The Start Of Free Agency To Be Delayed? (CBA Extension Talk)

[bobbyinlondon]

The ABSOLUTE LATEST from PFT.com---"The NFL and the NFLPA have an agreement in principal. It will be discussed Tuesday in Dallas---however----Bob Kraft of the Pats is OPPOSED to the deal". Why? Because the owners have upped thier offer to 59.5%, and they propose dealing with the revenue sharing with an adjustment to the cash-over-cap situation.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

So, Kraft is the one last thorn in the side of a deal getting done, and not Lurie/Banner.  No shocker there.

[bobbyinlondon]

Here's the full article---

POSTED 9:25 a.m. EST, March 6, 2006



NFL, UNION HAVE AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported moments ago on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio that the NFL and the NFLPA have reached an agreement in principle on a new CBA, and that the deal is subject to approval of the owners on Tuesday.

Under the deal, the NFL will devote 59.5 percent of total football revenues to player salaries.  On one hand, the league moved a lot farther than the union as to the reported gap of 56.2 percent and 60 percent that existed before the weekend.  On the other hand, the deal undermines the credibility of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, who insisted that the first number would have to be a "6".

Mort also says that it's no guarantee that the owners will approve the deal.  Pats owner Bob Kraft, Mort says, is strongly opposed to the package, which addresses revenue sharing via the so-called "cash over cap" issue.

"Cash over cap" is the amount of total money paid to players in a given year.  Because high-revenue teams have the ability to dump more money into players' pockets, the unlimited ability to pour future cap dollars into current cap years could, in theory, disrupt competitive balance because the low-revenue teams simply won't have the cash on hand to match a string of deals that rob Peter to pay for a Lombardi.  The proposal apparently limits the extent to which a team can spend money in a given year over the salary cap.

Mortensen says that Tuesday's meeting could get ugly, and that it could extend into a second day.

Our suggestion to the Commish -- if you didn't break out the Louisville Slugger when the fellas got together last week in New York, make sure you take it with you to Texas.  Your legacy is on the line, and it's time to stand up and build a consensus. 

If you can't, then walk away.  If nothing else, it'll get the attention of the guys who are no longer listening to you because you're a short-timer.

[MadMarchHare]

Kraft has been bitching (allegedly) that the revenue sharing doesn't take into account the fact that he funded his own stadium, and has massive debt.  I tend to agree with him.  But killing the golden goose is certainly not the way to keep your knees from getting broken.

[Wingspan]

there has to be more opposed. i thought you need 8 owners to say no?

[rjs246]

So what would this increase the cap number to?

[Zanshin]

Here's to hoping they get this put to bed.  Sooner the better for everyone's sake.

[SunMo]

i'm sick of hearing:

-golden goose
-cash over cap
-NFL


also, Jefferey Kessler is one annoying MF, but the type of lawyer i would love to have defending me in something

[Feva]

farg... the motherfarging NFL.

[ice grillin you]

lolol @ bob kraft having 'massive debt'


these owners make sick

[Rome]

So what would this increase the cap number to?

Seventeen gazillion dollars.

[MadMarchHare]

lolol @ bob kraft having 'massive debt'


these owners make sick

I agree with this too.  But, at least his stadium isn't with tax dollars, which drives me nuts.

[Rome]

Lurie is carrying over 300 million in debt as well.  The debt-service on the Linc is enormous.

[ice grillin you]

waaaaaah

if lurie kraft or any other owner didnt ever make another penny they still couldnt spend all their money if they tried

and lets say for arguments sake a owner actually got into financial trouble regarding their stadium...which of course would never happen as they make gobs of money on them...the nfl would bail them out in a cocaine heartbeat

[bobbyinlondon]

So what would this increase the cap number to?

Well, if 56.2 was 104M, I'd say that 59.5 is probably close to 110-112M. That would mean, WITH an agreement the Eagles would be--

1. Right now, with their RFA tenders and with Owens gone (not yet, though), they're at 18.3M

2. They would recoup 7M in LTBEs that would have hit this year

3. I believe they would also recoup 7M in 30% rule payouts they wouldn't have to make

4. Add in approximately 17.5M

They'd be 50M UNDER the cap.