NFL labor talks likely to resume before Sunday deadline
March 5, 2006
NEW YORK (Ticker) - Labor peace or salary cap chaos? The clock is ticking for the NFL.
Negotiations between representatives of the league and the Players Association are expected to resume Sunday with the sides facing a 6 p.m. EST deadline to extend the collective bargaining agreement, which runs through 2007.
Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw told the Washington Post that the owners will likely make a new proposal on Sunday after talks broke off on Saturday.
NFLPA head negotiator painted a bleak picture on Saturday, saying talks were as "dead as a doornail."
Without an extension to the CBA, the salary cap for the 2006 season will stand at $94.5 million, which is still well above last year's figure of $85.5 million. But if an agreement is reached by the deadline, then the cap would inflate to about $102 million.
NFL owners unanimously rejected a proposal from the union on Thursday, but agreed to extend the deadline for the start of free agency from Friday to Monday.
The additional 72 hours relieved pressure on teams to release players to meet the 2006 salary cap figure. But now those teams must make moves to get under the cap.
Failure to agree to a CBA extension also will result in an uncapped year for the players in 2007.
Upshaw has said the union would not agree to a salary cap in the future if it is allowed to expire. But any windfall of spending would be limited by other changes, including requiring players to have six years of service to qualify for unrestricted free agency instead of four.
The major sticking point between the league and the union is in the sharing of "total football revenues." The union wants at least 60 percent of revenues that represent a new formula that expands from the television and ticket receipts that largely account for the "designated gross revenues" in the current CBA.
Owners are willing to give 56 percent of "designated gross revenues," but believe the union is not entitled to new revenue streams from stadiums. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue described the union as "overreaching" in asking for 60 percent.
Upshaw has threatened to decertify the union and take the league to court if stalled labor talks did not yield an agreement by mid-March.
Decertifying would involve disbanding the union and going to antitrust court to ask for a set of rules under which the NFL would operate.
The union decertified to end the 1987 strike and played without a CBA until 1992. The court eventually ruled in favor of the union, leading to the current deal with free agency and a salary cap, which took effect in 1993.
Since then, labor negotiations have been amicable due to a strong personal relationship between Tagliabue and Upshaw. Unlike the other major professional sports leagues, the NFL and the union have traditionally extended bargaining agreements long before expiration.
Most of the NFL teams have already made moves to get under the salary cap.
The Dallas Cowboys released six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover on Thursday, saving $6 million under the salary cap in 2006.
The Oakland Raiders, who were more than $25 million over the salary cap, waived defensive tackle Ted Washington, guard Ron Stone and cornerback Denard Walker. Those moves resulted in a savings of $8.8 million under the cap.
The Kansas City Chiefs released two starters - outside linebacker Shawn Barber and cornerback Eric Warfield - along with nickel back Dexter McCleon and linebacker Gary Stills on Thursday.
The Carolina Panthers waived starting outside linebacker Brandon Short, who has been with the team for the last two seasons, on Thursday, and the Seattle Seahawks released starting cornerback Andre Dyson and outside linebacker Jamie Sharper.
On Wednesday, running backs Stephen Davis and Mike Anderson, cornerback Sam Madison and defensive linemen Trevor Pryce, Sam Adams and Brentson Bucker were among the players cut.
NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James and Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens are the top free agent running backs on the market.
The Seahawks are about $9 million under the cap and have the payroll flexibility to re-sign Alexander, who won the rushing title with 1,880 yards and set a single-season record with 27 touchdowns in 2005.
However, the Indianapolis Colts are about $9 million over the cap and will not have the ability to match a lucrative offer for James, a two-time rushing champion.
The Ravens have room under the cap to match an offer for Lewis, who rushed for 906 yards last season and averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per carry.
Quarterback Drew Brees, linebackers Julian Peterson and Will Witherspoon, cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Ty Law, wide receivers David Givens and Antwaan Randle El and center LeCharles Bentley are other prominent free agents on the market.
Seems like too many moving parts. Players want 60% rather than 56%. If it passes, larger market owners are the ones playing the balance due the rules in effect. So, there's a split between the bigger and smaller market owners and who foots the bill. I try not to think about all of the intracacies, it gives me a headache.
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heres the latest on the NFL labor talks
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