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Rookie Freddie Keiaho might get CUT

By Brad Wells

Props to Playoff Pride for writing this diary:

According to profootballtalk.com, Bill Polian and the Colts don't have enough money in their rookie pool to give Freddy the deal his agent wants.

Keiaho was the only rookie not signed in time for camp. Polian says that this was do to a rule change that made the minimum salaries jump by $45,000.

"This is a completely non-functional rookie system in this new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  It has forced clubs to do things they never, ever would have done under the old system," Polian said.

"But the structure that [Keiaho's agent] wants is impossible under this system. I understand why he wants it and he's got every reason to ask for it, but it's impossible to do."

Now, before anyone freaks out, it is important to note the source of this: Mike Florio at PFT. Mike is a good guy. He likes to talk football and he uses a lot of unnamed sources (i.e, employees within an NFL organization that will give him dirt but don't want to go on record) to back-up info that is sometimes correct.

Apparently, Florio has stated that Polian's comments have generated a "strong reaction" from his league sources:

On Monday, a league source said that Polian has one person to blame -- himself.

"Everyone knew the rules of the new CBA and the challenges it presented," said the source.  "We all had to get creative and everyone has, except for him.  And now it's someone else's fault?  Are you kidding me?"

And as several readers reminded us, Polian benefited from the system in 2002 after the Eagles were forced, due to the rookie pool, to relinquish the rights to defensive end Raheem Brock, a seventh-round draft choice.  The Colts jumped on Brock via the waiver system, and Brock has since become a starting defensive end in Indy.

I think Polian's problem here isn't that he didn't know the rules. Polian can quote rule books, CBA changes, and contract numbers backwards and forwards. He does it on his radio show all the time. The issue here is Keiaho's agent wants something, and the Colts can't give it. So, rather than blame the agent, Polian is blaming the system.

The simple solution is this: if Keiaho wants to play for one of the best teams in the NFL, his agent should shut up and take what the Colts offer. If not, Keiaho and his agent can go take a flying leap, and enjoy all the excess rookie pool money teams like Houston, Oakland, and Buffalo have. If the Colts have signed drafts picks Jennings, Johnson, and Toudouze, there's no real reason Keiaho can't be signed unless his agent is asking for something that is just not possible. If Keiaho wants to walk and get paid more, that's fine.

However, Keiaho was drafted because he is a proto-typical Dungy linebacker. This is THE best place Keiaho will have to advance his career and make more money later.

Again, props to Playoff Pride for blogging this. Remember, if you want to write some thoughts about the Colts, click here and make an account. It is free, and we promise there is no test to see if you have synthetic steriods in your urine.

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