I knew there were minor issues that could come up, and a quick search gave at least one -
While salaries for rookies are standard in NFL contracts, certain items present in a rookie’s contract can make his earnings higher than other rookies’ earnings. According to Slough, “The general rule, is that the majority of these contracts are going to look pretty identical, except for the amount of a signing bonus a player receives.” The size of a rookie’s signing bonus depends upon where he is drafted and this is one area in which an agent can successfully negotiate higher earnings for his client. “The amount of the signing bonus is negotiable. We operate under an unofficial sliding scale system,” Slough said. Thus, the number-one NFL Draft pick will receive a higher bonus than the second pick, and so on.
