Quarterback is the most important position on a football team. It’s why a premium is placed on quarterbacks in the NFL Draft.
The incentives for selecting quarterbacks changed after the 2011 NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement drastically reduced salaries for the first few picks by implementing a rookie wage scale. Teams have been more willing to take quarterbacks extremely early since unproven commodities are no longer paid like Pro Bowlers without playing an NFL game.
The 2024 NFL Draft should be a prime example. Quarterbacks are expected to be the first three picks. Some mock drafts on CBSSports.com have history being made with four straight quarterbacks taken to start the selection process.
USC’s Caleb Williams is the presumptive first overall pick of the Chicago Bears. LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy could go second, third and fourth (not necessarily in that order). As many as six quarterbacks could be chosen among the first 32 picks as Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix are also considered first-round possibilities.
Potential franchise quarterbacks on rookie contracts are the most valuable commodities in the NFL. Having quarterbacks on cost-contained rookie contracts allows for talented rosters that couldn’t otherwise be constructed.
A review of the first 10 years quarterbacks taken in the first round playing under the rookie wage scale (2011 through 2020) can provide an idea of whether teams are getting a good return on their investment. The number of multi-year contract extensions and re-signings after the expiration of a rookie contract are being examined.
The 2021 first-round quarterback draft class that’s particularly disappointing has been excluded because the deadline to exercise fifth-year options for 2025 is May 2. Five quarterbacks were taken in the first 15 picks in 2021. Trevor Lawrence, who was the first overall…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-let-the-buyer-beware-when-drafting-a-quarterback-in-the-first-round-of-the-nfl-draft/
Author : Joel Corry
Publish date : 2024-04-03 19:49:24
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