Why Conner Should Stay at Pitt

[SVPanther]

As a fifth or sixth round pick, his salary (only if he makes team) is about $370,000. He gets a $50,000 signing bonus. Say he goes in 5th round, no material difference. Only if he goes in rounds 1-4 does it make a difference.
Sure, he could get injured next season, but he's, at worst, in not that much different position than he is today.
My guess, he stays. At least that's what the $$$ dictate. Thoughts?
http://www.cvhspreps.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=137&topic=21800.0;wap2

 

[goalieman]

As a fifth or sixth round pick, his salary (only if he makes team) is about $370,000. He gets a $50,000 signing bonus. Say he goes in 5th round, no material difference. Only if he goes in rounds 1-4 does it make a difference.
Sure, he could get injured next season, but he's, at worst, in not that much different position than he is today.
My guess, he stays. At least that's what the $$$ dictate. Thoughts?
http://www.cvhspreps.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=137&topic=21800.0;wap2

I think that at the end of this season, James should find out from reliable NFL people what his expected draft status would be if he came out this year and what they felt his chances of improving his draft status is if he stays another year at Pitt then make whatever he feels is the best decision for him ...... if he stays, he should try to get an insurance policy against injury..... I suspect he enters the draft after this season.

 

[PhPanther1]

Who cares when he's drafted. He needs to get to the NFL so he can begin to work his ass off and hopefully earn a starting job in his first 3 years so he can get paid after year 3 when his rookie deal is done.

Staying in school is not a good financial decision for a RB.

 

[goalieman]

Who cares when he's drafted. He needs to get to the NFL so he can begin to work his ass off and hopefully earn a starting job in his first 3 years so he can get paid after year 3 when his rookie deal is done.

Staying in school is not a good financial decision for a RB.

I suspect you are right and he enters the draft after this season..... time will tell.

 

[H2P-2007]

I think NFL teams know what they are getting with him at this point, and another year isn't going to change that. Maybe he has more stats, etc., but that won't change what he can do at the next level. For his sake, I hope he goes pro and earns his $$.

 

[SVPanther]

I think NFL teams know what they are getting with him at this point, and another year isn't going to change that. Maybe he has more stats, etc., but that won't change what he can do at the next level. For his sake, I hope he goes pro and earns his $$.

Under the current collective bargaining agreement, it's not much money and speculative at best.

 

[Parkview57]

Take NFL money and when you are no longer offered a job there, get on with your life's work.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Goalieman, what insurance company would write such a policy and how much would it cost?

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

My thought he's gone, will depend on his nfl eval. Look at Mcaffery at Stanford, his stock really didn't rise by staying I don't think.

 

[Pittx9]

1) he could greatly improve his draft stock
2) still would be an amazing story if he can make a Heisman run
3) I think he really wants to at the very least win an ACC Chanpionship.

Even if he leaves though, retire #24 immediately. Maybe name a cancer research center on campus after him?

Never has there been a student athlete at Pitt we should be more proud of. The true example of a student athlete, of courage, and a leader. James Conner will always be #1 in our hearts.

 

[goalieman]

Goalieman, what insurance company would write such a policy and how much would it cost?

I don't know much about these policies and James may not be a good candidate for one especially if his draft status is not good after this season so it may not be worth it for him ..... as far as I can tell it is more often players who are projected to be high draft picks (1st round for example) that want to come back for their senior year (Deshaun Watson has an insurance policy) ...... they are expensive but sometimes the school will pay for them ..... again, I don't know if it would be worth it for James especially if his draft status is not good ...... SEE LINK BELOW for some information about Deshaun Watson and his insurance policy ......

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...l-insurance-policies-big-complicated-business

 

[9nationalchampionships]

We share facilities with the Steelers so I would guess the Steelers already have an idea of JC's draft spot. He will go no higher than the 4th round making his pay 500-600K + signing bonus of 100K.

He will go pro and make the Panthers proud as always!

 

[CJsE]

Goalieman, what insurance company would write such a policy and how much would it cost?

