Last Effort For CBA Tommorow

[MAATOPDOGG]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5371610


NEW YORK (AP) - NFL owners will try Thursday to find labor peace before the start of free agency, hoping to avoid the mass dumping of veterans for salary-cap reasons.


As first reported by FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer, the owners will meet in New York, seeking to find a way toward an agreement with the players union that could add $10 million to 15 million to a 2006 salary cap that current is projected at about $95 million. Without it, some teams could be forced into wholesale cuts to get beneath the cap by midnight. Free agency starts Friday.



Three days of talks between the league and the NFL Players Association to extend the agreement that runs out in 2008 ended Tuesday with the sides far apart on the percentage of league revenues earmarked for its players. Gene Upshaw, the union's executive director, said the league is offering to 56.2 percent of its total revenue for the players, almost four points lower than the union's.

"Our number has to start with a six," Upshaw said.

But beyond the numbers is an issue that has divided the owners for two years - revenue sharing among the teams.

Under the current system, some teams make far more than others in ancillary income, ranging from local radio rights to stadium naming rights and advertising. The lower revenue teams say that forces them to commit as much as 70 percent of that money to the players while teams with more outside money contribute far less, giving the high-revenue teams more available cash for upfront bonuses to free agents.

The NFL said in a statement after talks broke off that revenue sharing won't be discussed at Thursday's meeting.

Still, it is bound to come up during a meeting that on the surface is considered a strategy session to determine the owners' next move. Labor negotiations often have a way of being moved forward by deadlines, and revenue sharing is considered a critical part of the formula.

Under the current agreement, 2006 is scheduled to be the last year with a salary cap. An uncapped year in 2007 means new rules that will force teams and agents to change their plans this year and could keep a lot of teams out of the free-agent market entirely.

"It might mean that no rookies get signed because no one is sure of the long-term ramifications," said Tom Condon, the agent for a number of the game's top players.

Even more urgent are salary-cap ramifications for many teams, which anticipated a labor agreement and planned for a much bigger ceiling. Washington, for example, could be as much as $25 million after signings over the past few years that anticipated a salary cap figure well over $100 million.

Others seem ready for whatever happens.

"We're in pretty good shape," New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said Wednesday. "They're going to give us a cap number and we'll be ready for it. You always prepare for a worst case, no matter what the situation. You never want to be surprised by something negative, only something positive."

Accorsi said he's also not worried about new rules. He said those contingencies are covered in the contracts of two young Pro Bowl players - tight end Jeremy Shockey and defensive end Osi Umenyiora - that the Giants extended last fall. But others are in a different situation, which could mean wholesale cuts of big-name players at midnight Thursday. What happens in the meetings may determine that.

[Sean Taylor is God]

At this point there is a lot of posturing, and smoke-blowing bewteen both sides here. unfortunately, my heart can't take this anymore and i am close to snapping. the players have better leverage this time around, and the wealthy owners might be forced to concede 61%. right now they are approx 4 billion dollars off. that's a lot. i think it gets done though, for the simple fact that if it doesn't, free-agency will be dismal and top teams will plummit. especially us. the league can not risk losing the integrity and quality of product they have built over the past decade. i pray for this to get done, and i don't even believe in god. sean is he.

[JoeJacksonTaylor28]

i pray for this to get done, and i don't even believe in god. sean is he.

You don't believe in Sean?? I do :)

This whole Bloody Thursday will definitely not be good for the players. I do think Upshaw will settle for less than 60%. Maybe not 56, but something in the middle.

[whistleandthumb]

I'm going to hold out a small amount of hope that cooler heads will prevail here, and everyone can walk away from the table happy. It's only in the best interests of the owners AND the players to make something happen. If no CBA is done, not only will the owners and players lose, but so will the fans and the game of football, itself. Let's hope tomorrow they can get it done.

[Sean Taylor is God]

You don't believe in Sean?? I do :)

This whole Bloody Thursday will definitely not be good for the players. I do think Upshaw will settle for less than 60%. Maybe not 56, but something in the middle.

i said, "Sean is He." Right now the players want 61, owners want 57. each percentage point if worth about a billion over the life of the contract.i think it will get done at the last minute tomorrow night. in the end i believe it gets set at 59 or 59.5 and FA is delayed a week.

[PennSkinsFan]

If there is a meeting tomorrow, then the deal will be done. This is good news.

[akhhorus]

If there is a meeting tomorrow, then the deal will be done. This is good news.

