


Considering the source, not even close. :lol:

[X-Era]

I'd rather form a developmental league that all college teams can become a part of and pay the college players. College doesn't have to fork out money. League sustains itself through TV and ticket sales.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I see no actual downsides to the draft stated in the OP.

It would end the rookie cap, so there would no rarely be situations where teams were grossly underpaying for a player like we have with Andrew Luck right now.


Most rookies would want to play for Dallas or Miami or another big name, warm weather team. Teams like Buffalo and Cleveland would have to overpay for the crap players that no one else wanted.

Yes, but those players couldn't all play for them because of roster limits and salary cap space. If Jameis Winson really desperately wanted to be a Cowboy, he would have to play for next to nothing to do it because they've already committed their money. Alternatively, they would have to dump Romo in order to get him, in which case Romo would be an FA too.

[psubills62]

It would end the rookie cap, so there would no rarely be situations where teams were grossly underpaying for a player like we have with Andrew Luck right now.
That's like saying I have a wart on my foot and if I chop off my foot, it gets rid of the wart. Why the hell do we need to get rid of the draft to solve that problem? Blame the NFLPA for not doing their job.

[Mike]

From a Rookies POV, how is it fair that there is a draft???

Imagine graduating at the top of your class at Harvard Law and instead of having law firms compete for you, you got drafted instead and your salery was limited. If you were a great lawyers, you would still earn 10 times Less than a comparable lawyer and you couldn't change law firms!

Its both unamerican and socialistic.

The draft in the NFL is a way to force labor the same way a draft in the military is a way to force people to become part of the military.

[EDS]

From a Rookies POV, how is it fair that there is a draft???

Imagine graduating at the top of your class at Harvard Law and instead of having law firms compete for you, you got drafted instead and your salery was limited. If you were a great lawyers, you would still earn 10 times Less than a comparable lawyer and you couldn't change law firms!

Its both unamerican and socialistic.

The draft in the NFL is a way to force labor the same way a draft in the military is a way to force people to become part of the military.

The compensation of first year attorneys at large law firms is generally the same outside of bonuses, which again, are largely the same outside of a few outliers. A kid graduating at the top of his class from Harvard would be making his decision based on the reputation of the firm and the future compensation and opportunities it offered, not necessarily what he would make in his first three years.

So in that sense our young lawyer has it worse than the young NFL prospect as he has no ability to negotiate salary at all but does have the flexibility to choose his employer.

[Mike]

The compensation of first year attorneys at large law firms is generally the same outside of bonuses, which again, are largely the same outside of a few outliers.
There is a pretty big difference in pay after graduation between a lawyer that graduated from Harvard vs University of Buffalo. A UB lawyer may garner $70k out of college, a Harvard lawyer will garner double that, 150k after college.

In a similar manner, a Top NFL Prospect will garner more than a mediocre prospect.


A kid graduating at the top of his class from Harvard would be making his decision based on the reputation of the firm and the future compensation and opportunities it offered, not necessarily what he would make in his first three years

Top law firms aren't cheap with good talent. Generally, top lawyer prospects are NOT sacrificing money for fit. In fact, it's more likely that a number of great offers come in and the kid chooses best fit out of good offers.

If rookies were FAs instead, I would expect them to act much the same way. The smart ones will look for both money and good fit and will get it.

So in that sense our young lawyer has it worse than the young NFL prospect as he has no ability to negotiate salary at all but does have the flexibility to choose his employer.

You lost it there. Lawyer has every opportunity to negotiate, the rookie NFL player doesn't!

NFL rookies are wage scaled as a result of collective bargaining agreement. An NFL rookie has No Negotiating power whatsoever!

[X-Era]

From a Rookies POV, how is it fair that there is a draft???

Imagine graduating at the top of your class at Harvard Law and instead of having law firms compete for you, you got drafted instead and your salery was limited. If you were a great lawyers, you would still earn 10 times Less than a comparable lawyer and you couldn't change law firms!

Its both unamerican and socialistic.

The draft in the NFL is a way to force labor the same way a draft in the military is a way to force people to become part of the military.Actually it's nothing like that.

[trapezeus]

I think it's a terrible idea to get ride of draft.

Also the nfl has monetized the draft into a 4 day weekend in April. There is no one they'd kill that and just have players go wherever they want.

Lastly look at lael Collins. Where'd he go when he had all his options? And money was capped. No one could out bid.

[EDS]

If a UB lawyer and a Harvard lawyer graduate the same year and start at the same firm their salaries will be identical. Salaries are generally lock-step at almost every large firm in the U.S.A., so the UB lawyer and the Harvard lawyer will have the same base pay their first year, second year, third year, etc. until they make partner. At many firms, bonuses are consistent as well provided minimum hour targets are hit. There is absolutely no salary negotiation for law students looking to join a top firm. None. Salaries are published in NALP if you want to look. Those are facts.

