We are half way home!!!!!! CBA approved by owners!

[Chidi29]

And yes, there may still be some minor lingering issues to be worked out. VJ and Mankins wanting special concessions, trying to get the lawsuits into one case that can be dropped when the CBA is settled. No matter what deal gets done, not all of the issues will be decided and everyone will be holding hands around the campfire.

But the big issues, owner/player split, eighteen game season, rookie wage scale, veteran benefits, player insurance, minimum salary, length and terms of the CBA itself, have all been decided.

There isn't time to iron out every single detail. If it can be resolved with a new CBA, then take the deal. If not, then of course don't take a deal you hate. But actually vote, air out all of the issues, make progress.

[Chidi29]

JULY

July 23 Voluntary training, conditioning and classroom instruction permitted until first day of clubs’ preseason training camps.

July 23 Pre-2011 League Year Period commences. 2011 Free Agency List to be issued and will become effective on the first day of the 2011 League Year (July 27). Clubs/players may begin to renegotiate contracts. Clubs may begin to sign Drafted Rookies and their own UFAs, RFAs, Exclusive Rights Players and Franchise Players.

July 23 Waivers begin for the 2011 League Year.

July 23 Starting at 2:00 PM ET, clubs may negotiate with, but not sign, Undrafted Rookie Free Agents, free agents, and other clubs’ UFAs, RFAs, and Franchise Players.

July 24 Starting at 2:00 PM ET, clubs may begin to sign undrafted rookie free agents.

July 27 2011 League Year commences at 2:00 PM ET, provided NFLPA has ratified CBA. Free Agency Signing Period begins. Clubs may sign free agents and other clubs’ Unrestricted Free Agents. Clubs may sign Offer Sheets. Trading period begins. All Clubs must be under the Salary Cap. Top 51 rule applies.

July 27 Expand rosters to 90-man limit.

July 27 Training Camps open for all clubs, provided NFLPA has ratified CBA. Day One activities limited to physicals, meetings, and conditioning. No pads permitted on Day Two or Day Three.

AUGUST

August 9 Deadline for players under contract to report to their clubs to earn an Accrued Season for free agency.

August 11-15 First Preseason Weekend

August 12 Deadline for signing of Offer Sheets by Restricted Free Agents. (17-day period concludes)

August 12 Deadline for June 1 Tender to Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by August 26, he may negotiate or sign a Player Contract from August 26 until the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00 PM ET, only with his Prior Club.

August 12 Deadline: if a Drafted Rookie has not signed a Player Contract by this date, he cannot be traded during his initial League Year and may sign a Player Contract only with the drafting Club until the day of the Draft in the next League Year.

August 13-17 Each Club has until five days prior to its second preseason game to provide any tendered but unsigned Exclusive Rights Player or Restricted Free Agent with written notice of the Club’s intent to place the player on the Exempt List if the player fails to report at least the day before the Club’s second preseason game.

August 16 Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents. (Four-day matching period conlcudes)

August 17 Deadline for June 1 Tender to Restricted Free Agents who have received a Qualifying Offer for a Right of First Refusal Only.

August 18-22 Second Preseason Weekend.

August 25-28 Third Preseason Weekend.

August 26 Signing Period ends for Unrestricted Free Agents who received the June 1 Tender.

August 29 Deadline for June 15 Tender to Restricted Free Agents. If player’s Qualifying Offer is greater than 110% of the player’s prior year’s Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged), the Club may withdraw the Qualifying Offer on August 29 and retain its exclusive negotiating rights to the player, so long as the Club immediately tenders the player a one-year Player Contract of at least 110% of his prior year’s Paragraph 5 Salary, with all the terms of his prior year’s contract carried forward unchanged.

August 30 Clubs reduce rosters from 90 players to 75 players.

SEPTEMBER

September 1-2 Fourth Preseason Weekend.

September 3 Clubs reduce rosters to 53 players.

September 8-12 First Regular-Season Weekend.

September 18-19 Second Regular-Season Weekend



September 20 Deadline at 4:00 PM ET for any Club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multi-year contract or extension. NFLLabor.com

First of all, that's a tenative schedule. And it's not a promise that this is definitely how the schedule would work. Only if a deal was reached soon.

[zulater]

n:

realfreemancbsmike freeman



Think about this: the owners ratified an agreement the players hadn't seen yet.

Oh yeah that twitter is all I need to see to know the real truth.

[86WARD]

Here is what the "Real" fans need 2 know: The owners tried 2 slip many things n2 the CBA "they" voted on that were NEVER agreed 2! #PRPlay

Heath Rvans: Twitter.com

[Chidi29]

HeathEvansHeath Evansby Steelersdepot



Here is what the "Real" fans need 2 know: The owners tried 2 slip many things n2 the CBA "they" voted on that were NEVER agreed 2!#PRPlay

Because I know that all information is factual and reliable when said within 140 characters.

[steeldevil]

I'm actually glad the Bus and Dawson didn't get in the HOF this year now that the HOF game is cancelled. That sucks for this years inducties.

[zulater]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...hursday-night/

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.

[Chidi29]

I just don't know what you guys want the owners to do.

You guys are so biased against the NFL, of course by making these claims you're also implying that the Rooney's are involved in this "dirty pool" a strong accusation to make against the family, that they can't do any right in your eyes.

[zulater]

Adam Shefter said this is like coming to terms on a car and then blowing up the deal on account of the floor mats.

[steeldevil]

Apparently the NFLPA is thinking about suing the NFL for coercion....

