It would be any GM's dream to have one of his picks turn out to be the next Adrian Peterson. Over the past few years, there have been quite a few rookies that have immediately become impact players. How about Big Ben in 2004? All he did as the 11th overall selection in the 04 draft was start his professional career 13-0. Not too bad of a pick for the Steelers right? Adrian Peterson, the 7th selection in 2007, rushed for over 1300 yards along with 12 touchdowns in 14 games. Mr. Peterson finished off an amazing rookie season by winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year along with being selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl. As if things weren't good enought...the man they call All Day ran his way to the 2008 Pro Bowl MVP.

Here is a look at the top 5 offensive rookies that have a chance of being the next Adrian Peterson type impact player:

5) Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
I have to include a Quarterback on this list. Recently, I've heard a lot of people saying Matt Ryan is in one of the worst situations a rookie Quarterback could be. I actually disagree. The expectations down in Atlanta are about as high as Ricky Williams five minutes before an NFL drug test. Actually, nevermind...


4) Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys
I think this is the perfect opportunity for Felix Jones. He is joining a loaded Dallas Cowboys team who are rejuvenated and hungrier than ever after last years playoff disappointment. Jones' speed will be a great addition to the Cowboys backfield. If not for incumbent Marion Barber III still receving the majority of the carries, Jones could find himself higher up on this list. The kid has some serious jukes to go along with intense speed and agility.

3) Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
Well, regardless of what you think of Matt Forte, how many other rookie running backs go into Training Camp as the starter. As of June 25, 2008, the Chicago Bears depth chart features Matt Forte as their starter. He will be one of the first rookies to immediately have a chance to make a real impact. A hot start like Adrian Peterson last year can get the ball rolling on a big time season for Forte and Da Bears.

2) Limas Sweed, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
In my opinion, this was one of the best picks in the draft. There is no question that Limas Sweed has 1st round talent. Some GMs and coaches questioned his ability to stay healthy following a serious wrist injury in early 2007. The bottom line is this Longhorn Alum will follow in the footsteps of fellow Longhorn Receiver Roy Williams and produce a huge rookie season. At 53rd overall, Sweed will be making 31 other GMs really angry this coming season. Big Ben will have a field day with Sweed, Ward, Holmes, and Tight End Health Miller this season. Not to mention, Limas Sweed is also pretty clutch in big games...



1) Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders
McFadden's situation out of college is similar to that of Adrian Peterson's last year. Both were well groomed on campus, and both produced multiple years of elite college football. Going into his junior, and final, year in Fayetteville, McFadden was already amongst the top players in college football and was a preseason Heisman favorite. Going into the newly energized Oakland Raiders organization (see DeAngelo Hall, Javon Walker, Michael Bush) may be a great fit for Run DMC. With a still developing QB in Jamarcus Russell and a fan base who will be craving for some exciting star power, Darren McFadden looks like he can be in for a huge rookie year.

Check back tomorrow for the Top 5 List for Defensive Rookies who can be this years Patrick Willis! Continue reading this article...

I'm always checking out NFL blogs around the net and I've put together a few good links to enjoy. Check back often for more Rookie Alerts Around the League!

• Broncos don't care about scouts - PredominantlyOrange.com
  
• Joe Flacco starting in Baltimore? - BlogimoreRavens.com
• Why doesn't Glenn Dorsey have a nickname? - ArrowheadAddict.com
• Malcolm Kelly saves lives - RiggosRag.com
• 7 of 10 rookies signed for Eagles - AllPhiladelphiaSports.com
• Best Draft Picks in Chicago Bears History - BearGogglesOn.com

If you read my article on Commissioner Roger Goodell's take on rookie contracts, you might be interested to hear that things are actually happening behind the scene to rectify the situation.

First, I'd like to give a big congratulations to the NFL for acting swiftly on a topic that has become more and more newsworthy over the past few weeks. It is very common for sports to push aside topics of debate until they really explode and become a big problem. By acting fast, the NFL may be avoiding an ugly situation after next years draft.

NFL Team Owners have decided to open up negotiations on the CBA for the purpose of discussing rookie contracts. In my previous post, I discussed how there really already is a NFL Rookie Cap, but in a completely different way than the NBA. Here are some possible solutions that both sides, the NFL and NFL Players Association, could live with:

1) Set a contract scale for all rookies
Like the NBA, setup a scale that automatically determines the player's salary. The #1 pick will get X amount over 2 years. The #2 pick will get X-1 amount over 2 years. After the 2nd year, the player becomes a restricted free agent or the team has club options for 1 or 2 more years.