[EDS]

And for the record, starting salary for a first year lawyer at a big firm in a large city in the U.S.A. out of law school is $160,000. That is the salary a Harvard law grad, Buffalo law grad, Michigan law grad, Texas law grad, or Tennessee law grad will make.

[BertSquirtgum]

I know we all love the draft.... It's a lot of fun and good way for a team to improve.

On the downside, it randomly rewards bad teams with a chance to draft the next Manning. Imagine instead of all teams had a chance to sign the next franchise QB.

Salary Cap would still prevent teams like Packers, Cowboys, Pats to sign a 2nd franchise QB or load up on too much talent.

This would still give advantage to lower ranked teams with salary cap room.

Dumb

[IlluminatusUIUC]

That's like saying I have a wart on my foot and if I chop off my foot, it gets rid of the wart. Why the hell do we need to get rid of the draft to solve that problem? Blame the NFLPA for not doing their job.

The NFLPA came around to the rookie cap when they believed it would get them more money being spent on veterans. But you asked for a downside and I told you one.


I think it's a terrible idea to get ride of draft.

Also the nfl has monetized the draft into a 4 day weekend in April. There is no one they'd kill that and just have players go wherever they want.

Lastly look at lael Collins. Where'd he go when he had all his options? And money was capped. No one could out bid.

Yeah, but he wouldn't necessarily have chosen Dallas if other teams had been allowed to throw more money at him.

The draft was created to balance out the talent in the days before the salary cap and shared revenue. However, we have both of those things now. The teams are more or less on the same financial playing field. I think it would be more exciting to allow every team a chance at prospects like Andrew Luck, rather then watching one franchise fall ass first into it.

[trapezeus]

so the idea of getting rid of draft and the salary cap is being bandied about? that's even worse.

you'd get bigger contracts with more boom and bust players. some RGIII types would sign mega contracts that you couldn't get out from under.

[swiper]

You don't know that other teams didn't throw more money at him.

[psubills62]

The NFLPA came around to the rookie cap when they believed it would get them more money being spent on veterans. But you asked for a downside and I told you one.

It's not a downside that's inherent to the draft. Can easily be changed while still keeping the draft around.

[Mike]

If a UB lawyer and a Harvard lawyer graduate the same year and start at the same firm their salaries will be identical. Salaries are generally lock-step at almost every large firm in the U.S.A., so the UB lawyer and the Harvard lawyer will have the same base pay their first year, second year, third year, etc. until they make partner. At many firms, bonuses are consistent as well provided minimum hour targets are hit. There is absolutely no salary negotiation for law students looking to join a top firm. None. Salaries are published in NALP if you want to look. Those are facts.

I don't know if your being dumb or just playing devils advocate.

Clearly, the point is that the Top Law firms scout Harvard Lawyers and pay them top dollar. The top law firms don't scout UB and pay UB lawyers top dollar.

It seems that you think that getting a law degree for UB is same as getting one from Harvard. If you doubt what I'm saying just compare employment % and average salaries for 1st year lawyers. Harvard is way higher!

[BertSquirtgum]

The only dumb one here is the idiot thinking that abolishing the draft is a good idea. Has to be one of the most ******ed ideas I've ever read about on this board.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

You don't know that other teams didn't throw more money at him.

We do know that though, there's a hard limit to what you can offer a UDFA and Collins hit it. All you can do is fully guarantee his contract (which Dallas did) and slightly push up his signing bonus.

Compare La'El Collins, maybe the most sought after UDFA ever to AJ Tarpley, the guy we signed to be a backup linebacker. They are nearly identical.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/lael-collins/
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/a.j.-tarpley/


It's not a downside that's inherent to the draft. Can easily be changed while still keeping the draft around.

I misread your first post.

[EDS]

I don't know if your being dumb or just playing devils advocate.

Clearly, the point is that the Top Law firms scout Harvard Lawyers and pay them top dollar. The top law firms don't scout UB and pay UB lawyers top dollar.

It seems that you think that getting a law degree for UB is same as getting one from Harvard. If you doubt what I'm saying just compare employment % and average salaries for 1st year lawyers. Harvard is way higher!

As a practicing attorney I am well aware of the recruiting dynamics at various law schools, and fully appreciate that more firms will recruit at Harvard versus UB and they will recruit much deeper into the Harvard class than a class at UB. That said, a UB graduate will have the same salary as a Harvard law grad as first years at Cravath.

That is the same dynamic with NFL scouting the SEC versus the MAC. You will need to be a star in the MAC to get a shot while a lot more guys in the SEC will get a look.