National Football League

Players take center stage today

Published Jul. 20, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Alex Marvez

An update on labor negotiations between the NFL and its players:

Wednesday’s agenda: This is the most pivotal day since the lockout began in mid-March. NFL Players Association representatives have gathered in Washington, DC, to vote on whether to accept the new collective-bargaining agreement crafted by their former union and the league. The proposal was expected to be finalized Wednesday morning by lawyers from both parties.

The 10 plaintiffs in the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit also must sign off on the agreement. This once appeared a potential obstacle because several reportedly were pushing for special dispensation that would have eliminated or limited the ability of their teams to name them franchise players. But the Boston Herald reported that the NFLPA has decided not to push the matter. That seemingly indicates the Brady plaintiffs will grant CBA approval if the NFLPA reps do the same.

Another potential hurdle was cleared Tuesday when former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Carl Eller said retired players won’t stand in the way of finalizing a new CBA. Eller had filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of retirees in an attempt to secure improved benefits. The NFL and NFLPA have pledged $1 billion toward new benefits over the next 10 years to address the issue.

Although he said “there’s still a lot more to be done” toward that package, Eller said such work can come after a new CBA is enacted.

What could derail labor peace?: Just because the NFLPA hierarchy has signed off on a new labor pact doesn’t automatically mean its player representatives will do the same.

“We’re not tied to a timeline of July 21,” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae said Wednesday morning at a media briefing outside NFLPA headquarters. “Our timeline is to get the best deal for our players. We’re not going to agree to any deal unless it's the right deal for all the players.”

If there is enough dissatisfaction, NFLPA brass might have to approach the NFL about revamping parts of the CBA. The big question, then, becomes whether those demands would scuttle the deal altogether.

Such a scenario, though, seems unlikely, especially considering the significant number of concessions NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and his team have procured from the NFL since the league’s final pre-lockout proposal.

At least 24 of the 32 NFL team owners also must approve a new CBA. That is considered fait accompli, provided the NFLPA signs off on the deal first. In a perfect world, the NFLPA will vote Wednesday followed by the NFL on Thursday at a league owners meeting in Atlanta.

How quickly can the NFL return to business as usual?: Soon, but maybe not as fast as some media reports have indicated. Even with the scheduled start of the preseason just around the corner, teams still need time to digest the new CBA guidelines before free agency can begin. Other procedural matters must get wrapped up before the deal becomes official.

The most likely start to the league calendar year is the middle to end of next week. Expect a massive amount of player signings and movement in the first 72 hours after the signing period begins.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League