NFL Players Association - Pro Football Rumors

Salary Cap To Increase ~$2MM Per Team

February 23rd, 2016 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 4:44pm: The NFL released a statement today on the arbitrator’s decision that will result in the 2016 salary cap to rise further than anticipated, stating the league’s error stemmed from a technical accounting error regarding stadium construction and renovation projects, via Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal (TwitLonger link).

MONDAY, 9:11pm: An arbitrator found that the NFL withheld roughly $120MM in ticket revenue from its players over the past three years, as Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal writes. Now, the league will have to make it up to the players by increasing the salary cap by roughly $2MM per team, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

In December, the league’s estimate projected a cap between $150MM and $153.4MM with many saying that the number would land closer to the upper maximum of that range. Now, with the latest bump up, the cap could easily approach ~$155MM for the 2016 season.

“They created an exemption out of a fiction and they got caught,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA.

The league’s spokesman, meanwhile, referred to the ruling as the resolution of a “technical accounting issue under the CBA involving the funding of stadium construction and renovation projects.” Regardless of what the league says, this ruling marks yet another legal victory for the NFLPA which is a good sign for the union going forward. More importantly, the ruling has the potential to give players an additional $60MM+ in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, Jags, London

February 5th, 2016 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conducted his usual pre-Super Bowl press conference today, and even though he took questions from reporters for nearly 45 minutes, he didn’t provide many noteworthy updates. Goodell did drop the occasional interesting nugget, announcing that the Raiders and Texans will play in Mexico City on November 21, and revealing that he has recommended to the competition committee that a player who commits two person fouls in a game is automatically ejected.

When it came to questions about the NFL’s PSI study, stadium plans for San Diego and Oakland, potential changes to the league’s drug policy, and the NFL’s investigation into Al Jazeera’s HGH allegations, Goodell declined to get into specifics, offering only general answers. According to Goodell, the PSI checks didn’t turn up any violations, the NFL wants to keep the Chargers and Raiders where they are, the league doesn’t expect any marijuana-related policy changes, and the HGH-allegation investigation (in conjunction with WADA and other leagues) is ongoing.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith says he’s “cautiously optimistic” that the union will reach a resolution with the NFL over a change in Goodell’s role in player discipline, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The commissioner was characteristically evasive today when asked about that issue.
Smith also projected another $10MM boost for the league’s salary cap in 2016 (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of Indianapolis Star), and and singled out the Raiders and Jaguars as two teams that are well below the 89% cash spending floor. According to Smith (link via Barry Wilner of The Associated Press), Oakland is $41MM below the threshold and Jacksonville is $28MM below. Those teams could be active in free agency this offseason to get to the necessary level, but they don’t have to be in compliance until March 2017, so extensions next winter for 2014 draftees like Derek Carr and Khalil Mack (Raiders) or Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson (Jaguars) could do the trick.
Sheldon Adelson, the new owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, has installed Craig Moon as the paper’s publisher, and Moon’s early editorial decisions have had an impact on stories about Las Vegas’ proposed stadium, according to Politco’s Ken Doctor. With Adelson hoping to lure the Raiders or another NFL team to the proposed stadium, the Review-Journal has been forced to edit or kill stories about what could turn out to be a $600MM public investment.
The NFL came close, in recent weeks, to adding a fourth London game to its 2016 schedule, a source tells Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). However, scheduling conflicts – not to mention the challenge of finding a fourth team willing to give up a home team – forced the league to put that plan on hold.

Extra Points: TNF, Randle, Wentz, Draft

February 1st, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL announced today that it has reached an agreement with CBS and NBC to expand its Thursday Night Football package for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While all of the Thursday night games will continue to be either aired or simulcast on the NFL Network, CBS will now show five of the games, while NBC will show another five.

According to a CNBC report (via Twitter), the fees for the Thursday night rights will be approximately $450MM. Although CNBC doesn’t specify, it’s probably safe to assume that each network will be paying that amount for the right to air a total of 10 games each – five per season – in 2016 and 2017. In 2015, CBS paid $300MM for eight games, so a bump up to $450MM for 10 apiece makes sense.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:

