Labor Negotiations

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If you're tired of hearing about NFL labor, if you're weary of billionaires vs. millionaires, well, get used to it. For the next six months that's all you'll be discussing when it comes to football. Know why? This is why.

"If there's no agreement by the end of March," said one NFL player with intimate knowledge of the negotiations, "then there won't be until September or October. And I don't think there will be an agreement by March."


Drew Brees might have a lot more time to hit the golf course this offseason. (AP)
"I think this is going to be bloody," he added.

Oh, crap. Here we go. Crap.

I don't believe you, I told him. No way the golden goose gets cooked. The goose is laying too many fabulously juicy eggs.

"If you heard the language emerging from that meeting ... it's far worse than people generally know," he said.

Here we go. Crap.

What are these negotiations like, he was asked?

"The movie Braveheart," he said.

(Why does everyone compare everything to Braveheart?)

The player's explanation made total sense. In one scene, the protagonist, William Wallace, moments before a battle, goes to the middle of the battlefield to negotiate with a representative of King Edward Longshanks. Wallace knows he's going to fight the army so the negotiation is pointless but he does it anyway, and in the end antagonizes Longshanks' representative. Negotiations end and the battle proceeds.

The player said both the owners and players are William Wallace (not a sentence you'll read every day). They are negotiating knowing nothing will come of those discussions in the short term and that eventually a battle will ensue.

"Neither side is giving an inch," the player said. "Half an inch."

That explains why future negotiating sessions were called off.

The true outcome of the meetings, it seems, is a sense of how entrenched both sides have become. Some in the union are starting to genuinely fear not only will there be a lockout but there will be a protracted one that could last into the season.

My guess: The league, not the players, wants the current agreement to end. Owners, to some degree, desire the players brought to their knees and are willing to endure the bad publicity -- and potential loss of customer loyalty -- in order to get a better long-term deal.

Related links
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Pete Prisco
It's ugly. And expect it to get worse. But don't get worked into a tizzy over it. It's called negotiating. Read More >>
Related links
Scheduled labor negotiating session cancelled
Ownership meeting on labor updates called off

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Inside the NFL: Discussing collective bargaining

There is also this piece of truth: The NFL has become our crack. Its popularity, for the foreseeable future, is unshakeable. If games are missed and you become angry, it won't matter, because you'll be back. We'll all be back.

This isn't baseball. This isn't the 1950s. Before its labor issues and steroid scandals baseball was on its way to semi-fossil-dom. Football is just hitting its stride. It's the sport of the future and will be that way for the next 20 years. Nothing can stop it, not even the impending lockout foolishness.

Football to fans: I may be away for awhile because of a lockout.

Fans to football: Do that and we're no longer BFFs. I'll never watch you again.

Football: Yes you will.

Fan: No I won't.

Football: You will. I'm crack. Here's a taste. Take a hit. You know you wanna'.

Fan: OK.

Football: Remember that feeling?

Fan: Yeeesssssss! Give me more!

Did you notice how many people watched the Pro Bowl? A putrid 55-41 game drew the highest ratings in over a decade. When people are so desperate for football that they watch the Pro Bowl in massive numbers, it says a great deal.

The player was asked the odds of a lockout being avoided.

"The same as me becoming president of Egypt," he said.

Well, there might be an opening soon.

Here we go.

Crap.

For more from Mike Freeman, check him out on Twitter: @realfreemancbs

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The other side of the Arthur Boylan vacation
Posted by Mike Florio on July 10, 2011, 2:46 PM EDT

AP

We’ve given U.S. Magistrate Jude Arthur Boylan a hard time lately for his decision to go on vacation during one of the most critical junctures of the labor talks.

And we’re not the only ones perplexed by Boylan’s decision to bail. “If he wants a seat at the ‘big boys’ table, he could change or skip his vacation,” one team executive said. “To be known as the ‘man who saved football’ would be a nice swap.”

But in the hopes of being fair to Judge Boylan (and of not being audited in the near future), there’s another side to this story. The NFL and the players have known for weeks about Judge Boylan’s vacation plans. And yet they continued to spend only two days per week in face-to-face meetings. When by all appearances a marathon session over Fourth of July weekend could have possibly resulted in an agreement in principle, it’s hard for the NFL or the players to credibly complain about Judge Boylan refusing to sacrifice his well-documented vacation plans.

Also, it could be that Judge Boylan, like the rest of us, is sick of the constant chorus of “we’re close, we’re close” coming from the talks. Maybe he finally realized that they’re going to string this out until the last possible point at which the preseason can be saved, and that he concluded that point won’t come at any point before July 19.

