Especially with the memories of draft busts like JaMarcus Russell, Heath Shuler, and Ryan Leaf etched on the minds of every GM.

FORBES: 'Suck for Luck' Strategy a Safer Investment with NFL's New Rookie Wage Scale

Just as JaMarcus Russell is the poster boy for what is wrong with rookie compensation, Haynesworth has become the poster child for what is wrong with NFL free agency.

FORBES: Albert Haynesworth's Big Adventure In Washington Nears End

"I don't like to name names, " Mr. Goodell says with characteristic politesse, but readers may think of JaMarcus Russell, the quarterback drafted first overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

WSJ: The Weekend Interview with Roger Goodell: Will the Lights Go Out in the NFL?