Top picks are easier to sign than ever since the new collective bargaining agreement was signed, but that doesn't mean it's easy to negotiate a No. 1 overall pick's contract.
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts are clashing over details that have nothing to do with guaranteed money. Len Pasquarelli reports that Luck's camp is balking at language in the contract dealing with Luck's marketing endeavors.
"One of the stumbling blocks in negotiations ... is the proposed inclusion of marketing language that Luck and his representatives, at least so far, regard as strident," Pasquarelli writes. "One source with knowledge of the talks even suggested that Luck would 'have to clear' marketing proposals with the club."
It's not believed that Peyton Manning's original contract contained such a provision. Which is no surprise. It sounds strange for the Colts to have veto power over Luck's endorsement deal.
The whole report is odd. Pasquarelli writes that "some team officials" believed Manning was overexposed during his run with the Colts. This is so ridiculous it's hard to know what to think.
Manning has been a brilliant pitchman throughout his career. He's managed his image as well as any pro football player in memory and he's been paid handsomely for it. Perhaps the Colts don't love the fact their star player serves multiple masters, but that's life in modern sports.
It's not like Manning's commercials hurt his focus or work ethic. The Colts appear to be overreaching here.