Also, let’s not forget what Judge Boylan has accomplished. After he was appointed to mediate, the buzz in the Minnesota legal community was that Judge Boylan could get it done. After some on the league’s side of the table sneered at Judge Boylan’s inexperience in such complex matters, he rolled up his sleeves and figured out the issues. After the talks had stalled, he took Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith to lunch, helping the two men forge the kind of relationship that is critical not just to a short-term deal but also to long-term labor peace. After the talks nearly imploded on June 30, Judge Boylan clunked the two sides’ heads together like Moe on Larry and Curly, giving the process the kick in the ass it so desperately needed.

It was Judge Boylan who wanted to keep working after midnight in Minnesota on July 1. It was Judge Boylan who wanted to spend the three-day weekend finishing the job. Thus, when considering the totality of the situation, it looks like Judge Boylan has personally done more to get this thing done than anyone else.

At this point, the lowest-paid guy in the room fully deserves a break. And if the NFL and the players can’t find a way to communicate over the next week without the mediator/chaperon present, they fully deserve what they’ll eventually get.

Great article. I thought Boylan was a bitch for going on vacation. I think I know exactly what he's doing. He stood up to everyone and told them "Fuck You, I'm Out! I've done everything I can. Just get the shit done. Let me know if you two sides pull your head out of your asses and figure it out earlier than your apparent bullshit preseason deadline of July 19th."

He still can be the 'Man Who Saved Football'

Its coming.

ProFootballTalkProFootballTalk
Drew Brees says on XX 1090 that deal is "very close," and that a "few details" remain.


ProFootballTalkProFootballTalk
Drew Brees also says that the current players fully intend to take care of the retired players in the next CBA.

According to the media in general, the fight between the owners and players of the National Football League is all over but the shouting. Adam Schefter has reported that everything has now come down to agreement on the rookie wage scale. It has become a sticking point because both sides feel as if they have given up more than enough and so this one last stumbling block is proving difficult to overcome. At least that is what the media would have you believe. Judge Boylan returns for a meeting with both sides on July 19th and then the owners are scheduled to meet in Atlanta on July 21st. That is now the date being floated as when the owners are to ratify the new CBA. Then the transition rules kick in and the season begins. Just a walk through the park, right? Maybe.



Does anyone else find it interesting that the sacrifice of the Hall of Fame game is being treated as if it's significance is about the same as the proverbial drop in the ocean? I know that this is just another 'meaningless' preseason game, but it does have a revenue tag attached to it (reportedly $60 Million) and I thought that conventional wisdom was that there was just too much at stake here for us to lose any of the season. It now appears that some of the season is lost. If the season starts July 28th as planned, then there just isn't time to get the teams ready for the game scheduled on August 7th. Devin Hester was quoted a couple of days ago as saying he would need at least 10 days of practice before he would think about stepping on the field with another team in a game situation. The loss of the first preseason game doesn't seem to have rung any warning bells even though gallons of virtual ink have been spilled telling us that it just won't happen. Tsunami's are normally preceded by small waves that are used to predict them. Nah, it just can't happen, can it?

Here is the schedule being proposed in the 'transition rules'.



•July 1 (July 21) -- Educate the clubs on the new league rules and allow voluntary training for teams and agents.
•July 5 (July 25) -- Sign undrafted rookies, as well as give free agents a chance to re-sign with their teams.
•July 8 (July 28) -- League year starts and free agency begins.
•July 13 (Aug. 2) -- Rosters must be set at 90 players.
•July 14 (Aug. 3) -- Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
•July 18 (Aug. 7 ) -- A four-day match period for teams to match restricted free-agent offer sheets.
•July 23 (Aug 12) -- Deadline for rookies to sign contracts (not yet agreed upon).
•July 27 (Aug. 16) -- Signing period for restricted free agents ends, as does the signing period for franchise and transition tenders.
•Aug. 9 (Aug. 29) -- Deadline for players to report to earned credit for an accrued season toward free agency.

This is all assuming that we actually get a handshake agreement and that the Owners actually ratify it. There seems to be a tenuous feeling of hope that this is going to happen, but of course we can't possibly know anything for sure. The current deal requires the rookie wage scale to be cut in half in terms of dollar amounts. Owners are tired of paying top dollar for unproven players, many of whom turn out to be busts. Actually, many veteran players feel the same way. How would you feel if you had been doing a job very well for the last five years and some new guy who's never even done the same job as you gets hired off the street for more money than you make? The lack of a rookie wage scale/cap was ridiculous. The real issue here is the length of contracts for rookies. The players want to keep those at four years and the owners want them to go longer. They are squabbling now about the details of how to make that work.

