DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement Part 5

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The players want unlimited salary cap like baseball.

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No they don't.

League, players meet voluntarily for second straight week


* By Albert Breer NFL Network
* NFL Network Reporter
* Published: June 7, 2011 at 06:11 p.m.
* Updated: June 7, 2011 at 08:34 p.m.


The NFL and players resumed what were described as "very serious talks" on Tuesday, according to sources, in an attempt to build off last week's secret negotiations in suburban Chicago, and work toward a resolution to end the three-month-old lockout.

The exact location of this set of talks remains unknown, though NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reports they are taking place in the New York area. The NFL declined comment on the matter.

Last week's meeting lasted three days, running into Friday's hearing at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, on the NFL's appeal of a lockout-lifting injunction granted to the players by a district court. Following that set of talks, the league and players put out a joint statement.

"The parties met pursuant to court mediation," the statement said. "Owners and players were engaged in confidential discussions before Chief Magistrate Judge Boylan. The court has ordered continued confidentiality of the mediation sessions."

Both sides in this week's negotiating sessions are using the same cast of characters as last week, a source with knowledge of the situation told La Canfora.

Owners Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), Jerry Richardson (Carolina Panthers), Art Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) and John Mara (New York Giants) -- all members of the NFL's labor committee -- were in attendance last week, as were active players Mike Vrabel, Brian Dawkins, Tony Richardson and Jeff Saturday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae.

The set up of the talks is scheduled to be the same as well, taking place over several days as both sides try to build momentum from one sessions to the next and find some consistency with the dynamics of the negotiations.

These talks were unexpected after Boylan publicly cancelled the court-ordered mediation set to begin on Tuesday. Sources indicate Boylan moved to cancel this week's mediation in the interest of confidentiality.

When asked about the next meeting during an appearance at a military base in Fort Bragg, N.C., last Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We will be meeting again." Goodell declined to comment on when, but did strike an optimistic tone.

"I think it's fair to say anytime you have dialogue directly, that's going to lead to progress," he told reporters. "I think we need more of that. As you've heard me say many times, I think this is going to be solved through bargaining, not through litigation. So that (Chicago meeting) was a positive sign for us."

I agree with the Purp's posts. We can vote with our purchases and gear but the TV money and stuff deals the fans out. I do not want ANY say in this foolishness of fan input and decision-making. I am too uninformed, I have no skin in the game to speak of, and you would need to exaggerate on a huge scale to even contend that importance among others.

The time is now for NFL, players to get a deal done

By Albert Breer NFL Network
NFL Network Reporter
Published: June 8, 2011 at 10:35 a.m.
Updated: June 8, 2011 at 01:09 p.m.

In the three months since the federal mediation between the NFL and players broke off, it's been one court date after another, one deadline gone by with the next, and, as a result, a solution has proven elusive.

Skepticism has followed for much of the time being, with each party hesitant to move and wary of the others' intentions and the long-range impact of major decisions in these negotiations.
'Serious' negotiations continue
The NFL and players resumed what were described as "very serious talks" on Tuesday in an attempt to build off last week's secret negotiations and work toward a resolution to end the three-month-old lockout, Albert Breer reports. More ...

It's been a relatively long wait, to be sure.

But the time has come, now, for a deal to be done.

The league and players met for a clandestine three-day summit in suburban Chicago last week, they are meeting now in Long Island, and the talks are expected to continue beyond this week's discussions, as the sides look to resolve the differences that led to the union's decertification and the subsequent lockout.

According to sources on each side of the talks, the NFL and players have come to an understanding that the time to bargain seriously is now. And as much as the ongoing litigation has set the calendar thus far, the calendar itself -- and the looming mid-summer start of training camps -- is starting to overtake the litigation as a motivator to move the talks along.

One league source estimated that it would take 4-6 weeks to go from serious negotiations to the drafting process, and a trade association source said the feeling is there is a 30-day window that's just now opening to get a deal done.

