Definitely. I was so convinced Alt or Nabers would be there because it was a foregone conclusion someone would trade up for a QB (or NYG would take one).
I'll never criticize a team taking o line early. I remember when the Lions took Sewell saying it wasn't the sexy pick but it was the right one. You just can't go wrong building the o line
Honestly I keep having to remind myself that he's a jet. All the headlines right now from camp are trying to convince fans that Lazard isn't a total bum
I don't understand the hype for Mike Williams. Only two years over 1k yards, somehow never starts every game even after getting the bag, only two years over 5 TDs. I don't get it, and I don't get why the Chargers paid so much for a between the 20s deep threat.
Then QJ who I have no idea how he got drafted in the first round, got picked and stunk it up.
The dude had the world handed to him. Elite QB. Number 3 guy for the first half. Should have cooked against DBs.
4 years is boilerplate for a 2nd Rd pick. They all get 4 year contracts. There are small things that can be negotiated on and it seems mcconkey got at least close to the max on them. The rookie wage scale is mostly in stone based on pick used on the player. Things got simplified after Sam Bradford held out to get a crazy deal all those years ago, so the next cba put more strict outlines on rookie contracts and there isn't that much negotiating room anymore
I think the biggest reason for delays in signing now are (besides the few things they can negotiate) is navigating tight caps and how much cash the team has on hand for the contract at any given moment
Ladd fell right in the range where there are tough negotiations. Agents have been focusing on that range of the draft for a while now as where they try to drive the hardest bargains.
conceptually, new players entering the draft are not part of the NFLPA right? So what's stopping a heisman Trophy winner like Caleb Williams from holding out and demanding a better deal?
I believe they need to join the NFLPA to play in the NFL. It’s not like the coaches union where you can still coach while not in the union like Belichick did.
The fact he'd be in an endless cycle with this. Bears would hold his rights until the following draft. Where another team could then draft him but they also aren't gonna offer a deal not outlined by the CBA.
Bosa did this a few years back. and the answer is, if he doesn't sign it he'll never get paid. But also rookie deals are mostly dictated by the NFL, while there are some tweaks that can be done the team can't really change big things about those contracts (offset language, pay schedule, guarantees etc. can be changed, but you can't hold out for a bigger deal)
The salary is set by the rookie scale. This is just a record for how much of the deal is guaranteed. This deal is for 4 years $9.9m (2.23m per year). This article is pointless. He got more money than LaPorta did last year because the rookie wage scale goes up with the cap. He got more of the deal guaranteed because the team wants him happy and in camp rather than fighting him over $1m guaranteed over 4 years.
Minor correction that this is referring to Levis (who was the 2nd pick of the 2nd round, despite being 33rd overall) and not LaPorta, which I do think is at least somewhat noteworthy since as the headline says, it managed to outpace the "QB Premium"
Early 2nd round picks get roughly $9-10 million total over 4 years. The only real variance and point of negotiation is how the signing bonus and guarantees are configured.
1st rd picks get 4yr guaranteed and the team gets a 5th year option. All other picks also get 4 yrs and are also fully guaranteed for the 4 years outside of non football stuff that you can negotiate and sounds like McConkey can buy the Harley if he wants
I do think the recent embarrassments have forced the Spanos' into spending (our new practice facility is opening for this preseason, and they hired Harbaugh and co. rather than cheaping out again). McConkey's contract isn't the big money move though.
I was mostly being funny, but I do remember Bosa and Spanos fighting over a detail in his rookie contract. I think it was offset money or guaranteed money or bonus. Not a lot of money for Spanos but pretty decent chunk for Bosa if he was injured or cut. I think Bosa missed a game or two and eventually caved in after firing his agent. At the time i was on Bosa side, not sure if that was the right side to be on.
That is the case I always think of when I think of the Chargers being cheap, so this is a bit of a 180 from my perspective. He has alos paid the stars pretty good extensions and got Harbaugh.
Not in this particular instance but the spanos have pretty much always well compensated their players. Theres always a few exceptions but they're flexible with contracts structure guarantees and length. They were the first team to have two 20 mil receivers and thats sandwiched between having Philip near the top of the league in QB salary and then making Justin the highest paid QB in the NFL.
For whatever reason pre Harbaugh they were pretty cheap with coaches though and that reputation was earned there.
