February 27, 2009

NFL Free Agent Season Indicates Owners Don't Anticipate a Cap

The Redskins signed DT Albert Haynesworth for seven years, $100M ($41M guaranteed) and kept CB DeAngelo Hall with a six year, $54M deal ($22.5M guaranteed). Both are either going to be maroon and black fixtures, or crippling salary cap disasters.

Assuming there is a salary cap.


Lost in the typical free agent buzz is the fact that owners, for the first time since the salary cap was first instituted, are not playing under the same rules. Wealthy teams and owners, like Jerry Jones' Cowboys and Danny Snyder's Redskins, know that they will have a competitive advantage in an uncapped year.

That's all fine and understandable, until you remember that the owners are the ones who vote on whether to approve a new collective bargaining agreement. Guess what? It takes a 75% supermajority, 24 owners, to approve a new CBA.


In 2006, when this disastrous agreement was approved, two clubs voted against it. Those two clubs were the low-budget Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills.


Picture this scenario - the high-budget teams do not want a new CBA so they can dominate in an uncapped NFL. The low-budget teams consider the current system untenable and will hold out for something that can make them compete. The teams in the middle will probably want the most reasonable solution. It only takes a total of 9 teams on the two extremes to stalemate the negotiating process.

Oh yeah, and the NFL has an untested Commissioner in Roger Goodell when it comes to labor issues. And the NFLPA has a power vacuum following the death of Gene Upshaw last year. How on Earth could this possibly end well?

When the stuff hits the fan around this time next year, think back to this day. This was the day the haves decided to bet against the NFL.

6 Responses:

Anonymous said...

It's not maroon- IT'S BURGUNDY
NO BLACK- IT'S GOLD
BURGUNDY AND GOLD - Two colors, not four,not three. They are an old team. That being said, I never see them wearing Burguny jerseys and Gold pants (the way god intended).The stupid white jerseys with burgundy pants started when Jay Schroeder was QB. He was easily confused, so the coach had the team wear white at home and away. How about those "Doctor Dentons" all white uniforms! What crap. If god had intended the Redskins wear white at home- they'ed be a hockey team.

Jeremy said...

Paul Lukas with too much caffeine on line 1.

Brien said...

You would think such a big Redskins fan as Anonymous would get the joking reference to head coach Zorn star.

J-Red said...

I'm laughing out loud at home. I knew maroon and black would irritate someone, but not in that way.

Grant said...

Redskins fans are neither known for humility nor intelligence.

Dan Snyder isn't either.

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