Especially if the owners are actually going to be in New York rather than in some conference call or something. Glazer reported this around midday.

[PennSkinsFan]

So then the real question becomes, what cap number will be decided on.

[redskin_rich]

I mentioned this another thread and I will repeat it here, this meeting is an owners only meeting with Tagliabue and it is to discuss how to move on in the new environment, sans a CBA.
I'm not saying that they can't come to an agreement and get Upshaw on the phone but as of now, this meeting isn't about a resolution.

[The Skinsinator]

If there is a meeting tomorrow, then the deal will be done. This is good news.Let's cross our fingers. This may be the 2nd piece of bigtime offseason news for us to hiring Saunders. I really hope they get this done. The nfl is awesome along with the quality of play, contrary to what Chris Mortensen may say. Get 'er done boys.

[akhhorus]

I mentioned this another thread and I will repeat it here, this meeting is an owners only meeting with Tagliabue and it is to discuss how to move on in the new environment, sans a CBA.
I'm not saying that they can't come to an agreement and get Upshaw on the phone but as of now, this meeting isn't about a resolution.

And I said in that thread:
Well, that doesn't make much sense. If they are meeting to go over the new rules for the cap, that gives the teams less than 24 hours to try and restructure and cut. They don't need to all go to NYC for that and having everyone in NYC would be an impedement to teams getting things done.

[Sean Taylor is God]

right now there are a lot of very prominent players that face getting released tomorrow because there is no cba. those players and their agents , I guarantee are calling upshaws office and telling him to get this done. the players don't want to face mass-dumping just as much as the teams don't. that meeting tomorow doesn't invovle player representation but i think a conference call may be in order. or we are about to enter a world of anarchy and chaos.

[chrisbcbu]

I mentioned this another thread and I will repeat it here, this meeting is an owners only meeting with Tagliabue and it is to discuss how to move on in the new environment, sans a CBA.
I'm not saying that they can't come to an agreement and get Upshaw on the phone but as of now, this meeting isn't about a resolution.

The rules should have already been explained to everyone by now. There is no way they are going to wait less than 24 hours to get the cap out then explain everything and then expect the owners to get things done.

It doesnt make much sense if you ask me.

[redskin_rich]

And I said in that thread:
I believe there is going to be a one week grace period for everyone to get under the cap.

Glazer broke this story to the AP last night and at the time they were reporting it as I explained it. Things might have changed since then, we'll see.

[akhhorus]

The rules should have already been explained to everyone by now. There is no way they are going to wait less than 24 hours to get the cap out then explain everything and then expect the owners to get things done.

It doesnt make much sense if you ask me.

Well, also: Teams have until 4 pm EST to get under the cap and the meeting is at 8.30 am EST. Assuming it takes until 9.30ish, teams would have 6.5 hours to figure out what they can do under the new rules and make the moves they need to. That makes no sense.

[chrisbcbu]

I believe there is going to be a one week grace period for everyone to get under the cap.

Glazer broke this story to the AP last night and at the time they were reporting it as I explained it. Things might have changed since then, we'll see.

The grace period are for penalties. They still have to be under the cap by the start of FA in order to sign any FA's.

[whistleandthumb]

I'd be happy if all the owners could just get Upshaw on the horn and work out some kind of delay on FA... even if for just a week, so there can be time to work something out.

[darkwing99]

Well big name players are getting cut already......Mike Anderson, Sam Adams, Brent Buckner, Stephen Davis, Trevor Pryce...and many more to come.

[akhhorus]

Well big name players are getting cut already......Mike Anderson, Sam Adams, Brent Buckner, Stephen Davis, Trevor Pryce...and many more to come.

Only Anderson was a surprise. Everyone else on that list were going to be cut CBA or not.

[Sean Taylor is God]

Well big name players are getting cut already......Mike Anderson, Sam Adams, Brent Buckner, Stephen Davis, Trevor Pryce...and many more to come.

anderson is a bit suprising. i guess they are comfortable with bell, dayne and a FA or rookie, probably rookie. this is gonna get nucking futs!

[akhhorus]

Interesting article from PFT:

TAGS' LEGACY ON THE LINE THURSDAY

One very important man who has been conspicuously silent over the past couple of weeks as the NFL has tried to hammer out an agreement with its union -- and an agreement among its owners -- is the guy who runs the show.

The Commissioner. Paul Tagliabue.

