The NFL is headed toward a season without a salary cap next year, and it will take an unexpected breakthrough in the sport's labor negotiations to avoid it. Negotiators for owners and the NFL Players Association have made modest progress toward resolving the major financial issues at stake in ongoing discussions about a possible extension of their labor deal, sources familiar with the deliberations said. However, people on both sides of the negotiations said in recent days they consider it unlikely that the owners and the players' union will complete a deal in time to prevent next season from being played minus a salary cap. In fact, one source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment publicly on the talks, said it's "becoming close to a certainty." Source: The Washington Post
At least it won't affect fantasy football. If it happens...it's going to be even harder to recover from.
Not necessarily true...There aren't going to be as many Free Agent Players as you think. Why? First of all, once you start the uncapped years, it will require SIX (not FOUR) Years of service before a player can become a Free-Agent. So all those players that think they are going to be free to test the market in 2010 and 2011 are no longer free. Any Rookie Player that signed a contract in 2007 isn't going to be available as a free agent. They'll all be RFA. Those players that signed contracts in 2006 that would normally be able to void them in 2010...no longer have that ability. Secondly, with an uncapped season, teams will no longer have one Franchise/Transition Tag to use. They will have 3!!! ONE Franchise Tag and TWO Transition Tags. This could take another 96 Free Agents off the market if the teams used all three of their tags. Let's say some teams only use one or two...this could take, let's say half or 50 players off the Free Agent Market. So now a team like the Steelers could have used the Tag on Alan Faneca AND Max Starks and you better believe they would have. All in all about 100 players that could be Free Agents, won't be available to sign. So what you would think would be a free for all, really isn't that at all. Lastly, there are spending restrictions on teams that go deep into the playoffs. I am not exactly sure how this works, but a team can't go over that restriction. So it's highly likely that you won't see Daniel Snyder spending like George Steinbrenner because he could easily go over that limit. So at first glance, this looks like it really favors the NFL Clubs. However, if this isn't resolved by 2011, there is no NFL Draft. This is where something like a new league could evolve.
Firstly, those new FA rules will only affect 2010. From 2011 there will be either no rules (because there will be no CBA) or there will be a new set of rules complying with a new CBA. The new FA rules next year will take over 200 players (thats nearly 50% of the FA market) out of the unrestricted free agency pool. Secondly, there will be one extra Transition tag making it possible for teams to use either an FT and TT or 2 x TT's. Thirdly, the spending restrictions associated with the Final Eight Plan only affect teams that make the Divisional round of the playoffs, and they are also restricted in signing a free agent for every one they lose. Teams not in the final 8 can spend and sign what they like.
I believe: Playoffs teams can only sign a FA if they lose on of there own **********Automerged Doublepost********** Rep.....beat me to it This is why you read all post's before posting gentleman
Quick.......name Jerry Jones last 5 big Free Agent Signings What about the fact that the Salary Cap is basically moot. It was intended to keep payrolls to a set amount so the smaller market clubs that couldnt generate the revenue to pay for top talent. Unfortunatly, eventually teams learned how to work around the cap to the point it was meaningless. Fortunatly, however in the NFL its become obvious that you cant build winner through FA. The two team most know for working around the cap to sign FA's are Washington and Oakland.......ya how good are they. Look at the playoff field........which teams are built by big ticket free agents? I dont think any. Dallas has all of 1, that being Leonard Davis. Philadelphia? New England?Indianapolis? Minnesota? New Orleans? San Diego? Cinncinnatti? Green Bay? Arizona? The only big money free agent signings I see on those on those teams are Adalius Thomas in New England, Davis in Dallas and Samuel in Philadelphia. Those teams are all built through the draft. Unlimited free Agency or no, that will always be how you win in the NFL **********Automerged Doublepost********** Free Agency has proven to be a way for fools to build 6-10 teams
Steelers biggest Free Agent signing in the last three years...Mewelde Moore...lol...Justin Hartwig, Keyaron Fox...