I just wonder which side will have the bigger black eye once all is said and done. Once this CBA is actually put out in the world for all to see, it will become apparent very quickly which side seems to have 'won' this battle. The press will jump on this like rabid wolves on a young Elk, they will tear it limb from limb looking for answers to that question.

For My part, I have supported the owners more so than the players in this. It is my opinion that they players are the ones who pushed the button throwing this thing into nuclear winter to begin with. Player salaries will always be a sensitive issue, but it has to be one that the owners control when it comes to overall profitability of the league. How many times have we heard the statement, "Nobody in the NFL wants to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs"? The owners share this sentiment with the players. One thing is for sure, both sides know where the butter for their bread comes from. The fact that the owners had made plans to lose a season should tell you how serious they were about making changes to this CBA. Business is, afterall, Business. You can't continue operations without profits and the owners saw that writing on the wall. Pointing to the Jerry Jones's and the Bob Kraft's of the league to make the case that teams are lying about the profit mantra is fallacy. The clubs in the league are as one when it comes to profits because of the revenue sharing. They made the only decision (opting out of the CBA) that they reasonably could make for the future of their respective franchises. The profit sea must make all boats rise and that means that the larger market ones do have the potential to make even more.

For those that want to point to the owners opting out of the CBA as the reason for this mess, just remember this, the lockout came after the decertification and lawsuit--not the other way around. Opting out was written into the last CBA (and agreed to by the way by both sides) for just this purpose. Exercising that option was no ploy, it was a straight forward signal that things had to change. The owners were at the table waiting for the players all the way through. The players are the ones that decided to step away and enter the self destruct code.

The players, for their part, had over two years to discuss how to make these changes and instead, chose to stick out their collective tongues at the owners time and again. They were not negotiating, they shut down and began preparing for war by hiring their own attack dog lawyer. When they were approached over this matter, they just said they were only interested in leaving things the way they were. It is going to be very interesting to see just what kind of deal gets brokered. If it goes heavily in the owners favor, as is now the case being speculated, those same players need to ask themselves if they could have gotten a better deal if they had sat down and talked meaningfully with the owners way back there when there was more than enough time to arm wrestle over the details.

To have gone so far afield as to actually decertify the union and initiate law suits against the owners just seems beyond the pale when you consider that this fight was about money. Remember that. This was not some monumental case about workers rights. Hell, this wasn't even about reducing take home dollars for the players. This was about sharing revenues. The reactionary move of decertifying the union was, in this instance, akin to buying a new car when the the one you have just needs new tires. Make no mistake here, the players didn't do this all alone. They took some bad advice. They made the choice of going out and getting a heavy hitter of a lawyer to represent them that had never played a down in the NFL. Something about that kind of screams 'bad choice'. The lawyers are a necessary evil to be sure, but somebody who knows the game needed to hold that leash.

Gene Upshaw got a great deal on behalf of the NFLPA, not because he was a lawyer, but because he was an insider who knew how to negotiate. Is it surprising that no progress of any merit was made in this case until the lawyers were told to stay home? DeMaurice Smith can be the best lawyer in the world, but that has little to do with the owners and the players understanding what it's like to run teams and play the greatest game on earth. The only good thing about this is that maybe, now that the players know that lockouts will be allowed, they won't try anymore of this litigious drawing of lines in the dirt (see the insert below about 'certifying' the class in the class action). The players have talked for years about how this legal ploy was in their back pocket as their last resort if they needed it. In fact, some even bragged about it. Well, Wild Bill, ya played the ace up yer sleeve and it didn't work. What next?

Will we play football or won't we? If you believe the talking heads it looks increasingly like we will, but nobody is guaranteeing anything quite yet. There are still several hurdles to clear and anyone of them could take a deal right off the table. Not the least of which are reports like these from actual players concerning the pundits recent elation about a deal being so close.




"All that is hype coming from the owners side to try and put pressure on us to do a deal," an unnamed player told Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, as Rosenthal pointed out Monday. "They want to make us look bad. It's simply not true. There is a lot of work to be done. They are not close. Consider where that information is coming from, it's the owners. Their reason is to try and create all this false hope to put more pressure on us."

The unnamed player added that he'll be "shocked" if a deal is completed within the next 10 days.