At age 65 and moving toward retirement, Tagliabue's legacy is squarely on the line as the NFL enters the final 24 hours of semi-sanity before the launch of the last capped year under the current CBA.

Under his leadership, the NFL has become the most popular sports league in the nation, if not the world. Revenues are way, way up. Former Commissioner Pete Rozelle's vision of parity has been achieved, for the most part.

So the worst way for Tagliabue to ride into the sunset is through the haze of a work stoppage and/or a rugby scrum featuring the 32 members of the Billionaire Boys Club.

And Tagliabue knows it.

We're convinced that the problem here is the issue of expanded revenue sharing among the owners, and that a deal with the union is essentially in place. Why else would NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw insist on a revenue sharing deal as part of the new CBA? If the league is willing to include total football revenue in the salary cap formula, why should Upshaw care whether the owners are splitting up the money that goes into the pot?

Besides, why else would all 32 owners travel to New York on Thursday morning for an update regarding the NFLPA's position, if the real purpose isn't to revisit the revenue sharing issue? Is an in-person sit-down really necessary to let the teams know that the union wants 60 percent of the total football revenue to fund the salaries, and the league wants to devote 56.2 percent?

Instead, we think that when the owners take their seats around the big round table in a conference room at the league office, and that Tags will then make like Al Capone from The Untouchables, sauntering around the assembly with a baseball bat in hand.

And he's club the ***CENSORED BY SPENCE*** out of anyone who is still standing in the way of a deal aimed at working out the revenue differences among the owners.

If we're wrong, and if the true impediment to a deal is the fact that the NFLPA wants 60 percent and the NFL is willing only to go to 56.2 percent, our advice is simple.

Do the deal at 58. Now.

If both sides come away with a little less than they wanted, then it's a good deal for everyone. They'll all continue to get richer and richer -- and players won't find themselves scratching and clawing for solid contracts in 2006.

Per team and per year, the resulting money gap isn't that big. And if Upshaw's actual bottom line is 60 percent, it was stoopid of him to move to his final position with the league still 3.8 points south of it.

Our suspicion is that there's already a wink-nod in place at 58, and that the deal becomes official as soon as the owners get their stuff together.

With or without the help of Tags' Louisville Slugger.

[S.Taylor36]

anderson is a bit suprising. i guess they are comfortable with bell, dayne and a FA or rookie, probably rookie. this is gonna get nucking futs!


Lawyer Milloy was cut by the Bills

[MWballer]

If the owners are meeting tommorow then what meeting we Sports Center reporting about today where all the owners were in NY?

[gibbsisgod]

what happens in 2008? if no deal is done by FRI

[akhhorus]

If the owners are meeting tommorow then what meeting we Sports Center reporting about today where all the owners were in NY?

Thats the meeting they are talking about. I find it very hard to believe that they aren't serious about an agreement if they are all meeting in NYC in person.

[CapitalDefense]

Thats the meeting they are talking about. I find it very hard to believe that they aren't serious about an agreement if they are all meeting in NYC in person.
Was all of this a bunch of bull just to get some offseason media attention? If so, well it worked. They can come together tommorrow, look like heroes and say we did it for the fans blah blah blah.

[akhhorus]

Was all of this a bunch of bull just to get some offseason media attention? If so, well it worked. They can come together tommorrow, look like heroes and say we did it for the fans blah blah blah.

Funny you should say that because Leigh Steinberg, Uber-Agent, just was on ESPNNEWS saying thos exact thing. That he thinks it will be a last minute dramatic extention tomorrow or friday.

[Smurf85]

akhhorus Wrote;
Funny you should say that because Leigh Steinberg, Uber-Agent, just was on ESPNNEWS saying thos exact thing. That he thinks it will be a last minute dramatic extention tomorrow or friday.

I also saw that on ESPNEWS.Im sorry if i dont believe him.When i see it in the news tomorrow.That the CBA has been taking care of then i will believe it.Its just hard to believe that its going to get done when four teams are already cutting players.Plus some of these players are pretty damn good.

[Redskinfan28]

I don't think an agreement has been reached. Otherwise, teams like the Broncos would be pissed that they cut players they didn't have to.

[akhhorus]

I don't think an agreement has been reached. Otherwise, teams like the Broncos would be pissed that they cut players they didn't have to.

Even if an agreement is reached, and the cap rises to around 108-110 million, the Broncos and other teams(Carolina isn't much better off than the Skins and Miami is over 20 million over the cap) would have had to cut these players. This might be why the Skins are waiting.