It looks like other than the maybe Hall of Fame Game that we will have a full NFL preseason and regular season as the league owners and the NFLPA are reportedly on the verge of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Reports are that the last major hurdle between the sides was bridged on Thursday as the owners and players agreed to a rookie wage system, which was the last big obstacle. Owners apparently made a concession on the money that could be paid if a player reaches the fifth year of his rookie contract. After the new deal is completed, top draft picks from the 2011 draft are likely to make about half of what those from 2010 made. The sides also reached a tentative agreement to make the 2011 salary cap $120 million, according to ESPN. Now that a cap number has been formed, teams need to determine the minimum cash payroll number, or what teams will be required to spend – i.e. the cap “floor.” The 2009 cap was $128 million while last year there was no salary cap.
There probably won’t be an agreement today but owners could well vote to ratify a new CBA at their meeting in Atlanta next Thursday. There are a few issues to be resolved yet, including free-agency rules for 2011. Another potentially contentious issue is the final disposition of the players’ antitrust lawsuit against the league.
If an agreement can be forged in the next few days, negotiators could present it to the mediator, Judge Arthur Boylan, on Tuesday. Then the owners could vote on the deal in Atlanta, while players likely would take steps to re-form their union. That would most likely allow free agency to begin later this month and training camps to open by the end of the month. The Hall of Fame Game, set for Aug. 7 in Canton between the Bears and Rams, might have to be sacrificed because the St. Louis and Chicago were originally scheduled to report to training camp next week. They wouldn’t likely have enough time to prepare for even an exhibition game and might be at a competitive disadvantage when the free-agent frenzy begins if they are the only teams in camp. The league had set a deadline of today to avoid canceling that game.
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Owners, Players Reportedly on Verge of Labor Deal
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