Not just this - but he has really upped the spending in the last few years. Opening up a brand new $300M practice facility this year, gave Harbaugh $80M, spent to hire many of his expensive coaches from Michigan, etc
There's also stuff like making Herbert, Bosa, Derwin, etc the highest paid players at their position when they signed but I don't really consider that because that's all under the cap
I mean isn’t this basically due to the salary cap going up? There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for the money, and the contract length is fixed. It’s just signing bonus vs yearly distribution of the cash.
Guaranteed money isn’t set, only salary and signing bonus. But this is still a pointless article, because this is going to be like $500k more than the previous #34 pick. I haven’t seen anyone discuss the structure, but it’s definitely possible that this new record guarantee is literally just the increased signing bonus vs last year. Even if it’s not and he got guarantees in further years, it’s not all that meaningful. He’s making like $1.3m a year in salary.
IIRC the guaranteed money isn't set in stone. You can give the entire contract in the form of a signing bonus and minimum salary for example.
Tried to verify this reading the CBA but this shit's confusing, so I may be wrong.
Not quite set in stone, there’s a lot of offset language that is negotiable. I remember Joey Bosa holding out his rookie year for more guarantees.
The headline isn’t about the amount of the contract, we always knew what that would be. It’s about the amount of money guaranteed/due at signing
But it’s only noteworthy in terms of previous #34 picks, all of whom were paid less than McConkey by default. His salary is 4/5.9 after the $4m signing bonus. So they guaranteed 3 years which is enough to break this record, but if he’s terrible it’s not like the guaranteed money is hard to get rid of. It can be *true* without being noteworthy.
> but it’s a noteworthy contract
No it's not. Draft pick contracts are pretty much set by the CBA. They can negotiate minor details, but nothing about this is really noteworthy.
Obviously the CBA sets the amount of the contract. Everyone knows that. The headline is about guaranteed money. The chargers did not have to agree to guarantee that much money but did anyways.
Doesn’t the money for each pick go up every year? Like obviously the 34th pick is worth the most it has ever been and also the least it will ever be because this happens every year, this is just agent grandstanding afaik
This offense could have had Zay Flowers and Malik Nabers at the same time. However Ladd looks like a beast and a steal. Getting the best OT in the nation who is a small Military vehicle with arms is still a solid plan.
I hope Alt works out for your guys' sake. The Giants took the supposed best OT in the nation Evan Neal two years ago and he's currently looking like one of the biggest OL busts of all time. If Alt doesn't pan out that pick could look awful especially if Nabers ends up being good
I'd guess Alt has good self-awareness of his abilities or his limitations as they arise. He'll be quick to learn and mature enough adapt if needed. He's a keeper. Of course, just my opinion.
Hope the kid does well but this seems like the guy someone in your fantasy league will draft early and be very excited until he has an underwhelming rookie season.
all the leverage in the world w that receiver room
Chargers needed a WR more than the Cardinals did when they drafted MHJ
Which is crazy, just last year they had one of the best rooms in the league
Then Mike Williams tore his ACL, and then Keenan got hurt, and then Herbert got hurt, and then Josh Palmer got hurt.
Herbert got hurt early in the season and was not the same two years in a row. O-line was absolutely the right move.
As someone that wanted Alt or Nabers and got neither cause of y’all I disagree.
I feel like Giants taking a QB was the more obvious pick that went wrong for you.
Definitely. I was so convinced Alt or Nabers would be there because it was a foregone conclusion someone would trade up for a QB (or NYG would take one).
I'll never criticize a team taking o line early. I remember when the Lions took Sewell saying it wasn't the sexy pick but it was the right one. You just can't go wrong building the o line
Arguable at best, Mike Williams is not that good. How many people give a shit that he’s on the Jets now? Almost no one
I’m a fan of big mikes game when he’s on, but MetLife has way too many chances to cut his season short
Yeah it's kind of comical that such an injury prone player went to the team that has the field that causes the most injuries.
Which naturally means he's going to play in every game this season.
Honestly I keep having to remind myself that he's a jet. All the headlines right now from camp are trying to convince fans that Lazard isn't a total bum
I don't understand the hype for Mike Williams. Only two years over 1k yards, somehow never starts every game even after getting the bag, only two years over 5 TDs. I don't get it, and I don't get why the Chargers paid so much for a between the 20s deep threat.
Idk either, Chargers fans loved the guy. Never understood why
Explosive deep ball threat who was also technically talented and left his heart, and often ACL, out on the field. Not that hard to understand
For the game and a half that he and Rodgers are healthy it will be a nice addition to the offense
He is a clutch player in big moments, but he's never available.