To understand how we got here is to understand the clashing points of view of the two parties. The owners are looking for a deal that will work for not just the next few years, but the next couple decades. The players are looking to set a tone that shows the owners that, from a business standpoint, they're not going to be pushed around in the future, particularly since perception holds that's what has happened in the past.

What this hasn't been is the melodrama some have seen it to be between the league and players. It's a business negotiation that each side hopes will reverberate for years to come. And those things take time. There is, of course, some roughhousing that's standard to these things.

To this point, the price each side has paid, in the larger scope, is relatively small. Players and coaches lose their offseason programs, while owners might have hit some small bumps in the road with sponsors and corporate partners. Both sides have taken a public relations hit with the fans.

So why is the urgency ratcheting up? Easy. The price to be paid is about to rise. Significantly.
The Top 100: Players of 2011
"The Top 100: Players of 2011" countdown continues on NFL Network on Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for a reaction show after players Nos. 31-40 are revealed.

» Cast your votes for the "Top 100"

League sources indicate that the cancellation of the preseason would cost the NFL approximately $1 billion, while a lack of resolution by August 1 would come at a price of $350 million. While those numbers are inexact, there's no question that the loss of revenue -- which will begin once the preseason games come off the schedule -- will make negotiations exponentially more difficult. The pie will shrink, resulting in less money to go around in a situation that, for both sides, is about making the finances right.

"That's by necessity," said one league source. "They get a percentage of the revenues, so if the revenues shrink, their share is less. It's automatic."

For a normal preseason to happen, most estimate an agreement must be reached by about July 15.

On the flip side, it's important for the players to have the growth of the game accounted for. While revenues are currently in the $9-10 billion range, the players association is working on the assumption that number could grow to about $11 billion in 2011, and they want to ensure its constituency is in line to get its share of that potential bump.

What the players are unwilling to do, though, is be pressured by the potential of lost revenue. As one NFLPA source said, "We are not in a rush to do a bad deal."

Both sides acknowledge there is a deal out there that will satisfy each side. And with the calendar providing one reason to do a deal now, last week, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals provided another. The three-judge panel -- hearing the NFL's appeal of a lockout-lifting injunction issued by the Minnesota district court -- telegraphed a potential ruling that would provide each side with leverage.

Most took this from the hearing: The 8th Circuit is likely to go with the logic in its stay ruling, giving the league the right to continue the lockout, though there were indications the judges wouldn't simply permit it go on indefinitely. And the panel also seemed content to allow the antitrust litigation to go forward, which would give the players a leverage point of their own, with the owners operating under damages liability.

The bottom line is that, for now, the playing field has been leveled, and all a ruling could possibly do at this point is screw that up, which is another reason why the window is open.

"You control your own destiny, and you always want that, you never want to put your business in someone else's hands," said an NFLPA source. Another players association source indicated that the owners were the ones who asked for last week's talks in Chicago, a positive sign because it indicates both sides are feeling the heat.

Just as important is that, in these talks, the sides have found a proper forum. A league source said, "We are not going to assert that they're in collective bargaining," an all-important piece for the players to maintain their negotiating position and a sign that what was said outside the courtroom in St. Louis was nothing more than legal rhetoric.

The good news for fans? The sides are working hard and earnestly now, with time to spare for all elements of the season to be saved. Another league source said on Tuesday night that the current talks are serious in format, timing and the makeup of the groups there.

Indeed, a players association source said a major stumbling block has not been having owners who players feel can carry a decision in the room, together. To that end, last week, Jerry Jones, Jerry Richardson, Robert Kraft, Art Rooney and John Mara were in the league's party. All five are on the labor committee. Richardson chairs it. Jones and Kraft are the most influential of the NFL's new breed of owners. And Rooney and Mara are part of two of the most invested and tenured families in the league's long history.

Additionally, a league source pointed out on Tuesday that Commissioner Roger Goodell said last Friday that "both sides are committed," whereas in the past, he's only said that the parties need to be committed to reaching an agreement.

