Goodell wants to lower rookie salries

Stupid or not, it is the argument put forward by agents & players in threats to hold out.

Why does a team actually have to pass on their pick prior to the issue becoming a problem.

You're correct on the MLB draft. They recently changed the rules to allow a "mere" 50 rounds. Prior to that, it was unlimited rounds. It's still apples to oranges or worse.

You're grasping at straws. Teams that draft in the top half of the NFL draft are at a significant disadvantage to those who draft lower with respect to financial flexibility and the salary cap.

Hook 'em
 
The reason NFL rookies get such "exorbitant" contracts is because they have no minor league. Players come to the NFL as 21 or 22-year-olds with 3-4 years of college experience. Given the game's violent nature & short careerspans for players, I don't think it's fair to impose a rookie salary structure.

MLB has a well-structured minor-league system that allows them to spread the risk out among multiple draft picks. Most baseball prospects don't become certified major leagues until their mid/late-20's, so teams can groom their best prospects.

Pro football, OTOH, has to depend on college football to develop their talent. Owners are over a barrell, because teams don't have the luxury to develop top draftees. They have to contribute as rookies, hence the big bonuses.
 
The owners have reach this position due to their own stupidity but at this point precedents have been set and I do not see any way they could unilaterly cut back on the amount paid to draftees without a labor agreement.
 
HH, I read that article.

First, "Winner's Curse" is not correctly defined. You don't have a winner's curse in the draft, because there's only one team bidding on each player. You have a winner's curse in the free agent market.

Second, according to the article, every draft pick (on average), even those at the top of the draft, is worth more than the pick's eventual compensation -- "The good news for teams is that the whole draft is a good deal, as the rookie salary caps keep prices artificially low." No franchises are getting screwed by the draft no matter where they pick, so I'm not sure what the problem is.
 
I feel the need to point out that the idea of the "rookie draft" in sports leagues was a way to prevent the market from driving prices for these players up because of competition for their services. What better way to keep the price at artificially low levels than to force them to negotiate with only one team and if they can't come to a deal, they can't play in the league.

It's a little funny for the owners to be claiming that they're getting screwed by the draft. It should be noted however that I haven't actually heard that many owners complain about this.
 
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