Then QJ who I have no idea how he got drafted in the first round, got picked and stunk it up. The dude had the world handed to him. Elite QB. Number 3 guy for the first half. Should have cooked against DBs.
Plenty of players have a rough rookie year and then turn it around. Hopefully QJ is one of them, but goddamn that was rough last year.
QJ has fundamental flaws. Mainly being he’s a body catcher and plays smaller than tyreek hill.
Plenty of players have a rough rookie year and then turn it around. Hopefully QJ is one of them, but goddamn that was rough last year.
Good bot
Plenty of players have a rough rookie year and then turn it around. Hopefully QJ is one of them, but goddamn that was rough last year.
He is not good. Look at Claypool and you'll see an exact copy
Did I say he was good?
Plenty of players have a rough rookie year and then turn it around. Hopefully QJ is one of them, but goddamn that was rough last year.
Plenty of players have a rough rookie year and then turn it around. Hopefully QJ is one of them, but goddamn that was rough last year.
That's.... certainly a take. Their wide receiver room was quite average at best.
Chargers needed a WR more than Ben Affleck needs acting school circa Pearl Harbor
Wr 1 money lol Edit - for people who don't get it, he is our wr 1 and the guaranteed money in his contract shows it.
What’s a normal rookie contract ? Ik 4 years is a lot, dude must be cracked getting paid before even a preseason game down lol
4 years is boilerplate for a 2nd Rd pick. They all get 4 year contracts. There are small things that can be negotiated on and it seems mcconkey got at least close to the max on them. The rookie wage scale is mostly in stone based on pick used on the player. Things got simplified after Sam Bradford held out to get a crazy deal all those years ago, so the next cba put more strict outlines on rookie contracts and there isn't that much negotiating room anymore
We all want to get home to our hotplates
Im gonna be honest here, I'm not an NFL agent, my primary practice is in bird law
I focus on other Lawyerings.
I'm very unsatisfied that I didn't get to use the battering ram
Sorry, where did you go to law school again?
True, nothing hits better immediately after walking in the door from work than a hotknife
I think the biggest reason for delays in signing now are (besides the few things they can negotiate) is navigating tight caps and how much cash the team has on hand for the contract at any given moment
Ladd fell right in the range where there are tough negotiations. Agents have been focusing on that range of the draft for a while now as where they try to drive the hardest bargains.
conceptually, new players entering the draft are not part of the NFLPA right? So what's stopping a heisman Trophy winner like Caleb Williams from holding out and demanding a better deal?
I believe they need to join the NFLPA to play in the NFL. It’s not like the coaches union where you can still coach while not in the union like Belichick did.
I believe they need to abide by the cba to play, whether they join the nflpa or not, though you'd still be paying to the nflpa regardless.
The fact he'd be in an endless cycle with this. Bears would hold his rights until the following draft. Where another team could then draft him but they also aren't gonna offer a deal not outlined by the CBA.
Bosa did this a few years back. and the answer is, if he doesn't sign it he'll never get paid. But also rookie deals are mostly dictated by the NFL, while there are some tweaks that can be done the team can't really change big things about those contracts (offset language, pay schedule, guarantees etc. can be changed, but you can't hold out for a bigger deal)
The salary is set by the rookie scale. This is just a record for how much of the deal is guaranteed. This deal is for 4 years $9.9m (2.23m per year). This article is pointless. He got more money than LaPorta did last year because the rookie wage scale goes up with the cap. He got more of the deal guaranteed because the team wants him happy and in camp rather than fighting him over $1m guaranteed over 4 years.
Minor correction that this is referring to Levis (who was the 2nd pick of the 2nd round, despite being 33rd overall) and not LaPorta, which I do think is at least somewhat noteworthy since as the headline says, it managed to outpace the "QB Premium"
Every player gets paid before a preseason game down
I thought I was like 2-3 but 4 is it that usualy not being sarcastic I just don’t remember 4 being standard
Yes it’s always 4
Early 2nd round picks get roughly $9-10 million total over 4 years. The only real variance and point of negotiation is how the signing bonus and guarantees are configured.
Is 4 years the max then what’s most draft picks given 4? 2? I thought it was 2 or 3?
