Does Arthur overpay to get in the headlines?

[solidx 0]

At the time we signed Mike Vick, his rookie deal was 6 years/$62 mil and 15.3 MIL guarenteed... That was a then rookie record. Then we all know about the giant extention Vick got which was then the biggest contract in NFL history. Now, Matt Ryan breaks the rookie record contract again at 6 years.$72 mil and 34 guarenteed. I would expect these things from guys like Jerry Jones, but I didnt realize how much Arthur likes to shove his money around.

With all this talk about 2010 being an uncapped year, makes you wonder how things would go with the Falcons. Would we be like the NFL version of the Yankees?

[norwood-32 0]

Yes sir.

[insight 1,920]

Arthur Blank was not the owner when Mike Vick signed his Rookie contract. His second contract was awarded in 2004 after taking the team to the NFC Championship game. Although the contract was huge you can see why he locked mike up based on what he was able to accomplish in the league.

This is a little different because Matt Ryan has never played in the NFL and he was not the #1 pick. He received the Largest Rookie contract in history and he was drafted at #3. His contract also included the 3rd highest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history. This goes way beyond paying a little extra for a guy.

[ltstorm1 0]

This has to have been his companies philosphy at Home Depot, or whatever other business projects he's been involved with. It must have worked for him to spend extra on those ventures.

[chifalc 961]

insight (5/21/2008)

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Arthur Blank was not the owner when Mike Vick signed his Rookie contract. His second contract was awarded in 2004 after taking the team to the NFC Championship game. Although the contract was huge you can see why he locked mike up based on what he was able to accomplish in the league.

This is a little different because Matt Ryan has never played in the NFL and he was not the #1 pick. He received the Largest Rookie contract in history and he was drafted at #3. His contract also included the 3rd highest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history. This goes way beyond paying a little extra for a guy.

If you adjusted the Guaranteed money - and the contract for that matter - for two things - inflation and Cap space, I bet Ryan's contract woudl drop consideraby> Of course, when people can make blaring headlines of 'HIGHEST EVER!!!!" Then they aren't going to do things such as that which should be done for valid comparison. .

[londonfalcon 1]

Have you guys heard of Agents?

If a player at pick "X" signs for less than last year, his agent is going to be fired. And QBs are alway paid more anyway.

I would like to see a performance based pay system for Rookies - but I doubt Rookies would like that!!!

[77@yahoo.com 0]

Pretty much

[Farmer 0]

Somebody will break that record next year, hopefully it's not us.  Rookie contracts are way out of hand.  Ryan's contract will probably now be the starting point for next year's rookies.