"Both sides feel the pressure now," said another league source. "There's risk on both sides legally here. Neither side is completely comfortable with its legal position. So it's imperative to work now before one side or the other potentially gets the upper hand."

So at the very least, the stage is now set. What happens in the coming weeks should shape what form the 2011 season will take.
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they want the NFL to lose its anti trust exemption which allows for equal footing among teams.

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Wrong.

Owners, players making progress towards new CBA


Posted on: June 10, 2011 10:35 pm


Posted by Ryan Wilson

According to the 2011 NFL schedule, the season is set to kick off 90 days from now. We're in the middle of a lockout, so any future plans are written in pencil.

But rumblings indicate that the lawyer-free discussions between owners and players are going so well that, for the first time since the lockout began in March, there's legitimate hope for a 2011 season.

NFL Network's Albert Breer, appearing on Friday's Total Access, explained that while there's still a long way to go, the two sides have made substantial progress in recent weeks. Here are the highlights of Breer's conversation with TA host Rich Eisen.

* Eisen: If it's so good that both sides are talking … then why aren't they talking around the clock … until this thing is all hammered out?

Breer: Just like doing a CBA is complex, the negotiating to get there is also complex. There are a couple things at work here. One is, all the talking isn't happening face-to-face. In fact, I was told that the two sides communicated today so they are communicating outside of the face-to-face negotiations.

That's one thing that's important to remember. The other thing that's important to remember is how much work goes into this. It's going to be about a 300-page CBA when it's all said and done. A lot of research and study has to go into it from each side, especially after they come off these face-to-face talks. I was told by someone earlier today that about five hours of work goes into every hour they spend face-to-face.

So it's not that they're not working, it's just that the format of it is a little bit different in different stages. But they are working a lot of hours to get this thing done and I think that anybody who would view it any other way might be a little off there.

* Eisen: Normally we see the round-the-clock stuff when it's the 11th hour. … Should we take this to mean that both sides don't consider this the 11th hour?

Breer: It's not quite the 11th hour yet. … I think what they're working towards right now is that July 15 deadline … when the holdup in these negotiations could wind up costing them preseason games. I think they want to try to get something done by then. …

I think both sides view themselves as having about a 30-day window of opportunity to get something done. Now, I'm told that they will meet again next week and continue to stack these meetings one after another all the way into mid-July. And that's great news because it means they're working toward that deadline. And I think the round-the-clock stuff might occur once we get closer to that mid-July deadline.

* Eisen: Do you get the sense, from the people that you've been speaking to on both sides, that the CBA must be completed 100 percent … before this lockout is lifted, or perhaps some deal in principle can be struck earlier on … and the lockout ends while the lawyers hash this thing out?

Breer: [Both sides] have a lot of work to do, and they'd have to be pretty far down the road, but the truth is it's always the league's option to lift the lockout. They could do it now if they wanted to. So I think if they feel like, in good faith, they've reached an agreement on the framework of a deal, it would make sense for them to get that administrative stuff out of the way. Have a … short period before free agency for teams to take care of their own house, then have free agency, then have that roll into training camp. If that's what's in the best interest of everybody, I'm sure that could happen.

Still nothing definitive but it's something. And after nearly three months of idle threats, grandstanding and finger-pointing -- from both sides -- we gladly welcome any signs of progress.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsnfl on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS Feed.



CBS Sports

Fujita confirms progress is being made



June 10, 2011


The positive signs continue to emerge regarding the ongoing labor talks, which took on a new dynamic last week via negotiations occurring without the lawyers involved.

According to Will Burge of WKNR in Cleveland, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said Friday that “progress is being made, slowly but surely.”

That’s good news, assuming that the progress continues. At some point, things need to speed up, considerably.

Hopefully, that point is coming.

We’ve separately heard the NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith has been updating players from specific teams regarding the status of the discussions. The obvious challenge in this regard comes from adhering to the court-mandated confidentiality while also giving the players useful information.

