ChiefsPlanet - View Single Post - Football NFL/CBA Understanding the Issues of a 2011 Season.

cardken · 01-10-2011, 04:26 PM

These are the issues facing the Owners and Players Association in avoiding a non or strike shortened season. Which ones do you agree with?
The owners are justified in their demand for a new CBA. Here is a list under the current CBA that the owners must follow, and the big issues surrounding these negotiations:

-Guaranteed Spending

Every year there is an increase in team salary that every team must pay. In 2006, each team's salary had to be at least 84% of the current salary cap. That number rises 1.2% every year, so teams are forced to spend money on players to stay above the minimum.

-The salary cap rises every year

The salary cap rises based on projected league revenues, so naturally, it rises every year. With the increase in the minimum and a higher salary cap, teams are forced to spend a lot more money than they may want.

-Teams must pay 50% towards contracts

50% of total league revenues must be paid towards player contracts. Why is this even in there? In the end clubs are forced to spend almost 60% of their revenues towards player contracts.

-Rookie salaries

This is a large sticking point, and where common sense has seemingly been thrown out the door. The first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was Left Tackle Jake Long. He signed a five-year, $57.5 million deal with the Dolphins. Good for him, right? That contract made him the highest paid Left Tackle in the NFL, and he hadn't even played a down yet. This isn't the only instance of a rookie making more money than Pro Bowl players. Rookies taken in the top 10 of the draft are making Pro Bowl type money right out of the gate. I wonder how that makes 5 and 10 year veterans feel? I think this is one of the issues that both sides will agree on and a slotting system will be put into place, or a rookie pay scale, similar to what the NBA is using.

Effect of No Salary Cap

If no agreement is reached and 2010 is an uncapped season, it's not going to be the spending free for all that many people think. Provisions under the current CBA state that in the event of an uncapped season, the number of seasons required to become an unrestricted free agent goes to six. Another provision states that each club will be able to use a Transition Tag on any of their unrestricted free agents, which works a lot like the franchise tag. These two provisions will severely cut down the number of free agents available in 2010. So don't look for the Redskins to sign 27 Pro Bowlers.

The biggest issue will be getting the salary cap back, as the Players Union insists that if it's gone in 2010, they aren't agreeing to bring it back. While I don't think the NFL without a salary cap would be as unbalanced as MLB, there would definitely be some changes. For instance, in 2007 the Redskins grossed over $130 million more than the Minnesota Vikings, so there would be built in advantages for some teams with unlimited spending power.

01-10-2011, 04:26 PM
cardken Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	NFL/CBA Understanding the Issues of a 2011 Season. These are the issues facing the Owners and Players Association in avoiding a non or strike shortened season. Which ones do you agree with? The owners are justified in their demand for a new CBA. Here is a list under the current CBA that the owners must follow, and the big issues surrounding these negotiations: -Guaranteed Spending Every year there is an increase in team salary that every team must pay. In 2006, each team's salary had to be at least 84% of the current salary cap. That number rises 1.2% every year, so teams are forced to spend money on players to stay above the minimum. -The salary cap rises every year The salary cap rises based on projected league revenues, so naturally, it rises every year. With the increase in the minimum and a higher salary cap, teams are forced to spend a lot more money than they may want. -Teams must pay 50% towards contracts 50% of total league revenues must be paid towards player contracts. Why is this even in there? In the end clubs are forced to spend almost 60% of their revenues towards player contracts. -Rookie salaries This is a large sticking point, and where common sense has seemingly been thrown out the door. The first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was Left Tackle Jake Long. He signed a five-year, $57.5 million deal with the Dolphins. Good for him, right? That contract made him the highest paid Left Tackle in the NFL, and he hadn't even played a down yet. This isn't the only instance of a rookie making more money than Pro Bowl players. Rookies taken in the top 10 of the draft are making Pro Bowl type money right out of the gate. I wonder how that makes 5 and 10 year veterans feel? I think this is one of the issues that both sides will agree on and a slotting system will be put into place, or a rookie pay scale, similar to what the NBA is using. Effect of No Salary Cap If no agreement is reached and 2010 is an uncapped season, it's not going to be the spending free for all that many people think. Provisions under the current CBA state that in the event of an uncapped season, the number of seasons required to become an unrestricted free agent goes to six. Another provision states that each club will be able to use a Transition Tag on any of their unrestricted free agents, which works a lot like the franchise tag. These two provisions will severely cut down the number of free agents available in 2010. So don't look for the Redskins to sign 27 Pro Bowlers. The biggest issue will be getting the salary cap back, as the Players Union insists that if it's gone in 2010, they aren't agreeing to bring it back. While I don't think the NFL without a salary cap would be as unbalanced as MLB, there would definitely be some changes. For instance, in 2007 the Redskins grossed over $130 million more than the Minnesota Vikings, so there would be built in advantages for some teams with unlimited spending power.
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