It's All About The Benjamins

Do to the apparent lack of franchise players in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft everyone and their brother want the St. Louis Rams to trade down. well that is easier said than done. Below you will see the 2008 NFL Draft picks and the contracts they received. As you can see the top 5 players in last years draft received more in guaranteed money than 22 of the remaining draft picks total contracts! Therefore teams will only move up into the top 5 for a franchise top player, at a position that they strongly need. The New England Patriots landed Jerod Mayo last year for 19 million dollars and only had to give him a 5 year deal, another plus to picking later in the draft. Jerod Mayo won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award, and was 5th in the NFL with 100 solo tackles. So on the surface and in the wallet that was a much better pick than Chris Long at this time. It was easy for the Patriots, he fell to their position and with their great scouting system and defensive scheme he was a tremendous pick. The Rams can probably get value from an OT picked in the 10-20 range like a Jason Smith for 30 million less than the #2 pick will cost, but who will let them move down?

Pk Player Pos. Contract
1. Jake Long OT Miami Signed 5 years, $57.5 million ($30M guaranteed)
2. Chris Long DE St. Louis Signed 6 years, $56.5 million ($29M guaranteed)
3. Matt Ryan QB Atlanta Signed 6 years, $72 million ($34M guaranteed)
4. Darren McFadden RB Oakland Signed 6 years, $60 million ($26M guaranteed)
5. Glenn Dorsey DT Kansas City Signed 5 years, $51 million ($23M guaranteed)
6. Vernon Gholston DE N.Y. Jets Signed 5 years, $50 million ($21M guaranteed)
7. Sedrick Ellis DT New Orleans Signed 5 years, $49 million ($19.5M guaranteed)
8. Derrick Harvey DE Jacksonville Signed 5 years, $33.4 million ($17.177M guaranteed)
9. Keith Rivers LB Cincinnati Signed 6 years, $23 million ($15.6M guaranteed)
10. Jerod Mayo LB New England Signed 5 years, $18.9 million ($13.8M guaranteed)
11. Leodis McKelvin CB Buffalo Signed 5 years, $19.4 million ($12.6M guaranteed)
12. Ryan Clady OT Denver Signed 5 years, $17.5 million ($11.5M guaranteed)
13. Jonathan Stewart RB Carolina Signed 5 years, $20 million ($10.795M guaranteed)
14. Chris Williams OT Chicago Signed 5 years, $16 million ($10M guaranteed)
15. Branden Albert OG Kansas City Signed 5 years, $15.8 million ($9.2M guaranteed)
16. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Arizona Signed 5 years, $15.1 million ($9M guaranteed)
17. Gosder Cherilus OT Detroit Signed 5 years, $15 million ($8.9M guaranteed)
18. Joe Flacco QB Baltimore Signed 5 years, $30 million ($8.75M guaranteed)
19. Jeff Otah OT Carolina Signed 5 years, $14.4 million ($8.965M guaranteed)
20. Aqib Talib CB Tampa Bay Signed 5 years, $14 million ($8.2M guaranteed)
21. Sam Baker OT Atlanta Signed 5 years, $13.5 million ($7.8M guaranteed)
22. Felix Jones RB Dallas Signed 5 years, $10.5 million ($8M guaranteed)
23. Rashard Mendenhall RB Pittsburgh Signed 5 years, $12.555 million ($7.125M guaranteed)
24. Chris Johnson RB Tennessee Signed 5 years, $12 million ($7M guaranteed)
25. Mike Jenkins CB Dallas Signed 5 yaers, $9.7 million ($7M guaranteed)
26. Duane Brown OT Houston Signed 5 years, $11.4 million ($6.5M guaranteed)
27. Antoine Cason CB San Diego Signed 5 years, $12.03 million
28. Lawrence Jackson DE Seattle Signed 5 years, $11.25 million ($6.1M guaranteed)
29. Kentwan Balmer DE San Francisco Signed 5 years, $11.5 million ($6M guaranteed)
30. Dustin Keller TE N.Y. Jets Signed 5 years, $12 million ($6M guaranteed)
31. Kenny Phillips FS N.Y. Giants Signed 5 years, $11.15 million