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2011 NFL Draft: How the Lack of a New CBA Affects the Draft
By Zack Duarte(Dolphins Featured Columnist) on April 9, 2011 433 reads
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In a few weeks the NFL draft will take place and fans will officially be shut out from any further NFL events or happenings such as free agency, games or trades until a new collective bargaining agreement is set in stone.
With the lack of a current CBA the 2011 NFL Draft is affected in more ways than one.
For starters, any trades before or during the draft can only be pick-for-pick trades. No players under contract can be traded.
There were 33 trades throughout draft weekend in 2010, six of which involved players switching teams.
While teams can trade future draft picks for 2012 and beyond, the league has cautioned teams to do that at their own expense since there may not be a draft in 2012 depending on the rulings of the various litigations currently taking place.
With teams being careful about accepting future draft picks, it may cost more in terms of 2011 picks for a team to move up in the draft.
The usual unwritten rule when it comes to trading draft picks early is trading a pick in next year's draft a round higher than this year's draft (2012 first-rounder for 2011 second-rounder).
With teams being told to be cautious trading future picks it may cost a team picks in the 2011 draft or more value in future draft picks. It has been rumored that a 2011 third-round pick could cost a first-round pick in a future year.
A New Outlook on Drafting
Without free agency and player trades the first way for teams to improve themselves is through the draft. In previous years, teams could add pieces before the draft and have less holes to fill come selection time.
Now the only way a team can improve is by drafting players in positions of need until a new CBA is agreed upon.
The most recent scenario to show as an example is Adrian Peterson.
In 2007, the Cleveland Browns signed Jamal Lewis before the draft, therefore instead of drafting Peterson with the third pick, the Browns selected OT Joe Thomas and Peterson fell to the Vikings who selected seventh.
More teams will select based on need rather than best player available.
Another one of the hot topics being discussed in bargaining negotiations is a rookie salary cap.
The 2010 draft saw a record-tying 53 underclassmen get drafted. The reason for the increase was the speculation for a rookie wage scale to be implemented by the time the 2011 draft rolled around.
Since no new CBA is in place and there currently is no rookie salary cap, it will still cost a team an arm and a leg to trade into the top 10.
Since 2005 there has only been one trade in which a team traded up to get into the top 10. (In 2009, the New York Jets traded up from 17 to five in order to select QB Mark Sanchez.)
The combination of no free agency prior to the draft and teams still finding it hard to trade in or out of their selection spots will lead to an increase in teams drafting further in the draft based on need.
Drafting to Guarantee
Without a CBA undrafted players can't be signed to a contract since once the draft finishes they are considered free agents.
Teams usually know which players will be undrafted free agents and don't select them because they can just sign them once the draft is over.
Now teams may use late-round picks such as sixth- or seventh-round selections on players that would normally be undrafted free agents in order to guarantee they get that player.
Any undrafted free agents will also be at a disadvantage since they usually get signed or brought in for a tryout right away.
After last year's draft, over 480 undrafted players were signed to contracts or brought in for team tryouts.
If a new CBA takes months to complete then any undrafted free agent will not be able to learn a team's playbook, receive coaching and be in training camp early in order to compete for a roster spot.
Harsh Reality
Day one of the 2010 NFL Draft was watched by 7.29 million viewers making it the most viewed first round ever.
With all the drama surrounding this year's draft, it may be difficult to match last year's record-breaking numbers.
Nonetheless, the 2011 draft has it's own twist that no previous draft has had before.
With a lack of player-for-pick trades, free agency before the draft or undrafted free agents being able to sign with teams after the draft, the 255 selections of the 2011 draft will be more valuable to each team than ever before.
By Zack Duarte(Dolphins Featured Columnist) on April 9, 2011 433 reads
0 comments
In a few weeks the NFL draft will take place and fans will officially be shut out from any further NFL events or happenings such as free agency, games or trades until a new collective bargaining agreement is set in stone.
With the lack of a current CBA the 2011 NFL Draft is affected in more ways than one.
For starters, any trades before or during the draft can only be pick-for-pick trades. No players under contract can be traded.
There were 33 trades throughout draft weekend in 2010, six of which involved players switching teams.
While teams can trade future draft picks for 2012 and beyond, the league has cautioned teams to do that at their own expense since there may not be a draft in 2012 depending on the rulings of the various litigations currently taking place.
With teams being careful about accepting future draft picks, it may cost more in terms of 2011 picks for a team to move up in the draft.
The usual unwritten rule when it comes to trading draft picks early is trading a pick in next year's draft a round higher than this year's draft (2012 first-rounder for 2011 second-rounder).
With teams being told to be cautious trading future picks it may cost a team picks in the 2011 draft or more value in future draft picks. It has been rumored that a 2011 third-round pick could cost a first-round pick in a future year.
A New Outlook on Drafting
Without free agency and player trades the first way for teams to improve themselves is through the draft. In previous years, teams could add pieces before the draft and have less holes to fill come selection time.
Now the only way a team can improve is by drafting players in positions of need until a new CBA is agreed upon.
The most recent scenario to show as an example is Adrian Peterson.
In 2007, the Cleveland Browns signed Jamal Lewis before the draft, therefore instead of drafting Peterson with the third pick, the Browns selected OT Joe Thomas and Peterson fell to the Vikings who selected seventh.
More teams will select based on need rather than best player available.
Another one of the hot topics being discussed in bargaining negotiations is a rookie salary cap.
The 2010 draft saw a record-tying 53 underclassmen get drafted. The reason for the increase was the speculation for a rookie wage scale to be implemented by the time the 2011 draft rolled around.
Since no new CBA is in place and there currently is no rookie salary cap, it will still cost a team an arm and a leg to trade into the top 10.
Since 2005 there has only been one trade in which a team traded up to get into the top 10. (In 2009, the New York Jets traded up from 17 to five in order to select QB Mark Sanchez.)
The combination of no free agency prior to the draft and teams still finding it hard to trade in or out of their selection spots will lead to an increase in teams drafting further in the draft based on need.
Drafting to Guarantee
Without a CBA undrafted players can't be signed to a contract since once the draft finishes they are considered free agents.
Teams usually know which players will be undrafted free agents and don't select them because they can just sign them once the draft is over.
Now teams may use late-round picks such as sixth- or seventh-round selections on players that would normally be undrafted free agents in order to guarantee they get that player.
Any undrafted free agents will also be at a disadvantage since they usually get signed or brought in for a tryout right away.
After last year's draft, over 480 undrafted players were signed to contracts or brought in for team tryouts.
If a new CBA takes months to complete then any undrafted free agent will not be able to learn a team's playbook, receive coaching and be in training camp early in order to compete for a roster spot.
Harsh Reality
Day one of the 2010 NFL Draft was watched by 7.29 million viewers making it the most viewed first round ever.
With all the drama surrounding this year's draft, it may be difficult to match last year's record-breaking numbers.
Nonetheless, the 2011 draft has it's own twist that no previous draft has had before.
With a lack of player-for-pick trades, free agency before the draft or undrafted free agents being able to sign with teams after the draft, the 255 selections of the 2011 draft will be more valuable to each team than ever before.
