Chapter 187 Frog in the Well
The offseason preparation schedules of the thirty-two NFL teams are basically the same, often arranging a spring training camp and a summer training camp.
Among them, the summer training camp is a compulsory training camp that all players must participate in. The team will train tactics and actual combat drills, and select the 53-person roster for the final season and the additional list of ten sparring groups.
The spring training camp is free to sign up, focusing on recovery training, physical training, and basic training, with the focus on integrating rookies into the team.
This is also called rookie training camp. Firstly, the team will seize these opportunities to give undrafted rookies a chance to supplement the players they need; secondly, the team will test all rookies. If they are not suitable, after the spring training camp As far as expulsion is concerned, for those rookies who did not enter summer training camp, it is equivalent to not joining the team.
Still, generally speaking, players won't miss spring training camp.
Rugby is a sport that focuses on teamwork and tactical training. They also need to get familiar with rookies and players who transfer during the offseason. Even if it is not tactical cooperation, they still need to get used to it in life.
Therefore, unless they are suffering from injuries, or are seeking a contract extension, transfer, salary increase, etc., and express their attitude by going on strike, players will generally attend the spring training camp to express their attitude to the coaching team.
In addition, before the start of spring training camp, it is also the deadline for teams and rookies to sign——
During the period from the draft to spring training camp, rookies need to undergo physical examinations, and agents also need to discuss contract details with teams.
The rookie contract is like this. The NFL has detailed regulations on contract years, salary caps, signing bonus caps, etc. The relevant numbers for each pick are different and all decrease according to a certain proportion; but the details are determined by the rookie agent and The team discusses.
First, the salary of a rookie contract is not necessarily fully guaranteed. The higher the draft pick, the higher the possibility of being fully guaranteed - but this is not 100%; rookies after the second round often None of them are fully guaranteed, and the contract may have a bunch of performance clauses.
Secondly, signing bonuses are also different. The league has detailed upper limits for each pick, but teams may not be willing to pay in full.
Historically, after the team selected a rookie, it did not complete the signing before spring training camp, causing the rookie to miss spring training camp; or the team parted ways with the rookie after spring training camp. This situation is not common, but Almost every year—
Moreover, not only rookies after the second round, but also first-round rookies are no exception.
It is precisely because of this that when rookie players arrive at spring training camp, they have often completed their signings. They have transformed from an ordinary college student into a millionaire or even a multi-millionaire. So, how to use the first bucket of life? Gold can often tell the personality of a player.
Levi?
Not long ago, under the operation and negotiation of Donald Yu, he successfully completed the signing with the Kansas Chiefs, becoming the seventh player among the first-round picks to complete the contract——
Four-year contract, $27.4 million.
Fully guaranteed.
That includes a $15 million signing bonus.
This contract not only perfectly reaches the league's hard salary cap limit, but the full guarantee and signing bonus are also impressive, which really shows the Kansas Chief's determination for Levi.
A horizontal comparison:
The No. 1 pick, Garrett, has a four-year contract, $30.4 million, fully guaranteed, including a signing bonus of $20 million.
The tenth pick, Mahomes, four-year contract, $16.4 million, fully guaranteed, including $10 million signing bonus.
At this point, comparing the position of Levi's contract is clear at a glance.
When he just traveled through time, Levi was still thinking about how to open up a new situation in life. Now it seems that the rugby training system is indeed the answer. In his previous life, he had never even seen a bank account with more than one million in cash. Now it has been upgraded to tens of millions. The numbers are a bit high.
But after a brief excitement, Levi calmed down——
Professional players often like to spend money and don't know how to plan. When they get cash, they throw it around, spend it on luxury cars, alcohol and parties, and before they recover, they have already squandered it all, and may even be in debt.
There are simply not too many cases like this. Of course, it would be equally unwise to leave it gathering dust in a bank.
Levi contacted Donald immediately, and Vito looked for a suitable financial manager. It is one thing to use money to make money, but it is another thing to manage assets reasonably and plan for the future:
Levi has not forgotten that the professional game is a group of beasts, and he must be prepared, so before the summer training camp, his personal training team will not be disbanded, and every day is an expense.
So, Levi needed a plan.
Mahomes listened to Levi and didn't rush to show off his first professional player earnings. Instead, he stayed patient and slowed down.
However, not all players have such sense and foresight.
For example, Kareem Hunt.
A stunning new car, confidently kicking off its spring training camp.
Obviously, as a running back, Hunter does not think he and Levi are friends; on the contrary, now that the Kansas Chiefs' starting running back position is vacant, Hunter is ready to compete.
As soon as he appeared on the stage, Hunter had already issued a battle message.
Mahomes bumped Levi with his shoulder, "It seems that some people are not satisfied with being the addition after the draft and need to show their presence."
After the draft, the entire league was questioning the confusing operation of the Kansas Chiefs in selecting two running backs, but the firepower was completely focused on Levi, so that Hunter, who was only selected in the third round, completely became a vase——
He was obviously present, but he seemed invisible.
However, Levi didn't take it to heart. "The outside world is very big. He should go out and see. There is no need to be trapped in a well all the time. Gua. Gua."
Mahomes laughed loudly, "Are you complaining that he is a frog in the well? Haha, hahaha."
Facts have proved that Levi is right——
When you join the team, you are a member of the team. They should focus on the entire team and should not continue to dwell on things between rookies.
After all, when the season begins and they step onto the court, no one will show mercy just because they are rookies. Seeing that they are about to enter the African savannah and face the dilemma of being surrounded by wolves, there is no need to worry about their position among the rookie players. .
On the first day of spring training camp, in the first class, the rookies felt the power.
Those veterans don't pay special attention to the rookies. Professional players need to go through a round of such scenes every year. The joining of new players and the departure of old teammates. It would be too troublesome to hold a welcoming ceremony every time, and even even There is no special time to say hello.
Quietly, the rookies naturally gathered together and stood outside the circle.
Then, the training session began, leaving no time for the rookie to introduce himself.
In the first class, Levi began to doubt life. He worked so hard that his brain lost the ability to rotate. If not all the players were training together, he would almost suspect that this was the coach's special warning to the rookie——
So, not for the rookies, but for all players who have finished the offseason, this is a wake-up call for everyone:
Hey sleepyheads, it's a new season.
(End of chapter)