In very few industries would employers have the ability to collude in order to force prospective employees to join whichever company chooses them. Unfortunately for NFL prospects, that is the system that has been collectively bargained on their behalf by the union that serves them.
But as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio points out, it doesn’t have to be that way. The NFL draft supposedly helps to even the playing field, but there are other ways in which to maintain parity while giving prospects the ability to control their destiny.
What if the NFL were to give each team an annual rookie salary cap, enabling teams and players to negotiate freely during a second free agency period which could start each year in April? Prospects don’t have the financial luxury of being able to go to a favorite team for less money than they’d get elsewhere, so there’s little risk of having better teams load up on top-end prospects.
And besides, the system could ensure balance by limiting the number of top-tier contracts each team can hand out every spring. Weaker teams would have higher allowances, giving them a natural advantage in the battle for elite players formerly known as first-round picks.
It’ll never happen, though, because while that system might in fact be better for prospects, the reality is they don’t get votes within the NFLPA. Prospects don’t have a voice until they become players, so there’s little reason for the union to introduce the draft as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the league.
Plus, the draft has become a ratings hit and a huge moneymaker for the NFL and its players. Sure, the league could sell a second free-agent frenzy to fans over an extended stretch in late April and early May, but losing the structure of the draft would hurt. No more mock drafts, less guessing. Less fun for us at home.
Still, it’s something to imagine.
