Florio gets it right; what the players may not understand about an uncapped year

[Pats726]

ProFootballTalk.com - Union Needs To Be More Candid With Players About The “Uncapped Year”

Florio can be a real jerk at times and more like the ESPNers...but once in awhile he really hits the nail on the head...and this is one time he brings some points up on the uncapped year that the players are missing...nothing that many here do not understand, but none the less concise and to the point.

 

[TimU]

Great link. I had no idea about much of this. If history is any guide, the league will really stick it to the players here. NFLPA is a lame outfit relative to the baseball union.

Why do you call Florio a jerk? He has a great website for the football fan!

 

[spacecrime]

ProFootballTalk.com - Union Needs To Be More Candid With Players About The “Uncapped Year”

Florio can be a real jerk at times and more like the ESPNers...but once in awhile he really hits the nail on the head...and this is one time he brings some points up on the uncapped year that the players are missing...nothing that many here do not understand, but none the less concise and to the point.

Yeah, no news to those who followed discussions here, but at least Florio took a step away from regurgitating press releases and self-serving "quotes" and actually looked into the issue with some thought.

I always wondered what it would be like if ESPN, instead of running with sensatinalistic storylines, actually reported news and questioned the validity of sources' information. I guess it would look like Florio's article.

One thing for sure, it will be an interesting year.

 

[Pats726]

Great link. I had no idea about much of this. If history is any guide, the league will really stick it to the players here. NFLPA is a lame outfit relative to the baseball union.

Why do you call Florio a jerk? He has a great website for the football fan!

It is a very good site with a lot of interesting things, but there have been times that he has been more ESPN in the anti-Patriot mode than anything close to neutral or fair. I think if you were one who read a lot of what he has peddled you would understand that.
The owners will be the ones sticking it to the players...and if that happens that will be to the leagues detriment.
While the NLFPA ,ight be considered lame, I would not want it to be anything like the baseball union who I think had a hand in ruining baseball.

 

[jmt57]

I wouldn't say Florio is anti-any one NFL team - though many fans of all 32 teams think he hates their team and loves their opponents. But I do agree he sometimes mimics his former employer, espn with his business plan. In order to increase web traffic he is constantly trying to stir the pot and create controversy. From a business perspective I admire what he has done because it works, and he has succeeded against long odds; the web sites of the national television networks have far deeper resources in terms of staff, money, advertising and brand awareness than PFT does. However, as an NFL fan I am disappointed that he so often resorts to rumors and suggestions that are simply designed to get his audience riled up rather than offering insightful analysis.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

AD, the Pats' players rep, offhandedly admitted on WEEI more than a month ago that he had 'no idea' how an uncapped year worked or what it meant to the players. I was stunned on two counts - first because they were discussing the next labor agreement with him, and two because if he had no clue what it meant then what could the rank and file know?

I meant to post about it right away but it slipped my mind. Millions and millions at stake and theses guys don't know what's at stake? He wasn't even clear about free agency being pushed back a year. Amazing.

 

[spacecrime]

AD, the Pats' players rep, offhandedly admitted on WEEI more than a month ago that he had 'no idea' how an uncapped year worked or what it meant to the players. I was stunned on two counts - first because they were discussing the next labor agreement with him, and two because if he had no clue what it meant then what could the rank and file know?

I meant to post about it right away but it slipped my mind. Millions and millions at stake and theses guys don't know what's at stake? He wasn't even clear about free agency being pushed back a year. Amazing.

It is amazing, isn't it.

The owners are preparing for this and the players are not only not preparing, they don't even know what to prepare for.

A big complaint about ownership is that they are cold and bottom-line oriented. Well, as Al Jolson said, "You ain't heard nothin' yet."

Getcher popcorn ready.

 

[mgteich]

As is stated, 2010 is the "unfloored year" much more than the uncapped year.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Great link. I had no idea about much of this. If history is any guide, the league will really stick it to the players here. NFLPA is a lame outfit relative to the baseball union.

Why do you call Florio a jerk? He has a great website for the football fan!

The reason why people think Florio is a jerk is because he tends to beat a dead horse or bring up past stories when it is totally irrelevant.

Other than that, It was interesting to read that rookie contracts ending this year means that they become restricted free agents if 2010 is uncapped. So players like DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Greg Jennings, Brandon Marshall and Braylon Edwards will be restricted if the CBA doesn't come to an agreement. With this revelation, an uncapped year will not benefit the Pats upgrading their team as much as I thought. However, it will make it easier for them to retain their own free agents. So take your pick?

 

[mgteich]

The offensive line is the obvious example. In this unfloored season, Mankins, Gostkowski, Woods and Kaczur would be RFA's. We would simply tender them at the top tender and avoid their going anywhere. BTW, Lenon and Dave Thomas would also be RFA's.