It’s too early to assume a deal is coming (notwithstanding a stray report that the lockout is “over,” which quickly was massaged without comment to “almost over”), but for the first time since the lockout began it’s becoming more and more clear that the parties are motivated to set aside the acrimony and focus on finding a win-win solution. Both sides deserve plenty of credit for putting the interests of the game and the fans above short-term strategies aimed at finagling a “win” at the bargaining table, or in court.

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The agents are upset with a new salary cap for rookies as this is a HUGE pay day they are losing.

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Agents wont be losing out on anything. Even if a rookie salary cap comes along its only really likely to affect the top 10 spots or so. And what they lose out on upfront from the top 10 picks will be made up for in higher salaries for the Vets. From a big picture point of view there will be more total salary than ever to make commission from. It will just be spread around differently.

Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He has covered the NFL for the past 16 seasons as a beat writer and is the former president of the Pro Football Writers of America

Updated Jun 14, 2011 10:27 AM ET
The recent labor negotiations between the NFL and its locked-out players may finally be paying dividends.
The NFL has advised its teams to prepare for the possibility of a prolonged league meeting next Tuesday in Chicago. The session could lay the groundwork for approval of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that would end the work stoppage now entering its fourth month.

Owners may now meet until late Tuesday night or even into Wednesday, which is longer than originally scheduled. News of the potential meeting extension was first reported by ESPN.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith are among the representatives who have engaged in a series of recent meetings outside a courtroom setting. While legal proceedings between the two sides continue, numerous media reports indicate substantial progress is being made toward a new labor deal that would allow for an on-time start to training camps and the regular season.

Although a new CBA likely wouldn’t be announced at the NFL meeting, a deal could come in the following weeks after final details are hashed out between the two sides. Approval from 24 of 32 NFL owners is needed for passage of a new CBA.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has said reaching a labor deal by July 4 is essential for an on-time start to training camps. Further delays could result in the postponement of preseason contests.

I want a deal....but I also wouldn't mind waiting 4-6 weeks so they have to cancel the preseason games. I want a refund on that money. Ha ha ha...but good news that they expect to be close in the next week or so.

Sounds positive.

At the very beginning of this I figured June would be the movement month if not in to early July.

These things always seem to drag until the wall of time starts to loom.

Yea, it's amazing what can get ironed out as both sides begin to face the reality that they could lose billions of dollars.

NFL to teams: Prep for lengthy meeting

Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com.
Jun 14, 2011 UPDATED 1:02 PM ET

The recent labor negotiations between the NFL and its locked-out players might finally be paying dividends.

The NFL has advised its teams to prepare for the possibility of a prolonged league meeting next Tuesday in Chicago. The session could lay the groundwork for approval of a new collective-bargaining agreement that would end the work stoppage now entering its fourth month.

Owners might now meet until late Tuesday night or even into Wednesday, which is longer than originally scheduled. News of the potential meeting extension was first reported by ESPN.

Meanwhile, a group of NFL owners and player representatives are meeting again today and Wednesday in the Washington D.C. area, ESPN and the NFL Network reported.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith are among the representatives who have engaged in a series of recent meetings outside a courtroom setting. While legal proceedings between the two sides continue, numerous media reports indicate substantial progress is being made toward a new labor deal that would allow for an on-time start to training camps and the regular season.

Although a new CBA likely wouldn’t be announced at the NFL meeting, a deal could come in the following weeks after final details are hashed out between the two sides. Approval from 24 of 32 NFL owners is needed for passage of a new CBA.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has said reaching a labor deal by July 4 is essential for an on-time start to training camps. Further delays could result in the postponement of preseason contests.

An NFLPA official took a cautious approach to the latest developments.

“I don’t predict when a resolution to the lockout will come,” NFLPA executive George Atallah wrote on a Twitter post. “We’re focusing all our efforts on a long-term settlement, agreement and resolution. That’s what we can control.”

