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Month: November 2024

CBA Notes: Funding Rule, Marijuana, Fines

February 21st, 2020 at 7:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The momentum toward a new CBA took a blow on Friday, but all hope is not lost, as the two sides have agreed to meet at the combine next week. As we await more word on where exactly the players union stands, here’s the latest on what was in the most recent proposal:

  • One issue that players didn’t get what they wanted on is the ‘funding rule,’ per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The players wanted the rule eliminated, but instead Graziano notes the proposal only “weaken[ed] the rule somewhat.” The rule requires teams to put any amount of guaranteed money in a contract over $2MM into escrow. As Graziano points out, it’s an outdated rule from many years ago designed to prevent teams from being unable to make payroll. As the players have argued for years now, that makes owners less willing to give players large guarantees, since they have to put all the money into a bank account up front. Especially for owners that are more cash-strapped than others, it’s a significant deterrent. Graziano writes that the proposal increases the “funding rule threshold to $15 million in the first year of the deal and $17 million in 2029, the final year of the deal.”
  • There’s been talk for a while about the new deal relaxing marijuana restrictions, and we have the full details on what that would look like, courtesy of Mark Maske of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The THC testing window would be reduced from a huge four-month period to just two weeks at the start of training camp. Additionally, players would no longer be suspended solely for positive marijuana tests, the number of players tested would be reduced, and the thresholds for positive tests would be increased. In other words, marijuana use will virtually never be an issue again for NFL players.
  • Another smaller benefit for the players is they won’t have to pay as much money in fines, Maske tweets. The proposal will apparently reduce the fines from both teams and the league for on-field infractions. That means players won’t be fined as much for things like unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Eagles Looking To Move Alshon Jeffery, Who Would Welcome trade

February 21st, 2020 at 5:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Alshon Jeffery and the Eagles could be headed for a parting of ways. Philadelphia is looking to move their star receiver, sources told Connor Hughes of The Athletic. 

Hughes adds that Jeffery “would welcome the change of scenery,” but the receiver’s rep quickly refuted that. Jeffery “loves being in the city of Philly and playing for the Eagles,” his agent Tory Dandy tweeted. As Hughes points out, Jeffery’s contract is currently a significant hurdle. If the Eagles hadn’t restructured his contract back in September they would’ve been able to get out of his deal fairly easily, but now they’d be looking at a $26MM cap hit if they wanted to cut him.

There was a lot of drama surrounding Jeffery and the team last year, as he was alleged to have been the source of critical comments about Carson Wentz that surfaced in the press. Sources confirmed to Hughes that Wentz and Jeffery “never saw eye-to-eye and their relationship was testy.” Thanks to the restructure, Jeffery is guaranteed a base salary of $11.5MM for 2020.

Hughes thinks the Eagles will pursue a trade, and that they will look to split some of the money owed to Jeffery. The South Carolina product just turned 30 and is coming off Lisfranc surgery that could sideline him for most of training camp, so Hughes understandably thinks it will be hard to find a trade partner. Many seem to expect that the Eagles will eat the $26MM and cut Jeffery if they have to.

If that happens and Jeffery becomes a free agent, Hughes writes that it “shouldn’t take long before the Jets make a call.” Because of offset language in his contract, any team will be able to sign Jeffery for the league minimum should he reach the open market. Hughes notes that he has plenty of ties to the Jets’ current regime, as New York’s GM Joe Douglas spent time with him in Philly and Adam Gase coached him in Chicago. We should know a lot more about Jeffery’s situation, and where he’ll be playing in 2020, soon.

NFL, NFLPA To Meet At Combine

February 21st, 2020 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Friday’s events dealt a blow to this CBA passing by March 18, NFL ownership has agreed to meet with the union at the Combine next week, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The meeting will take place Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

After the union’s executive committee voted 6-5 against the owners’ CBA proposal, the NFLPA board revealed it would not hold its vote on the measure Friday. However, the board will vote Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, Graziano adds. If two-thirds of the player representatives vote yes, the owners’ proposal goes to the entire union body. If a simple majority vote in favor of it at that point, the NFL will have a new CBA.

An interesting wrinkle to these negotiations: the NFL potentially pushing the 2020 league year back from March 18 to a later date in order to wrap up this process, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (video link). Delaying the league year would postpone free agency. The legal tampering period begins March 16; free agents are able to sign deals with other teams on the 18th.

NFL teams want an answer on the CBA by next week, when teams can begin applying franchise and transition tags. If the 2011 CBA remains in place by then, teams can use both transition and franchise tags in a final-league-year special circumstance. This would impact a few marquee free agents.