1st rd picks get 4yr guaranteed and the team gets a 5th year option. All other picks also get 4 yrs and are also fully guaranteed for the 4 years outside of non football stuff that you can negotiate and sounds like McConkey can buy the Harley if he wants
1st round picks sign 4 years contracts that have a 5th year team option. Every other draft pick signs a 4 year contract. UDFA's sign 3 year contracts.
I was told Spanos was cheap.
You think giving guaranteed money to a 2nd round pick is breaking the bank?
I do think the recent embarrassments have forced the Spanos' into spending (our new practice facility is opening for this preseason, and they hired Harbaugh and co. rather than cheaping out again). McConkey's contract isn't the big money move though.
I was mostly being funny, but I do remember Bosa and Spanos fighting over a detail in his rookie contract. I think it was offset money or guaranteed money or bonus. Not a lot of money for Spanos but pretty decent chunk for Bosa if he was injured or cut. I think Bosa missed a game or two and eventually caved in after firing his agent. At the time i was on Bosa side, not sure if that was the right side to be on. That is the case I always think of when I think of the Chargers being cheap, so this is a bit of a 180 from my perspective. He has alos paid the stars pretty good extensions and got Harbaugh.
Not in this particular instance but the spanos have pretty much always well compensated their players. Theres always a few exceptions but they're flexible with contracts structure guarantees and length. They were the first team to have two 20 mil receivers and thats sandwiched between having Philip near the top of the league in QB salary and then making Justin the highest paid QB in the NFL. For whatever reason pre Harbaugh they were pretty cheap with coaches though and that reputation was earned there.
Not just this - but he has really upped the spending in the last few years. Opening up a brand new $300M practice facility this year, gave Harbaugh $80M, spent to hire many of his expensive coaches from Michigan, etc There's also stuff like making Herbert, Bosa, Derwin, etc the highest paid players at their position when they signed but I don't really consider that because that's all under the cap
Rookie Guarantee, Rookie Guarantee, I'm a little Ladd who likes Rookie Guarantees!
Rookie?... Rookie and what else?
SMOKING THE REEFER.
Leaving this here for the young bucks https://youtu.be/wYX_zhlTDr8?si=W_BbLPYtRblwVOLN
I’m all down for more of these for future highlights and news… conveniently, TDs works too!
Wew Ladd!
What a Ladd
Mad Ladd McConkey breaking the McBonkey for 34th overall picks.
Top 10 all time football name. Shout-out to Colt McCoy and D'brickashaw Ferguson.
This title appearing back to back with the Joey Bosa paycut thread in my main feed is hilarious
This is something that means little for most but is huge for that agent, great marketing for him.
I mean isn’t this basically due to the salary cap going up? There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for the money, and the contract length is fixed. It’s just signing bonus vs yearly distribution of the cash.
"I'll leak you the contract details just @me"
Aren't those amounts set and indexed every year? Like, if he got the maximum guaranteed, he's automatically higher than all previous contracts.
Guaranteed money isn’t set, only salary and signing bonus. But this is still a pointless article, because this is going to be like $500k more than the previous #34 pick. I haven’t seen anyone discuss the structure, but it’s definitely possible that this new record guarantee is literally just the increased signing bonus vs last year. Even if it’s not and he got guarantees in further years, it’s not all that meaningful. He’s making like $1.3m a year in salary.
Correct, but that’s marketing bb
Strapping Young Ladd
The New ~~black~~ Powder Blue
Most creative reddit comment section.
You seem real McCranky
Gotta love ESPN stats. "**LARGEST CONTRACT IN NFL HISTORY** ... in terms of guaranteed money ...^for^^a^^^34th^^^^overall^^^^^pick ."
I mean how else are they supposed to say it? I hate ESPN but it’s a noteworthy contract and they didn’t try to fool anyone with the headline
Is it noteworthy? These contract amounts are set in stone, I thought? I could have told you that he was gonna set the record for a 34th pick.
IIRC the guaranteed money isn't set in stone. You can give the entire contract in the form of a signing bonus and minimum salary for example. Tried to verify this reading the CBA but this shit's confusing, so I may be wrong.
Not quite set in stone, there’s a lot of offset language that is negotiable. I remember Joey Bosa holding out his rookie year for more guarantees. The headline isn’t about the amount of the contract, we always knew what that would be. It’s about the amount of money guaranteed/due at signing
But it’s only noteworthy in terms of previous #34 picks, all of whom were paid less than McConkey by default. His salary is 4/5.9 after the $4m signing bonus. So they guaranteed 3 years which is enough to break this record, but if he’s terrible it’s not like the guaranteed money is hard to get rid of. It can be *true* without being noteworthy.
