THE LEGAL LINE: VOL II

HOW MUCH FOR THAT MISDEMEANOR?
By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible

We hear about it every year. Exceptional college players who are extremely gifted on the field but unable to stay out of trouble off the field. While these players may be athletic specimens and sure-shot top picks in the NFL Draft, a player's draft stock is no longer based solely on athletic ability alone. Teams are now placing heavy weight on taking solid, good character individuals. 40-yard dash times and performance in the combine are not the only factors going into a draft-day selection. Apparently, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't get the memo.

A player's criminal history can have a disastrous effect on where they are selected in the draft and the financial implications are mind-blowing. The difference between a top-five pick and late first-rounder is about $30-40 million in contract money. For instance, Mario Williams, the first player selected in the 2006 draft, received approximately $41 million for a six-year deal. Joseph Addai, selected 30th overall, received $7.5 million for a five-year deal. Its no secret that top-10 players make significantly more money than the rest of the draft pool.

To the college player, a misdemeanor possession of marijuana or the driving under the influence conviction may seem like nothing big, but if that player is highly touted as a top prospect for the NFL, these petty crimes cost them millions of dollars in contract money. Take Brandon Meriweather for example. A defensive back out of the University of Miami, Meriweather has exceptional speed and great vision. He is a physical hitter and is able to play cornerback as well as safety. His talent and versatility made him a potential top-10 pick.

While Meriweather's ability made him one of the most sought-after defensive backs on the draft board, his character issues damaged his draft stock. On October 14, 2006, Miami and Florida International engaged in a vicious fight during the game which resulted in 31 player suspensions. The fight was fully caught on camera and Meriweather was shown stomping on several FIU players. (The link is a clip of the fight, Meriweather is number 19 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWWC_ozN7E).

That same year, Meriweather was involved in a gun-wielding incident in which he returned fire on assailants in what was dubbed as a botched robbery attempt. Although Miami police said Meriweather did nothing illegal, the combination of this incident and his violent stomping of several FIU players caused many teams to question Meriweather's character. Would he be able to stay out of trouble? Will he be able to control himself in the NFL? These kinds of questions led to Meriweather plummeting to the 24th pick in the first round.

Meriweather was recently signed by the Patriots and is slated to make about $8.8 million on a five-year deal. His contract's maximum value is worth $11.5 million with incentives. While this seems like a nice payday, if Meriweather was selected in the top-10 of this years draft, he probably could have signed for at least an additional $20 million.

Flashback to 1995. A player by the name of Warren Sapp was gaining the attention of just about every scout in the NFL. A nasty defensive end out of the University of Miami, Sapp was given the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman in 1994. Sapp was projected by some to be the 1st-overall-selection in the 1995 draft, but word soon got out that Sapp failed two drug tests at the NFL combine; one for marijuana and one for cocaine. The damage was catastrophic. Even though the NFL later stated that Sapp never tested positive for cocaine, the drug rumors surrounding him caused him to slip down to the 12th pick in the draft. Sapp lost out on top-five money, which was estimated at around a $4 million dollar contract. Even Kevin Carter was selected higher than Sapp. Who?

While these players still make ridiculous money playing in the NFL, the money they could have potentially made is astounding. Therefore, I have decided to come up with a simple formula that will show how much money each incident actually costs these players in terms of contract value. The final number has been deemed the "BLING BUSTER." The formula works like this:

(Average max contract value of top-10 draft picks) - (Actual player's max value contract) = BLING BUSTER; or

(Average max contract value of picks 11 through 32) - (Actual player's max value contract) = BLING BUSTER

This number reflects the amount of money they lost in contract value had they been selected in the first round of this year's draft. Basically, its the number that each incident / crime cost them. Keep in mind, some players in the 07' draft have yet to be signed and although it would affect the total difference, I did not want to speculate so I did not include their unknown contract values.