I really hope these guys get this thing figured out. I cant wait to get this season going, we are already so far behind installing both a new O and D. Not to mention new HC......I know they said we wouldnt be very active, but we need alot of FA help....I am very interested to see what the rules are pertaining to FA.

I would guess that a lot of guys who were going to be restricted will wind up unrestricted. 6 year veterans will wind up on the market instead of being RFA.

I would also guess that there will be some changes to RFA beyond that in exchange for cap concessions.

I also believe that rosters will be expanded, and that there will be changes to the IR lists.

More positive news!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...of-days/related

Freeman: Some believe deal could come “within a matter of days”

Posted by Mike Florio on June 14, 2011, 6:09 PM EDT

Well ,the good news keeps getting better.

Just as I was prepared to write an item predicting that a new labor deal will be announced on June 30, our good friend Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com has reported that some of the parties in the negotiations believe an agreement could be reached “within a matter of days.”

Freeman also reports that 80 to 85 percent of the next labor deal has been negotiated, and that the entire process has become very cordial, with smiles, handshakes, and smalltalk.

“It’s going to be very difficult for this to get screwed up,” a source “with intimate knowledge of the discussions” told Freeman.

For now, I’ll stick with the June 30 prediction. And if that prediction is wrong because the date selected is a week or two too late, then I don’t wanna be right.

By Albert Breer nfl network

"...according to sources, both the nfl and nfl players association are evaluating and strongly considering concessions on all fronts, and that has led to a belief that a deal could be done in two to four weeks. in a sign of the progress made, the legal teams on both sides have returned to the meetings, after sitting out the sessions in suburban Chicago and Long Island. N.Y. the past two weeks..."

Sounds like they kicked out the lawyers for a while, and brought in U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan "who ran court-ordered mediation between the NFL and players in Minneapolis in April and May" to mediate a negotiation.

In theory, they could get this done in time to have complete training camps.

Here's to hoping they can take this thing to all 32 owners by next weekend for vote...I believe 24 of 32 are needed to pass it...

This is 10 times bigger than say an Airline and it's Pilot Association or mechanics negotiating...It takes time...

As long as we miss no part of the season and preferably the pre-season...I know I won't waste my time having any hard feelings over this...It's the nature of the beast and it is what it is...

Sources: Still much work to do in talks

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By Adam Schefter
ESPN

At a time when many are waiting for and anticipating a deal between owners and the NFL Players Association, there was a point Tuesday when talks clearly regressed.

One person close to the talks went so far as to say, "This almost blew up yesterday."


How close it got to that point is a matter of opinion. The moment may have come shortly after lawyers from both sides were brought back into the process at an undisclosed location in the Washington, D.C., area.

As tensions rose and anger grew, two sources said NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith instructed his lawyers to "stand down."


With lawyers removed from the direct negotiations, the process was said to be getting back on track and to be in a good spot. The scenario Tuesday is an example of how tenuous the talks can be and how quickly they can be derailed.


But it also is proof that Smith and the players and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners have taken the process out of the hands of the attorneys and demanded control to hammer out a collective bargaining agreement.



During winter negotiations, many around the league worried lawyers were controlling the process. But Tuesday's events are the strongest evidence to date they are not.


Lawyers will have to be involved in the final resolution, drawing up any agreement and signing off on what each side can and can't do. Any agreement would have to be presented to the judge in the case to be ratified.


Multiple sources familiar with the talks said progress is being made, but they cautioned there's "a lot of drama and a lot of room for mistakes left."


To say this is going to be done in two weeks, one source said, "is borderline insane."


The sides met again Wednesday in Maryland, in larger groups, and more meetings are expected next week.


The NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement Wednesday afternoon acknowledging the talks.


"Discussions between NFL owners and players under the auspices of Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan took place again this week and will continue. At the request of Judge Boylan, both sides have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the substance of the talks," the statement said.


Representing the league at the talks, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, were Goodell and owners Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Dean Spanos of the San Diego Chargers.


NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said representatives of the players included Smith, NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, Domonique Foxworth of the Baltimore Ravens, Tony Richardson of the New York Jets, Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts and Brian Waters of the Chiefs.


New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees told The Associated Press on Wednesday there is a "sense of urgency with the season just around the corner."


"The general understanding from everybody is that if we don't have something done by July it would be hard to start on time," he said.


Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ESPN's John Clayton does a local Seattle morning show on Saturday's. He had SI's Jim Trotter on discussling the current negotiations and both agreed that a deal is a lot closer to being done than even most optimistic reports are saying. A basic framework is just about finished. This means that an agreement on the big numbers is pretty much done.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=149&f=1547&t=7607820

If the two sides want it, it should happen. Put the agents and lawyers in the sidecar. Needs to be some positive momentum, and even picky junk can de-rail the shooting match. Hope it is fair. Are we raedy for some football?

Whatever deal they come up with, I hope there's no goofy "opt out" in a few years.

OK, I've been forced to post about this garbage for the first time. Just get it done!

I'm feeling the pressure and salivating for a whirlwind of free agency.



http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6686560

CHICAGO -- League lawyer Bob Batterman is confident Tuesday's owners meeting will not stretch until Wednesday and a league source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio that there will not be a vote on a new collective bargaining agreement.

"This is strictly informational. There is nothing to vote on," the source told ESPN.

Commissioner Roger Goodell will update the owners on the parameters of a new CBA and give them a chance to respond and offer input.

"We want the clubs to get a good feel of where this agreement is headed," the source told ESPN. Another round of negotiations is scheduled for Thursday or Friday of this week, the source said. The source would not reveal where those talks would take place.

This is the first meeting called by the league strictly for labor matters. The 32 team owners and representatives who are on hand were advised last week to prepare to stay an extra day, but Batterman said Tuesday he didn't think that would be necessary.

"I'm confident we're going to get out of here today," Batterman said.

In the last three weeks, groups led by Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith have made enough progress toward a CBA that it sparked optimism training camps could open on time late next month.

But no one is saying a deal is imminent, and several owners are known to have strong questions about proposals being discussed with the players.

A handful of NFL owners -- at least two of whom are from AFC teams -- believes the parameters of the deal being discussed don't adequately address the original issues the league wanted corrected from the 2006 CBA, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter last Friday.

This subplot comes at a time when the NFL and NFLPA have made considerable progress, much of it on broad-picture items. The two sides, according to a source, have agreed to an unofficial timeline as to how events such as training camp and free agency would play out if there is an agreement on the more significant elements of the deal.

Each side is eager to get something done before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis rules on the league's request to permanently block an injunction that originally lifted the lockout. That injunction had been on hold while the three-man appeals panel considers the case, but one of the judges warned the owners and players they both wouldn't like the decision.

The first preseason game, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is scheduled for Aug. 7. That makes these meetings critical in the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987.

Tuesday marks Day 98 of the lockout, which is the longest work stoppage in NFL history.

Information from ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- NFL owners and players are discussing a straight split of income in the next collective bargaining agreement that would net the players just under 50 percent of total revenues.
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the players' share would approach the 50 percent the NFLPA has said it has received throughout the last decade. But the expense credits - about $1 billion last year - that the league takes off the top would disappear.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are supposed to be confidential. The owners are holding a special meeting Tuesday to discuss proposals made in recent negotiations with the players.

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Sources: 48 percent share for players

By Chris Mortensen
ESPN


Among the details NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is revealing to owners Tuesday at the owners' meeting in Rosemont, Ill., is that in the next proposed agreement players will receive a 48 percent share of "all revenue," without the $1-billion-plus credit off the top that had been a point of contention in earlier negotiations, according to sources familiar with the presentation.

Under the new formula being negotiated, players will receive 48 percent of all revenue and will never dip below a 46.5 percent take of the money, sources said.

