Even if his career is over, QB will earn almost $40 million. Andrew Brandt
The Raiders have put themselves in the running for the team with the least cost-effective player in the history of football. The end seems near for JaMarcus Russell, the top pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, with the announcement that the Raiders have decided to keep him on the bench as a healthy backup quarterback and allow journeyman Charlie Frye to start on Sunday.
If he hadn’t already, Russell now moves to the head of the conversation -- along with Ryan Leaf and Tony Mandarich – as the biggest draft mistakes in NFL history. Although those players qualify based on when they were picked and their on-field performances – or lack of – Russell makes even a stronger case because of the immense financial ramifications of his selection.
Russell has become the poster child for the problem with the rookie compensation system, rewarding a few players who have never played with more than most Pro Bowlers receive. With that in mind, let’s look at the deal, where it has been and where it might go.
The choice
The Raiders -- enamored with Russell’s remarkable arm strength and decent Wonderlic score of 24 – chose him over other top prospects that year, including Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Darrelle Revis and quarterback Brady Quinn (a story for another day).
The selection of Russell brought a massive financial obligation, enhanced by the acknowledged “quarterback premium.” Possessing one of the top picks in the draft has become a financial albatross, a punishment for on-field transgressions the previous season. This might be remedied in collective bargaining, but for now, picking at the top has become a millstone around the necks of NFL teams.
2007: the $3-million rookie season
Russell missed training camp – contributing to the waste of his rookie season (four games, two touchdowns, four interceptions) -- before signing on Sept. 11, 2007. With a record-setting contract, however, the holdout didn’t disturb him financially.
The way rookie deals are structured, with low first-year cap and cash to fit into the snug rookie pool, Russell’s actual 2007 cash payout was all Paragraph 5 (salary) in the amount of $2.976 million.
2008: the $20M second season
Due to the structure of top rookie contracts mentioned above, this is where Russell hit the jackpot.
Russell received a salary advance – similar to a second-year signing bonus -- of $19.9 million. Combined with his salary that year of $370,000, he earned $20.27M in 2008.
2009: the $13M third season
As with the Jake Delhomme contract discussed last week, Russell’s contract allowed the Raiders to – at a significant cost – supersede the existing contract, which they did in February. Although the structure changed a bit, the total amounts of the contract were the same.
Following the supersede, Russell earned a second signing bonus – as if the $20M from 2008 weren’t enough – of $3.44M.
Russell also earned a $1.865M roster bonus in March as part of the superseded contract. That money was similar to the salary advance structure above, and reduced future salary numbers in 2010-2012.
Further, Russell’s Paragraph 5 (salary) amount for this season has been a fully guaranteed $7.8M, approximately $460,000 every week.
In total, Russell will make $13.105M for this season.
2010: the $3M fourth season
Russell’s Paragraph 5 amount for 2010 is $9.45M, a number he has said he will not reduce. Uh, OK. More on that in a bit.
The key number for 2010 is the amount of that salary that’s guaranteed, which is $3M, fully guaranteed for skill and injury. In other words, that’s what the Raiders are on the hook for next season, even if they cut bait with Russell.
2011, 2012: the fifth and sixth seasons
In the category of “for what it’s worth” – since he’s unlikely to see any of this -- Russell has the following nonguaranteed salaries, which were escalated simply by being on the roster:
2011: $9.35M
2012: $5.835M
And the following upside in his contract:
Honors Incentives (Pro Bowl, All-NFL, etc.): up to $4M
Top 5 NFL in TDs, Passer Rating, Passing Yards: up to $600,000 per year
As for these numbers, that’s all they are. Numbers. Russell probably has as much chance making these salaries and incentives as you or I.
Total cash committed
At the end this relationship, which probably can’t come soon enough for the Raiders, they will have paid Russell the following:
2007: $2.976M
2008: $20.27M
2009: $13.105M
2010: $3M*
*Guaranteed, even if released.
Grand total: $39.4 million!
What did almost $40M buy the Raiders?
So far, Russell has appeared in 29 games, has been sacked 67 times for 444 yards, has an average yards per attempt of 6.0 and a passer rating of 65.0 -- all statistics that would put him near the bottom of the league in any year.
