NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith traveled to Houston to meet with the Texans about a potential upcoming labor battle according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson writes that Smith’s message to the team was “that it’s time to get prepared with a labor battle looming on the horizon.” The current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021, and a “potential work stoppage is a strong potential scenario” Wilson writes.
Many players have voiced their displeasure with the CBA in recent years, and it sounds like another lockout is a strong possibility. Some players have even referred to a lockout as an inevitability due to how far apart players and owners are on several key issues. The league infamously had a lockout in 2011, and it’s now widely agreed that the owners won those negotiations. The players will likely drive much harder bargains this time around, and demand greater guarantees in contracts. It will be a fascinating situation to watch develop as we get closer and closer to the expiration of the CBA.
Here’s more from around the league:
- It was reported earlier this week that Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers was dealing with a “serious” health injury, and now Mike Garafolo of NFL Network has new details (Twitter link). Garafolo writes that it “sounds like it could be an extended absence as he focuses on his health.” Rodgers missed the Jets’ win over the Broncos today, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon.
- Ryan Tannehill has had a rough couple of weeks, and his performance today was so bad that it prompted reporters to ask Dolphins coach Adam Gase after the game if Tannehill would be benched moving forward. Gase responded that Tannehill wouldn’t be benched yet according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), but it’s still surprising that it’s reached that point. The Dolphins have only Brock Osweiler and David Fales behind him on the depth chart.
- It was reported earlier that the Patriots were planning on doing something to address the fact that they had just two running backs on the roster, and now we might have an idea what. New England has “been in contact” with ex-Patriot Mike Gillislee a source told Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). Gillislee was recently cut by the Saints, and it sounds like we could see a reunion soon.
Adam Gase needs to be worried about his job. The Dolphins have no mental toughness. I watched the game at Paul Brown Stadium and they were just lackadaisical so much of the game, especially when they got the lead.
They could easily be 2-3 or 1-4, at this point.
There won’t be lockout. The players will give in, always do. The players are making poor choices. Rather than 2-3 year contracts they sign for 5-6, why? The cap has risen every single year since the last agreement and yet only Cousins and the former Ram CB took short deals. They are getting terrible advice from their agents. Bad advice from agents isn’t an owner problem.
They should be signing guaranteed contracts with shorter durations rather than longer contracts without guarantees. How the math is lost on these agents and players is mind boggling. Kirk Cousins should win an award for “best free agency strategy.” He will make over $100MM over 5 years and will hit the market again in 3 years! Meanwhile, jackass in Pitt is holding out because he isn’t getting paid $15MM/year for multiple years.
It’s not lost on the agents. It’s lost on the players and NFLPA. The agents have tons of clients. Each offseason, they sign new deals w/ different players. And yes Cousins will bank north of $100m in 5 years and be a FA at 31(?) Still young enough for another massive contract.
Why wouldn’t Cousin stay the full five years?
They got thoroughly beat in the last negotiation. The players relatively short careers put them in a position of having to make their money when they can. They don’t want to miss a year. Especially running backs. The key is to guarantee some percentage of the contracts for all players. There’s a middle ground. The owners don’t want fully guaranteed contracts like the other sports so they’re paying g 37 year old players 20 million for nothing. You could just shorten the contracts and top load them. Pay for what you’re getting now. Pay a great running back 50 million for two years. He gets his money and the team isn’t bogged down with dead money. In addition, they need better leadership.
Yea, I’m not a big union guy in general, but if you are paying these jokers for collective bargaining, don’t get f’ed everytime you go to the negotiating table.
I would disagree that they got played. The cap literally rises 12-15% each offseason. How is that a bad deal? The players, all o them to fault, say ‘we want long term security.’ Well if you sign a 5 year deal, you miss the cap going up 5 years in a row.
By half time Sunday against Mack and the Bears Tannehill will be begging to get benched, if he is still upright