Jake Long to be First Overall Pick

So the Dolphins have made Jake Long the first overall pick, and also the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL. 

The Rams have been denied permission to begin negotiations with a player of their choice. 

First things first, the pick. In terms of needs, I don't think they could have done much worse. He's the kind of player who could finish his career with them after about 10 seasons, assuming he resigns at the end of his rookie contract. You would have had to be delusional if you thought they were going to take Matt Ryan. A defensive pick wouldn't have been out of the question, but difficult to justify since they'll probably have Jason Taylor still playing for them next season. 

The thing that stands out most about this pick is the contract. First of all, congrats to this front office for not paying as much as Oakland did. The contract they gave JaMarcus Russell was obscene, and they will yet regret it. The second thing, is this proves exactly what Bill Polian, GM of the Colts, has been talking about all offseason. Rookie contracts are out of control. The fact that this guy makes more than Joe Thomas, already a proven Pro Bowler, is insane. Better yet, he gets paid way more Jason Peters, Matt Light, or even Chris Samuels. It's a very strong argument for the fact that rookie salaries need to be capped somehow. It really is getting out of control.

My final point would be how ridiculous it is that the Rams are being prevented from negotiating with a player of their choice. Now that Jake Long is under contract, they really should be allowed. It's a huge competitive advantage for the first overall pick to be able to get the rookie under contract in time for mini-camps, and it was Oakland's fault for not taking advantage of that with Russell. Barring the Rams from opening negotiations is nothing more than the NFL protecting its money since most normal people don't tune in for rounds 4-7. The draft is about restoring parity, not money, and giving the Dolphins an advantage like that is ridiculous.