HEADLINES

Roger Goodell

Draft Notes: Medicals, Manziel, Lee, Pats

April 26th, 2014 at 1:06pm CST by Matt Feminis

Medical re-checks for draft prospects are underway, writes NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread. Notable prospects getting a second look from doctors include Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, Auburn running back Tre Mason, Indiana receiver Cody Latimer, Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt.

In other draft-related news and notes…

  • Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel will be a top-10 pick, according to all the evaluators NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has spoken to (via Twitter).
  • USC receiver Marqise Lee has visited the Patriots, Lions, Ravens, Panthers, Dolphins, Saints and Jets, according to Aaron Wilson at National Football Post. Lee racked up 118 receptions for 1,712 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore, but his production fell off in 2013 when he battled injuries and was without the help of Matt Barkley and Robert Woods. Lee does not have elite speed, but is a talented playmaker with return ability. He’s projected as a first-round pick.
  • Center is among the Patriots’ draft needs, and Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com looks at six prospects who could be available to the team in rounds 2-7.
  • Florida outside linebacker Ronald Powell, a talented albeit inconsistent prospect, has visited with the Raiders, conducted private workouts for the Patriots, Lions and Colts, and drawn interest from the Eagles and Saints, according to Wilson at NFP.
  • NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league will consider expanding the draft from three days to four, via NFL.com.

NFL Paid Roger Goodell $44MM+ Last Year

February 14th, 2014 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell received another significant bump in salary during the last fiscal year, according to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. Kaplan reports that the NFL paid Goodell a total of $44.2MM in the year that ended March 31, 2013, a figure that includes $9.1MM in deferred pay.

A year ago, word broke that Goodell had earned nearly $30MM during the previous fiscal year, a salary that raised plenty of eyebrows since it came on the heels of a league lockout. Prior to the league’s new labor deal, Goodell’s top pay was $11.5MM, according to Kaplan. The league, which defended Goodell’s pay, stressed that his actual earnings for the year are closer to $35MM, with $9MM+ of that overall amount coming from deferred bonuses and pension from the 2011 lockout period.

“Goodell’s compensation reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy and is appropriate given the fact that the NFL under his consistently strong leadership continues to grow,” wrote NFL team owners Arthur Blank (Falcons), Robert Kraft (Patriots), and Jerry Richardson (Panthers) in a letter that Kaplan says was to be emailed to the rest of the league’s owners this afternoon.

Despite the justification from the league’s compensation committee, Goodell’s massive salary doesn’t do much to dissuade the notion that the 2011 labor deal was one that favored the league’s management owners, an agreement for which the commissioner is now being reward. It also figures to raise more questions about the NFL’s non-profit status.

According to Kaplan, Goodell’s earnings for last year almost certainly make him sports’ highest-paid executive, likely surpassing MLB commissioner Bud Selig.