Bomani Jones actually tried to say something wasn’t racist, but managed to screw up the facts

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ESPN’s Bomani Jones makes a living calling things racist. His latest says NFL fans are so racist the league is going to change its rules to make life harder for black quarterbacks.

He has previously said that all white people are racist.

So when Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said he was “ashamed” of NFL teams for not signing more players from the HBCU, it was reasonable to assume Jones would support him.

Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches his team warm up before their spring game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

In a wild intrigue, Jones disagreed with Sanders. However, most people did. Even Shannon Sharpe spoke out against Sanders’ comments.

Still, it was an easy opportunity to cry racism, and Jones pivoted. Of course, it’s hard to argue that NFL teams are racist in the NFL Draft. Most drafted players are black, after all.

so those are the important questions, for me.

1. how many hbcu players should have been drafted?

2. in what round should they have been drafted.

here’s why I’m asking… https://t.co/PSE1dXR7tw

— bomani (@bomani_jones) April 30, 2023

I can criticize the NFL for many things, but they have demonstrated that they will take talent from the field wherever they are.

— bomani (@bomani_jones) April 30, 2023

I can disagree with almost everything Bomani Jones says – and I do – but I still agree with that last point. The NFL, really all sports, is a meritocracy. That’s why we love them so much.

Teams don’t care about a player’s skin color. Can this player help the team win? That is what matters.

NFL teams don’t care that Deshaun Watson is black AND allegedly assaulted nearly 30 women. The Cleveland Browns even gave him $230 million, fully guaranteed.

The problem is that Bomani Jones ditched the racist script and, of course, screwed it up. I’ll leave the grammatical errors in his tweet intact for maximum effect.

Bomani Jones. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)

“If I’m a 7th pick, I prefer not to be drafted and choose my team. so if we’re talking about guys who should have gone third or fourth and didn’t get drafted, there’s a problem. if they’re fringe guys, the “honor” of getting drafted isn’t that functionally important.

He also tweeted that “players often get better undraft signing bonuses because…the free market is back.”

many agents would. Hell, players often get better undraft signing bonuses because… the free market is back. https://t.co/zf37TzSfOK

bomani (@bomani_jones) April 30, 2023

This is factually incorrect.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings signed undrafted free agent linebacker Andre Carter II from the Army.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “Carter signed a deal that includes a $40,000 signing bonus with a $300,000 base contract – one of the biggest commitments ever to an undrafted free agent.”

Carter received one of the biggest contracts EVER given to an undrafted free agent. It is therefore reasonable to assume that almost all other UDFAs receive less than this.

So what does a seventh-round NFL pick get? Glad you asked.

According to DraftKings, “The seventh-round first pick will sign a contract worth approximately $3.963 million and will receive a signing bonus of approximately $123,384. The second-round pick will receive a contract worth $3.962 million. dollars with a signing bonus of $122,980.

Army national linebacker Andre Carter II during the Reese’s Senior Bowl Feb. 4, 2023 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“The numbers go down with each pick until the 42nd pick where the player will receive a $3.921 million contract with a signing bonus of $81,928.”

Therefore, the final pick in the NFL Draft – also known as “Mr. Irrelevant” – receives a signing bonus north of $80,000.

Carter, one of the highest-paid UDFAs of all time, received half that amount. The base rookie salary for drafted players is $750,000. That’s 1.5 times more than Carter.

That’s probably why Bomani Jones sticks to the racism claims. When he tries to get out of the book, he gets the facts wrong.

Stick to racism, Bomani.

From now on, this allows you to remain employed.

Ironic, isn’t it?

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