The cash and cap hit
If (when) Russell has played his last game as a Raider in a couple of weeks, let’s look at the ramifications.
In terms of cash, the only remaining obligation is the $3M guarantee for 2010.
As far as the salary cap, the Raiders would accelerate $12M into 2010 from the unamortized portion of the salary advance, the roster bonus, the signing bonus and the future guarantee. That acceleration would be in addition to the $5.8M of proration already on the books for 2010, making a cap charge of almost $18M for Russell in the event he is not on the 2010 roster.
With the increasing likelihood of no cap in 2010, the Raiders can theoretically absorb this charge. However, league sources tell me there will be some accounting regulations put in place to deal with cap-dumping in the uncapped year. What those rules will be remains unclear.
The bottom line
There you have it: $39.4M in cash committed with a potential $18M cap hit for a player it appears the Raiders can’t purge soon enough.
It’s hard to believe there’s ever been so much paid for so little.
Russell should be financially secure for life as well as his family. But he may soon have to declare bankruptcy on his career.
Follow me on Twitter: adbrandt
To read about San Fran QB Alex Smith's tough test this week against Philly, check out this article from Bleacher Report.
Does China have enough money to borrow out his contract? If it works for Congress...
Andrew, you mentioned the rookie compensation system. My question is why do owners keep paying these top draft choices these absurd amounts? Why do they need a system in place to make sound financial investments. The risk / reward ratio for top picks has swung way too far to the "Risk" side.
I would not be surprised to see a team "pass" on a top 3 draft pick purely from a financial perspective - I would rather have the 8th pick rather than a top 3 pick.
If I were an NFL player with a grossly disproportionate amount of salary, I would absolutely go the Russell route of keeping it all, and NOT the Alex Smith route of renegotiating to give some back. I wouldn't even consider it. If anything, I'd take what I felt I hadn't earned and donate it towards the medical needs of former players. The NFL's a business. Be smart with your health, but get what you can and don't look back.
As for Russell's career, he may be ruined at this point. Other GMs are going to have such reservations about paying or playing him that his picture might as well be next to the dictionary definition of "red flag."
Andrew,
Who's the biggest game changer in the NFL for the money? Is it quarterback? Seems to me, most QB's just continue to be average. Not much difference between anyone in the 2nd tier. (except Breesus, P. Manning, Rivers, Favre.)
Personally I'd rather have Willis, Peterson, or a monster defensive lineman.
What 5 years. He must have spent half of that to date on food. The rest wil be gone in maybe two tops...
Russell is the poster child for why we as fans struggle to afford the NFL they have built
$39 million of OUR money washed down the drain by the fools in charge and this chump will live like a king for the rest of his life.
If the NFL, NFLPA and agents don't fix this and soon, they are going to be left explaining how they finally killed the Golden Goose
The League is just fortunate that the fans haven't united and demanded a seat a the table when they negotiate how to split up our cash in the next CBA.
A little fiscal restraint at the top of the draft would go a long way towards making this League a better one for the teams and their fans. I hope they fix it, but I am not betting on them putting aside their self- interest long enough to do whats right for the greater good of the NFL
I don't fault him for getting everything he can. Any money "saved" certainly doesn't go back to the fans it just goes into the pockets of the owners.
I certainly wouldn't shell out that kinda cash on an unproven QB though. QB probably has the highest washout rate of the skilled positions. (that's be an interesting study, btw.)
One bad contract isn't a reason to change an entire system. You have to ask a couple of questions:
1. what contract would Russell and other rookie busts have gotten in a completely open market? (ie no draft)
2. do the big contracts for rookies work out worse overall than the big contracts for veteran free agents? 'Cuz for every Jamarcus Russell there's an Albert Haynesworth, for every Ryan Leaf and Tony Mandarich there's an Az-Zahir Hakim and Shaun Alexander.
And, by far the most important question,
3. by any chance, does it happen to be the same teams making the same terrible decisions year after year? It sure seems like it to me.
You have a few teams with consistently clueless ownership: Raiders, Browns, Bengals, Lions, Rams, and Redskins. Like the proverbial blind squirrel, every once in a while they stumble across an acorn, as the Browns appear to be on the verge of doing, but overall they're just bad. So you want to change the system? That's great, but trust me -- it won't make them any smarter. You'll still end up with bad contracts, players getting big money who don't desrve it. It just won't be THOSE players who don't deserve it.