A new CBA represents one of the key offseason pieces for ownership. The other part of the equation, the upcoming negotiations for new TV deals, is likely contingent on the NFL being able to sell 10 more years’ worth of labor piece. If ratified before the start of the 2020 league year, this CBA agreement would run through the 2029 season. After Friday’s development, some key hurdles remain. But with the NFL’s desire to have a new deal in place before the new league year, it seems unlikely owners would not be open to more negotiations — despite earlier reports of this week’s proposal being a take-it-or-leave it offer.

Latest On Collective Bargaining Agreement

February 21st, 2020 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

After momentum gradually built for weeks, the prospect of a new collective bargaining agreement being finalized soon took a serious hit Friday. The NFLPA’s board has cancelled a Friday vote on the owners’ proposal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

This comes after the NFLPA’s executive committee voted 6-5 against recommending the owners’ CBA proposal earlier today. Both the NFLPA board and executive committee hope to meet with the NFL again soon, per Pelissero, and the union announced it is planning a vote for next week. The owners have already approved their proposal, though the vote was not unanimous.

“Today the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives did not take a vote on the principal terms of a proposed new collective bargaining agreement,” the union’s statement read. “The Executive Committee looks forward to meeting with NFL management again next week before the Board takes a vote shortly after.”

The league wants a resolution on a new CBA by next week, or the 2011 agreement will remain in place for the 2020 league year. The ball may now roll back to the owners. The NFLPA would like to resume discussions next week, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the owners did not sound like that would be an option. One owner confirmed more negotiations will not commence, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This may be posturing, with ownership’s desire to have a new CBA done by March 18 not exactly a secret. Either way, the next several days will be critical toward a new deal and determining how serious the prospect of a 2021 work stoppage will become.

The owners’ push for a 17-game schedule, of course, exists at the crux of this potential impasse. But some union reps who support ratifying the CBA believe they will not get a better deal from the owners going forward, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link), adding that those opposed to moving forward with this proposal want more concessions from the owners to green-light 17 games. Ownership wants to take a ratified CBA to the TV networks to secure landmark contracts, capitalizing on the momentum of the recent ratings rise. Labor peace would obviously help on that front.

Bears To Release Prince Amukamara, Taylor Gabriel

February 21st, 2020 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears moved to clear some cap space on Friday by jettisoning two starters. They are releasing cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Amukamara has been a Bears starter since he signed a one-year deal with Chicago in 2017. The ex-Giants first-round pick re-upped with the team on a long-term deal in 2018. One season remained on that three-year, $27MM contract. Two years remained on Gabriel’s pact. Altogether, the Bears will create $13.5MM in cap space by making these moves.

Gabriel signed a four-year, $26MM contract in 2018. That deal had no more guaranteed money. The ex-Falcon started 18 games for Chicago but battled injuries last season, limiting him to nine games. Chicago’s offense struggled as a whole last season, with Mitchell Trubisky regressing. The Bears drafted Anthony Miller and Riley Ridley over the past two years and possess greater needs than the wide receiver spot. Gabriel caught 96 passes for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns as a Bear. The 29-year-old target will get a head start on the receiver market because of this early cut.

Amukamara’s exit leaves a bigger hole. He was a key member of the Bears’ high-end defenses, starting alongside Kyle Fuller. The Bears, though, had a lot of money committed to their corner group after having signed slot man Buster Skrine a year re-upping Amukamara and matching the Packers’ offer sheet for the then-transition-tagged Fuller. Amukamara was set to earn a $9MM base salary in 2020.

Amukamara will turn 31 before Week 1 but figures to generate interest ahead of free agency. He settled for one-year deals with the Jaguars and Bears from 2016-17 before landing a multiyear Chicago accord. The Nebraska alum graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 41 corner last season, which came after he graded higher for the Bears’ No. 1-ranked scoring defense in 2018.

The Bears now hold closer to $20MM in cap space after entering Friday with barely $5MM. More moves could be on tap.

Latest On Lions’ Darius Slay

February 21st, 2020 at 1:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Darius Slay‘s future in Detroit is still less-than-certain, but there’s cause for at least a little bit of hope. Lions GM Bob Quinn says he’s having “good conversations” with the cornerback’s agent (Twitter link via Tori Petry of the team website). 

“Nothing’s really past the finish line yet,” Quinn continued. “But we’re hoping to get a few things done here in the next week or so.”

Earlier this week, the Lions opened up the phone lines to discuss trades involving the Pro Bowler. Multiple teams have interest – it’s not clear which teams have been in talks with the Lions, though the Eagles and Broncos are both probable suitors. According to one source who spoke with Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post, it might take a second- or third-round pick (not to mention a whopping new deal) for the Broncos to pry him away. Slay, who has been at odds with the team in the past, reportedly wouldn’t mind a fresh start.

