The NFL's wheels seem like they're ready to finally start turning again so that means I am back on the blog beat. With the NFL's longest work stoppage in the final lap of its seemingly interminable race I think it's time we look at the potential changes and how they could affect the upcoming season.
Here are some of the key changes and arguing points that the owners and players squabbled over for the past 6 months.
Revenue Splits:
This was the the main issue that the players and owners couldn't agree on. In the previous format, the players were taking in about 50% of the revenues from NFL's profits. The owners, claiming they had to put up the money for new stadiums and other gigantic expenses wanted a bigger piece of the pie. I think it clear that the owners were in the wrong on this argument point but either way the players still make out pretty well. They will now get anywhere from 46-48% of over 9 billion dollars.
Rookie Wage System-
This has been a a huge problem recently in the NFL. Rookies are getting paid an obscene amount of money for having done nothing. This mine as well be called the Jamarcus Russell Rule. Now rookies will make considerably less off the bat then their counterparts made just last year. I think this will at least make it easier to sign first round picks who so often think they deserve money without having proved a thing on the field. Under the new proposal, all picks can be signed to 4 year deals with an option for a 5th. That option, if picked up, would work like a franchise tag in that the team would be required to pay at least the median of what picks from that year make by position.
TRAINING CAMP/PRACTICES
This was a win for the players, I guess, but I think a loss for the fans. The players, who have long claimed that the NFL does not really care about their safety, demanded that their contact practices be lowered dramatically in count and in the process they basically eliminated 2-day practices during training camp. Bart Scott called this "whimping out" and I couldn't agree more. 2 even 3 a day practices have long been sewn into football's fabric. High School teams always have at least 1 week of triple sessions and these professionals are crying about 2-a days? The coaches don't run long, exhaustive practices because they're dickheads. They want the team to get better and be prepared both physically and mentally. The players are going to be missing out on a ton of reps and I think the game will suffer for this. We are going to see a lot of sloppy games from now on and we will see more players who are less prepared for a season than ever before. Total cop out.
RETIRED PLAYERS BENEFITS:
This one was a long time coming. For years the NFL has basically neglected the players who have made the game so great, while their bodies and minds have deteriorated, beginning in their mid 30's. The NFL's past attempts to appease some of the medical demands of NFL players is borderline insulting and I think this is one of the best aspects of the entire CBA. Now the NFL has pledged over 1 billion over the next 10 years to retired players.
There are still a few kinks to work out before we are officially back in football mode but I am confident they can be overcome. The most important factor that looms is whether or not there will be a hard cap. Reports seem to indicate that there will be and that it will stand somewhere around 120 million. This could be treacherous for teams like the Cowboys who are well over that mark with the bloated contracts of players like Marc Colombo, Marion Barber and Roy Williams.
Here are some of the key changes and arguing points that the owners and players squabbled over for the past 6 months.
Revenue Splits:
This was the the main issue that the players and owners couldn't agree on. In the previous format, the players were taking in about 50% of the revenues from NFL's profits. The owners, claiming they had to put up the money for new stadiums and other gigantic expenses wanted a bigger piece of the pie. I think it clear that the owners were in the wrong on this argument point but either way the players still make out pretty well. They will now get anywhere from 46-48% of over 9 billion dollars.
Rookie Wage System-
This has been a a huge problem recently in the NFL. Rookies are getting paid an obscene amount of money for having done nothing. This mine as well be called the Jamarcus Russell Rule. Now rookies will make considerably less off the bat then their counterparts made just last year. I think this will at least make it easier to sign first round picks who so often think they deserve money without having proved a thing on the field. Under the new proposal, all picks can be signed to 4 year deals with an option for a 5th. That option, if picked up, would work like a franchise tag in that the team would be required to pay at least the median of what picks from that year make by position.
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| Bart Scott called the abolition of 2-a-days "Whimping Out" |
This was a win for the players, I guess, but I think a loss for the fans. The players, who have long claimed that the NFL does not really care about their safety, demanded that their contact practices be lowered dramatically in count and in the process they basically eliminated 2-day practices during training camp. Bart Scott called this "whimping out" and I couldn't agree more. 2 even 3 a day practices have long been sewn into football's fabric. High School teams always have at least 1 week of triple sessions and these professionals are crying about 2-a days? The coaches don't run long, exhaustive practices because they're dickheads. They want the team to get better and be prepared both physically and mentally. The players are going to be missing out on a ton of reps and I think the game will suffer for this. We are going to see a lot of sloppy games from now on and we will see more players who are less prepared for a season than ever before. Total cop out.
RETIRED PLAYERS BENEFITS:
This one was a long time coming. For years the NFL has basically neglected the players who have made the game so great, while their bodies and minds have deteriorated, beginning in their mid 30's. The NFL's past attempts to appease some of the medical demands of NFL players is borderline insulting and I think this is one of the best aspects of the entire CBA. Now the NFL has pledged over 1 billion over the next 10 years to retired players.
There are still a few kinks to work out before we are officially back in football mode but I am confident they can be overcome. The most important factor that looms is whether or not there will be a hard cap. Reports seem to indicate that there will be and that it will stand somewhere around 120 million. This could be treacherous for teams like the Cowboys who are well over that mark with the bloated contracts of players like Marc Colombo, Marion Barber and Roy Williams.
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