Simple solution: he has a DE's body. Put him there. If he balks, cut him for insubordination and terminate his contract for cause. No Alameda County jury will feel an ounce of sympathy.
A great article, the only thing wrong I see is you state he earned it, but with those numbers he is just collecting a huge paycheck
Fantastic article. Excellent Read.
I have never understood how the rookie pay has gotten so incredibly out of control. I also cannot understand how this is in the players OR the owners best interests?
Surely veteran players represented by the union would prefer to see this money paid to PROVEN veterans? Why wouldn't the players be in favor of changing the rookie pay structure? This one is mind-boggling to me.
Andrew or anyone else for that matter,
Can another team (who may have better coaching) be able to get Jamarcus Russell and "re-train" him (perhaps another offensive system than oakland) and turn him around so that he can be a productive NFL Quaterback...because he did well at LSU....How can someone who excelled at LSU (Big Time School) and be so bad.... I think it's coaching....
Time for Al to break out the overhead projector again.
Satori, shut up! No one is going to stop wayching NFL games no matter how much the players make. The games are free on television for me and the advertisers are paying to reach me. You sound very jealous.
Who is stupider, Russell or the NFL owners for allowing such huge contracts for rookies? If all of the owners just refuse to buckle under to agents' demands and say now, the absurd rookie pay scale would collapse, even without any formal limitation.
Russell conned the Raiders into paying him a fortune and is now laughing all of the way to the bank. Good for him. After he leaves them, I hope he 'fesses up that he had planned it that way from the beginning.
The one thing that stands out to me more than anything is the 2007 Phil Steele College Preview that had Russell as the 20th ranked QB out of 20. Al 'Dead Man Walking' Davis is getting everything he deserves for all the things he's done to people and teams throughout his inglorious career.
hes a genius. 40 million dollars for nothing. genius
"Based on his football acumen, his INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND OFFENSES and control his weight and the bigger picture of what's happening to his career now, I expect Russell to be out of money in 5 years."
This assumption is largely false, in Russell's second season in 2008 under Lane Kiffin he was managing the offense adequately as well as showing he was capable of making minor adjustments and pre snap reads. While it may not sound like much it's still impressive for a a guy who was only in his second season and in a hostile environment.
Of course almost all of the development Russell made with Kiffin has been offset by Tom Cable and as a result Russell is now arguably the biggest bust of the decade but make no mistake Russell certainly has all the talent and intelligence required to be an elite Quarterback but not the motivation or work ethic.
Great article Andrew. Can the Raiders legally go after some of that salary advance once they cut him? I think it is pretty well documented that he is not doing anything to stay in shape to play the game.
He'll be broke in a few years and then we will read about him living in a box under a freeway overpass and be expected to feel sorry for him. I'll chuckle instead.
Russell's 24 on the Wonderlic dispells the notion that he was tutored by Javon Walker.
Is this the most expensive 3 and out in NFL history? On first down, Russell hands off to Darren McFadden for two yards. On second down, Russell throws incomplete to Darius Heywood-Bey. On third down, Russell throws incomplete to Javon Walker.
What a bucket of money the Raiders have thrown away. I'm in agreement that the rookie pay scale needs scaling back, but I also agree with the previous post that certain teams consistently make bad picks, keeping themselves hamstrung financially and on the field.
Last point. I disagree with calling players "busts" because of their draft order, although Jamarcus may be the exception. The GMs are making these calls. The Packers' AJ Hawk received much criticism this year for being a "bust" because he was the 5th overall pick and hasn't made a Pro Bowl or been a huge game changer. Hawk didn't pick himself fifth. Had Hawk been picked in the fourth round, everyone would be commenting on what a steal he was, a solid contributor and a starter from Day One.
Interesting points to ponder. Not a single player's contract wasn't approved by the ownership that offers it. Are rookies paid too much? No. Fair market values are paid. If Al Davis thought that JR was asking too much, he could have just said thanks, but no thanks. But, the owners pay.
