It is my belief that the NFL is the best run sports league in major professional sports.  Not that I'm going out on a very small limb by stating such.  The money, popularity, and fame that the NFL has enjoyed, especially over the last 15 years seem to validate that statement. 

One thing I believe the NFL needs to look into changing is its Franchise Tag system.  There are "Transition Players," "Exclusive Franchise Players," and "Non-Exclusive Franchise Players."  Without boring you in a bunch of legal NFL jargon; the Franchise Tag basically means that if a team designates a player as a "Franchise Player," then that player is guaranteed to make the average of the top 5 players at that position.   Exclusive players receive the average for the current year.  Non-Exclusive receive the average for the previous year.  Furthermore, only Non-Exclusive Franchise Players can still sign with other clubs.  His old club can either match a new club's offer, or receive two first-round draft choices if the club decides not to match.

When this system was created, its intended purpose was to allow small market teams to designate players that they wanted to protect, and allow that team time to negotiate without big clubs dangling millions in front of their prized free agents. Simply put, the NFL didn't want the Cowboys to become the Yankees, and the Bengals to become the Devil Rays.   It was also intended to give adequate compensation to teams that lost cornerstone players.  The two first round pick penalty has been so discouraging, that Sean Gilbert is the only player that was signed with another club as a Non Exclusive Free Agent. 

The problem is that the Franchise Tag has evolved more into a negotiating ploy by the NFL Teams, rather than anything that helps the players or small market clubs.    The thing you have to understand about NFL contracts is that when a player signs a six-year $60 million contract; the player really doesn't care about those figures.  That number is not guaranteed and if the player becomes injured and gets cut, he receives none of that money. 

The number the player cares about is the signing bonus.  The signing bonus is the only part of the contract that is guaranteed.  Nate Clement signed an eight-year; $80 million with $22 million guaranteed this off season.  If he blew out his knee tomorrow and did not make an NFL roster this year, he would see $22 million of that contract. 

Take a look at Lance Briggs.  He has been Non-Exclusive Franchised this year by the Chicago Bears.  The average salary the previous year for Linebackers was $7.169 million.  By the Bears tagging Lance Briggs, he is slotted to play for $7.169 million, while on the open market he would command double, or even triple that amount in guaranteed compensation. 

Now it is hard for most people to feel sorry for a player making "only" $7.169 million dollars.  The problem is that whether you like it or not, football is a business, and players will try to get as much money as they can command.  This is no different that what you or I do everyday.  Their negotiations are simply more public, and there is an emotional attachment to a player potentially ruining our favorite team, rather than the CEO of General Motors negotiating a raise behind the scenes of the public eye.

What is disturbing in the Lance Briggs case is that it does not appear the Chicago Bears are really all that interested in completing a long term deal.  The same appears to be the case in the negotiations between Asante Samuel and the Patriots.  These teams are basically willing to pay these players on a one year basis, and if worse comes to worse, franchise tag the player again next year. 

While there is nothing wrong with the teams doing this under the current system, it is also apparent why the players hate the thought of playing for the one year tender.  Risking career threatening injury without further compensation and no long term deal in sight is not exactly the American Dream.  Personally, I don't blame them.  It has so be infuriating to watch equal or lesser players commanding huge sums of money on the open market, while these players are forced to play for a team that doesn't want to keep them around long-term anyway. 

The solution that would seem to be the appropriate middle ground would be for the League and the Players Union to agree that if the player plays under a Franchised Contract, the team is not allowed to franchise that player the following year, provided, that the player does not hold out ,and reports to training camp on time.  This is basically the agreement that Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks came to on their own two years ago.   Players don't necessarily mind playing for one one-year deal.  The problem is that young players usually command the most money, and players eventually want to cash in before their earning power has diminished. 

That would solve a number of issues.  1) Players would not have to worry about playing year after year for one year deals, 2) People like Drew Rosenhaus would not be seen on TV with as much regularity, demanding their clients get traded or sit out the season, 3)  It would create more urgency for players and teams to come to terms on a contract extension, and 4) It would eliminate the distrust that is created when players feel the franchise tag is being used as a threat for them to accept a deal below market long term deal.  Because the way to keep the NFL as the greatest professional sports league is to have more stories about players making plays, and less stories about how the Franchise Tag. 