The reason why people think Florio is a jerk is because he tends to beat a dead horse or bring up past stories when it is totally irrelevant.

Other than that, It was interesting to read that rookie contracts ending this year means that they become restricted free agents if 2010 is uncapped. So players like DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Greg Jennings, Brandon Marshall and Braylon Edwards will be restricted if the CBA doesn't come to an agreement. With this revelation, an uncapped year will not benefit the Pats upgrading their team as much as I thought. However, it will make it easier for them to retain their own free agents. So take your pick?

 

[eom]

AD, the Pats' players rep, offhandedly admitted on WEEI more than a month ago that he had 'no idea' how an uncapped year worked or what it meant to the players. I was stunned on two counts - first because they were discussing the next labor agreement with him, and two because if he had no clue what it meant then what could the rank and file know?

I meant to post about it right away but it slipped my mind. Millions and millions at stake and theses guys don't know what's at stake? He wasn't even clear about free agency being pushed back a year. Amazing.

just check the wonderlic scores --- they're football players, not businessmen or lawyers.
well, except culpepper.

 

[Deus Irae]

just check the wonderlic scores --- they're football players, not businessmen or lawyers.
well, except culpepper.

Intelligence is vastly overrated. Nancy Pelosi has the I.Q. of a grape, and she's the Speaker Of The House.

And a lot of football players are also businessmen.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Intelligence is vastly overrated. Nancy Pelosi has the I.Q. of a grape, and she's the Speaker Of The House.

And a lot of football players are also businessmen.

I think that since presently the typical starter and player rep is a multi-millionaire all over again each playing season, they're somewhat complacent about what might happen in 2010 at the moment. In contrast, once 2010 finally arrives and the Cold Hard Football Facts become blatantly apparent, expect mucho squealing from player reps and some hilarious press.

 

[eom]

favre's really going to be retired then.

I just hope somebody puts a stake in him to make sure.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Wasn't it Kraft that played a huge part in giving the players the current percentage of revenue in this latest CBA renewal?

It is going to be ugly reducing that percentage and sticking it to the rookies with a rookie cap. Should be some intense days ahead.

 

[mgteich]

I don't think the proposal you stated would make for intense days ahead. The union should have an easy answer to sticking it to the rookies, reducing the percentage, and restricting the union in viewing the financials. The easy response is "No", with no counter proposal.

Things would only get intense if the situation was close to resolution and the union needed to accept a couple of things that they didn't wan't in order to get some thing they want. We are months from that situation.

Wasn't it Kraft that played a huge part in giving the players the current percentage of revenue in this latest CBA renewal?

It is going to be ugly reducing that percentage and sticking it to the rookies with a rookie cap. Should be some intense days ahead.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

P726, thanks for the link and thread. I guess I hadn't paid close enough attention to the other threads on the topic, as this piece explained things to me in a way that I hadn't understood before.

It fuels what has always been my view; the owners are ready to play hardball and this aspect of the CBA increases the size of their kitty to do so.

The "big market" franchises, including the Patriots, will play the hardest hardball, have the most to gain and will survive any work stoppage. I think that some of the small market franchises will be in trouble at the end of the day and that the big market owners will just let them go on the grounds that there's nothing magic about "32" teams other than ease of scheduling.

 

[mgteich]

The small markets will benefit from having no new deal. A year of no cap would mean a year of paying the players MUCH, MUCH less.

P726, thanks for the link and thread. I guess I hadn't paid close enough attention to the other threads on the topic, as this piece explained things to me in a way that I hadn't understood before.

It fuels what has always been my view; the owners are ready to play hardball and this aspect of the CBA increases the size of their kitty to do so.

The "big market" franchises, including the Patriots, will play the hardest hardball, have the most to gain and will survive any work stoppage. I think that some of the small market franchises will be in trouble at the end of the day and that the big market owners will just let them go on the grounds that there's nothing magic about "32" teams other than ease of scheduling.

 

[mgteich]

Be serious! There are at least a few players on the team who have the willingness (not AD) and ability to follow the negotiations and giving input to players. If not, then the players will have to depend totally on union leadership and be glad that they have it.

To put in another way, do you think that there are one or two members of the management of the patriots who are following the negotiations? Ya think??!! Surely the players should also have someone doing the same!

just check the wonderlic scores --- they're football players, not businessmen or lawyers.
well, except culpepper.

 

[upstater1]

I still say teams will pay big bucks and the unfloored thing is only relevant for the moribund dead-end franchises.

The Patriots could take advantage of an uncapped year and set themselves up for a huge huge advantage when the cap returns. Why wouldn't Kraft, Jerry Jones and the Giants do it? We know the Redskins will be spending money.