Good luck on those insurance policies. Unless they grade him in top 3 rounds, he is not eligible through the NCAA to borrow against future earnings. The premium per million is like 8,000 per month, and that's for athletes that do not have a recent history of cancer.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...d-the-unregulated-world-of-player-protection/

edit: apparently the school can pay for it out of their student assistance fund (<$500,000 in each school's total fund). This would mean locking up 20%+ of the school's entire 2017-18 fund on a single athlete for $1 million in coverage.

 

[goalieman]

Good luck on those insurance policies. Unless they grade him in top 3 rounds, he is not eligible through the NCAA to borrow against future earnings. The premium per million is like 8,000 per month, and that's for athletes that do not have a recent history of cancer.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...d-the-unregulated-world-of-player-protection/

I basically agree with the underlying premise that his draft status is probably not good enough for the policy to be of benefit but to be clear 1) the premiums are ~ $8,000 per one million coverage for the year not $8,000 per month (still that is expensive) ..... 2) the school is apparently now allowed to pay for the policy and in that case the player doesn't have to secure a loan from the NCAA (Clemson did that for Deshaun Watson ...... see my LINK in a post above .... not sure Pitt would do that) ...... 3) I'm not sure the cancer would play a role in the amount of the premium because the policy would cover against injury not a recurrence of the cancer .... i.e. if he couldn't play in the NFL because of a recurrence of the cancer or late complications of his cancer treatment, he would not be covered by the policy.

My guess is that once everything is taken into consideration, James will likely enter the draft ...... but time will tell and I hope in the end he does what is best for him !

 

[CJsE]

I basically agree with the underlying premise that his draft status is probably not good enough for the policy to be of benefit but to be clear 1) the premiums are ~ $8,000 per one million coverage for the year not $8,000 per month (still that is expensive) ..... 2) the school is apparently now allowed to pay for the policy and in that case the player doesn't have to secure a loan from the NCAA (Clemson did that for Deshaun Watson ...... see my LINK in a post above .... not sure Pitt would do that) ...... 3) I'm not sure the cancer would play a role in the amount of the premium because the policy would cover against injury not a recurrence of the cancer .... i.e. if he couldn't play in the NFL because of a recurrence of the cancer or late complications of his cancer treatment, he would not be covered by the policy.

My bet is that once everything is taken into consideration, James will likely enter the draft ...... but time will tell and I hope in the end he does what is best for him !

You are correct, when I read premium, my mind added the monthly part of it when I read this quote further down in the article.

College football underclassmen are usually covered from the beginning of spring practice of their junior year to the end of their college careers. Is that worth an $80,000 premium?

My mind did horrible math that caused me to confuse premium with monthly premium. I'm assuming they are basing that on 2 years at the $5million/year football maximum that the NCAA places on their exceptional athlete program.

 

[Seneca_Valley]

As a fifth or sixth round pick, his salary (only if he makes team) is about $370,000. He gets a $50,000 signing bonus. Say he goes in 5th round, no material difference. Only if he goes in rounds 1-4 does it make a difference.
Sure, he could get injured next season, but he's, at worst, in not that much different position than he is today.
My guess, he stays. At least that's what the $$$ dictate. Thoughts?
http://www.cvhspreps.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=137&topic=21800.0;wap2

He should stay because I am a selfish fan who wants to see him play another year as a Panther.

 

[EastOhioPanther]

For those that are concerned about injury playing a part in whether he should stay or not... The odds are equally impactful, if he goes to NFL and gets hurt before getting a second contract... So if he truly goes 5th or 6th round and does not get the big dollars, and were to get hurt in those first 3 yrs before getting a second contract. His hopes for a big paycheck are still in danger.... If he were to stay at Pitt and raise his Draft stock to 2nd/3rd round. That pay could be substantially better than the odds of getting to a second contract if he goes this year....
I say he should stay at Pitt one more year. Put himself in a better position to get better contract with better draft position..... The net for $$ could be better to stay....
For those thinking James should go, since it is best for him... It actually may not be best, when you figure out the $$'s....

 

[Las Panteras]

There is this little issue of his lymphoma .....

Any GM thinking of picking him will be in the war room with surrogates....and the possibility of a recurrence will surely be considered .

There is no way a GM gambles a 3rd round pick or higher regardless of what connor does either in school next year or at the combines.

It's a cruel business . ...but it's the NFL

He will go this year.....as he should....

