NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement-2006

[HoosierCat]

Hey Joisey... do you know anything about this:

But perhaps the biggest problem is that so-called "not likely to be earned incentives" (NLTBE) will count immediately against the cap. In normal circumstances, NLTBE incentives count on the following year's spending limit. So NLTBEs earned in 2005, for instance, count against a team's 2006 cap. But with an uncapped year looming in 2007, such incentives and bonuses that are triggered in 2006 would immediately apply

Basically it just means that any incentives a player has in his contract for the upcoming season count against the cap. Normally, only "likely to be earned" incentives would count (there are various guidelines used to determine what's likely and not likely, but mostly it comes down to judging them in the light of previous performance). Mikey isn't a fan of either easy or pie-in-the-sky incentives, so I doubt this causes a lot of trouble for the Bengals.

How crazy is this? I'm kinda hoping no agreement is reached. The Bengals would be sitting pretty, and all of the teams that have played endless cap games would suddenly find the final bill had come due. That would lead to a massive number of cuts, but almost none by the Bengals. They could cherry pick. And again, the Bengals would gain a season of breathing room in regards to two of their most important potential free agents, Levi and Steinbach.

Frankly, if no agreement is the worst case scenario...I can live with it.

Yeah, the Bengals are in a pretty good position no matter how things fall out. If a deal does get done, then the cap will go up another $5-10-15 million, giving them plenty of space to redo deals all along the o-line and still be active in free agency. And like you say, no deal means they have a better-than-usual chance of landing some good FAs. The only impediments I see in that scenario are: one, a likely resistance to inking one-year deals, which I suspect will suddenly become extremely popular if there's no extension; and two, the Bengals' typical reluctance to play outside their own FA pond, which based on Hobson's early-and-often-and-continued poor-mouthing hasn't changed.

[HairOnFire]

While this "cherry picking" thing may sound decent for the Bengals in the very short term... what is bad for the NFL is bad for the Bengals... and this is very bad for the NFL.

It is what it is. A worst-case-scenario that won't hurt the always conservative Bengals as badly as most of the teams in the NFL. The very very short term impact would be a free agency period flushed with massive amounts of new talent and only about 12-15 teams in any position to buy, with the Bengals better positioned than roughly half of them.

Next year? The following uncapped year wouldn't be a free-for-all, as there are limiting factors in place, some of which have already been discussed. In fact, unless I'm mistaken free agency in 2007 will be defined by the continued bloodletting suffered by teams that have a long history of playing games with the cap....fuggem...meaning another wave of talent becoming available for the teams in better cap space. And yes, with most of it's young players already locked up, and two of it's most valuable free agents unable to hit the market as planned, the Bengals will be one of those well positioned teams yet again. Oh, one other likely result of an uncapped year would be an overwhelming number of modest one-year contracts, an idea I can easily embrace

2008? Hey, we'll all be dead from the bird flu, right? And even if we aren't extinct yet, I believe we'll be looking at an NFL landscape changed for the better due to the hard lessons learned by the NFLPA and the Daniel Snyders of the world. And as I've already stated, the idea of those salary cap-circumventing owners finally being given a bill stamped PAST DUE is very attractive to me.

[HairOnFire]

Yeah, the Bengals are in a pretty good position no matter how things fall out. If a deal does get done, then the cap will go up another $5-10-15 million, giving them plenty of space to redo deals all along the o-line and still be active in free agency. And like you say, no deal means they have a better-than-usual chance of landing some good FAs. The only impediments I see in that scenario are: one, a likely resistance to inking one-year deals, which I suspect will suddenly become extremely popular if there's no extension; and two, the Bengals' typical reluctance to play outside their own FA pond, which based on Hobson's early-and-often-and-continued poor-mouthing hasn't changed.

Well, cherry picking in this scenario would be best described as selective shopping. I wouldn't expect, or support, a strategy built around a crazed shopping spree. However, I can easily envision the Bengals adding a core player or two.

