Mawae: Rookie deals like Ryan's 'disheartening'

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MAWAE DOESN’T LIKE ROOKIE WINDFALLS
Published 5/21/2008 by Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com
The fact that Titans center Kevin Mawae is willing to speak out against supersized rookie contracts, such as quarterback Matt Ryan’s six-year, $72 million deal with the Falcons, is significant because not many veteran players have gone on the record with such beliefs. The fact that Mawae is now the president of the NFLPA makes the comments a bombshell. Mawae shared his views with ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd ...

Falcons' Blank Sends Vick, Fans Clear Message
Published 5/21/2008 by noreply@blogger.com (J-Red) at East Coast Bias
... On a related note, is Arthur Blank really this confident that 2010 will be an uncapped season? Combined with the unanimous vote to opt out of the CBA, do we need to be concerned that the owners are REALLY dug in for battle this time? Given Kevin Mawae's griping to ESPN about the largesse of Ryan's deal (and subtle hint that a four-year rookie system would be nice), are the two sides already negotiating through the media? Time will tell I suppose. ...

NFL Players' Union President Kevin Mawae Favors NBA-Style Rookie Wage Scale
Published 5/21/2008 by Michael David Smith at FanHouse
Filed under: Titans, NashvilleOne of the strangest things about the way the NFL does business is that unproven rookies routinely get paid more money than established veterans. Some teams have highly drafted rookies who get signing bonuses in the tens of millions while Pro Bowlers on the same team haven't made that much in their entire careers. Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae wants to change that. And Mawae has the power to do quite a bit about it, because he's the president of the NFL Players' Association. On ESPN Radio today, Mawae said this: "I know there is sentiment around the league amongst the players ...

Everyone All Upset Over Some Rookie Deals
Published 5/21/2008 by Dave at Sports Blog - football, basketball, and baseball
... Matt Ryan just recently signed a contract with the Falcons that’s worth, like, a trillion dollars, and at least $36 million of it is guaranteed (if I’m Matt Ryan — and keep in mind I’m lazy — I blow my leg out now, sit on the money, and retire at the age of 22). The rest of the NFL is getting a little angry about the rookie salaries, and Kevin Mawae, who’s been in the league longer than I can remember, is voicing his opinion. ...

Some Titan-related news in the dead of the offseason
Published 5/22/2008 by Drexel Perry at Total Titans
Some Titan-related news in the dead of the offseason With the draft taking place almost a month ago and a few months remaining before training camp, information is hard to come by for the die-hard aficionados of the NFL. As we all try to cope with the dog daze of the offseason, here are a few Titan-related tidbits that will hopefully capture your attention. Veteran Kevin Mawae, who also serves as the NFL’s Players Association President in his spare time, recently voiced his opinion on the absurd contract recently signed by QB Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan’s contract, which is a six-year deal worth up to $72 million, with a ridiculous $34.75 ...

Ryan's Deal Makes Mawae Mad
Published 5/22/2008 by JJ Cooper at FanHouse
Filed under: Falcons, NFC South, AtlantaMatt Ryan can pick up the check at dinner with his offensive lineman for years to come, but he's not particularly popular with veterans around the league. It's not as much Ryan, as the simple fact that rookies are getting contracts that make the average solid NFL veteran jealous. NFL Association President Kevin Mawae is clearly ready to push for some changes: "As a guy who has been in the league for 14 now going on 15 years and being around other veteran guys, for a young guy to get paid that kind of money and never steps foot on an NFL football field, it's a little ...

Will The NFL And Its Union Kill The Golden Hen?
Published 5/23/2008 by Gary D. Benz at Blogcritics Section: Sports
It didn t come as much of a surprise that the NFL owners earlier this week opted out of the collective bargaining agreement. After all, the owners have never been shy about doing whatever it takes to maximize their profit margins. What is somewhat surprising, however, is that the NFL Players Association seems nonplussed by the whole matter. Maybe that s due to the fact that any impact of the owners action is still a few years out. What s also emerging is that the union, while perhaps not encouraging the owners action, aren t all that unhappy about it either and you can thank the latest overpaid unproven rookie, Matt Ryan, for that. In an interview on ESPN Radio earlier this ...

Count Kolb among those against big rookie deals
Published 5/23/2008 by JasonB at Bleeding Green Nation: Front Page Posts
  You may have heard earlier this week that Falcons' rookie QB Matt Ryan signed a 6 year $72 million deal with over $34.75 million in guaranteed money, which is the 3rd richest deal in NFL history. He's never set foot on an NFL field and he is guaranteed to make more money than  Tom Brady, who wears 3 superbowl rings, and Peyton ...