With the NFL draft less than a week away, I decided I would make a list of my all-time draft busts.   One thing that annoys me about other people that make these lists is that many people seem to think that the top 10 draft bust is synonymous with the 10 worst quarterbacks drafted.  The problem is that quarterback is the most important position and teams are willing to reach when they think they've found a great one.  That's why there are so many Quarterback busts, compared to other positions. 

Instead I am doing a list of the all-time draft bust by position, (Quarterback, Running Back, Receiver, Tight End, Defensive Line, Linebacker, and Defensive Back) ranking them in order of disappointment.   Kickers and Punters are disappointing by nature, and did not make the list.  The three rules I had for this list is that 1) The player had to be a top 10 pick, 2) I tried to pick from the last 20 years, and 3) Injury could not be the sole reason for a player being disappointing.  For example, Kijana Carter never lived up to the promise that the Bengals hoped he would have.  However, it wasn't because of his work ethic or talent.  He tore an ACL in his first preseason and never was the same player.  Who knows what kind of running back he would have become, had he not gotten hurt.   Without further a due, here is my list, in order, of the most disappointing players ever selected. 

1. Tony Mandarich (1st round, 2nd pick 1989) - Imagine walking into a gas station to buy a lottery ticket, and they only have 5 left.  Four of the tickets are a million dollar prize, while one is a $1.00 prize.  This is what happened to the Packers in this draft.  Many will say that Mandarich had a more successful career than Ryan Leaf.  My argument is that the Top 5 picks in that draft were Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders.  Madarich was hyped enough as the cover of Sports Illustrated and the proclamation of being the best college tackle ever.  While he had some good years with the Colts after he left the Packers, he never lived up to the enormous draft day billing he shared with the other superstars. 

2. Ryan Leaf (1st round, 2nd pick 1998) - The story of the 1998 draft was which of the two can't miss quarterbacks should the Colts have taken, Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.  It seems like an insane question today, but back then football experts were divided on the issue.  Ryan Leaf threw 14 Touchdowns and 36 interceptions in a 4 year playing career.  What was equally troubling is his relations with the San Diego media.  While there have been many disappointing busts at Quarterback, Ryan Leaf is clearly the biggest bust of them all, in part because of how good Peyton Manning turned out, and in part because of his public temper tantrums. 

3.  Tie Bo Jackson (1st Round, 1st pick 1985) & Blair Thomas (1st Round, 2nd pick 1990) - In 1985 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the 1st pick in the draft.  Bo Jackson was considered the most talented player in the entire draft.  Due to a flight to Tampa, Bo lost his senior year of eligibility for baseball, even though he had been assured that his eligibility would be safe.  The Bucs picked Bo Jackson first, despite his warning that he would never play there.  Bo Jackson went and played baseball for the Kansas City Royals, was drafted by the Raiders the next year, and the rest is history.  Even though Bo would go on to have a successful career with the Raiders, before his career was cut short by injury; I would say that your number one pick never wearing your uniform would qualify as a bust draft decision.  Blair Thomas ties Bo Jackson as having the dubious distinction of going 15 picks higher than future Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. 

4.  Adam "Pac Man" Jones (1st Round, 6th pick 2005) - I know the jury (bad choice of words) is still out on whether Pac Man will end up being a bust, but when you are banned from the league for a year in your third year; all because you can't go from here to there without talking with the local Police Department; let's just say that doesn't scream draft day success.  I have a bad feeling that Pac Man will be remembered more for his cool nickname and Poster Boy status as an NFL bad boy, rather than anything that he will actually accomplish on a football field.  Honorable mention to Terrell Buckley, who despite having a lengthy NFL career was never able to live up to the billing as the next Deion Sanders as a 5th pick for the Green Bay Packers.

