The NFL lockout is sooooo close to finally being solved. Pro football is not far away from getting back in session.
After hashing out the details on an endless amount of topics, the one major issue that still loomed was the rookie pay scale.
No longer did owners want to shell out $50M worth of guaranteed money to a kid that had yet to play a single down in the pro's.
When a player that still struggles to find a guaranteed deal year-in-and-year out watches a college junior stroll out to the podium at the NFL Draft with nothing but dollar signs filling his brain...yeah there is a problem.
According to New York Times reporter Judy Battista, the two sides have finally come to an agreement on how to solve this problem:
The rookie pay issue had emerged in the last week as one of the last significant stumbling blocks, with the disagreement mostly centered on compensation and the length of contracts for first-round draft picks. But owners were said to have made a concession on the money that could be paid if a player reaches the fifth year of his rookie contract. After the new deal is completed, top draft picks from the 2011 draft are likely to make about half of what those from 2010 made.
It sounds like the owners won his battle, and there is an easy reason why.
No player involved in the negotiations is ever going to be a rookie again. Sure they want to look out for the well-being of the game and all of that jazz?but if there was ever an issue to compromise on it would be that one.
Especially if a 2011 game check depended on it.
This doesn't mean the lockout will be ending on Friday. They still have to iron out how free agency will work and a few other matters, but tonight's news is a huge step in the right direction and the latest evidence that an agreement is going to be made in the near future.
The only question now is how soon.
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