 

[NTOP]

Goalieman, what insurance company would write such a policy and how much would it cost?

I think it's Lloyd's. Not sure of the costs....isn't there a way for the school to buy that for a kid?? Or did I put too much Bailey's in the coffee today?

 

[Acs235]

I think it's Lloyd's. Not sure of the costs....isn't there a way for the school to buy that for a kid?? Or did I put too much Bailey's in the coffee today?

Yeah, you can acquire a policy to insure your future earning potential as a player. Willis Mcgahee had a policy when he was hurt in the National Championship game against OSU as did Marcus Lattimore. Lloyd's is the exchange, not a company but the policy would likely be obtained through Lloyd's with an international carrier. In the event of an injury, If you take the payout, you must repay the full amount if you ever play even just one play of professional football. You can defer your decision but likewise, playing just one play professionally terminates the policy.

 

[JoseLind13]

The reality is that NFL teams just are not taking many RBs in early rounds any longer. The market has changed. Leaving early and gaining one more year of earning potential, toward an already very young average NFL RB retirement age, normally outweighs the financial gain of sticking around to marginally improve your draft in the middle rounds.

I would love to cheer him another year at Pitt, but fully expect to cheer him on Sundays next season.

 

[goalieman]

I think it's Lloyd's. Not sure of the costs....isn't there a way for the school to buy that for a kid?? Or did I put too much Bailey's in the coffee today?

NTOP ...... all of your questions are answered in previous posts and links in this thread.

 

[Delpanther]

The reality is that NFL teams just are not taking many RBs in early rounds any longer. The market has changed. Leaving early and gaining one more year of earning potential, toward an already very young average NFL RB retirement age, normally outweighs the financial gain of sticking around to marginally improve your draft in the middle rounds.

I would love to cheer him another year at Pitt, but fully expect to cheer him on Sundays next season.

They still draft RBs in the first 3 rounds... That should be his goal.

 

[Delpanther]

There is this little issue of his lymphoma .....

Any GM thinking of picking him will be in the war room with surrogates....and the possibility of a recurrence will surely be considered .

There is no way a GM gambles a 3rd round pick or higher regardless of what connor does either in school next year or at the combines.

It's a cruel business . ...but it's the NFL

He will go this year.....as he should....

You're not his advisor.. He's smarter than you.

 

[PhPanther1]

I actually think the draftability of RB's has shiftrd back again. You'll probably see 3 1st round rb's. Fournette and Cook could both be top 15 picks. McCaffrey and Samuel are right behind them as late 1, early 2's. Last year's class was weak after Zeke, but go back to the 2015 class, 8 rb's taken in the first 3 rounds, even with 0 1st rounders in 2014, 8 in the top 3 rounds again.

 

[goalieman]

Pretty interesting thread so far ....... some good points, differing opinions, and good discussion.

 

[Chescat]

As a fifth or sixth round pick, his salary (only if he makes team) is about $370,000. He gets a $50,000 signing bonus. Say he goes in 5th round, no material difference. Only if he goes in rounds 1-4 does it make a difference.
Sure, he could get injured next season, but he's, at worst, in not that much different position than he is today.
My guess, he stays. At least that's what the $$$ dictate. Thoughts?
http://www.cvhspreps.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=137&topic=21800.0;wap2

Your post makes sense, as do other posts in this thread which are opposite of yours.
First of all, James has always said his goal was to play in the NFL. Of course he never
said at what point relative to his class status in college.
So, if this is his goal ,IMO he should go pro. $$$$ are important as you pointed out, but
given who he is, what he's dome OFF the field, and the fact that he seems to be a sensible
person his non football job opportunities will be numerous, especially in people related fields.
I'm assuming he will graduate this spring/summer, but even if he doesn't he must be close
and can easily pick up the degree later.
IMO, regardless which way he choses he has more opportunities than most players if he
doesn't make it in the NFL.

 

[JoseLind13]

They still draft RBs in the first 3 rounds... That should be his goal.

