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(04-26-2020 05:31 PM)doss2 Wrote:  

(04-26-2020 05:14 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  No idea. But the ability to choose where you sign garners significant value. For those type of guys, landing in the right situation is the single most important facet of making it to a second contract.

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Just read an article that free agents get $5k likely up to a rare $25k.
Salary on practice squad is $8,400 per week of season.

That pales compared to being drafted.

Oh Canada!

Drafted doesn't mean you make the team, although you usually hang on to a practice squad job for awhile at least in hopes that you start showing what they thought they had when they drafted you. Similarly being a free agent doesn't prevent you from making the team or getting a practice slot. And free agents don't just pick a team and show up, the team has to want them enough to want to pay them and give them valuable practice time.

My take: Getting drafted late gets you a much nicer bonus by ordinary human standards but relatively small by NFL contract standards. And there's decent money by human standards making the practice squad. But the real money is in making the team (and ideally long enough for a pension) if you aren't in line for an elite contract. And I think the benefit of the doubt for roster spots tends to go to the drafted guy over the free agent if they are close to even in training camp.

So my bottom line is for most it is better to be a late (e.g. maybe 6th or 7th round) draft pick than a free agent. But free agency is probably better for a not insignificant number of guys. It just depends upon the specific situation.