Average maximum contract value of 2007 top-10 draft picks: $40.64 Million
Average maximum contract value of 2007 draft picks 11 - 32: $13.25 Million

Brandon Meriweather S - University of Miami
Projected top-10 pick but slipped in the draft due to horrid sights of him stomping on FIU players during a regular season game and a gun wielding incident. New England eventually took him with the 24th pick in the first round, but Meriweather missed out on a boatload of cash. Meriweather signed a deal worth up to $11.5 million with incentives. Many scouts projected him as the best safety in the draft.

Bling Buster Formula: (40.64 million) - (11.5 million) = 29.14 million

I bet you Meriweather didn't realize that "stomping the yard" would cost him almost $30 million. He could have produced the entire film with that kind of money.

Tarrell Brown CB - University of Texas
Probably the most skilled corner on the team during his career at Texas. He started for three straight years and had the possibility of going in the first round were it not for his off the field problems. Brown was drafted by the 49ers in the 5th round, 147th overall. In 2006, Brown was arrested and charged with misdemeanor drug and weapon charges. The gun charge, a Class A misdemeanor, carried a maximum one year jail sentence and a $4,000 fine. The drug charge for possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, carried a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. That totals up to $6,000. But lets see how much money these misdemeanors actually cost him in contract dollars if he were selected in the back of the first round. (I was unable to obtain Brown's actual contract but I know he signed a four year deal with the 49ers. Based on previous years, I assumed his contract was worth around $2 million).

Bling Buster Formula: (13.25 million) - (2 million) = 11.25 million

This kid is supposed to be legit and many scouts believe he will be a star in this league. If he can stay out of trouble, look for Brown to see some serious money in a few years if he can lose the guns and kick the dope.

Marcus Thomas DT - University of Florida
At 6'3 and 296 pounds, Thomas was a beast for Florida logging 14 sacks in 41 games. His draft stock plummeted when he failed two marijuana tests. He was later kicked off the Gator squad for missing curfew. Thomas was selected by the Broncos with the 22nd pick in the 4th round. He has signed a four year deal with the Broncos worth a reported $3 million. If not for these incidents, Thomas was a sure-shot mid - to - late first rounder.

Bling Buster Formula: (13.25 million) - (3 million) = 10.25 million

Thomas may think he got away with failing a few drug tests, but according to my calculations, Thomas lost roughly $10 million. Rumor has it that Thomas has been taking voluntary drug tests weekly. We'll see how long that lasts.

A few notables I had to throw in.......

Ramonce Taylor RB - University of Texas
Taylor was a phenomenal offensive weapon for the Horns and logged 15 touchdowns last season. Taylor's story is one my favorites. In 2006, after a party in Belton, TX, a fight broke out involving about 100 people. That sounds more like a small battle to me. Anyway, after someone allegedly vandalized his car, Taylor phoned the police. When the police arrived, they asked if they could search Taylor's vehicle. Taylor gave them permission and the police found five pounds of marijuana in the car. Texas law states that possessing 5 - 50 pounds of marijuana carries a sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Taylor was listed as a "sleeper" in this year's draft, but this incident hurt his stock badly and Taylor went undrafted.

Marcus Vick QB - Virginia Tech (2006 Draft Prospect - undrafted)
Where do I begin? With his brother becoming a $100 million man, Va Tech looked to Marcus Vick to live up to the Mike Vick legacy. Marcus was touted as a better passer than his older brother and his incredible athletic ability made him an immediate offensive threat. Unfortunately, Marcus had a knack for breaking the law and racked up an enormous amount of legal problems. Charges included supplying alcohol to minors, possession of marijuana and reckless driving, to name a few. Vick ended his collegiate career in the 2006 Gator Bowl when he stomped on the calf of a Louisville player after a play.

Following the game, Vick was immediately and permanently kicked off the team. He later signed with the Miami Dophins in 2006 and made $275,000 for the season. Not bad for a guy with a criminal record longer than Pacman Jones.

The lesson to be learned here: Screw up in college and it'll cost you in the draft. Dropping in the draft costs millions of dollars and although these players get a second chance, many of them succumb to the dark side of their pasts.