Mawae’s View
Former Jets center and current NFLPA President, Kevin Mawae was previously against the large contracts rookies signed but now his heart has changed and Kevin is even congratulating Mark Sanchez on his ‘phat’ contract.
“I looked Mark Sanchez in the face the other day and said ‘congratulations, man. More power to you’. It’s the nature of the game.
They’re fortunate enough to be in it at a time when the game is making that much money where I guy can come out and get a contract that guarantees him $30 million dollars. I’m not going to hate him for that, and I’m not going to hate the system for it.
“Rookie salaries only comprise four percent of the salary cap so it’s not like every guy is making that kind of money and they’re taking it from the veteran players. The reality is no team spent up to the entire cap last year. God bless the rookies coming out, they deserve it.”
That’s a pretty swift change but Mawae does make some solid points, the teams didn’t go over the cap and being that the rookie salary makes up a small percent of the cap means a less of a hit to the FO’s pocket. Of course being a second rounder can do that to you I suppose.
8 Responses to Mawae’s View
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Harlan Lachman says:
Does anyone understand how “not spending up to the cap works”?
If the cap is based on a percent of revenues and the teams don’t spend to the cap, that would imply that players are not getting the percentage they negotiated. The only way they would get their share was if teams that did not spend to the cap had to send a check to the NFLPA for the difference. I can just see Jerry Jones and Ralph Wilson doing that (NOT!).
I see how the cap and rookie cap protects owners. I don’t see how it protects the players.
TIA,
harlan
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nyckage says:
OK scratch out VY, he did lead the Titans to 2 wining seasons and a playoff, so nvm, but their are hundred of others liek Ryan leaf, david carr, the list goes on.
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A few things on the rookie deals. First of all its not the first year salary that anyone complains about. The system in place prohibits rookies from making tons of money their first year. The problem is beyond that. If Mark Sanchez has a cap charge of 9 million dollars next season and a cap is in place, that likely costs a veteran his job. Secondly, the way the NFL system works no team really can spend “up to the cap”. If you did you would likely violate it at some point during the season. Plenty of teams spend a fortune every year. The cap is basically the way you account for the contracts. Actual cash spending is an entirely different mechanism, usually referred to as “cash over cap”. There are no limits on that set by the CBA. Its simply internal payroll. 13 teams actually were above(some well above) the “cap limit” on a cash basis last year.
It’s definitely a tough call for the veterans. For the guys that are just hoping to hang on to jobs its a killer. The 3rd or 4th year pro that has not stood out is in an awful position. However those players who did not benefit from being highly selected in the draft are rewarded as free agents based on these rookie deals. When some young QB drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round hits free agency and has a track record their agent is going to use the Sanchez and Stafford deals as a baseline for negotiations. It creates a bonanza for players who are good and should be in the league a minimum of at least 8-9 years.
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JetOrange says:
thanks Jason
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Mawae changing his tune is significant — this tells me that the new union leader DeMaurice Smith is serious about getting his troops ready for battle, and he’s wisely gotten his top soldier to fall in line.
This also says that the players are not going to be the pushover they have been in the past and that they are going to stand up to the owners and not cave in for a rookie cap.
More importantly, this points dramatically to an NFL stoppage of some sort in the next year or two. Bank on it.
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JDB says:
congrats to the rookies who get it, but the other side is that it is a punishment for teams to be in the top five for draft. Too much financial risk for players who may not be worth it.
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The system right now is kinda crazy right now, I mean both Vince Young and Matt Lienart, andAlex Smith are set for life withour even earning a cent from their contract,, we really need a rookie salary cap.