On top of that, there is some concern about what is currently going on with the pending class action Tom Brady et al lawsuit. Jeff Kessler is playing the role of the players Frodo Baggins by carrying on with this lawsuit (the NFL ring of power as it were) beyond sensibility and saftey with the apparent ultimate intention of destroying that ring of power by throwing it in the cracks of Mount Doom (Judge Susan Nelson's courtroom). The players lawyers are pushing Judge Nelson to 'certify' the class in this class action in an effort to preserve the players option of decertifying in the future. Per Mike Florio at PFT:


It could be that the players' lawyers, led by Jeffrey Kessler and Jim Quinn (pictured), are using the certification process as leverage to get the league to agree to permit the players to pull the same maneuver in the future, with the use of language that makes it easier to decertify and sue before the expiration of the CBA. Or it could be that Kessler and Quinn are pushing certification since it would delay the process, making it more likely that the players will opt to permit Kessler and Quinn to pursue that $12 billion antitrust verdict, which can happen only if a full season is missed.

Is lining the lawyers pockets really in the best interest of football? It would seem that the owners will never agree to leaving these loose ends laying about out there. If Frodo ends victorious as in the Lord Of The Rings movies, it might just derail the season. Middle earth will be saved again, but the NFL as we know it could be destroyed.

Then there are the concerns about the quality of a season where games are lost and ample time is not taken for preseason activities. Consider that the players are getting more out of shape with each passing day. When exactly was the last report of practice sessions? June what? Oh don't worry, these players are professionals and keeping themselves in shape is just a given--right, and I have a few acres of swampland in Arizona for sale. Given the state of the players and the possibility of this thing dragging on and on, the preseason (if there is one) should be a real scream. If there isn't a preseason, the first few games of the season will look like a Keystone Kops movie. I hope the punters are in shape, they're going to be busy.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, WILL we have football this fall? Upon further review, the answer today is the exact same answer we've had since March 11. WHO KNOWS? "Oh", you say, "What about the transition rules"? Surely that means that things are on track, right? A curious tweet might just give you second thoughts.




An interesting tweet from The NY Daily News this morning - basically calling out the NFL for having a contingency plan to play a partial season if the CBA isn't resolved by the end of the month.

via TheBlueScreen twitter feed:

Report says NFL could have new agreement by July 21, open FA on July 28.

...

Always read the fine print. Same report says the NFL has a transition plan in place just in case the new CBA isn't done until ... October.

What are we to think about this? Is this ‘just in case' or is this a likelihood?

Good question. Unfortunately, answers are just as scarce on July 11th as they were on March 11th. Back then all the smart money was on having a season because it "wasn't even June yet" so nothing was at risk. Funny, June has come and gone and now the preseason is at risk. Will the smart money keep blindly saying the same thing until the money is forfeit? At some point the smart money changes it's tune. There are so many moving parts of this train, it truly boggles the mind when trying to figure out if it's forward momentum can be slowed enough to be diverted to the side track of a 2011 football season. For all we really know, we could be a hair's breadth from where the NHL was in 2004 when last ditch efforts were made and failed. The owners are said to be determined to have a deal to ratify on the 21st of this month. You have to wonder just how much the players care about the owners level of 'determination'.

First it was June, then it was the fourth of July, next came July 15th, most recently July 17th (what a joke--none of these guys work on Sundays in the off season) and now we're being told July 21st for ratification and July 28th for start of season. Or maybe October if you are into tweeting. Are these dates just being foisted on us because the 'media' (who definitely have a vested and hopeful interest) know that they're about all that's left if we are to have a 'normal' season? Or are we to believe the coaches who say they have been told by their front offices that camps will open on time and only the Hall of Fame game will be sacrificed? What happens when we hit August 1st and we are still being bombarded with stories about how close yet how far the two sides are to/from an agreement? Will the first week of preseason games then fall by the wayside, unnoticed in the frenzy to assure everyone that the season will be played in totality?

More questions without answers. Believe it when you see the first kickoff. Until then, don't abandon your plans for bake sales at church on Sunday's this fall. It could still end up as the only game in town.

down to agreeing on the rookie cap. Players want 4 years and the owners want longer contracts. This looks like its going to happen here pretty quickly.

Yeah just read they made great progress on the rookie cap today. Owners gave in a little. And that there isn't much left in the way now after Rookie Wage Scale. Saying a deal in principle could be announced between Friday and Tuesday.

AdamSchefterAdam Schefter

Filed to ESPN: two sides agreed to new Rookie Pay System. Still i's to dot, t's to cross on rookie system, but it's not impediment to deal.

A source with knowledge of the NFL talks told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio on Thursday night that the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement are headed toward a settlement.

The sides have agreed in principle to a rookie wage system, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter earlier Thursday evening. Since that is no longer an impediment to a deal, the source told Paolantonio, "both sides are intent on working through each issue line by line to get this deal done."

In the time since the rookie wage system was overcome, the progress has been significant with almost unforeseen momentum, surprising even the participants, another source said.