That being said, JR is either an idiot or sly like a fox. Any interview that I have ever seen with him convinces me that he has NEVER had any kind of education in public speaking. His inability to recite the simplest Crash Davis-isms ("I will need to look at the tape with the coaching staff"comes to mind) has me convinced that he doesn't listen to anyone about how to handle himself like a professional.
Snow-boarder's caps in summer make me want to question his toughness. Think this is cold, wait for that December game in Denver. Stand up straight, shoulders back. Use full sentences with proper sentence structure. Learn to use those famous catch phrases.
He doesn't need to talk to anyone about whether he will restructure his contract. In fact, I agree that he shouldn't. Al Davis likes to brag how he has never broken a lease and he expects his players to honor their contract and not to be renegotiated to pay the player more. Well then, the player should expect AL to pay him what he said he would. Either that or cut him loose. And all who are familiar with AL know that he will not pay a player that isn't on the roster. (see Walker, Javon)
All that said, he hasn't had the best conditions for a QB to flourish. He saw, by example of Andrew Walter, that a QB can loaf and quit and still collect a paycheck. He has had coaching changes and system changes. He has had rookie WRs learning the game. His line is still patchwork. But, JR needs to dedicate himself to learn the NFL game. Study game film to learn to read defenses. Lose that baby-fat. But, he will be on the roster in 2010, no matter what all the world other than AL Davis thinks.
Howie Long got a $40,000 signing bonus as a Raider rook. He bought a used convertible, & drove around in it as if he felt he was the King of Oakland. The guaranteed $$ that Russell is getting literally turns my stomach.
Patrick Roy is a Hall of Fame Goaltender. He has won 4 Stanley Cups He is the only player in NHL history to have won the Conn Smythe Trophy (the award given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs) three times.
Most NHL hockey fans know that Patrick went through a phase where he sucked. Patrick, himself, admits that he lost focus on his craft once he signed one of the first $1,000,000/year contracts in the NHL. ONE million per year. ONE. Roy got over it, eventually, & got back to the business of winning championships. I do not believe that Jemima Russell has that same character. What Jemima has done is obvious. Take the money & run.
Russell got $32M guaranteed before he even took a single snap. What's the first thing a person does when they win the lottery? They QUIT their job. If YOU got hired to do what you LOVE to do, but it meant that you would suffer many broken bones, & (likely) public scrutiny for 5 years...but then won $39,000,000 before you actually started work, you would probably "check out" mentallly, too.
All this does is illuminate the necessity for a rookie salary cap, so that greedy pigs like Jemima will be deterred from striking it rich & calling it a day. It is becoming obvious that this is exactly what he has done. Even his teammates despise his lazy-a** attitude, as his teammates have all realized that they are all trying harder than JaMarcus is, & HE got "paid like a pimp king".
Every Raider fan, for the rest of time will curse the name of JaMarcus Russell for the very reason$ that thi$ excellent article point$ out. But, rookie NCAA candidates in the future will the curse the name of JaMarcus Russell for other reasons.
Melissa (and others),
The owners can't agree to refuse to accede to agents' demands, ridiculous or otherwise. That would be a violation of anti-trust laws. Any change to the system would have to come about through the collective bargaining agreement.
Mr. Brandt, you have steadfastly held the opinion that players salaries were not a problem nin the NFL. That only the first few picks were skewing the perception of the entire draft. I'll grant you that asserstion, and ask- how then can you continue to call the first pick in the draft an "albatross". You have not done this once, but repeatedly.
The early picks are supposed to make the bottom feeding teams in the NFL better- not put them in a financial bind for years, and, thus make them less competitive. Yes, Cleveland did draft
Joe Thomas, and Houston did go with Mario Williams- but are you really suggesting that a bad choice in the first round will doom the franchise for years?
I son't believe this is the case, but I would be very interested in your response. If you do not choose to respond on this site, I believe you do have access to my e-mail account.
don't blame Russell, blame the system... shiiiiiiiii If iwas Russell, negotiate my contract??? Not a chance in hell. Keep your money Russell. The NFL knows how to screw former players, so why not screw them.
I believe, Mr. Brandt, that you have a credibilty issue to deal with, On the one hand, you staunchly defend the current draft system, saying it works for the most part. Yet, you claim that the top draft pick- which is specifically aimed at rewarding the most downtrodden teams, is, in you words, an "albatross".
