One more graph on the NFL Draft Value Chart

After re-reading my post from last night, I realized that I left out one more graph that may be of interest to readers. The normalized chart showing the change in the salary cap and guaranteed money to number one overall picks from 1994 to 2009 came up but then was never revisited to see the impact of the new CBA. With the final data point with Cam Newton’s $22 million and the new salary cap number of $120 million the graph below shows the full set (2010 salary cap excluded because it did not exist):

Guaranteed money (red) and salary cap (blue) 1994=100

In terms of relative difference between the change in the cap and guaranteed money from 1994, this puts 2011 on a level with 2003, 2000 and 1995. The big unknown now is whether the straitjacket the owners placed themselves into will hold or if salaries will somehow creep up faster than the cap as they did from 2003 to 2009.