Proposed CBA Details

Details of a proposed collective bargaining agreement being pitched to NFL owners Tuesday, according to sources:

• Players get 48 percent of "all revenue," without extra $1-billion-plus off top that previously had been requested by owners.

• Players' share will never dip below 46.5 percent, under new formula being negotiated.

• Teams required to spend close to 100 percent of the salary cap.

• Rookie wage scale part of deal but still being "tweaked."

• Four years needed for unrestricted free-agent status. Certain tags will be retained, but still being discussed.

• 18-game regular season designated only as negotiable item and at no point is mandated in deal.

• New 16-game Thursday night TV package beginning in 2012.

• Owners still will get some expense credits that will allow funding for new stadiums.

• Retirees to benefit from improved health care, pension benefits as revenue projected to double to $18 million by 2016.

-- ESPN's Chris Mortensen, John Clayton and Adam Schefter

In the previous collective bargaining agreement, players received approximately 60 percent of "total revenue" but that did not include $1 billion that was designated as an expense credit off the top of the $9 billion revenue model. Owners initially were seeking another $1 billion in credit only to reduce that amount substantially before exercising the lockout on March 13.

Ultimately, the two sides have decided to simplify the formula, which will eliminate some tedious accounting audits of the credit the players have allowed in the previous deal. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has stated that players were actually receiving around 53 percent of all revenues instead of the much advertised 60 percent.

Owners still will get some expense credits that will allow funding for new stadium construction, sources said.

A rookie wage scale will be part of the new deal but is still being "tweaked," and the much-discussed 18-game regular season will be designated only as a negotiable item with the players and at no point is mandated in a potential agreement. A new 16-game Thursday night TV package beginning in 2012 will be the source of new revenue.

As revenues are projected to possibly double by 2016 to $18 billion annually, retired players will benefit from improved health and pension funding that is expected to increase significantly.

Players believe they can justify a 48 percent take because of the projected revenue growth, as well as built-in mechanisms that require teams to spend close to 100 percent of the salary cap, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton. The mandatory minimum spending increase is an element that concerns lower-revenue clubs, sources say.

For example, if the 2011 salary cap were to be at $120 million, a team would have to have a cash payroll of close to $120 million. In the previous collective bargaining agreement, the team payroll floor was less than 90 percent of the salary cap and was only in cap figures, not cash.

The higher floor proposal could cause some problems for the lower revenue teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills. Along with the salary cap, teams have to pay an average of about $27 million a year in benefits.

A league source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio that there will not be a vote on a new collective bargaining agreement Tuesday.

"This is strictly informational. There is nothing to vote on," the source told ESPN.

The negotiating teams for the owners and players, led by Goodell and Smith, are expected to return to the table most likely Wednesday and Thursday in Boston, hoping to build off the momentum of three strong weeks of talks under the supervision of a court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan.

Cautious expectations on the two sides reaching an agreement in principle are varied, ranging from one-to-three weeks with the hopes of beginning a new league year (free agency, etc.) by mid-July.

If and when an agreement is reached, all players whose contracts have expired and have four or more years of experience are expected to be unrestricted free agents, sources familiar with the talks told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Certain tags will be retained but that still is being discussed.

Players are willing to commit to at least a 10-year labor agreement if the sides can agree on the terms, sources told Clayton.

Any breakdown in talks could result in the loss of preseason games and threaten the opening of the regular season. The first preseason game, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is scheduled for Aug. 7.

"This is the season to get a deal," Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said before entering the conference room where representatives from all 32 teams were being updated by Goodell and his negotiating committee. "I think the logic that you're pushing on both sides is saying why get a deal Oct. 1, or whenever, when you could have had July 7, or whatever."

Tuesday marks Day 98 of the lockout, the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 and the longest in NFL history.

Chris Mortensen is ESPN's senior NFL analyst. Information from ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton, ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press also was used in this report.

Forty-eight percent seems very fair for players.

With 16 Thursday night games, there is going to be a big boost for the NFL net, and serious leverage when talking TV contracts.

