Recruiting as of 5/15/25

[JWags85]

I think I'd actually disagree with you on your first statement.  Maybe I'm totally wrong here but I think the most recognizable names and faces in all of sports at the very top are actually NBA stars over NFL stars.  LeBron, KD, Steph, etc. seem to individually get more publicity than the very top NFL players (Rodgers, Brady, etc.).  Shoe deals, guaranteed money, sponsorships, etc. all seem to favor the NBA superstars over the NFL superstars.  I have no data whatsoever to back that up, it just feels like there's more hype around the very top of the top NBA players over NFL players.

Edit: And heck, even the bottom of the bottom of the rosters.  I have no clue who the 50-53 players on the New England Patriots are (or even the Green Bay Packers), but I know who Kay Felder is or James Michael Macadoo, etc.

I wasn't speaking about individual players, I just meant the NFL and "football" as a whole. Sundays and, depending on where you live, Saturdays are like religion.  So you take away the forethought of a HS kid thinking about his individual marketability as a star, and you see ESPN going crazy over televising the combine or having full days of coverage dedicated to Fantasy Football, and thats what I was getting at.

NBA is far more marketable worldwide, agreed.  And not covering your face with a helmet helps.

[Newsdreams]

You have the last two in the wrong order.  Regionalization of baseball broadcasting has really killed the baseball star.

Not international, see WBC.

[wadesworld]

I wasn't speaking about individual players, I just meant the NFL and "football" as a whole. Sundays and, depending on where you live, Saturdays are like religion.  So you take away the forethought of a HS kid thinking about his individual marketability as a star, and you see ESPN going crazy over televising the combine or having full days of coverage dedicated to Fantasy Football, and thats what I was getting at.

NBA is far more marketable worldwide, agreed.  And not covering your face with a helmet helps.

All true.

[GGGG]

Not international, see WBC.

1. Nobody cares about the WBC.  More people overseas watch American football than the WBC.

2. Quoting the link above:

"Here are some other interesting details from the list:

Soccer is by far the most popular sport with 38 players on the list, followed by basketball (13), golf (11), tennis (10), and American football (8).

...

There are no baseball or hockey players on the list."

[6746jonesr]

A book that explores the life of professional football players, especially injuries, economics is Is There Life after Football?, by Holstein, Jones and Koonce (formerly of Green Bay Packers), NYU Press.  The average career is 3.4 years, and why that is significant is that you have to be in the league 4 years to be eligible for retirement benefits.  Both salaries and length of career are skewed by position played.  Quarterbacks eat up 20-25% of a teams salary cap and some play into their 40's.  Running backs barely make it to a second contract. 

[WarriorInNYC]

FBS: 129 teams * 85 scholarships per team:  10,965 scholarships
FCS: 125 teams * 63 scholarships per team:  7,875 scholarships
Total:  18,840 scholarships.
NFL:  32 teams * 53 roster spots:  1,696 spots available.
1696 / 3.5 average career length:  484 spots available any given year.
One NFL roster spot available per 38.9 scholarships


NCAA D1:  351 basketball teams * 13 scholarships:  4,563 scholarships
NBA:  30 teams * 14 roster spots:  420 spots available
420 / 4.8 average career length:  87.5 spots available
One NBA roster spot per 52.1 scholarships.

So by this metric it is more likely for a college football player to make an NFL roster than a college basketball player to make an NBA one.  And of course there are other issues.  I am not counting foreign NBA players, but am not counting international opportunities either.  Also not including practice squads, etc.

Valid point, I wasn't too certain how the math shook out and frankly didn't have the time to do so earlier today.

[GGGG]

Valid point, I wasn't too certain how the math shook out and frankly didn't have the time to do so earlier today.

I was bored.

[Pakuni]

A book that explores the life of professional football players, especially injuries, economics is Is There Life after Football?, by Holstein, Jones and Koonce (formerly of Green Bay Packers), NYU Press.  The average career is 3.4 years, and why that is significant is that you have to be in the league 4 years to be eligible for retirement benefits.  Both salaries and length of career are skewed by position played.  Quarterbacks eat up 20-25% of a teams salary cap and some play into their 40's.  Running backs barely make it to a second contract.

NFL players currently are eligible for a pension after three seasons. It could have been more under the previous CBA. I don't know.

I think that 20-25 percent figure for QBs is probably an exaggeration (I'm not aware of any QBs making $40+ million ... the highest cap hit in the league this year is $24 million against a $167 million cap), but that said, star players eat up most of the cap in the NHL and NBA as well.
For example, three players (LeBron, Love and Irving) accounted for 55 percent of the Cavs' cap last year. Assuming the trade goes through, three players (Horford, Haywood and Irving) will account for 2/3 of the Celtics' cap this upcoming season. Four players (Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Crawford) ate up 48 percent of the Blackhawks' cap space last year. Four players (Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Fleury) took up 49 percent of the Penguins' cap last season.
More than ever there's a wealth gap - relatively speaking - in pro sports, especially when caps are involved.

[Newsdreams]

1. Nobody cares about the WBC.  More people overseas watch American football than the WBC.

2. Quoting the link above:

"Here are some other interesting details from the list:

Soccer is by far the most popular sport with 38 players on the list, followed by basketball (13), golf (11), tennis (10), and American football (8).

...

There are no baseball or hockey players on the list."

