K-Stated

Since 2000, five wide receivers have been taken with the 36th selection in the NFL Draft.

The most recent, of course, is Kansas State’s Jordy Nelson, who was nabbed by the Green Bay Packers. It began in 2000, when the Philadelphia Eagles took Todd Pinkston out of Southern Mississippi. It continued the following season when my Cincinnati Bengals drafted Oregon State’s Chad Johnson. A year later, the Buffalo Bills grabbed LSU’s Josh Reed.

Three years passed before another wide receiver was selected at No. 36 - New England reached for Florida speedster Chad Jackson in 2006.

But it’s fascinating to note, isn’t it?

Now, onto matters of money for Mr. Nelson.

Last year’s No. 36, Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, was paid a total salary of $928,500 this past season, according to USA Today’s excellent salary database. But that’s a little misleading. We’ve seen his contract - we know some people, OK? - and Kolb received a signing bonus of $300,000 and an option bonus of $1.246 million, a sum of $1.546 million that was paid upfront. To account for Kolb’s first-year cap figure of $703,500, the bonuses - he was also issued a roster bonus (basically for making the team, which is a no-brainer for a second-round choice) of $343,500 - are pro-rated over the course of the contract, which is a four-year deal in Kolb’s case.

Nelson can expect money in this neighborhood, although Kolb being a quarterback could throw things out of whack. Just to be safe, we consulted the database again for Jackson’s information.

The New England’s wide receiver earned $727,500 in his first season. His salary jumped to $2.014 million in Year 2, which could be interpreted as the Patriots believing Jackson would be starting by now.

He wasn’t.

Anyway, the point is this - Nelson, a good ol’ country boy from Riley (EDIT: I was wrong for my original posting of Leonardsville, which is not only incorrect but it’s misspelled)  is going to have more money that he or his family could have ever imagined.

Good for Jordy.