I could see the NFL start talking about taking all night games for their network when talking to ESPN.

The owners started this network with this day in mind.


That 2-3% divide will be big....especially considering each NFL owner is vested in the network and will pull revenue from there.


That is a separate business venture. Players can't stick their hands in that wallet.


Now when you buy a team, you also buy a part of the tv network...whatever percentage it might be....and that network isn't there to not make a profit for the shareholders.

I've thought for a while that the way to get this done is to figure something simple out, then pass on the extra costs to the networks who will pass on the costs to the ad buys.

Let's face it, if the NFL went to CBS and said "ok, this year, it'll cost you x dollars to carry NFL games", and CBS thought it was too much, you KNOW one of the other networks would jump at it.

And when CBS would go to Pepsi and say "ok, ad buys are now x", if Pepsi said no, you KNOW Coke or Dr. Pepper, etc. would jump at it.

Let's just hope this gets done quickly!

Quote:

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With 16 Thursday night games, there is going to be a big boost for the NFL net, and serious leverage when talking TV contracts.

I could see the NFL start talking about taking all night games for their network when talking to ESPN.

The owners started this network with this day in mind.


That 2-3% divide will be big....especially considering each NFL owner is vested in the network and will pull revenue from there.


That is a separate business venture. Players can't stick their hands in that wallet.

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Under the past CBA they couldn't stick their hands in that wallet. THAT is one of the points of contention in these negotiations, that the players just don't get a cut of revenue from certain areas that they get a cut of ALL REVENUE.

You could be right and I thinking too far in to things.

I am just thinking in terms of the owners having invested money in to the Network just as one might invest in CNN or FOX. Owning shares that aren't in the name of the team.

At any rate, the news is sounding good....just keep the mojo flowing.

Nope. I agree.

The owners risk everything financially.

However ...... This pseudo agreement almost seems like the players will make out better than under the old agreement ....... and we have been told that the owners couldn't make it financially under the old agreement. If this one is slanted even more towards the players, then where does that leave the owners? Further, there has been talk that certain team, like the Bills and Bengals, possibly cannot survive under this new agreement. They needed real concessions to make this deal work. Will these teams be forced to move to bigger markets?

Also, how is revenue divided up? I know that TV is divided equally among the teams, and home/visitor get a cut of the gate, but there is so much other income that comes to a team. How do they differentiate local TV rights, for example, from small market to large market? If the Cowboys, for example, get $30 million for their local TV programming rights, and a team like the Bills gets $5 million, how do they figure the cap when there is such a huge difference? This will be extremely important when owners must spend and cash out the cap each year.

Also, with spending "all of the cap" each year, what happens in the even of injuries? What about bonuses? Will we see fewer massive signing bonuses and more standard contracts with per annum dollars?

This agreement, as it has been represented thus far, sounds like a huge win for the players, and the death knell for several smaller market teams. If so, then I fail to see why the owners went through all of the crap they did with the lockout and other legaleeze. It seems like a huge waste of time to me.

I agree Ytown.. it seems (if we got the correct info) that the players are making out better on this deal then the previous CBA....

Now I will say that there could be some advantages for the owners.

If revenues double, then removing the $1 billion exemption and cutting the percentage could be advantageous.

If signing bonuses are eliminated, then teams won't get stuck with crappy, overpaid players. However, if teams are forced to spend "close to" the cap, then there are still going to be crappy, overpaid players. The only difference is that teams won't be tied to them for years and years.

The elimination of signing bonuses would be a huge plus for the owners. I'm not sure if that's in the agreement, but I don't see how you can "cash out" the cap each year with signing bonuses still in the equation.

So from what I gather of the negotiations the cap will be around $120 million with the minimum salary of around $115 million. I've read that we currently have about $99 million in contract obligations. If you add in say $6 million for our rookies this year that leaves us with $10 million in salary that the Browns will be required to pay. I think this means we will have to bring in some big name free agents.