From analytics from espn ok. Just look at tha amount of international players in basketball and baseball. There are more pro leagues for both around the world not so for baseball. WBC is followed internationally much more than you think. In all of latin america nfl would be a distant 4th same as in Japan / China / Taiwan. Even here in PR nfl would be 3rd or 4th. In PR is NBA MLB soccer/nfl

[GGGG]

From analytics from espn ok. Just look at tha amount of international players in basketball and baseball. There are more pro leagues for both around the world not so for baseball. WBC is followed internationally much more than you think. In all of latin america nfl would be a distant 4th same as in Japan / China / Taiwan. Even here in PR nfl would be 3rd or 4th. In PR is NBA MLB soccer/nfl

You are making a different argument.  Wade's started this by disagreeing with Wags:  "I think I'd actually disagree with you on your first statement.  Maybe I'm totally wrong here but I think the most recognizable names and faces in all of sports at the very top are actually NBA stars over NFL stars."

My guess is that more people around the world know who Tom Brady is versus a baseball player like Bryce Harper.  Mostly because baseball players are regionalized.  Many sports fans in the US wouldn't know who Bryce Harper is.

[Newsdreams]

You are making a different argument.  Wade's started this by disagreeing with Wags:  "I think I'd actually disagree with you on your first statement.  Maybe I'm totally wrong here but I think the most recognizable names and faces in all of sports at the very top are actually NBA stars over NFL stars."

My guess is that more people around the world know who Tom Brady is versus a baseball player like Bryce Harper.  Mostly because baseball players are regionalized.  Many sports fans in the US wouldn't know who Bryce Harper is.

I understand what you're saying and what the perception is, but believe me outside of Mexico and Brazil (married to a Brazilian) in latin america maybe 40% know who he is. I mean we are part of the US and the local Fox and CBS channels sometimes don't show national NFL games due to low ratings (gets me really POED). NFL is to US what soccer is to the rest of the world. I'll stop because we have really hijacked the thread.

[dgies9156]

So, who are we recruiting again?

[Herman Cain]

So, who are we recruiting again?

Quentin Grimes

[wadesworld]

Quentin Grimes

Jeenathan Williams.  Aggressively.  His father told me Stan purchased a camper on MU's dime solely to park it outside of their house until he commits to MU.  But his dad also told me they're waiting for dominoes to fall when Lovell puts out a hit on Coach K so that Wojo then can leave gracefully to take over the Duke job and Stan can finally take over the program and start remotivating these guys!

[Herman Cain]

Jeenathan Williams.  Aggressively.  His father told me Stan purchased a camper on MU's dime solely to park it outside of their house until he commits to MU.  But his dad also told me they're waiting for dominoes to fall when Lovell puts out a hit on Coach K so that Wojo then can leave gracefully to take over the Duke job and Stan can finally take over the program and start remotivating these guys!

That was last years Meme.

[Loose Cannon]

Only the name changes.

[jsglow]

Jeenathan Williams.  Aggressively.  His father told me Stan purchased a camper on MU's dime solely to park it outside of their house until he commits to MU.  But his dad also told me they're waiting for dominoes to fall when Lovell puts out a hit on Coach K so that Wojo then can leave gracefully to take over the Duke job and Stan can finally take over the program and start remotivating these guys!

That's actually pretty funny so no admonishment from me about taking the recruiting thread off message!

[GB Warrior]

That was last years Meme.

Sometimes, you get the self deprecating humor right.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That was last years Meme.

This was actually funny. Well done.

[MUEng92]

Sometimes it seems the NM thread stays on topic better than this one

[fjm]

[copious1218]

NFL players currently are eligible for a pension after three seasons. It could have been more under the previous CBA. I don't know.

I think that 20-25 percent figure for QBs is probably an exaggeration (I'm not aware of any QBs making $40+ million ... the highest cap hit in the league this year is $24 million against a $167 million cap), but that said, star players eat up most of the cap in the NHL and NBA as well.
For example, three players (LeBron, Love and Irving) accounted for 55 percent of the Cavs' cap last year. Assuming the trade goes through, three players (Horford, Haywood and Irving) will account for 2/3 of the Celtics' cap this upcoming season. Four players (Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Crawford) ate up 48 percent of the Blackhawks' cap space last year. Four players (Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Fleury) took up 49 percent of the Penguins' cap last season.
More than ever there's a wealth gap - relatively speaking - in pro sports, especially when caps are involved.

Well that's for the starter.  Most teams carry two other QBs.  Still not sure you get to $40M but maybe?

[WarriorInNYC]

Well that's for the starter.  Most teams carry two other QBs.  Still not sure you get to $40M but maybe?

I don't think it would be close.  For example, the contract that Stafford just signed was the most expensive in NFL history, and if you were to just take the $151.5 million and divide over 6 years, it only comes out to $25.25m/year.  I'm pulling this next part out of my ass, but I would guess the highest paid backup in the league makes maybe $7m/year in a short-term contract (my team is the Steelers and our backup is Landry Jones at $2m).  The 3rd QB is almost always near the minimum, but for conservative purposes, lets say $2m/year.

So if you take all of those maximums, you get to $34m/year.  But again, that is using what I would say is the max in each situation, and also includes the richest deal in NFL history.

[Pakuni]

Well that's for the starter.  Most teams carry two other QBs.  Still not sure you get to $40M but maybe?

As best as I can tell, the highest-paid QB trio in the league this year is Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore and Jay Cutler in Miami, at about $31 million.
That's about 18.5 percent of the cap.

[wadesworld]

So about Quentin Grimes...