Blade Article on Jacobs Vs Gradkowski

Redwingtom · Post by **Redwingtom** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:17 pm

Redwingtom wrote:
falconboy wrote:Which begs the question , what would be better , possibly playing or being a starter on a Arena League team or only playing on a practice NFL practice squad. I guess maybe Josh thinks that being on an NFL pratice squad might open other opportunities.
Of course if you knew what the salary for a member of an NFL practice squad compared to an Arena baller was you would not have to beg!

I did find the following on the web:

Q:Can you provide some information on practice squads??
A: After noon EST on September 5th, each club may establish a Practice Squad of no more than eight (8) players who are free agents and who did not dress for more than eight (8) regular season games during their only accrued (i.e., on the 53 man roster for at least 6 games) season. The minimum salary for a Practice Squad player is $4,350 per week (a higher salary can be negotiated), including playoff weeks. In addition, a player under contract to a club as a Practice Squad player is completely free to sign a contract with another NFL club during the season in order to be on the second club's Active/Inactive (i.e., 53 man) list. If another club signs a Practice Squad player to its 53 man roster it does not have to provide any sort of compensation to the player's former club but it generally must keep the player on the 53 man roster for at least 3 weeks, thereby mandating that he earns in 2005 the minimum first year salary for said 3 week period ($230,000 prorated weekly). Also note that a team can add and release players from the practice squad as often as it desires and the eight (8) man limit does not have to be maintained. A player may be on the practice squad for two seasons; three weeks on the practice squad count as a season.

Most arena ballers make around $40,000 a year from what I could find.

PGY Tiercel · Post by **PGY Tiercel** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:20 pm

No need to speculate what he might be making. Right here is what Josh signed for.

Giants | J. Harris contract update
Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:58:42 -0800

Updating previous reports, New York Giants QB Josh Harris signed a future one-year contract with a base salary of $310,000 (2006).

Tricky_Falcon · Post by **Tricky_Falcon** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:58 pm

Yeah something tells me Josh isn't too bummed about the practice squad position.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:03 pm

Tswam wrote:
Falconfreak90 wrote:
rocketfootball wrote:
Tricky_Falcon wrote:
falconboy wrote:
Tricky_Falcon wrote:
UTRIPLETS wrote: I for one would hate to see omar go the way of josh harris. By the way, what is he doing now??
He's with the NY Giants... an NFL team. Yeah must suck to be Josh right now.
What do you mean Josh is with the Giants? He just got cut from a Arena Leauge team. I don't see how he would'a got signed to any NFL team or their respective practice as I see it. If he couldn't make in Arena League , I'm afraid J5's chances of playing any kind of pro football is severly limited. I've been so hoping for Josh to make somewhere, but it just hasn't appeared like thats happening.
Here you go King "The Sky is falling" all you have to do is google. Your analysis of Josh is evidently wrong.

• The Giants have signed five players to reserve/futures contract for the 2006 season. The group includes:

- Quarterback Josh Harris, from Bowling Green who was a sixth-round draft choice by the Baltimore Ravens in 2004. Harris played in the preseason for the Ravens in 2004 and the Cleveland Browns in 2005 and completed 22 of 46 passes for 223 yards.
While I wish Josh Harris the best in New York, this doesn't mean he will make the team or even the practice squad for next season.
So true, rf. He faces an uphill battle in just about any league.
Go get em J5!!
Josh was able to get his release from the Destroyers because he had an opportunity to sign with the Giants. I'm assuming he will be one of the players the Giants allocate to NFL Europe. It's an uphill battle, but it's an opportunity.

Yes, it is an opportunity and I am very happy J5 is getting a shot!

Falconboy · Post by **Falconboy** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:17 pm

PGY Tiercel wrote:No need to speculate what he might be making. Right here is what Josh signed for.

Giants | J. Harris contract update
Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:58:42 -0800

Updating previous reports, New York Giants QB Josh Harris signed a future one-year contract with a base salary of $310,000 (2006).

Wow, for that kind of money who wouldnt? I'm kinda surprised that Arena Leauge players only around $40,000 a year. Thats a huge gap in playing there and being on just a practice squad in the NFL. Great paycheck for just practicing I'd say.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:40 pm

You guys have your salaries a little skewed.

The $310,000 is the figure Josh will make IF he makes the actual Giants roster next season (final 53 players). I'm not sure EXACTLY of the pay scale, but most of that is prorated into 16 game checks for the regular season. I'm not sure they have a portion allocated to the players during the offseason, but you'd think they might. I do know that Josh will see nowhere near $310,000 unless he makes the active roster. I'm sure a portion of that went as signing bonus (the only guaranteed money in an NFL contract) that he got right away as offseason money to tide him over until the season begins.

The practice squad salary that is quoted ($4,350/week) is only when he's actually on the practice squad. Since a practice squad only exists during the 17 weeks of the regular season, that salary can only be collected during the regular season. That comes out to $73,950 if he can stay on the practice squad all year...however those are VERY liquid and they change almost weekly, so staying on for an entire season is an accomplishment. It should be noted, also, that since he spent 2004 on the Ravens' practice squad he is only eligible for one more season on a practice squad.

It is very difficult to find concrete numbers of what guys that are trying to make the roster get paid. I do have one personal experience, and that is I worked with Rob Fehrman both before & after his attempt to latch onto the Pittsburgh Steelers. He indicated that his weekly checks from the Steelers (during mini & training camp) were not any larger than his paycheck at our part time job (about $8/hr for 40 hr weeks). He did get a signing bonus somewhere between $5k-$10k I believe.

In short, this is the right decision for Josh. He needs to get with a team now to go through their offseason program and try to latch on, this could be his last chance. However, it's not a great financial windfall for him. If he can land on the practice squad for the year he'll pull about $75k. If he can make the final 53 for a year he'll pull in about $310k. However, if he goes to camp and is cut without being brought back he's likely looking at less than $15k-$20k between signing bonus & weekly training camp checks.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:48 pm

hammb wrote:He needs to get with a team now to go through their offseason program and try to latch on, this could be his last chance.

I believe you are right, hammb.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:52 pm

Let's hope, then, that J5 does well and can make the practice squad, if not the active roster.

PGY Tiercel · Post by **PGY Tiercel** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:19 pm

hammb wrote:You guys have your salaries a little skewed.

(blah blah blah, 4 paragraph treatsie on NFL salary that no one wants to read again )

Sure I agree with that, in fact I was even thinking that. However, I think the figure is still valid when the money (potential) is written on a contract and put under your nose. Even if he won't get it, I think right now in his life he can't pass up the opportunity to get on the field and the money. Josh is young, his wife is young, they have plenty of time to make actual money and live. Its kind of like quiting your job if given the chance to be on survivor, the chance at 1 million dollars when you have a 30K$ job is probably worth it.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:50 pm

PGY Tiercel wrote:
hammb wrote:You guys have your salaries a little skewed.

(blah blah blah, 4 paragraph treatsie on NFL salary that no one wants to read again )
Sure I agree with that, in fact I was even thinking that. However, I think the figure is still valid when the money (potential) is written on a contract and put under your nose. Even if he won't get it, I think right now in his life he can't pass up the opportunity to get on the field and the money. Josh is young, his wife is young, they have plenty of time to make actual money and live. Its kind of like quiting your job if given the chance to be on survivor, the chance at 1 million dollars when you have a 30K$ job is probably worth it.

Yeah, like I said he absolutely made the right choice. I was just pointing out that he wasn't guaranteed that sort of raise. Still you have to take every opportunity if the NFL is your goal.