NFL Labor Negotiations and Lockout

The NFL lockout began on March 11, but an end appears near. ESPN.com Topics keeps you up to date on all of the latest on the labor situation. More »


With the sides working at a frenzied pace, they reached a tentative agreement to make the 2011 salary cap $120 million, a source told ESPN.com NFL senior writer John Clayton.

Since February, the players have been willing to accept a $141 million player cost number -- which includes both salaries and benefits paid to players -- per team, multiple sources told Clayton. By agreeing to a $120 million cap, the players allow $21 million per team to be in benefits. Now that a cap number has been formed, teams need to determine the minimum cash payroll number, or what teams will be required to spend.

The guaranteed spend forces every team to put up more than 90 percent of the salary cap in cash each season. A couple of weeks ago, the owners talked about having the guaranteed spend number at close to 100 percent of the salary cap, according to sources. That number and percentage could still be adjusted.

The 2009 cap was $123 million but was moved by $5 million to $128 million due to a one-time adjustment called a cash adjustment mechanism. The change is an aberrational adjustment, due to the fact that 2009 was the last capped season of the previous CBA.

Last season was an uncapped year.

Because a 2011 salary cap of $120 million could cause problems for teams such as Dallas, Pittsburgh and others that currently spend more than that, one of the provisions being discussed is a one-player cap exemption for each team, according to a source. That exemption would be a $3 million credit in 2011 that would count against benefits paid out, a source said. That exemption, which could drop to $1.5 million next year, could save the jobs of players.

The exemption transition would be similar to the minimum salary benefit that allows teams to sign a veteran player to a one-year contract at a greatly reduced cap number. Full details of that option weren't immediately announced.

The work to be done could still scuttle a deal, but that is unlikely, a source told ESPN. A player source told ESPN's Andrew Brandt that the sudden surge in progress is due to a "sense of urgency" arriving in the talks Thursday.

A player source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that talks were beginning to wrap up for the night around 10 p.m. ET "on a positive note." The source said talks are expected to pick up on the same note at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, and NFLPA lawyer Jeffrey Kessler told ESPN after Thursday's 13-hour session that the sides could stay through the weekend.

Sources told Mortensen that the two sides continued to work on open issues including workman's compensation, right-of-first-refusals on this year's free agent class, settlement on the television damages and the Brady vs. NFL antitrust case and issues relating to commercial sponsorships.

Additionally, owners want the NFL Players Association to recertify as a union and settle all grievances through arbitration without judicial oversight. To gain advantages on many of the remaining issues, sources say the players may be willing to grant the owners' request for a comprehensive arbitration system without judicial oversight, a thorn in the owners' side since 1993 on grievance cases that have been appealed to U.S. District Judge David Doty.

In exchange for the NFLPA surrendering judicial oversight of the pending agreement, an overhaul of the NFL-NFLPA arbitration system is in the works, sources told Mortensen. It would include a panel of former judges to serve as arbitrators.

Although sources had told Mortensen earlier Thursday that commissioner discipline would be subject to arbitrator appeal, sources said late Thursday night that was unlikely. However, other matters of discipline, including drug suspensions, will still be subject to review under the proposed system, the sources said. Terms are still being negotiated, according to sources.

The players currently are unwilling to grant NFL teams extra right-of-first-refusals on this year's free agent class, because many of those free agents were restricted under last year's uncapped system. Owners have asked that they have the right to designate three free agents whose contracts with other teams they would have the right to match.

It is unclear whether the talks will shift to Minneapolis on Monday. Judge Arthur Boylan, the court-ordered mediator who is on vacation in Ireland, has ordered both sides to meet in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 19. But if the deal is completed, or close to completion, the negotiators may stay in New York at the Manhattan law firm where the complex work is slowly coming to a close.

The rookie wage system had been a key part of that complex work in recent weeks. Exact language of the rookie wage system is being worked out by both sides' lawyers, sources told Mortensen, but a management negotiator agreed that the rookie system was "done."

According to sources, the terms agreed to on the rookie wage system are, in part, as follows:

• Five-year contracts, with a team option for the fifth year.

• If the team option is exercised, in the fifth year the top 10 picks would receive a salary equal to the average of the top 10 player salaries at their respective positions. That money would be guaranteed if the option is exercised after the third year of the contract.

• If the team option is exercised, in the fifth year picks 11-32 would receive a salary equal to the average of the Nos. 3-25 salaries at their respective positions. That money would be guaranteed if the option is exercised after the third year of the contract.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and eight of the 10 members of the owners' labor committee were present at Thursday's session, including Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and John Mara of the New York Giants. Two new participants Thursday were Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy and San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos.

