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Sources: NFL owners consider voiding CBA


by JAY GLAZER and ALEX MARVEZ, FOXSports.com

Updated: May 16, 2008, 3:46 PM EST 72 comments add this RSS blog email print The NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, as it now stands, may be a short-lived deal.

What it all meansConfused by the details of the NFL labor agreement? Fear not. Alex Marvez tells you what will happen — and what won't — if owners decide to opt out of the CBA. Check it out HERE. In a series of conference calls this week, NFL owners have seriously discussed voiding the current labor agreement, FOXSports.com has learned. Team owners believe the current labor agreement, which gives players 59 percent of the defined gross revenues, is too lopsided in favor of the NFLPA.

The opt-out could come at Tuesday's spring meeting.

After a conference call Friday between high-level owners and executives, indications are that the league is leaning toward opting out. NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw expects the deal to be voided on Tuesday, according to the players' association Web site.

Only nine votes from NFL owners are needed to abort the CBA in 2011 rather than 2013.

"It's hard to predict Tuesday that (owners) are going to nuke the CBA," a high-ranking team executive told FOXSports.com. "I don't think that's accurate right now, but the subject is going to come up whether this is a better time than in November. There's a broad concern that (the NFL) doesn't want this to become a focus that takes away from the regular season.


"Everyone agrees that we want to maintain a strong, competitive league. There is a mindset that this is a step along the way that helps clarify things. It seems rather obvious the league is going to opt out. Rather than have that looming, let's get that behind us, roll up our sleeves and get to work on a new CBA."

League and union officials held talks about the labor agreement last week. Discussions will continue even if the deal is voided, sources told FOXSports.com, but no date has been set to resume talks.

Should the owners in fact make the move next week, it would dramatically alter the NFL's landscape for the next few years. Such a significant move would make the 2009 campaign the last year in which the salary cap is in effect. 2010 would be uncapped. The NFL would also still have a draft in 2011, but beyond that everything else would be up in the air.

The owners have until November 8th to void the current agreement.

"I think deadlines are helpful in trying to get things resolved," commissioner Roger Goodell said at April's NFL owners meeting. "Any time a deadline can be established to force us into reaching an agreement on a particular issue, that's helpful to us."

While it appears likely that owners will opt out of the deal, several owners and executives indicated Friday that things could still change once everyone comes together at Tuesday's meeting. Still, there seems to be a general consensus that if the decision is going to be made to void the deal, it makes sense to do it sooner rather than later.

Calls for comment to both the commissioner's office and Upshaw on Friday have not yet been returned. However, Upshaw and upper NFLPA management are expected in Atlanta, which could lead to CBA dialogue.

The NFL and the players association have renewed the CBA five times, the most recent coming in March 2006. In that vote, the owners ratified the agreement by a 30-2 count, extending the labor deal through the 2011 season.

"The objective is to get a labor agreement, one that works for both parties," Goodell said last month. "That's what we're working towards. Obviously as part of planning we have to look at various alternatives. The reality is, and I think the union understands this, and we certainly understand this, you can grow your business better if you're in partnership. That's what having labor peace helps you do. That's one of the things we clearly understand. I believe the union fully agrees with that. That's what we're going to continue to try to do."

Jay Glazer and Alex Marvez are senior NFL writers for FOXSports.com.

This has been reported for a while, not really a surprise. What will be disappointing is if a new CBA isn't in place by the time the salary cap "expires."

I just don't understand why the owners are so against it now when they ratified it a few years ago. But, I'll admit I don't know what all the terms are.

I think this is a move that would benefit the Cleveland Browns. But I don't like it.

OK, so they want to void the CBA in order to get to work on a new CBA right?

I'm not sure I have a handle on why it's important to Void the current CBA just work on a new one....

What does it hurt to keep the one they have in place until a new deal is worked out? Outside of the fact that there would be less urgency to get a new one done, what's the reasoning...

It would not benefit any team other than the richest of the richest, and yes Lerner has money but it would completely wipe out the competitive nature of the sport that has been built into THE best professional sports model currently out there.

The two problems that are wrong with the CBA are the players get the majority of the revenue and the owners don't like that, even though they just signed it in the not so recent past. The second thing is the continuing escalation of salaries ESPECIALLY the amounts given to rookies before they step onto the field. There are many that have called for a cap on rookie salaries (including me) and this may just be one of the good things that comes out of this if they can get it hashed out.

IMO, the players SHOULD get the majority of the revenue, but it should go to veteran/proven players in an equitable way and not to the Jamarcus Russells or the Longs or McFadden or Dorsey just because they are the cream of the crop.

This is no "new" news by any means, it has been talked about for quite awhile now as being a possibility......at first I was a tad shocked when I read that they were planning on doing it next week, but that could be a good thing.....that gives them more time to hash things out once it's actually forced to a vote instead of just being talked about as a possibility. This is important stuff folks.......

Git r done NFL! Don't ruin the game!

Sometimes the deal before you gets in the way. It continues to be used as a benchmark.

By opting out, the owners are signaling it has to be a new deal...totally new, or nothing.

Not to mention they are opting out because they don't want to stay in the current set-up any longer then necessary.

Is this some cruel destiny being played on us???

Just as we vanquish the difficulties within the present system to build a great team organization. It is going to be thrown to CHAOS!! Now we will see the sport be controlled by the AGENTS! The Scum of all organized sports!!!

If those naive owners who actually think 59% is too much to give to NFL players contracts via capping salaries to that amount. Wait till they witness the lack of self controll as salaries skyrocket via a free agent market. Also without a CBA does this put an end to the draft???

Please don't tell me my beloved Football - just when the Browns are answering my long term prayers - fall wayside to Greed and collapse the beauty of the sport

JMHFear

Hmm,, that makes sense... Thanks Peen