5. Peter Warrick (1st Round, 4th Pick 2000) - There have been many disappointing receivers picked over the years.  JJ Stokes, Charles Rodgers, and David Terrell.  I think what makes Peter Warrick so disappointing is the hype and success he enjoyed at Florida State.  He would have won the Heisman had it not been for his shopping scandal.  He was the most exciting punt returner, kick returner, and big play receiver in the country.  He played great in the Sugar Bowl against Virgina Tech.  He really looked like a can't miss prospect.  When he got the NFL, he looked slow and lost.  In fact, Laveranues Coles turned out to be the best pro receiver from Florida State that draft.  While Warrick did last 7 years in the NFL, he was basically a 3rd or 4th receiver, not the fourth pick in the draft. 

6. Mike Mamula (1st Round, 7th Pick 1995) - The poster boy for why the Combine is not all that it is hyped up to be; not only did the Eagles waste their first round pick on him, but they traded up from the 12th spot, and sent two second round picks to Tampa besides.  This guy was a literal nobody, until his bench press and 40-time became public.  Evidently the Eagles forgot to watch tape and see if the guy could actually play football.  To add insult to injury, the Bucs used that pick to select Warren Sapp.  The other player I wanted to put here was Courtney Brown, the first pick of the 2000 draft, but he actually was a good player for the Browns his first two years, before knee injuries ended his promising career. 

7. Kyle Brady (1st Round, 9th Pick 1995) - This is a player that actually had a good career with the Jets and Jaguars, but never lived up to the billing of being a Number 9 pick in the draft.  Considering Ty Law, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Hugh Douglas all went later in the round; I think the Jets could have found an equivalent Tight End later in the draft.  Honorable mention to Rickey Dudley, who also went 9th the next year, 5 spots before his college teammate, Eddie George.

8.  Quentin Coryatt (1st Round, 2nd pick 1992) - This was probably the hardest position for me to pick.  Brian Bosworth is an obvious choice, but he was actually selected in the Supplemental Draft.  Trev Alberts was a disappointing 1994 selection, but that was mainly due to injury.   The main reason I selected Coryatt was that the Colts had the #1 and #2 pick in the 1992 draft.  That is almost unheard of.  The other player they had to show for their lofty draft status was Steve Emtman, who also underachieved, but due to injury.  Coryatt played 78 games in his career, but just never made the impact that justified such a high selection.  The only bright spot for the Colts was that this first round was loaded with underachievers.  The best picks in this draft were Dale Carter, Sean Gilbert, Desmond Howard, Robert Porcher, Troy Vincent, and Bob Whitfield.  All were nice players at points in their career, but at least the Colts didn't pass on a future 1st ballot Hall of Famer, as could have been the case in different draft years. 

One of my favorite topics to debate is ranking players.  With the recent retirement of Drew Bledsoe, most people seem to be saying he had a nice career, but should not be in the Hall of Fame.  However, the mere fact that people are posing the question of his Hall credentials is absurd.   While Bledsoe had an impressive 14 year career, in which he was a four time Pro Bowler and threw over 44,000 yards and 251 TD throws; I do not see him as a Hall of Fame Quarterback.

Saying that someone doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame is not a slight.  To me the Hall of Fame means an "All-Time Great."  The Best of the Best.   While Bledsoe does have impressive statistics, he is not Hall worthy.  Here are 3 reasons why I would not put Drew Bledsoe in the Hall of Fame.

1.   He doesn't pass the Name Test - One way to evaluate a player's greatness is to say his name and ask if he's a Hall of Famer.  If you don't say yes within 5 seconds, then he probably isn't.  If I were to ask that about Joe Montana or John Elway, no one hesitates.  I don't believe Bledsoe passes that test.

2.  Lack of Post Season Success- Team success can sometimes put a player with average numbers in the Hall of Fame.  Troy Aikman comes to mind.  Had the Cowboys not won three Super Bowls in four years, Aikman would not be in the Hall of Fame.  Bledsoe came close in 1996 losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.   However, Bledsoe only played in 7 playoff games.  Besides the Super Bowl year, he only won one other playoff game as a starter.  What hurts Bledsoe the most is that the Patriots started to win after he was replaced by Brady.  It's hard to argue that a Quarterback is a Hall of Famer when he is replaced in the prime of his career and the replacement goes on to win three Super Bowls in four years. 