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a half-dozen current or former players also were there, including Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, Baltimore Ravens defensive back Domonique Foxworth and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. Umenyiora is one of 10 player plaintiffs in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the league.

Sources told ESPN that Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Tyson Clabo, a pending free agent, also is in attendance.

Despite the progress, Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth said as he left Thursday's NFL negotiations: "All the reports that are floating around, there really is no deal until our players approve it."

With deadlines coming up next week to get training camps and the preseason started, one owner told ESPN's Paolantonio on Wednesday that owners are trying to figure out how to get the league operational in time "so that we don't lose a week of preseason and we don't lose $200 million."

The Hall of Fame game that opens the exhibition season is scheduled for Aug. 7 between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, who hope to be able to start training camp at the end of next week.

All of this shit over 8 million in cap. Tho owners are going to have to spend more on the floor, i dont see where they think they are saving money. The rookie scale is way overdue, just curious to see how the fixed slot looks.

Get ready Arrowhead Pride!

Kansas City put on your Sunday Chiefs best, because NFL football is coming back in Kansas City. The Owners and the Players are as close to being done as we have seen them be yet, on every major issue in order to hammer out a new CBA.

Free Agency Restrictions… Almost Done!

Rookie Salary Cap? Almost Done!

Salary Cap max? Almost Done!

Revenue Split? Pffft… was it ever really an issue? Almost Done!

So get ready!

Pre-order your Jonathan Baldwin jerseys, or be a more sophisticated Chiefs fan and have a Jerrell Powe jersey made up just for you. Heck, be a true loyal American and have a Ricky Stanzi Pro Bowl Chiefs jersey custom made so you feel as red, white and blue as he does in your new statement about your insider fandom.

The NFL is going to be back, it will happen quickly, and be one of the most exciting Free Agency signing periods in history. I promise if you blink, you will miss it. If the speculation is correct, then Free Agency will begin on July 25th and be the most frantic spending period we have ever seen in the NFL. So that doesn’t give you much time Arrowhead Pride.

You have 9 days. Are you ready?

Who are the Chiefs going to pick up?

We have heard multiple reports about the Chiefs Salary Cap. Too many to get an accurate read on what is true and what is false. Some people have gone on record saying the Chiefs will be about $50 million under the Salary Cap floor. Example:

The new Salary Cap $120 Million.

The Salary floor has been said to be around 93%(not solid info) of that, which would put the Salary Cap Floor at: $108 Million +. Everyone has heard that the NFL teams are going to have to at least hit this number when finishing up their payroll for the 2011 season in a cash amount.

If they were $50 million under that, then the Chiefs payroll is only at about $58 Million dollars right now. I believe that to be false information and do not know what the real numbers are. Do you, does MN (read this), Does Aiken, Does Joel? I have no correct idea.

A lot more talk after the jump...







What has become clear is that the salaries of Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson are going to add to that number. Plus, Mike Vrabel retiring to go Coach at Ohio State is going to take away from that number as well. So regardless of the exact particulars, the Chiefs are going to be in a position to spend some money this crazy offseason. A lot of money, enough money to re-sign Tamba Hali, Brandon Carr, Wallace Gilberry and any other Chief that they want to offer a contract to.

That means we could see contract extensions for Brandon Flowers, Branden Albert, Dwayne Bowe or Glenn Dorsey this season, front loaded to give us extra room for the 2012 season.

I don’t want to get anyone too excited (lie), but the Chiefs have enough money that they will be able to afford any Free Agent on the market, and sign all of their players. That is the talk anyway.

A lot Chiefs fans on Arrowhead Pride and around the country are very skeptical about the Chiefs signing any big name Free Agents this year, and that feeling is rightfully so. In the past few seasons, the Chiefs have been at the bottom of the league in Salary and have not broken the bank in Free Agency.

However, I see a team that went out and got the best General Manager available in Scott Pioli and was thrifty during a rebuild. This rebuild was different from the Carl Peterson rebuilds of the past. The Chiefs didn’t go out and sign any older overpriced Free Agents, the Chiefs went young and they went cheap.

I have a theory that they did that in order to spend money wisely for a Super Bowl run in future seasons. 2011 is one of the future seasons included in my theoretical group. I predict that that Scott Pioli will surprise us all during this signing period like he did in the draft, when he selected Jonathan Baldwin in the First Round with the 26th overall pick.

Think about it. Didn’t that shock you?

Expect to be shocked come Free Agency.

Is Cowboys LT Doug Free a possibility? What about Raiders CB Nmandi Asomugha? Neither are likely, but who knows. Scott Pioli says he wants a Championship caliber football team in Kansas City, and I think this year we will see that happen. The question is how?


