CBA Talk Updates

[BradyFan81 404]

So do you guys think that teams at the middle/end of the drafts will be more willing to trade up into that top 5 or so picks now that the top picks will be a lot less expensive, less risky, and costly if they bust?

Edited July 15, 2011 by BradyFan81

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Economics portion of the new deal is done:

 

On Thursday night, CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman reported that the NFL's labor situation was close to an end and that the NFL and players' efforts at getting a new CBA in place were at the "half-yard line."

 

On Friday, the information relating to the lockout's been flowing in at at a breakneck pace that's so optimistic it would make a scientology recruiter blush.

 

Two bigger pieces of news stand out. Primarily, there's a report from the NFL Network's Albert Breer, who notes that "the economics of a deal are done." That's something that echoes what Freeman's been hearing, and is particularly awesome to hear. If the money's figured out, everything else will fall into place.

 

Breer does note that there are "plenty of other hoops" for the respective sides to jump through, including retiree benefits, "player safety, worker's compensation and injury guarantees, and also litigation entanglements."

 

Lest anyone think differently, those are indeed potential dealbreakers, especially if the "litigation entanglements" involve "how to solve future litigation issues" and "what to do with the current lawsuit hanging out there."

 

But his report on NFL.com, in addition to being a nice place to hear a report that a deal is done on the NFL labor situation, is laced with optimism.

 

Additionally, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that a new CBA "will be 7 to 10 years." Though that's a reasonably broad spectrum -- it was widely assumed that eight years was the floor with 12 years as the ceiling -- it's still fantastic news that the progress made by the owners and players hasn't necessitated a shortening of the CBA to five years, simply for the sake of knocking a deal out.

 

http://eye-on-football.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/30629065

 

Regardless of what team you're a fan of, every NFL fan will be cheering together when the deal is done. Steelers and Ravens fans will be hugging each other

Edited July 15, 2011 by .AirMcNair.

[Bay 2,003]

If all this is true...

[Sarge+ 3,436]

I like everything in the above post, except for the part about hugging Ravens fans.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

This is so awesome. It looks like we will have football back very soon, my friends.

[BoneKrusher+ 1,276]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Guest Durant4MVP]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/...-today/related/

 

Report: Global settlement is possible today

Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2011, 2:03 PM EDT

4357708874_54ed602316

 

Well, it’s time to put the pink champagne on ice.

 

With all economic issues now resolved and questions far less thorny or crucial remaining, it remains a matter of time before a labor deal is done.

 

That time could come today.

 

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that she’s hearing a global settlement could be reached on Friday.

 

She’s not saying it will happen. She’s saying it’s possible. And it suggests that neither side has capitalized on the sense of inevitability by digging in on the remaining issues and hoping that the other side will cave.

 

!!!!!!!!!!

[BoneKrusher+ 1,276]

With a resolution to the NFL lockout seemingly at hand, negotiators for the league and players met Friday in New York to work on final details of an agreement that would put professional football back in business soon.

 

Most of the heavy lifting in negotiations already had been done, with an accord Thursday on a rookie pay system putting the major economic components of the deal essentially in place. But a list of issues remained to be worked out entering Friday’s meeting, including benefits for retirees and some free agency rules.

 

An agreement in principle to end the lockout was possible by the end of Friday’s meeting, but might not come for a few days, according to people not familiar with the negotiations.

 

The official end of the four-month lockout will not come even with such a handshake deal, however. Any accord must be approved by owners and players in separate votes. The owners are scheduled to meet Thursday in Atlanta and could take their ratification vote then. At least 24 of the 32 owners must vote in favor to approve the deal.

 

The players’ vote could be conducted via conference call.

 

The players’ antitrust lawsuit against the owners also must be resolved. It’s not clear whether formal court approval of the agreement would be required or whether the players could simply withdraw their lawsuit. They sued the owners in federal court in St. Paul, Minn., on March 11, a day before the lockout began. The players, after dissolving their union in March, might have to re-form the labor organization as part of an agreement.

 

The deal also would be likely to resolve a legal case involving the sport’s television contracts that players won in federal court. They are seeking punitive and compensatory damages of about $2.5 billion.

 

The two sides are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Minneapolis with their court-appointed mediator, Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur J. Boylan. They could present a deal to Boylan then if the agreement is completed.

 

Teams are scheduled to report to training camps beginning July 22, and that could proceed unaffected. The St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, who play each other in the Hall of Fame game Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio, are the first two teams scheduled to open camp. The league would have to decide whether to play that game as scheduled.

 

But the rest of the preseason schedule likely would not be affected. The first round of preseason games for other teams is scheduled for Aug. 11-15. The regular season opener is scheduled for Sept. 8 in Green Bay with the Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints.

 

NFL officials have said they don’t intend to allow free agency to begin until there is a signed and formally completed collective bargaining agreement. In recent weeks, attorneys for the league and the players have begun drafting contract language and putting the deal into writing.

 

Teams will have to scramble to sign free agents because there won’t be enough time for a signing period before the Bears and Rams open their camps. Hundreds of players with expired contracts will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. Player signings and trades were put on hold during the lockout.

 

Teams might be given a window of a few days to try to re-sign their own free agents before those players could sign with other clubs. For most teams, which open training camp later in July, the early stages of the free agent signing period might come first. Teams also must sign the rookies they drafted in April and undrafted rookie free agents.

 

The rules for free agency in the new agreement likely will resemble the free agency system that was in place before last season. Players with expired contracts likely will be eligible for unrestricted free agency with four seasons of NFL experience, as opposed to the six seasons that were required last season, which was played without a salary cap. Teams still will be able to use franchise and transition tags to limit some players’ free agent mobility, it appears.