And while we agree that there will be an increase in one-year contracts we disagree about how reluctant the Bengals will be to agree to them. With no agreement the NFL landscape WILL change, and one-year contracts of modest amounts will have a very important role for teams who spend conservatively.

[JPW]

Looks like the cuts have started, maybe someone could make a pinned thread to track them ?

[Stripes]

Looks like the cuts have started, maybe someone could make a pinned thread to track them ?

Good idea, I'll sticky it in the NFL forum.

[HoosierCat]

pft sez the cap (sans CBA extension) for 2006 is $94.1 million:

2006 CAP NUMBER COULD STILL BE $98 MILLION

After a two-day delay, the NFL finally has announced the official cap numbers for 2006.

Per a league source, the per-team limit will be $94.1 million. There's a possibility, however, that the number will move to $98 million, pending the outcome of a grievance relating to certain television money.

If the CBA is extended before Friday, the cap will definitely shoot past $100 million, and possibly past $105 million.

$94 million would put the Bengals about $15 million to $19 million under the cap, depending on whose figures you believe. Add another $4 million to each number if it goes to $98 million.

[Whur CHad At?]

Looks like they are going to give it one more try to extend it before the end of thursday

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2349917

[HairOnFire]

Fun with numbers? From KFFL:

Bengals | Salary cap status

Wed, 1 Mar 2006 13:23:17 -0800

John Clayton, of ESPN.com, reports the Cincinnati Bengals are $9 million under the $92 million salary cap as of Wednesday, March 1.

[HoosierCat]

Well, shoot, if Clayton's right we're screwed. Per Hobson we have to have $9 million in cap space for RFA tenders, a rookie pool we won't need for at least seven weeks and a cushion for injuries we won't have for five or six months, if at all. So that means we're hard up against it. No extensions, no legit No. 2 QB (can't even afford Kitna!), no outside FAs, heck we might even have to cut someone...

[Sox]

Teams cap status as of March 1st,according to Clayton.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2349505

[HoosierCat]

The numbers are all over the board.

Per Clayton, working off the $92 million "low" estimate, it's $9 million. So at $94 million that would be about $11 million in space.

Peter King, working off the "high" estimate, came up with $11 million a day or two ago, so that would be $10 million now.

Hobson pegged the number at about $12 million (before his usual adjustments). I believe he was using the low estimate so that would be more like $14 million.

Pro Football Weekly quoted numbers provided by an NFL club that, at the "low" estimate, had us at $17 million under, which would rise to some $19 million under with a $94 million cap.

[Sox]

Well,I'm watching ESPN and the owners have broken off talks.

"Revenue sharing isn't a problem,the players demands are unreasonable,they don't understand the cost to generate revenue,blah blah blah"

[Stripes]

Well,I'm watching ESPN and the owners have broken off talks.

"Revenue sharing isn't a problem,the players demands are unreasonable,they don't understand the cost to generate revenue,blah blah blah"

Are you sure they weren't doing a rerun of an episode of Sportscenter about the NHL lockout?

[HairOnFire]

The numbers are all over the board.

Yup, and pointing that fact out is why I posted Clayton's numbers. We've now seen estimates of the Bengals available cap space as high as 17 million in cap space and as low as 9 million. Both totals have to be adjusted for various reasons. So the only thing a fan can know for certain is that the numbers are soft and unreliable. And knowing that, the only determination that can be reached relates to how a team's cap space, no matter how it is determined, ranks in comparison with other teams. No matter whose numbers you believe the results say roughly the same thing. Minnesota, Cleveland, and Arizona are flush. St.Louis and Cincy are in very good shape. Washington, Kansas City, Oakland, and Tennessee were just handed a bill.

Let the blood flow.

Well,I'm watching ESPN and the owners have broken off talks.

"Revenue sharing isn't a problem,the players demands are unreasonable,they don't understand the cost to generate revenue,blah blah blah"

Are you sure they weren't doing a rerun of an episode of Sportscenter about the NHL lockout?

