@kshutchins said:

I haven't been paying attention, so please bring me up to speed on this "uncapped year" question. Who's idea was it? Who decides if it's going to happen? When will we know?

It was the "poison pill" in the 2006 labor negotiations. The owners opted out of the last two years of the labor deal, invoking this. Next year is uncapped.

The fight seems to be about a salary cap that rise with gross revenue (as opposed to profit) and the escalation of rookie contracts. Teams that are building new stadiums (Dallas, NY) argue that gross revenue is not the proper measure. Players say the owners aren't disclosing their entire profits with things like stadium naming rights and they will not agree to a salary cap ever again if it goes away.

Labor talks have not been productive. Chances are next year will be uncapped. Then we are looking at a possible lockout by the owners in 2011.

So count on next year being uncapped and a showdown in 2011.

@jason-j said:

I think you're really going to see a shuffle of veteran players... and some without jobs altogether. I think the flood of mid-level players is really going to drive the market down. The NFLPA is going to put itself in a very bad spot.

They're going to lose a ton of money due in contracts, and lose the free negotiation of rookie contracts all in one calendar year. So basically the owners will be able to cut all the veterans and not pay the rookies all in the same fiscal year. Gotta love a transition of power.

-jj

Hmm... I thought I posted a reply. I must've hit a wrong button.

I haven't been paying attention, so please bring me up to speed on this "uncapped year" question. Who's idea was it? Who decides if it's going to happen? When will we know?

I think you're really going to see a shuffle of veteran players... and some without jobs altogether. I think the flood of mid-level players is really going to drive the market down. The NFLPA is going to put itself in a very bad spot.

They're going to lose a ton of money due in contracts, and lose the free negotiation of rookie contracts all in one calendar year. So basically the owners will be able to cut all the veterans and not pay the rookies all in the same fiscal year. Gotta love a transition of power.

-jj

@irisheyez said:

We would be one of the "yankees"...especially since your going to make boatloads of cash here.

A billionaire who cares about soccer.....

We would be one of the "yankees"...especially since your going to make boatloads of cash here.

@mitch said:

and i heard this same speal before the last labor agreement, which if you remember, was agreed upon at the 11th hour.

yup...groundhog day.

@bonedawg said:

sorry missed that, point is were competing or beating the so called big market teams and we are terrible. So if it was an uncapped year we would still be competitive in free agency. The Steelers won the superbowl last year and had the same revenue as us. Imagine if we were a playoff team every year, we might be up there with Washington.

nmills said:

Check those glasses wild thing. Cowboys - $280 mil, Browns $235 mil. Point taken though.

@mitch said:

This means we can have 4x amount of cap room it doesn't matter. There wont be a cap

Dude, Upshaw's been dead for a year.

One interesting part of the 2010 uncapped year is that while it will mean there are fewer free agents (because of the 6 rather than 4 year UFA path), the top teams will be limited in the number of free agents that they can sign. So a bottom-feeder with money to spend might be in a pretty good spot.

Ultimately the salary cap will not get removed. Players don't have that much mojo. Games are getting blacked out in the NFL this season for god's sake. Players strike and they lose millions of dollars they never have a chance to earn back.

Ultimately, this gets resolved with a more reasonable rookie salary cap structure for 2011. Belichick trading Seymour to Oakland for their #1 pick was pure genius. He'll get a top 5 pick with the newly-slotted rookie salary structure (like the NBA). Voting members of the players association will gladly stick it to the rooks.

@kosar_for_president said:

Exactly, now imagine Jerry Jones with that shit eating grin after he buys another superbowl ring. I think I just vomited in my mouth a little thinking about that one.

@bonedawg said:

Just like baseball.

@tn-browns-backer said:

I am pro salary cap, im sorry the NFLPA minimum is only that of 90% of America's working population and that backups only make $750,000 or so to do nothing but play a game that people love. So so so sorry, NFLPA, your right, we should pay your over-priced "ochocinco" pre-madona players more money so they can go hit more strippers (Pacman) and then maybe they can buy better lawyers so they dont see any jail time considerable to the offense commited (Ray Lewis & Jamal Lewis) or they can just pay off people to avoid serving the sentence that all real Americans have to serve for their actions (Donte Stallworth).

Sorry..... I hate players complaining they only drive 3 tricked out cars.

It will be a sad day if the cap gets removed. Perhaps the best thing about the NFL is the parity it achieves through the salary cap structure. ANY team can go to the promised land any year no matter how small the market the team comes from. If this happens permanently get ready for the Giants to win 3 Superbowls every decade and teams like green bay to become farms for players they won't be able afford if they get good.

@mitch said:

Fact of the matter is they are going to get the removal of the salary cap and yes it will be like baseball. You can't complain about them wanting more money really. If they don't get it who gets it? The owner. Its not like they are taking money out of your pocket. Granted it could potentially raise ticket prices but they wont sky rocket just like baseball hasn't.

My only complaint $ wise is it will ruin the competition of, for example, the Raiders beating the Eagles last week. Those kinds of upsets wont happen anymore, just like the Royals dont beat the Yankees, or the Nationals dont beat the Philies

Fact of the matter is they are going to get the removal of the salary cap and yes it will be like baseball. You can't complain about them wanting more money really. If they don't get it who gets it? The owner. Its not like they are taking money out of your pocket. Granted it could potentially raise ticket prices but they wont sky rocket just like baseball hasn't.

Guaranteed money in excess of $20 million was given to Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca, and Calvin Pace, while Damien Woody had to settle for only $10 million in guarantees.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writ...l#ixzz0VA8nEFK5

@mitch said:

This means we can have 4x amount of cap room it doesn't matter. There wont be a cap

All THAT means is football will become like baseball, and the teams with the most money will just buy players and over time, in theory, just dominate. Have a salary cap works in our favor honestly, as a team from Cleveland.

I am pro salary cap, im sorry the NFLPA minimum is only that of 90% of America's working population and that backups only make $750,000 or so to do nothing but play a game that people love. So so so sorry, NFLPA, your right, we should pay your over-priced "ochocinco" pre-madona players more money so they can go hit more strippers (Pacman) and then maybe they can buy better lawyers so they dont see any jail time considerable to the offense commited (Ray Lewis & Jamal Lewis) or they can just pay off people to avoid serving the sentence that all real Americans have to serve for their actions (Donte Stallworth).

Sorry..... I hate players complaining they only drive 3 tricked out cars.

@silverback said:

It could, though I don't think that is the case.

We cleared a good amount, and I don't think it was simply to save money.....now next year, if we have a boatload, then we might need to revisit the topic.

This means we can have 4x amount of cap room it doesn't matter. There wont be a cap

@silverback said:

No, it shows that we've cut a lot of dead weight this past season.....before the start of last off season I believe we had the second least cap space in the league

@chicopee-john said:

Even driving over a cliff could not end it.

@vaportrail said:

it's not the brown's either.

@silverback said:

But it looks like we're saving for the draft??? The whole financial aspect of the game really isn't my forte. Is this not the case?

@silverback said:

i hate agreeing with you...