Understood. Around 22 RB's are drafted each year over the past 3 years. An average of 3 per years go in rounds 1-2 and average of 3 more go in Round 3. While he clearly could make his stock rise to being among the best 5-6 college RBs, it's whether his style equates to a top 5-6 NFL prospect in his draft class. Honestly, I want him to be wildly successful and a HOF'er, but his running style's translation to the NFL game concerns me a bit in looking at others that were similar before him... both success and longevity have been difficult for many.

 

[panther94]

This year really helped James. He has shown he's not only a powerful runner, but can also catch the ball out of the backfield. His good hands may have earned him a bigger paycheck.

 

[Phantomrecruit]

Gone, why would he ever stay. Unless he moves to DE he can't improve his status.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

As much as I want him back, if I was his father, I am sorry we are moving onto the NFL. Like I said, any other position maybe, but RB's have the shortest shelf life and only so many carries.

 

[bryanmills]

1) he could greatly improve his draft stock
2) still would be an amazing story if he can make a Heisman run
3) I think he really wants to at the very least win an ACC Chanpionship.

Even if he leaves though, retire #24 immediately. Maybe name a cancer research center on campus after him?

Never has there been a student athlete at Pitt we should be more proud of. The true example of a student athlete, of courage, and a leader. James Conner will always be #1 in our hearts.

He's not going to greatly improve his draft stock. He ran for over 1,000 yards, had 16 TDs and averaged 5.1 YPC. On the flip side, he could suffer an injury and/or have something else health related and have to take his chances as an UDFA.

 

[Delpanther]

Understood. Around 22 RB's are drafted each year over the past 3 years. An average of 3 per years go in rounds 1-2 and average of 3 more go in Round 3. While he clearly could make his stock rise to being among the best 5-6 college RBs, it's whether his style equates to a top 5-6 NFL prospect in his draft class. Honestly, I want him to be wildly successful and a HOF'er, but his running style's translation to the NFL game concerns me a bit in looking at others that were similar before him... both success and longevity have been difficult for many.

Good post... I don't disagree with a thing you say. I only get rankled at posters who contend there's no decision to be made when the guy involved hasn't yet decided what to do....that's moronic.

 

[EastOhioPanther]

As a fifth or sixth round pick, his salary (only if he makes team) is about $370,000. He gets a $50,000 signing bonus. Say he goes in 5th round, no material difference. Only if he goes in rounds 1-4 does it make a difference.
Sure, he could get injured next season, but he's, at worst, in not that much different position than he is today.
My guess, he stays. At least that's what the $$$ dictate. Thoughts?
http://www.cvhspreps.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=137&topic=21800.0;wap2

This truly explains the difference between a 1-3 round vs a 5-6 round difference. and 4th round being somewhere in the middle... 4th round is somewhere you have a choice to make.... but Unless there is a gaurantee, he will go before 5th round, it may make sense to try to move up next year.... Look at the number of Jr RB's declaring this year. If you put James in the list next year.. he undoubtedly will be higher next year....
I say stay one more year, and make a play for rounds 1-3 next year.... That would double his income immediately...

 

[Motor_Street]

Goalieman, what insurance company would write such a policy and how much would it cost?

Lloyds of London specializes in writing injury policies for athletes. Like any insurance, the cost would depend on how much insurance he wants.

 

[Pittx9]

He's not going to greatly improve his draft stock. He ran for over 1,000 yards, had 16 TDs and averaged 5.1 YPC. On the flip side, he could suffer an injury and/or have something else health related and have to take his chances as an UDFA.

He could definitely improve it a lot. Unfortunately, like you said, an injury or such could certainly crush his chances.

 

[Nittany1997]

He would be crazy to stay at Pitt!

 

[President Stache]

He would be crazy to stay at Pitt!

That is such an asinine post

Im sure you said the same about Price last year and the same about Greg Lee.

 

[melwood]

My thought he's gone, will depend on his nfl eval. Look at Mcaffery at Stanford, his stock really didn't rise by staying I don't think.

McCaffrey is a one-trick-college-pony RB. His only shot in the League is as a returner or a slot WR...
That being said, if he plays against us in the Sun bowl, he'll probably go for 285/3 td's. That pony will do just fine. That's just what we do...

 

[Delpanther]

He would be crazy to stay at Pitt!

If we want your opinion, branch campus dummy, we'll ask for it. Now which branch campus did you attend for the 13th grade?