"My job is not to collect talent, it’s to build a team," Pioli stated upon his arrival in Kansas City. "Individuals make Pro Bowls, teams win championships. That’s our goal here. Win championships, win football games — to build this team with the right kind of people, with the right kind of players, to consistently compete for championships." here

Will the Chiefs go big or stay home? History with Scott Pioli here and in New England tells us no, but I think Pioli wants everyone to think they have him all figured out. During the draft, I sure thought I had him figured out with the whole "Right 53" mantra, and then they take Baldwin and Georgia LB Justin Houston. Neither of whom, 24 hours prior to the draft would have been lumped into that category at all.

So expect the unexpected, but get ready.

Start cleaning up your tailgating gear, and start honing your trash talking for outsider AFC West fans.

Who is going to training camp in St. Joseph, and what is your itinerary going to be once you get there?

What bar are you going to watch the Chiefs at this season, or are you going to get out to Arrowhead for every home game?

There are some football decisions that fans are going to have to start making soon that have been put on the back burner, because we were unsure of the future. There are questions that need to be answered, such as:

What fantasy players will you be choosing from the Chiefs, and what is the highest spot you would draft them in?

Does Arrowhead Pride need a Fantasy Football League competition?

Who will you brag about having a breakout season in Kansas City, so that you can look like a genius when it happens at your Red Sunday Chiefs parties in your Man Cave?

What beer goes best with a Chiefs Super Bowl victory?

Make your Free Agents wish lists today, and figure out who will make this team even better for 2011. As it stands now, even without making a single move via Free Agency. I truly believe the Chiefs have a legitimate chance to win the division and the Super Bowl this season. With a few smart moves, this team will only get better, but what will those moves be?

Will new OC Bill Muir call any plays this season? Personally, I think that Todd Haley will call the plays and that he will do a phenomenal job, especially on fourth down..........

Can Jamaal Charles rush for 2000 yards?

Will Dwayne Bowe be even better than last season with Jonathan Baldwin freeing him up?

Is it possible that the Chiefs have the best secondary in football, and will Eric Berry get even better?

What effect will Jim Zorn have on Matt Cassel and the Kansas City Chiefs potent passing attack. Which will only get better if they add one of the gifted receivers available in Free Agency soon? I mean come on: Santana Moss, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith (Giants), Steve Breaston, Mike Sims-Walker, Danny Amendola, Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Early Doucet, Eric Weems, Brad Smith, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jacoby Jones, James Jones, Lance Moore, Mark Clayton, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burres, Chad Johnson… okay so maybe not those last four. Though, if they were brought in to camp, it would definitely be interesting.

Our Grumpy Head Coach is a receivers guy first, so I am sure that at least a few of those bodies have him excited about what they could do for the Chiefs in terms of X’s and O’s.

Though more importantly Arrowhead Pride. The Kansas City Chiefs season is right around the corner. The NFLPA and Owners have been negotiation like crazy (literally like crazy people) agreeing to this and that lately. Just check the SB Nation news line; there are good news stories galore. We were all somewhat worried that the NFL season would be delayed, but I am not going to worry anymore.

It is going to happen. There will be an NFL season in 2011… Maybe??? (Don’t you just love when they say that?)

Resign all of our guys plus, Franklin, Breaston, Clabo = a Fucking Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, I would love to have ANY of those recievers outside of the last 5 on the list. I think that any of them would push our offense to a prolific level. I could see us going out and getting a Steve Smith, Mike Sims-Walker, Danny Ammendola, James Jones, or a Brad Smith and of course Steve Breaston has obvious ties with our head coach.

New deal adds $1 billion in benefits for retired players
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 18, 2011, 5:39 PM EDT
DeMaurice Smith AP

As the NFL and NFLPA* continue to march toward an apparent deal to end the lockout, more information is coming out about what they’ve agreed to do for the retired players, who have consistently insisted that their needs have to be considered as part of any deal.

According to multiple reports, the proposed new Collective Bargaining Agreement includes $1 billion in new benefits for retired players over the life of the 10-year deal.

More than $600 million will be put into the “Legacy Fund” for retired players over the next 10 years.

We’ll be interested in hearing how retired players react to the new CBA, which from all indications will be ratified on Thursday. On first blush, it sounds like a good deal for them.

Owners ratify settlement in major step toward ending NFL lockout

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2011, 7:06 PM EDT


In a major step toward ending the NFL lockout, the league’s owners have voted to ratify a proposal settling the players’ antitrust litigation.

