Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 187 Frog in the Well
The offseason preparation schedules for the 32 NFL teams are basically the same, often arranging a spring training camp and a summer training camp.

Among them, the summer training camp is a mandatory training camp that all members must attend. The team will train tactics, actual combat drills, and screen the final season's 53-man roster and an additional 10 sparring partners.

The spring training camp is open to all and focuses on recovery training, physical training, and basic training, with the emphasis on integrating rookies into the team.

This is also called rookie training camp. On the one hand, the team will seize these opportunities to give undrafted rookies a chance and add the players they need. On the other hand, the team will test all rookies. If they are not suitable, they will be expelled after the spring training camp. For those rookies who did not enter the summer training camp, it is equivalent to not joining the team.

Despite this, players generally do not miss spring training camp.

Rugby is a sport that focuses on teamwork and tactical training. They also need to get familiar with rookies and players who transferred in during the offseason. Even if it is not tactical cooperation, they need to get used to it in life.

Therefore, unless they are troubled by injuries, or are seeking contract renewal, transfer, salary increase, etc., and want to express their attitude by going on strike, players will generally attend spring training camp to show their stance to the coaching staff.

In addition, the start of spring training camp is also the deadline for teams to sign contracts with rookies.

During the period from the draft to spring training camp, rookies need to undergo physical examinations and their agents need to discuss contract details with the team.

The rookie contract is like this. The NFL has detailed regulations on the contract term, salary cap, signing bonus cap, etc. The relevant numbers for each draft position are different, and all decrease downward according to a certain ratio; but the details are discussed by the rookie agent and the team.

Firstly, the salary of a rookie contract is not necessarily fully guaranteed. The higher the draft pick, the more likely it is that the rookie will get full guarantee - but this is not 100% certain. Rookies after the second round often cannot get full guarantee, and the contract may have a lot of performance clauses.

Secondly, the signing bonuses are also different. The league has detailed upper limits for each draft pick, but teams may not be willing to pay the full amount.

Historically, after a team selects a rookie, it does not sign the rookie before the spring training camp, causing the rookie to miss the spring training camp; or part ways with the rookie after the spring training camp. This situation is not common, but it happens almost every year.

Moreover, not only the rookies after the second round, but also the first round rookies are no exception.

It is precisely because of this that when rookie players arrive at spring training camp, they have often already signed contracts, transforming from an ordinary college student into a millionaire or even a multi-millionaire. Therefore, how a player uses his first pot of gold in life can often reflect his personality.

Levi?

Not long ago, with Donald Yu's operation and negotiation, he successfully signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming the seventh first-round rookie to complete the contract.

Four-year contract, $27.4 million.

Fully protected.

This includes a $15 million signing bonus.

This contract not only perfectly meets the league's hard salary cap, but also has full guarantees and signing bonuses that are impressive, which truly shows the Kansas City Chiefs' determination for Levi.

A horizontal comparison:
No. 1 pick, Garrett, four-year contract, $30.4 million, fully guaranteed, including a $20 million signing bonus.

Tenth pick, Mahomes, four-year contract, $16.4 million, fully guaranteed, including a $10 million signing bonus.

At this point, if you compare the position of Levi's contract, it will be clear at a glance.

When he just traveled through time, Levi was still thinking about how to open up a new situation in his life. Now it seems that the football training system is indeed the answer. In his previous life, he had never seen a bank account with more than one million in cash, but now it has been upgraded to tens of millions. The number is a bit too much.

But after a brief excitement, Levi calmed down——

Professional players often like to spend lavishly and do not know how to plan. Once they get the cash, they spend it everywhere on luxury cars, alcohol and parties. Before they know it, they have squandered it all and may even be in debt.

There are too many such cases. Of course, it is also unwise to leave it gathering dust in a bank.

Levi contacted Donald immediately and asked him to find a suitable financial manager. Making money with money is one thing, but managing assets and planning for the future is another:

Levi has not forgotten that the professional competitions are full of beasts and he must be prepared, so before the summer training camp, his personal training team will not be disbanded and every day will be an expense.

So, Levi needed a plan.

Mahomes followed Levy's advice and was not in a hurry to show off his first professional player income. Instead, he remained patient and slowed down.

However, not all players have such rationality and foresight.

For example, Kareem Hunt.

A cool new car confidently opens the curtain of its spring training camp.

Obviously, as both are running backs, Hunter does not think that he and Levi are friends; on the contrary, now that the Kansas City Chiefs' starting running back position is vacant, Hunter is ready to compete.

As soon as he appeared on the scene, Hunter issued a challenge.

Mahomes bumped Levi with his shoulder. "It seems that someone is not satisfied with being a bonus after the draft and needs to show his presence."

After the draft, the entire league was questioning the confusing operation of the Kansas City Chiefs in selecting two running backs, but the firepower was completely focused on Levi, so that Hunter, who was selected in the third round, became a complete vase.

He was clearly there, yet he seemed invisible.

However, Levi did not take it to heart. "The world outside is big. He should go out and see it. There is no need to be trapped in a well. Quack. Quack."

Mahomes laughed out loud. "Are you complaining that he is a frog in a well? Haha, hahaha."

It turns out that Levi is right.

Once you join the team, you become a member of the team. They should focus on the entire team instead of continuing to worry about the issues between the rookies.

After all, when the season starts and they step onto the court, no one will show mercy just because they are rookies. Seeing that they are about to enter the African savannah and face the dilemma of being surrounded by wolves, there is no need to worry about their position among the rookie players.

In spring training camp, on the first day and in the first class, the rookies felt the power.

The old players didn't pay much attention to the rookies. Professional players have to go through this kind of scene every year, with new players joining and old teammates leaving. It would be too troublesome to hold a welcoming ceremony every time. There wouldn't even be time to say hello.

Quietly, the rookies naturally gathered together and stood outside the circle.

Then, the training session began, without giving the rookies any time to introduce themselves.

In the first class, Levi began to doubt his life. He was so tired that his brain lost its ability to function. If all the players had not trained together, he would have almost suspected that this was a trick the coach gave to the rookies.

So, if it's not for rookies, then it's for all players who have finished their offseason, and it's a wake-up call for everyone:

Hey, sleepyhead, the new season has begun.

(End of this chapter)