That’s a fair point, we would need the % of the contract guaranteed compared to previous years to know just how noteworthy it actually is
His entire contract is 4yr/10mil. he's about 1% of the cap each year so the guaranteed money is basically a rounding error.
> but it’s a noteworthy contract No it's not. Draft pick contracts are pretty much set by the CBA. They can negotiate minor details, but nothing about this is really noteworthy.
Obviously the CBA sets the amount of the contract. Everyone knows that. The headline is about guaranteed money. The chargers did not have to agree to guarantee that much money but did anyways.
The agent definitely wrote that tweet.
What do you suggest they should have written?
Nothing? Not everything needs to be reported.
Why would team contract deals not be reported lol. If it bothers you so much you don’t need to read it
I thought it was a pretty interesting fact
^^^selectedin2024
Ladd McConkey sounds like a made up name in a children's book.
He and Dak both sound like characters in a High School football Anime
I wonder if Rapoport ever pushes back against the bullshit that agents want him to include in the tweet in return for getting the scoop first.
It’s his job as a reporter, id think, to get his sources right and shit
A real gym ra-
First one in, last one out kind of guy.
Andrew Ladd is back as though he never left.
He is the Bolts WR1
I hope it wasn’t a mistake that we drafted Ricky over him. I’ll be following his career closely.
6 WR's were taken between #28-37, so there's almost certainly going to be a few teams upset they picked the wrong guy
I know absolutely nothing about scouting but I refuse to believe there’s a world where a guy named Ladd McConkey *isnt* good
Doesn’t the money for each pick go up every year? Like obviously the 34th pick is worth the most it has ever been and also the least it will ever be because this happens every year, this is just agent grandstanding afaik
Keon Colman punching his yellow Macy’s jacket now! \s
He's so fresh. Worth the pick if only because many will be tuned in to him for his bits of wisdom.
This offense could have had Zay Flowers and Malik Nabers at the same time. However Ladd looks like a beast and a steal. Getting the best OT in the nation who is a small Military vehicle with arms is still a solid plan.
I hope Alt works out for your guys' sake. The Giants took the supposed best OT in the nation Evan Neal two years ago and he's currently looking like one of the biggest OL busts of all time. If Alt doesn't pan out that pick could look awful especially if Nabers ends up being good
I'd guess Alt has good self-awareness of his abilities or his limitations as they arise. He'll be quick to learn and mature enough adapt if needed. He's a keeper. Of course, just my opinion.
Sounds like rapport had to do the agent a favor
I thought all these deals had the same guarantees it’s not like he’s gonna make more than the 33rd pick right?
No, it's set before hand. It's literally just agent fluff sent to be tweeted out.
The overall contract value is set based on draft slot, but how much of that contract is guaranteed is negotiable.
Shouldn't nearly every pick break the record for the previous record for garenteed money?
This tweet was definitely written by Ladd's agent
He is worth it for the name alone. Good Ladd.
Can't McDonk the McConk
Can someone explain the "below in the round" part?
Good, Ladd.
LADS LADS LADS
Lads, it's San Diego.
Mr Big Check
Mc Bank Conkey
I want more comparisons to others drafted at the same position with contract news
Now here's a Ladd
His entire 4 year contract is only 10mil, so this is an absolute nothing burger of a headline.
God I wish I could hit the reset on drafting QJ in two dynasty leagues last year.
I am the greatest athlete, born in the 1980s, at my house, when my kids and wife are gone.
Charger fans, Is he really excelling at camp? Or is it cause they're so desperate at wr?
Jim Harbaugh called him a 4-5 year vet with his route running. On top of that he runs a 4.38. He is going to be a BEAST.
Mad Ladd
He gone be like Puka out there I promise
Dude is going to ball out.
Well deserved deal for a good Ladd!
Patrick Mahome’s agent
Hope the kid does well but this seems like the guy someone in your fantasy league will draft early and be very excited until he has an underwhelming rookie season.
They’re going to regret this one
Your team for passing on him yeah
I wanted Ladd ngl but I'm happy with Polk and Baker
Nope, you’ll see. I keep receipts too.
Nobody keeps receipts anymore… you can just look at your banking shit online bro
Sounds about white
Who?
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers