Interesting Effect of NIL Money
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It looks like a lot of underclassmen aren’t coming out early. While they aren’t making NFL money, a 2nd to 3rd round Tackle might be making $200K-$300K per year. That removes some of the pressure from them to go pro, and another year playing can improve their Draft Stock considerably. Broderick Jones was drafted by the Steelers in the Middle of the first round. Contract value is $16 Million. Tyler Steen was the next OT drafted (early 3rd), and his contract is $5 Million. So staying an extra year can be very worthwhile…
BUT the combination of the NIL money and the extra year of eligibility because of COVID is resulting in a very thin draft. Guys that would have UDFAs will be going in the 5th-6th rounds and Gil it’s that would have been moving furniture in the spring are going to be UDFAs… it will be an interesting year.
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Does the UFL make any difference on the UDA market?
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@Jolly said in Interesting Effect of NIL Money:
Does the UFL make any difference on the UDA market?
I think only as a backup for the NFL. Guys that couldn’t get a practice squad spot… There is a lot of conversation about the UFL as being an unofficial development league, but there is a bit of a challenge… Those guys start “camp” in a couple of weeks, then play a 10 week season. If a player gets enough attention to get invited to an NFL camp in August, they are already going to have a lot of mileage on them. Can you really expect them to go through UFL, NFL Camp, and then an 18 week NFL schedule? They’ll break down mid season.
Of course, the UFL doesn’t have the same restrictions as the NFL regarding the camps… A smart NFL team might take some promising UDFAs and send them to the UFL with a Tacit agreement they would sign them for the April OTAs. Let the UFL put them through two a days and strengthen them up… They might just challenge the rookie draft picks working the light camps…
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There are 13 guys in the UFL that were practice squad or briefly with the Saints.
https://saintswire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-ufl-super-draft-picks-former-saints-players/