2) The base salary will only include guaranteed monies
Matt Ryan, rookie QB from the Atlanta Falcons, recently signed a deal for $72 Million over 6 years. That number sounds ridiculous, especially comparable to other upper echelon QBs in the league. The real number of Ryan's contract is $34.7 Million, the number which is guaranteed. Most rookie contracts are setup with incentives that push the first number way up, with little chance of the player actually cashing in on the bonuses. Change the contract structure so teams cannot artificially push the number up by adding bonuses/incentives that are not guaranteed. This can even be a quick fix as $36 Million (all guaranteed) sounds a lot more fair than $72M.

3) Reflection Period after each year of the rookie contract
Instead of having only positive incentives, a rookie contract can be built in with a reflection period. After each year of the rookie contract, the team and player sit down and "reflect" on the year. The next year's salary can be either positively or negatively affected by the previous year's play. A percentage increase or decrease can be built into the contract and the outcome can be determined in this reflection period.

4) Pass along the savings
With the reduction in rookie contracts, teams will have more cap room. Why not give it to those who already proved themselves? Pass along the savings to the veterans in the way of Veteran Incentives and/or an increase in minimum veteran salary.

Do you see any of these solutions panning out in the next few years? I'd love to hear from the readers, what do you think?

Continue reading this article...

In the NFL, it is common to have a few standout rookies each year. Last year it was Adrian Peterson, this year it will be someone new. With no minor league system and a well developed college program, NFL Rookies can be expected to come in and fill roles, compete for starting jobs, and perform at a high level for their new team. This sort of expectation comes with high publicity and even higher salaries.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the level of rookie contracts. Amongst those are fellow blogger Chris Cooley (oh by the way, he plays football too) and NFL Commish Roger Goodell. Both share the viewpoint that rookies get paid entirely too much. Those who argue this point believe a Rookie Salary Cap should be in place, something similar to that of the NBA. In short, the NBA Rookie Cap assigns a player's salary based on the # of their selection, with #1 getting more than #2, etc, etc.

Speaking about rookie contracts on Friday, Goodell said, "There's something wrong about the system. The money should go to people who perform." Goodell further went on to describe the current situation as "ridiculous."

The commissioner made great points, and it seemed as though he was hinting towards a rookie cap in the new CBA. But looking into the intricacies of the NFL Salary Cap, one can find, very clearly, the existence of a rookie salary cap. In plain english, the NFL Rookie Cap is the amount of money an NFL team can use to sign it's new drafted players. This amount is normally between $3-6 Million varying from team to team. Furthermore, this amount changes year to year, depending on past contracts and overall salary changes. The NFL Rookie Cap is part of the team's normal salary cap, basically a cap inside a cap.

This NFL Rookie Cap is determined on a team by team basis annually. The team is given a rookie cap number by the league. It seems a bit ironic for Goodell to be criticizing the rookie contracts that are facilitated by his own salary cap. Each year, the highest rookie caps get higher and the aggregate rookie cap grows. If there is really that much concern over rookie salary, it seems the NFL Front Office has no one to blame but itself.

But it doesn't stop here. How often is there a big name rookie with a contract dispute deep into training camp. This too can be blamed on the rookie cap inside of the Salary Cap. When teams run out of money in their rookie cap, they start getting creative with bonuses, incentives, etc. This leads to an even more inflated salary for rookies who still have not played a down of professional football.

I completely agree with Goodell and those who believe rookies are getting salaries much larger than they should. But in any open market without regulations, you have to expect this to happen. With a self-imposed rookie cap that completely facilitates these types of contracts, don't expect any big changes from owners and agents until the league changes it's own policies first. Continue reading this article...

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• The Sports Dollar
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Welcome to Rookie Alert - the only blog dedicated to following this year's NFL Rookies. I've also had a great interest in rookies. One of the greatest parts of following rookies is there is always a new "next big thing" to follow. Rookies in the NFL are especially interesting as some can become huge impact players or huge disappointments. The excitement of seeing these young players leave it all on the field and build a base for a solid NFL career is the inspiration for the Rookie Alert. I hope you join the feed and visit Rookie Alert to find out the latest and greatest on NFL Rookies.

Thanks for reading,
Justin Continue reading this article...