3.   Bledsoe was never an elite Quarterback - While the career numbers look impressive, here are some things to consider.  Bledsoe never had a 30 touchdown season.  He never had a quarterback rating about 90.  In fact, his career quarterback rating is 77.7.  Eight of his fourteen seasons he did not have more touchdown passes than interceptions.  He has a career completion percentage of 57.7% in an era when quarterbacks routinely complete 60% of their passes.  Drew Bledsoe was an outstanding quarterback in 1996 and 1997.  However, two good years does not make a Hall of Fame career. 

If you take it one step further, if you look at the quarterbacks that played during his career, the following were all clearly better quarterbacks:  Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon and Steve Young.  Kurt Warner and Steve McNair were too close for me to put in the clearly better category for a career.  However, at their best, I think they are both better than Drew Bledsoe.  I left Joe Montana and Phil Simms off the list, as they were both at the very end of their carears when Bledsoe was drafted.   Furthermore, Matt Hasselbeck, Donvan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, and Michael Vick all played in a good chunk of his era.  If their careers continue on there present course; they could all be better than Drew Bledsoe.  

It is hard for me to say a player is a Hall of Famer with this many people ahead of him during his own era.  I think Drew Bledsoe had a long and successful career.  It just wasn't a Hall of Fame career. 

One of the biggest debates this off season has been whether the Raiders should shop Randy Moss.  The team that seems to have the most interest in acquiring Randy Moss is the Green Bay Packers.  This is a deal that has the potential to work well for both teams.

Lets start with the Oakland Raiders.  They are at least 3-5 years away from contending for a division title.  They are in a brutal division.  This is a team drafting in the top 10 for the third time in the last four years.  This is also the second time in the last four years they have the second pick in the draft.   They do not have a franchise quarterback.  They have some nice pieces at running back and wide receiver.  The offensive line is a mess.  They have very little depth.  Simply put, this team has a lot of holes to fill.  Furthermore, they have a 31 year old coach with no head coaching experience.  Football people are questioning whether Al Davis is capable of turning this around.   Simply put, this team does not have the ingredients one would look for in turning this around in a rapid fashion.  

Then there are the Green Bay Packers.  This is one of the most interesting situations in the NFL.  The Packers are one of the youngest teams in the league, However Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Al Harris, and Charles Woodson are all over 30 years old.  Most football experts agree that this team is on the rise, but that there probably are not enough pieces in place to make a serious run for the Super Bowl.   

Randy Moss could be that piece.  While he probably is not the same player he was in Minnesota, he still has enormous talent.  Part of the problem is that he has not had a good quarterback and offensive line that has allowed him to use his deep threat ability.  The other problem is that he seemed to quit on last year.  One thing Randy Moss has always wanted though is to be relevant.  That is something he has not had the last two years.  While the Raiders may turn this disaster around, Moss may be 35 and retired by the time they do so.  

The Packers biggest problem last year was they were 32nd in red zone offense last season.  They did not have the weapons to score touchdowns last year.  With Randy Moss, defenses would have a dilemma.  Do you double team Driver?  Do you double team Moss?  How do you single cover Jennings with a safety?  Adding Randy Moss will take a lot of pressure off those two players.  It will help Marshawn Lynch be effective as a rookie, should the Packers draft him.  Favre would have less interceptions, because he wouldn't have to force the ball into double coverage or incapable playmakers.  You could argue that the Packers join the Bengals, Cardinals, Colts, Saints, and Patriots as having the most explosive combination of playmakers in the NFL.  

Brett Favre needs Randy Moss to make one last serious charge for the Super Bowl.  Randy Moss needs Brett Favre to repair his image as the most dominant receiver in the game.  The Raiders need to start over and build for the future with young players and new talent.  The Packers need to take a gamble to make possibly the last season of the Brett Favre era a memorable one.  This is one of those rare deals that would probably help both sides.  The Raiders and Packers need to come together on this deal soon.