So Roger Goodell isn’t happy about the money top NFL rookies are receiving? With all due respect, it’s not his place to whine.

The big rookie contracts are what the market is commanding, and what owners are willing to pay to secure their next star, both before training camp and for the long-term. And though it’s is frustrating when a rookie gets big money and doesn’t live up to his potential, it’s the risk the teams are willing to take.

Should rookie salaries be overhauled? Sure — wouldn’t a system like the NBA’s great? Guaranteed salaries on a established scale for the first few years, no haggling, no holdouts, no renegotiations. After four years, the players are free agents. I doubt the union would go for it, as the Jake Longs of the world would be earning less right away, and owners might not like the prospect of losing players to free agency so quickly, even if they had first shot at re-signing them. But damn, it would simplify things. Seriously, do you remember the last rookie holdout in the NBA?