I agree. And therefore I disagree with your previous assessment that the system is fine as it stands. If the top few picks are actually burdens to the teams that win the dubious honor of getting these picks, then the system is skewed, if not broken. The first few picks should be bonuses, not burdens to their teams.
Granted, the later rounds are more equitable. However, the first few picks are, indeed, an albatross.. How about a salary cap for the first round picks, along with a cap on the years they can sign for? Lets say $20 million tops in total salary, but only a three year contract? I'm throwing out numbers here, not defining an absolute limit. I understand there would have to be some allowance for injuries- however, does being hurt in the NFL mean you're automatically guaranteed a lifetime salary?
There are a lot of factors to consider here- still, I don't believe my idea is totally untenable.
A three tiered lottery to redistribute picks in the first round? Why dispel league history for the current allotment of picks by record in reverse order? This is ideally about rewarding those in the most need on a qualitative basis.
Quantitative results come from improvement across the spectrum of acquisitions. If you changed the order of draft picks in needs based terms, the market demands for holdouts suddenly improve to radical levels. Thus a correction curve exists, in pragmatic terms.
Veterans aren't going to complain about the current system because it keeps increasing salary averages which are used in their negotiations and franchise tag salary determinations. I believe Andrew wrote an article about the contract Charles Woodson signed with the Packers, very lucrative but with a lot of qualifying clauses. That should be the model for all sports.
What a Contract for the worst Qb of all time
.
Russell, JaMarcus
Status: Active Substatus: Active
Primary Position: QB Free-Agency Status: Veteran
Draft Year: 2007 NFL Start Year: 2007
Draft Round: 1
Draft Position: 1
Contract, Signed 09/12/2007
Team Name: Oakland Raiders Disposition: Current
Average Per Year: $4,836,520.00 Signing Bonus: $0.00
3-year APY: $3,720,400.00 OATSB: $19,905,000.00
4-year APY: $4,092,440.00 Option Bonus: $0.00
5-year APY: $4,464,480.00 Second Option Bonus: $0.00
Free-Agency Status: Drafted Rookie Minimum Salary Benefit: No
Agent Name: Lock, Ethan
Contract Year 2007, Cap Number $2,976,320.00
Term Type Contract Value Cap Value Comment
Base Salary $3,162,340.00 $2,976,320.00 Actual salary is $2,976,320 as player signed after Week 1
Base Guaranteed $285,000.00 $0.00
Total NLTBEs $1,500,000.00 $0.00 min p/t + qualifier + various honors; max of $4m over life of contract
Salary Advance $2,691,320.00 $0.00
Contract Year 2008, Cap Number $4,848,625.00
Term Type Contract Value Cap Value Comment
Base Salary $370,000.00 $370,000.00 reduces to $370k if guaranteed advance paid
Base Guaranteed $3,720,400.00 $0.00
OATSB Prorat $3,981,000.00 $3,981,000.00 proration of 08-12 guaranteed base advances
Deion Sanders Realloc $497,625.00 $497,625.00 from proration of guaranteed base advances
Total NLTBEs $15,000,000.00 $0.00 min p/t any year + qualifier+ roster 4th day of 08 LY; void when guaranteed advances paid 15th day of 08 LY
Total NLTBEs $1,500,000.00 $0.00 min p/t + qualifier + various honors; max of $4m over life of contract
Salary Advance $3,350,400.00 $0.00 guaranteed base advance to 15th day of 08 LY
Comment: $19.905m guaranteed advances 08-12 will be treated as signbon over 08-12 if paid; up to $600k escalator
Contract Year 2009, Cap Number $4,938,625.00
Term Type Contract Value Cap Value Comment
Base Salary $460,000.00 $460,000.00 reduces to $460k if guaranteed advance paid in 08
Base Guaranteed $4,464,480.00 $0.00
OATSB Prorat $3,981,000.00 $3,981,000.00 proration of 08-12 guaranteed base advances
Deion Sanders Realloc $497,625.00 $497,625.00 from guaranteed base advances
Total NLTBEs $15,000,000.00 $0.00 min p/t any year + qualifier+ roster 4th day of 08 LY; voided when guaranteed advances paid 15th day of 08 LY
Total NLTBEs $3,442,800.00 $0.00 w/ min p/t any year + qualifier + 7th day 08 LY roster; voids if 09 supersede signbon paid
Total NLTBEs $7,345,880.00 $0.00 w/ min p/t + qualifier 09; void if earned as 09 escalator
Total NLTBEs $1,500,000.00 $0.00 min p/t + qualifier + various honors; max of $4m over life of contract
Salary Advance $4,004,480.00 $0.00 guaranteed base advance to 15th day of 08 LY
Comment: $3,442,800m supersede signbon paid by 5th day of LY and 2012 base reduces to $3,253,920; reduced base increase by $7,345,880 w/ any year min p/t + qualifier; up to $600k additional escalators
Contract Year
Jerry,
Where's the credibility problem? If he says the draft "works for the most part", then writes an article about one aspect where it doesn't work, where's the inconsistency?