Slay has one year to go on his four-year, $48MM deal with Detroit.Thanks to Slay’s front-loading, he’s slated to earn just $10MM in 2020. On his next deal, he could command approximately $15MM per year; the Lions are concerned about concentrating too much of their capital with the 29-year-old, but plenty of other clubs would be willing to hit that mark.

NFLPA Executive Committee Rejects CBA

February 21st, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Friday afternoon brought an unexpected turn of events in the NFL’s CBA negotiations. After negotiating the current iteration with owners, the executive committee voted 6-5 against pushing it to a union-wide vote, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. 

The exec vote is only a recommendation and doesn’t scuttle the proposal entirely, but it does raise some serious question marks. The next official step towards ratification is a vote among the league’s 32 player representatives. If a simple majority says yes, it goes on to the entire NFLPA.

Earlier today, it seemed like the two sides were well on their way to ten more years of labor peace. Still, the league’s eleven higher-ups are skittish about the concessions being made. A number of players have found some sticking points in talks, including the addition of a 17th regular season game. Owners have pitched a number of trade-offs to get the deal done – a larger share of revenue, lighter training camp practices, less fussing over weed, and more – but that hasn’t totally mollified the upper ranks. On the other side of the table, some owners are also hesitant, as shown by their recent not-quite-unanimous vote.

There is no true deadline for a resolution, though both sides are gunning for a deal before the new league year begins in March. Otherwise, things will become impossibly messy and the possibility of a labor stoppage in 2021 will linger.

Cardinals To Extend D.J. Humphries

February 21st, 2020 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after Steve Keim indicated the Cardinals were confident they’d retain D.J. Humphries in free agency, Arizona’s left tackle has agreed to terms to stay with the franchise that drafted him.

Humphries agreed to a three-year, $45MM extension on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The former first-round pick will receive $30MM over the first two years of that deal, and the pact contains $29MM guaranteed. This takes one of the top offensive linemen off the free agent market.

The second year of Humphries’ deal – worth $15MM – will become guaranteed on March 21 of this year, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. That means the first two years are effectively guaranteed; a big win for the lineman and his camp.

Humphries, 26, now becomes the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid tackle, in terms of per-year salary. He’s also one of five $15MM-AAV offensive linemen. A Humphries franchise tag would have cost Arizona nearly $15MM; that certainly played a role in these extension talks.

While Humphries has battled injuries and inconsistency, the Cardinals are sold he can be Kyler Murray‘s blind-side protector for years to come. The Cardinals had not seen Humphries play 16 games until this past season. From 2017-18, he played five and nine, respectively. Knee issues sidelined Humphries during those slates, which came after a 2015 rookie season in which he was inactive throughout. This is a big bet from Keim, whose record on first-round picks between Humphries and Murray has not been great.

From 2016-18, the Cardinals used first-round picks on Robert Nkemdiche, Haason Reddick and Josh Rosen. None were starters by season’s end; Reddick is the only member of this trio who remains with the Cards. He will almost certainly see his fifth-year option declined come May. Humphries has outperformed this trio, but other than a brief 2017 work sample, Pro Football Focus has not raved about the ex-Florida blocker’s work. That has not stopped teams from big tackle investments, however. The Buccaneers gave Donovan Smith a major extension last year, despite frequent down reviews from PFF.

Humphries began his career as Arizona’s right tackle in 2016 but switched to the left side a year later, moving Jared Veldheer from his long-held left tackle post. Humphries has played for three head coaches, but despite Kliff Kingsbury being early in his Texas Tech tenure when the Cards drafted the 6-foot-5 tackle, the second-year Arizona coach has entrusted him to protect the franchise’s top investment for a while.

Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy Turns Down Colorado

February 21st, 2020 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Eric Bieniemy won’t be leaving Kansas City. This week, the Chiefs offensive coordinator withdrew his name from consideration, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. 

Bieniemy did not formally interview for the job, but the Buffs pursued him hard nonetheless. Klis’ understanding is that Bieniemy was Colorado’s first choice for the job and they kept in contact with him throughout, even while he was on vacation.

Bieniemy has interviewed for a number of NFL head coaching jobs in recent cycles but has yet to come away with any. Colorado presented him with an opportunity to finally run his own show – and return to his alma mater – but he ultimately felt that the Chiefs job was too good to give up. Besides, with another year of electric offense in Kansas City, it feels inevitable that Bieniemy will finally get his big break. Had Bieniemy signed up at Colorado, he likely would have been tied to the school for multiple seasons with a significant buyout for any NFL team hiring him.

Bieniemy has been a Chiefs assistant for the last seven years. This offseason, he interviewed with the Browns, Giants, and Panthers about their head coaching vacancies. Last year, he chatted with the Bucs and Dolphins.

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