This was the key vote that had been anticipated at this NFL owners’ meeting for weeks, but it doesn’t end the lockout in and of itself. The players still need to accept the settlement, and to vote to re-certify their union. Then the owners and players would agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and get back to work.

According to NFL Network, the owners voted 31-0 to approve the settlement, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining.

NFLPA* members will hold a conference call this evening at which they, too, may hold a vote, and if the players accept the same terms that the owners voted to accept, the lockout will be very close to an end.

Fucking Raiders!

Goodell says facilities can open Saturday, league year can start Wednesday
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2011, 7:33 PM EDT
roger-goodell-getty Getty Images

Although the NFLPA* hasn’t accepted anything yet, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says today’s vote of NFL owners means that team facilities can open in less than 48 hours.

“We will be prepared to open the training facilities beginning on Saturday — this Saturday,” Goodell said at the NFL owners’ meeting. “We will then be prepared to start the new league year next Wednesday, subject to the full membership of the players ratifying the agreement and re-certifying as a union.”

So from Goodell’s perspective, the ball is squarely in the players’ court: The owners will be ready to go ASAP, but that depends on the players ratifying and re-certifying.

For his part, Goodell seems to think the players agreeing should be smooth sailing.

“The clubs approved an agreement that was negotiated with the players,” Goodell said. “We also approved a supplemental revenue sharing agreement for the next 10 years.”

Goodell said he’s been in regular contact with NFLPA* Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

“I just spoke to DeMaurice probably 20 minutes ago,” Goodell said. “He’s going to go take care of his business.”
[i][u][b]

Amen Hallelujah Praise Jesus Motherfuckers!!!! This shit is done!

I wonder is Jeffrey Kessler has been castrated yet!

Report: De Smith tells player reps there is “no agreement” with NFL

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 8:08 PM EDT


To put a twist on T.O.’s catch phrase, get your cold water ready.

After several days in which it looked like the NFLPA* was making an eleventh-hour power play against the league, it could be that the league is trying to make a twelfth-hour power play against the NFLPA*.

And it looks like it won’t work.

On the heels of an ominous e-mail that was directed by an unknown sender (likely Jeffrey Kessler) to unknown recipients (likely the board of player representatives), Jim Trotter of SI.com and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen have obtained a copy of the e-mail sent by NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith to the board of player representatives.

Here’s the full text, as Trotter posted on Twitter, with edits to make it more easily readable.

“As you know the Owners have ratified their proposal to settle our differences,” the e-mail states. “It is my understanding they are forwarding it to us. As you may have heard, they apparently approved a supplemental revenue sharing proposal. Obviously, we have not been a part of those discussions. As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved. There is no agreement between the NFL and the Players at this time. I look forward to our call tonight.”

Gulp.

Folks, there’s no way the NFLPA* will be approving the deal tonight or passing it along to the players for a vote. And once the league has to start canceling preseason weeks and not just one preseason game, real money is going to disappear — and the chances of getting a deal done will diminish.

I guess Kessler's got a third ball or something. And I started counting my chickens before they hatched.

I agree, it looks like its fucked until at least the middle of next week

Damn players what else do they want. The NFL has given in to them and gave them almost everything they asked for.

Report: NFLPA* expected to meet Monday, recommend ratification of deal
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 23, 2011, 6:24 PM EDT

We’ve been so “close” to the end of the lockout for so long that we hesitate to get too excited about any report.

With that disclaimer out of the way, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has news that should make football fans smile from coast to coast.

After “significant progress” was made Saturday, Mort reports the NFLPA* executive committee is expected to meet in Washington D.C. Monday to recommend the ratification of the next collective bargaining agreement.

“De Smith and Roger Goodell have worked directly to assure that nothing goes off path,” Mortensen writes. “Expect a presser Monday.”

It’s uncertain how the hanging details were settled and whether there will be a seven-year opt out for the ten-year deal. After the union reconstitutes, the two sides will still have to collectively bargain issues like player discipline.

DeMaurice Smith has reportedly assured Goodell that those issues would be handled in time for the first full week of the preseason to go on schedule. The NFL’s labor committee had a conference call Saturday that helped push the ball forward.

“Welcome back football,” Adam Schefter writes.

NFL Network’s Albert Breer is a little less certain in his timeline. He reports talks are ongoing and the NFLPA* executive committee is on “standby” for Monday.

We’ve learned that a deal isn’t done until it’s done, so we’re tempering our optimism slightly.

But folks that had July 25th in their office lockout pool should be feeling pretty good.

I feel like a pornstar trying to save his load for the end of the shoot! It's starting to feel real good, but no more 2-pump-chump for me! The lockout's not over til it's over.

All points have been agreed on. Lockout = OVER