The Raiders signed fourth overall pick Darren McFadden to a 6-year, $60 million contract.
McFadden, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in each of the last two seasons, will be guaranteed $26 million as the fourth pick in the draft, said his agent, Ian Greengross.
With McFadden’s deal finalized, three of the top four picks in April’s draft have already signed deals. No. 1 pick Jake Long got a $57.75 million, five-year contract with $30 million guaranteed from Miami and third pick Matt Ryan got a $72 million, six-year contract with $34.75 million guaranteed from Atlanta.
Outside of high school baseball prospects making millions from MLB clubs from time to time, there’s nothing more ridiculous than NFL teams giving $34.75, $30 or $26 million in guarantees to rookies who haven’t played even one down of professional football.
What if Long, Ryan or McFadden don’t pan out? It’ll probably mean we’ll see the Dolphins, Falcons and Raiders drafting in the top five again real soon and the perpetual cycle will continue. A rookie cap would be incredibly beneficial for all teams.
