Goodell: More $$ should go to proven vets; Players will benefit from new CBA

This morning, Commissioner Roger Goodell (right) joined sports reporter Darren Rovell on CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss a variety of topics ranging from the NFL Draft, which kicks off tonight in primetime (7:30 PM ET on ESPN and NFL Network), to rookie wages and the current labor situation.

Following are the Commissioner’s answers to labor-related questions:

On rookie wages:

Commissioner Goodell: “We want all of our players to be paid appropriately.  When you are coming in as a rookie, there is still some question about whether you are going to have the ability to play at the NFL level… An extraordinary amount of money that is guaranteed — $600 million of guaranteed money will be committed over next three days.  Some of those players won’t make it in the NFL.  That money goes out of the system.  We would like to keep that money in the system and make sure it goes to veteran players because they have already proven that they can play on the NFL level.  It’s a matter of reallocating and shifting our economics so that all of us can be successful.”

On current labor issues:

Commissioner Goodell: “I think we have proven that we know how to manage our business.  We are trying to manage our business appropriately.  The economics of football, and professional sports, have changed for us.  It requires a tremendous amount of investment to build these new stadiums.  Just across the river we are building a stadium (New Meadowlands Stadium) for $1.7 billion in private money.  The two teams have to pay down that debt.  That extraordinary amount of debt is created to grow revenues – of which the players get 60 percent.  We have to get a better economic system that will allow us to invest in the game, grow the game, and the players will benefit from that.  That is what we are trying to do at the negotiating table and figure out a new structure.”

To watch the complete CNBC interview, click here.