 

 

 

.It appears the salary cap will be set at approximately $141 million per team for the upcoming season. That includes salaries and benefits. Of that total, about $120 million per team would be devoted to players’ salaries. There also could be a provision to allow teams over the salary cap an exception of up to $3 million to sign one additional player. The new deal apparently will contain a raised payroll minimum that requires each team to spend at least 90 percent, or perhaps more, of the salary cap annually.

 

That would be part of an economic system under which players apparently will receive just less than half the sport’s revenue—roughly 47 to 48 percent. The NFL currently generates about $9.3 billion per season, a total expected to rise sharply in coming years.

 

Friday’s meeting began with a number of issues still unresolved, including whether court’s will continue to oversee the labor agreement. If the players agree to give up such ongoing court oversight, the two sides would have to work out a system for resolving disputes arising from the collective bargaining agreement.

 

The players also have been seeking to streamline the appeals process for disciplinary actions arising from the sport’s drug and personal conduct policies. The players wanted an independent arbitrator to hear such appeals, instead of the commissioner or a person designated by the commissioner. It’s not clear if such a change will be made in the new deal.

 

The two sides have to agree to benefits for retired players. A group of retired players was part of the current players’ antitrust lawsuit, and has been pressing recently to be included in the settlement negotiations.

 

The league also has been trying to secure teams’ right of first refusal for a few additional players in this year’s free agency. That would enable a team to retain a player by matching any contract offer from another club. The players’ side apparently has been resisting such a provision.

 

The league previously abandoned its bid for an 18-game season. It also has proposed reductions in the number of offseason workouts for players, and there could be additional limitations on the amount of contact permitted in some practices during training camp and the season. The league has sought to have players blood-tested for human growth hormone.

 

Rosters are likely to be expanded for this year’s training camps.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

If they could get it done today, that would be awesome.

[BoneKrusher+ 1,276]

If they could get it done today, that would be awesome.

 

 

yeah, that would be F'in sweet.

[BigBen07 285]

About GODDAMN time.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I'd be down with hugging a Raven's fan...

 

 

This one, anyway.

[BigBen07 285]

I'd be down with hugging a Raven's fan...

 

 

This one, anyway.

 

Well in that case, I suppose I can make an exception.

[BoneKrusher+ 1,276]

i'm with Razor

hell i'd hug her even if she had Raiders gear on.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well if you insist...

 

 

 

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!

[FSUViking 184]

Can i hug her with my penis...?

[FSUViking 184]

Almost nothing can derail a deal now

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 15, 2011, 7:10 PM EDT

 

As another week of negotiations comes to an end, all signs are that a deal between the NFL and its players is so close that those in the room can practically taste it.

 

NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported Friday evening that an agreement is expected on a new deal early next week, and there is almost nothing that can stop it now.

 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke briefly to reporters today and, although he wouldn’t come right out and say it was close, certainly seemed to be pleased with the progress that has been made. Jones is staying in town over the weekend to keep working toward an end to the lockout next week.

 

All expectations are that the owners will vote to approve a new deal on Thursday in Atlanta.

 

SOURCE: PFT

 

 

AHHHHH!!!! SOOO CLOSE!!!!

 

[BoneKrusher+ 1,276]

Well if you insist...

 

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!

Thsnks Razor, i knew i could count on you.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

NFL.com's Albert Breer reports the proposed fifth-year options in rookie deals under the new CBA would have to be picked up after year three of a player's contract.

Fox example, were the Panthers to exercise Cam Newton's fifth-year option, they would have to do so following the 2013 season. According to Breer, the options would be worth an average of the top 10 salaries from a player's position in the third year of their rookie deal.

Source: Albert Breer on Twitter

 

This is interesting. So let's say you have a 1st round rookie with one of these options, and after three seasons, he hasn't broken out yet. Do you pick up his option and take a chance on him being a late bloomer or do you dump him and risk him flourishing with another team?

[Eefluxx 113]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/17/players-apparently-are-making-a-last-minute-power-play/

 

With a deal now regarded by the media and fans and players and pretty much everyone else as a foregone conclusion, the NFLPA* has by all appearances opted to go for one last home run, possibly buoyed by the league’s decision to cave on the “right of first refusal†concept and the league’s significant concession on the rookie wage scale.

 

In theory, if the league calls the players’ bluff — and if it ends up not being a bluff — the whole thing could still blow up.

 

Saw this and thought it should go in this thread.

 

So should we bash the players now?

[BigBen07 285]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/17/players-apparently-are-making-a-last-minute-power-play/

 

 

 

Saw this and thought it should go in this thread.

 

So should we bash the players now?

 

I'll bash everyone for even thinking and going on strike.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Adam Schefter

John Clayton reports that NFL owners have been told by league to be prepared to vote on new CBA between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Chris Mortensen

In nutshell, I do expect players to approve settlement but lockout could be delayed if owners insist on waiting for recertification process

 

if the players approve a settlement of the antitrust lawsuit, they want the lockout ended during the process of players re-unionizing.

 

But the league doesn't intend to lift the lockout until there's a ratified CBA. That's a key disagreement now. What's the compromise?

 

Players will debate and discuss but certainly will recertify as a union, but want lockout lifted asap once they approve settlement tonight

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

DonBanks

Two sides will get deal done, but somebody has to 1st give a little on particulars of how and when re-certification of union takes place.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Ok, here's where we are on labor. Both sides ready to approve settlement with conditions, but there's still a significant staredown...

...Players say nfl lawyer bob batterman wants them to agree to adhere to terms of 2006 cba on non-compensation issues...

...Players want to recertify and THEN negotiate new terms...

Issues in play include: Discipline-grievance process, drug testing/substance abuse, disability bens, pensions, work rules, health & safety