That's where I think we're headed in 2008. For all of their denials I think we're seeing a winner-take-all version of owner-on-owner combat, and as much as Daniel Snyder, Jerry Jones, and Pat Bowlen may desire an uncapped NFL I doubt very much they've got the votes needed to blow up the current system entirely. Thus, lockout in 2008.

[HoosierCat]

from kffl...

NFL | Upshaw comments on stalemate

Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:35:48 -0800

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports NFL Players Association chief Gene Upshaw said they are too far apart in negotiations with the NFL owners. "There won't be an extension. They are unanimous so there's nothing to talk about. We'll go to the uncapped year," Upshaw said. Several players have called FOXSports.com to voice their concern over not having enough information in regards to the stalemate. While the players agree with Upshaw's stance, several have claimed they are not being kept in the loop, including several player representatives. Upshaw's executive committee, however, has been kept in the fold with regards to the dealings. The player reps and Upshaw are not scheduled to meet on the status of negotiations until next week.

Sounds like the natives are getting a bit restless...Florio over at pft has been suggesting for the last couple of days that Upshaw and his right-hand man Troy Vincent have been dodging phone calls from an increasing number of players who are waking up to the facts about how badly they may get screwed (in terms of not getting big FA deals or being a FA next year). Bet you a mahogany nickle that when FA starts there will be...nothing...or at least very little, as pressure from the ownership.

[Whur CHad At?]

The NFL and American Sports in general are now officaly

Businesses are ruining the game(s)

[HoosierCat]

A coda to my last post...Indy got nailed by a ruling over boni in Harrison and Manning's contracts. They are set now to count a whopping $32 million vs. the Colts cap in 2006. Interesting, however, that owner Irsay claims it' could be resolved in a week or so. You mean, like after a week of no FA signing, putting the hammer down on Upshaw & Co. and getting them to fold...thereby getting the cap room you need? Were I an owner, it'd sound like a plan to me...

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...RTS03/603020441

[ArmyBengal]

My opinion still stands the same in regards to the people that need to figure this out...

WHODEY !!!

[walzav29]

We play 3 teams that are going to have to make majore cuts. The Bucs, Raiders, and Chiefs. Long term this sucks. The NFL has to have a salary cap or the Bengals are dead.

[TecmoFever]

Agreed. I don't know if I could handle watching the Bengals turn into the Reds, especially when everything has been built right and for the long-term. If the Redskins and Cowboys became the Yankees and Red Sox, and the Bengals became the Reds...I can't even think about it right now.

[turningpoint]

signing draft picks is going to suck ass.

Agreed. I don't know if I could handle watching the Bengals turn into the Reds, especially when everything has been built right and for the long-term. If the Redskins and Cowboys became the Yankees and Red Sox, and the Bengals became the Reds...I can't even think about it right now.

btw you really should read up on what it means when the cba wont be extended, just cause there is no cap means, doesn;t mean the other million rules the nfl has wont apply.

you look like a moron.

[Stripes]

signing draft picks is going to suck ass.

Agreed. I don't know if I could handle watching the Bengals turn into the Reds, especially when everything has been built right and for the long-term. If the Redskins and Cowboys became the Yankees and Red Sox, and the Bengals became the Reds...I can't even think about it right now.

btw you really should read up on what it means when the cba wont be extended, just cause there is no cap means, doesn;t mean the other million rules the nfl has wont apply.

you look like a moron.

I could be wrong, but given my interpretation of other posts I've seen here.... Those other rules only apply for 2007... after that, anything goes, just like baseball.

[Whur CHad At?]

The NFL has announced that Free Agency will not open for another three days...

This has to be an indication that a deal could be getting re-worked.

[Stripes]

One can only hope. A little emergency good will from the owners would be nice to see.

[Ox]

I think this thing has to get done, or there's gonna be a helluva lot of bloodletting soon. I'm just curious who get's cut.