The problem here isn't so much JaMarcus Russell himself, it was the Raiders taking him first overall. There were blue chip players up and down the board in virtually all positions. Russell was a huge red flag -- a Ryan Leaf-type boom or bust player, where boom probably wasn't going to be all that loud. But everyone knew Russell was going first, because he has that cannon arm that Al Davis values more than anything, and that 31 other G.M.'s consider among the least important traits in a Q.B.
Nobody's talking about how Detroit screwed themselves by Calvin Johnson's $54 million contract, or how Minnesota hung a millstone around their neck by giving A.P. $40 million over 5 years.
Meanwhile, in other 2007 news, the Rams gave Marc Bulger $65 million over 6 years, and Travis Henry got a $22.5 million over 5 year deal. Anyone liking those apples?
Obviously this is a problem, and obviously it's going to be dealt with in the next CBA, but teams are always going to overpay players based on potential that's clearly just a mirage. ("Calling Deion Branch... calling Deion Branch... I know you never had 1,000 yards or 6 TD's playing with one of the best QBs in the history of the game, but I'm giving you $36 million over 6 years to come play with Matt Hasselbeck... don't make me look stupid now.")
With it being pretty much common knowledge in the Bay Area that JaMarcus smokes weed pretty regularly, why doesn't the team just drug test him and void the contract?
Andrew,
Please, please never mention Tony Mandarich's name ever again. Hands down he was the worst draft pick/biggest bust of all time. There are some other over-rated players on the bust list but when you consider some of the players the Packers passed on to select Tony, by far the dumbest pick ever so far. Here's a short list of guys the Packers missed on because of that terd....
(Tony was picked 2nd overall behind Troy Aikmam)
#3. Berry Sanders
#4. Derrick Thomas
#5. Deon Sanders
Hell, I'd even take these two....
#12. Trace Armstrong
#20. Steve Atwater
Obviously the Pack missed out on a Hall of Fame player because they selected Tony. I'm not sure the sting from that pick can ever go away. BARRY freaking SANDERS!!!! Your killing me Tony!
That being said, I think Russell has a chance to give Tony a run for the title. I think we'll have to wait to see if Joe Thomas, AP, Willis and Revis make th HOF (good chance in my opinion), If those four make it to the HOF, Russell might take title when you consider the wasted pick, missed opportunities on other players and the amount of money spent. Packerland feels your pain Raider nation.
The website stalled out while I was trying to submit a post (shocker). Sory for the possible double post.
Andrew,
Please, please never mention Tony Mandarich's name ever again. Hands down he was the worst draft pick/biggest bust of all time. There are some other over-rated players on the bust list but when you consider some of the players the Packers passed on to select Tony, by far the dumbest pick ever so far. Here's a short list of guys the Packers missed on because of that terd....
(Tony was picked 2nd overall behind Troy Aikmam)
#3. Berry Sanders
#4. Derrick Thomas
#5. Deon Sanders
Hell, I'd even take these two....
#12. Trace Armstrong
#20. Steve Atwater
Obviously the Pack missed out on a Hall of Fame player because they selected Tony. I'm not sure the sting from that pick can ever go away. BARRY freaking SANDERS!!!! Your killing me Tony!
