Mr. Laz
02-04-2006, 11:51 AM
Kraft wants Seymour, but CBA a big obstacle
By Michael Felger/ The NFL
Saturday, February 4, 2006 - Updated: 01:29 AM EST
DETROIT - Robert Kraft agrees wholeheartedly with Richard Seymour.
The Patriots owner wants and expects the team to reach an agreement on a new multiyear contract for the Pro Bowl defensive end - it’s just that one thing is standing in the way. And until it’s hammered out, nothing will happen.
We’re referring, of course, to a new collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners. And based on the tone emanating from both sides this week at the Super Bowl, nothing is imminent. That’s bad news for Seymour.
“I never argue with a guy 6-7, 310,” said Kraft, referring to Seymour’s statements Thursday that he’s confident he’ll get a new contract. “I sure hope so. He’s one of my favorite players and we’re very lucky to have him in New England, and I’m glad he feels that way.
“It’s just that we need to get a labor agreement if that’s going to happen. Because surely it would be kind of hard without (it). We do have one year remaining on (Seymour’s contract), but to do what we’d like to do, we need a labor deal for that to happen.”
As it stands now, the league has no cap in place for 2007 and no framework on what the salary scale will be in 2008 and beyond. Because there is no agreement, signing bonuses can only be spread out over four years. Pats team president Jonathan Kraft said that leaves teams “extremely hamstrung” in giving out new signing bonuses.
In fact, the Krafts recently met with coach Bill Belichick and personnel chief Scott Pioli to go over the offseason, and they had to come up with two separate game plans. One for life with a new CBA, and one for life without it.
Suffice it to say, the former scenario would be good news for Seymour and pending free agents David Givens and Stephen Neal. It would also mean a more active role in free agency for the Pats come free agency March 3.
“We have an internal game plan for each scenario,” Jonathan Kraft said. “We have a bunch of guys who are going to become free agents, and there are a lot of guys around the league I know we’re going to want to look at. The goal is to do the things we did in 2002 (when the Pats hit a home run in free agency with Rosevelt Colvin and Rodney Harrison, among others) and other years to put us in a position to compete.”
Union head Gene Upshaw has characterized the negotiations as “one step forward, five steps back.”
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue agreed with that assessment yesterday, saying, “I don’t think negotiations are going very well. We’re not making the kind of progress I think is necessary.”
Robert Kraft disputed reports that the major stumbling block is currently among owners who can’t determine how much local revenue to share among each other. Kraft said a labor deal must come first, then the owners can more accurately come to an agreement with themselves.
“In the end we need to come to a number that both sides can live with,” Kraft said. “I think we each know what it is, and now that last-minute grinding comes in, where each side tries to push and go beyond what their objectives are. We don’t have a labor agreement. It’s that simple. Until we know what our deal is with the union, we can’t come together as a group internally.”
Kraft also disputed reported union figures that showed the Pats spending well below the cap ($76 million according to one report). Kraft produced management documents that showed the Pats having $103 million in 2005 commitments (fourth in the league) and $94 million in actual cash payments (ninth).
Wherever the truth lies, the Pats have spent a lot of money in the past and they’ll do it in the future. They just need to know exactly how much.
And then Seymour (and others) can get paid.
By Michael Felger/ The NFL
Saturday, February 4, 2006 - Updated: 01:29 AM EST
DETROIT - Robert Kraft agrees wholeheartedly with Richard Seymour.
The Patriots owner wants and expects the team to reach an agreement on a new multiyear contract for the Pro Bowl defensive end - it’s just that one thing is standing in the way. And until it’s hammered out, nothing will happen.
We’re referring, of course, to a new collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners. And based on the tone emanating from both sides this week at the Super Bowl, nothing is imminent. That’s bad news for Seymour.
“I never argue with a guy 6-7, 310,” said Kraft, referring to Seymour’s statements Thursday that he’s confident he’ll get a new contract. “I sure hope so. He’s one of my favorite players and we’re very lucky to have him in New England, and I’m glad he feels that way.
“It’s just that we need to get a labor agreement if that’s going to happen. Because surely it would be kind of hard without (it). We do have one year remaining on (Seymour’s contract), but to do what we’d like to do, we need a labor deal for that to happen.”
As it stands now, the league has no cap in place for 2007 and no framework on what the salary scale will be in 2008 and beyond. Because there is no agreement, signing bonuses can only be spread out over four years. Pats team president Jonathan Kraft said that leaves teams “extremely hamstrung” in giving out new signing bonuses.
In fact, the Krafts recently met with coach Bill Belichick and personnel chief Scott Pioli to go over the offseason, and they had to come up with two separate game plans. One for life with a new CBA, and one for life without it.
Suffice it to say, the former scenario would be good news for Seymour and pending free agents David Givens and Stephen Neal. It would also mean a more active role in free agency for the Pats come free agency March 3.
“We have an internal game plan for each scenario,” Jonathan Kraft said. “We have a bunch of guys who are going to become free agents, and there are a lot of guys around the league I know we’re going to want to look at. The goal is to do the things we did in 2002 (when the Pats hit a home run in free agency with Rosevelt Colvin and Rodney Harrison, among others) and other years to put us in a position to compete.”
Union head Gene Upshaw has characterized the negotiations as “one step forward, five steps back.”
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue agreed with that assessment yesterday, saying, “I don’t think negotiations are going very well. We’re not making the kind of progress I think is necessary.”
Robert Kraft disputed reports that the major stumbling block is currently among owners who can’t determine how much local revenue to share among each other. Kraft said a labor deal must come first, then the owners can more accurately come to an agreement with themselves.
“In the end we need to come to a number that both sides can live with,” Kraft said. “I think we each know what it is, and now that last-minute grinding comes in, where each side tries to push and go beyond what their objectives are. We don’t have a labor agreement. It’s that simple. Until we know what our deal is with the union, we can’t come together as a group internally.”
Kraft also disputed reported union figures that showed the Pats spending well below the cap ($76 million according to one report). Kraft produced management documents that showed the Pats having $103 million in 2005 commitments (fourth in the league) and $94 million in actual cash payments (ninth).
Wherever the truth lies, the Pats have spent a lot of money in the past and they’ll do it in the future. They just need to know exactly how much.
And then Seymour (and others) can get paid.