[zulater]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...g-arrangement/

De Smith shouldn’t be surprised about new revenue sharing arrangement

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 9:02 PM EDT

AP
One of the surprising aspects of the NFL’s Thursday night press conference arose when the league mentioned that the owners approved a new supplemental revenue sharing plan. It was surprising because no one knew the NFL was considering a new supplemental revenue sharing plan.

Even more surprising was the concern expressed by NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith in his e-mail to the player representatives regarding the owners’ supplemental revenue sharing plan.

“As you may have heard,” Smith wrote, “they apparently approved a supplemental revenue sharing proposal. Obviously, we have not been a part of those discussions.”

The NFLPA* hasn’t been part of those discussions regarding that issue because the NFLPA* showed no interest in that issue. All along, the elephant in the room was the league’s effort to fix revenue disparities by taking money back from the players. For reasons still unknown, the NFLPA* never pushed that issue.

So while there may be plenty of reasons to balk about the misguided power play that the owners have tried to pull, complaining about an issue about which the players previously didn’t care badly misses the mark.

[zulater]

Apparently the NFLPA is thinking about suing the NFL for coercion....

How can that be, the NFLPA doesn't even exist.



If they do that they'll lose their constiuency, because do that and they'll be no 2011 season.

[Chidi29]

Apparently the NFLPA is thinking about suing the NFL for coercion....

I'm glad the union's priorities are in order. Forget about the season, let's take it back to the courts.

Oh and by the way, the league is giving the players until Tuesday to vote on a deal. They have plenty of time to digest it and make a decision.

[Chidi29]

And if the players think the deal is that terrible, filled with a hidden agenda, then why not vote no and try to reach a deal you like? Why waste more time?

[zulater]

I'm glad the union's priorities are in order. Forget about the season, let's take it back to the courts.

Oh and by the way, the league is giving the players until Tuesday to vote on a deal. They have plenty of time to digest it and make a decision.

There wont be a union or trade association if they do that, the rank and file will revolt, because do that and there's probably no season.

[zulater]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ncent-jackson/

NFLPA* fears lawsuit from Vincent Jackson

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 9:16 PM EDT

Getty Images
Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson is represented by a couple of the hardest charging agents in the business. Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod have engineered, for example, the recent holdouts of Darrelle Revis and Roddy White. Also, they threatened litigation on Jackson’s behalf last year against the San Diego Union-Tribune based on the suggestion by Kevin Acee that Jackson was broke.

There’s talk in league circles that the NFLPA* fears they’ll be the next target of the Schwartz and Feinsod hardball tactics. Specifically, we’re told the NFLPA* is concerned it will be sued if Jackson’s role in the Brady antitrust lawsuit is settled without Jackson receiving $10 million.

That’s why the NFLPA* keeps pushing the issue — and that’s why it continues to be a roadblock in a process that now has plenty of them.

Only one man can put this issue to rest. And that’s Vincent Jackson. If he truly wants nothing (as he supposedly said on an unverified Twitter page earlier this week), he needs to call a press conference and say so. Otherwise, we’ll assume he wants $10 million.

Hopefully, I won’t be sued for expressing that opinion.

[stillers4me]

markschlerethmark schlereth



Think about this. If a preseason game is lost players stand to lose about $700 per man the league $200 million. Advantage players

[Chidi29]

There wont be a union or trade association if they do that, the rank and file will revolt, because do that and there's probably no season.

But remember that everything the NFL does is sinister. It all takes place in a small cave in Siberia, where Roger Goodell and Dr. Evil laugh maniacally.

[Chidi29]

markschlerethmark schlereth



Think about this. If a preseason game is lost players stand to lose about $700 per man the league $200 million. Advantage players

Yes, the NFL is trying to keep the preseason. How dare they. Monsters, I tell you.

[steeldevil]

But remember that everything the NFL does is sinister. It all takes place in a small cave in Siberia, where Roger Goodell and Dr. Evil laugh maniacally.

Wrong. Goodell goes to Dr. Evil's Moon Base....

[X-Terminator]

But remember that everything the NFL does is sinister. It all takes place in a small cave in Siberia, where Roger Goodell and Dr. Evil laugh maniacally.

You mean they don't???

































Sorry, just wanted to add a little levity to an increasingly frustrating situation.

[fansince'76]

But remember that everything the NFL does is sinister. It all takes place in a small cave in Siberia, where Roger Goodell and Dr. Evil laugh maniacally.

Personally, I blame Arians.

[zulater]

markschlerethmark schlereth



Think about this. If a preseason game is lost players stand to lose about $700 per man the league $200 million. Advantage players

Actually that's a very short sighted and incorrect way to look at things. Because in the proposed new CBA the players will receive 48% of all gross revenues, that includes preseason money too. So while it's true that the players don't get normal game checks in preseason, any money lost will shrink the overall revenue pool and thus the salary cap will be altered in accordance afterwards.

[fansince'76]

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 kinda figured all along that this might happen, so ultimately I'm not surprised. If anything, I'm disappointed in myself for allowing my hopes to get up a little in the last week or so.

[Chidi29]

Personally, I blame Arians.

LOL

[stillers4me]

dkaplanSBJdaniel kaplanby marcbowers7



Gabe Feldman on NFLN right now suggesting NFLPA has a point league could be afoul of labor law by linking union status to deal

[fansince'76]

1982, here we come.

[Bluecoat96]

[st33lersguy]

Why didn't the players like the deal, because they weren't given enough money because apparently the millions of dollars they make is not enough for them?

[SteelerEmpire]

No deal. Drum roll please... this stuff is gettin good now.