That being said, I think Russell has a chance to give Tony a run for the title. I think we'll have to wait to see if Joe Thomas, AP, Willis and Revis make th HOF (good chance in my opinion), If those four make it to the HOF, Russell might take title when you consider the wasted pick, missed opportunities on other players and the amount of money spent. Packerland feels your pain Raider nation.
Yo, Professor:
The Pack needed a tackle. What were they supposed to do, take Andy Heck?
BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!!!
Much love dude, I'm from Vancouver. We took Dale Talon and left Darryl Sittler on the board. Different sport, same catastrophe. At least you guys eventually got your title.
:)
Under normal circumstances a contract like this going to a player such as Russell would be outrageous. But we're talking about the Raiders here. Al Davis. This type of nonsense is not only understandable, it's expected.
Nobody seems to understand that Al Davis really drafted Russell to eat his way into becoming one of top offensive linemen. And I mean "offensive".
As much as I dislike the baseball system (living in an area with a small-market team that cannot compete for more than 1 year at a time), I almost think the NFL should go cap-free from here on out. In the NFL, where system, team unity and group achievement are far more important than individual ability, a cap-free system would really do more to punish bad owners than reward free spenders.
With the current system, the Pats and Colts have been good every year this decade, but have the same money available as all others. The Lions and Browns have been bad every year. The Raiders had a good run one year and blew their system up because the owner thought he could do it on his own. The Redskins spend like the Yankees but perform like the Royals. Teams like the Packers or Steelers stay competitive, but when timing is right try to make a run (I guess you could compare them to the Twins). In a cap-free system, there would definitely be teams with $150M payrolls. I'm sure they would be the Raiders, Cowboys, Redskins. I'm sure only 1 of the 3 would make the playoffs in a given year. The Pats/Colts might spend more to retain more of their draft picks or fill in spots of need... but I find it hard to believe they would just stockpile every top free agent. The bigger issue would be the Rams, Bills, Jags, etc who would likely have payrolls of $20M and get beaten by 30 points on a regular basis. Oh wait, they already get beaten like that with a minimum payroll in place...
Why is everybody so conderned about this guys contract????? It's something that you can't do a damn thing about. I have never read any articles on any of the other first picks contract negotiations or their dollar values. When the coaching staff is changed you will get your monies worth. Until then deal with it!
Leave this man's business alone. Have any of you renegotiated your pay checks at McDonalds because you fried the french fries wrong?
$39 million of OUR money washed down the drain by the fools in charge and this chump will live like a king for the rest of his life.
____________________________
$39 million of OUR money!!? since when did the owners money become OUR money! please, get real. Football is just a game/sport. We citizens get far to wrapped up in sports that we believe it is another living, breathing being. It's just a game folks! sure, it is big money, but it is not life or death. If it goes away, life will still go on.
Have any of you renegotiated your pay checks at McDonalds because you fried the french fries wrong?
When is someone going to mention the real problem? Fire Al Davis! He's killing our team! He's crazy and has no clue!
The point that get's lost in all of this is that Owner's are constantly complaining about how they want more security because teams lose money. Well then don't go out and sign bad players for 50 million dollars. They want to use monopoly money to sign players but don't want to cut the check.
Next time you hear an owner say he is concerned about losing money, remember they are the ones making the decisions to pay these guys. Even if they just hire a bad GM it's the same as signing a bad player.
which I find no support for in teams' actual hiring practices. Owners have such a huge financial incentive to hire the best available that the Rooney Rule is at best silly PC nonsense. At worse it is a slap in the face of qualified minority candidates, who are marginalized as "Rule" candidates when they do get interviews.
This post is very informative. I like it
Russel has been such a waste. All this money invested in him and he is no good. I am not sure what to think of him.
the poster child for the problem with the rookie compensation system, rewarding a few players who have never played with more than most Pro Bowlers receive
Satori, shut up! No one is going to stop wayching NFL games no matter how much the players make. The games are free on television for me and the advertisers are paying to reach me. You sound very jealous.
So much amount in Millions $ is spend on these tasks.
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Signs point to the end of an era
Dec 18, 2009
03:24 PM
Based on his football acumen, his inability to understand offenses and control his weight and the bigger picture of what's happening to his career now, I expect Russell to be out of money in 5 years.
I'd ask for a recount on that Wonderlic. Cadillac body, Chevette head.