Former Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has run into more trouble off the field, according to Matt Peterson of the Dallas Morning News, who reports that Randle was arrested early Monday morning in Irving and booked on a speeding charge. Randle’s off-field behavior was a factor in the Cowboys’ decision to release him in the fall, and it’s hard to imagine him getting a chance from another team if those legal issues persist.
In a piece for PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net focuses on the top quarterbacks available in this year’s draft, writing that Carson Wentz‘s stock is on the rise, and he and Jared Goff could both be top-five picks this spring. NFL decision-makers are also bullish on Christian Hackenberg‘s upside, and he’s expected to come off the board in the top 75 picks.
Within that same piece, Pauline also suggests that Ohio State’s Nick Vannett could be the first tight end selected in the draft, and says Boise State safety Darian Thompson saw his stock rise at the Senior Bowl.
In a memo, the NFL Players Association has indicated that agents are now required to contact the union at the “beginning of substantive discussions” on veteran re-negotiations worth at least $2MM per year, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. While the exact reason for this change is unclear, Getlin – citing “smart folks behind the scene” – suggests it may be a reaction to players signing extensions that didn’t thrill the NFLPA (Twitter link).

Extra Points: San Diego, Hardy, NFLPA

November 20th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

The city of San Diego is looking more and more like they will lose the Chargers in the near future, but Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune hopes that the organization retiring LaDainian Tomlinson’s jersey could save the team. He writes that team chairman Dean Spanos has a soft spot for his future Hall of Fame running back, and that an emotional moment of honoring him could be the impetus for a change of heart and new commitment to keep the Chargers in San Diego.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches on many topics in his latest column for NFL.com, providing a few more details on Greg Hardy‘s absence from a Cowboys team meeting, and noting that the NFL will send a contingent to Mexico City for the second time in three weeks, with an eye toward getting Azteca Stadium NFL-ready for a 2016 game.
The NFL’s general counsel Jeff Pash confirmed the the league and player’s union are having substantive talks regarding player discipline, reports Mark Maske of the Washington Post (via Twitter). In the talks, the NFL is still against including any third-party arbitration.
Pash did make a statement over the status of the negotiations, according to Maske (via Twitter). “I don’t think we’ll get it done tomorrow. I do think… we can get there.”

Extra Points: Goodell, Los Angeles, Draft

November 20th, 2015 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL and NFL Players Associations are engaged in negotiations regarding commissioner Roger Goodell‘s role in player discipline, and according to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, the two sides are having “the right conversations,” writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. While there’s been some speculation that resolving Goodell’s involvement in the player-discipline process might have to wait until the next CBA extension, both sides have noted that modifications could be made before that.

“There’s no need for other issues,” Smith said. “We’ve resolved drug policy as a stand-alone issue. We cut side letters to the collective bargaining agreement every year that are issues. At the end of the day, I think that this is an important issue for both sides. And I don’t think either the players or the owners really want to be talking about commissioner discipline during the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl. I don’t think that’s good for our business. I’m sure they don’t think it’s good for our business.”

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…

Having long been on top of the Los Angeles relocation rumors swirling around a trio of NFL teams, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times takes a step back to evaluate where the situation stands now, using a Q&A format to address the most frequently-asked questions about the possibility of the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders moving to L.A.
Field Yates of ESPN.com examines a few teams that might like to have do-overs on big offseason transactions, noting that neither the Eagles nor the Rams have made out particularly well in their Sam Bradford/Nick Foles swap. Yates also identifies the Seahawks‘ acquisition of Jimmy Graham and the Cowboys‘ plan to replace DeMarco Murray as moves that haven’t worked out as planned.
There are at least 10 NFL teams – and probably more – that will consider drafting a quarterback in the spring of 2016, according to Mike Sando and Mel Kiper of ESPN.com, who take a look at the clubs in need of QBs, along with a few of the top college options available to them.
Alabama already had two defensive linemen – A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed – projected as potential first-round picks, and there are some in NFL circles that believe Jonathan Allen could make it three first-round defensive linemen for the Crimston Tide, writes Matt Zenitz of AL.com.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Los Angeles, St. Louis

October 23rd, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are a few other stories you might have missed from around the NFL this Friday,:

The NFLPA has taken issue with a recent practice of teams monitoring players’ sleep habits, saying the usage of such technologies violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
The “point person” for the Chargers on their stadium issue, Mark Fabiani, has stated that the organization will file for relocation to Los Angeles when the league opens the application window in January, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. “At this point yes, because there’s no sign that the other team or teams are not going to file,” Fabiani said. “Everyone assumes all three teams will file, and in that case we can’t afford to lose our market in Los Angeles and Orange County.”
The city of St. Louis has committed $150MM towards the proposed $1 billion stadium to keep the Rams in west Missouri, including $6 million per year and an unknown game-day tax rebate, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. About $70MM of that will come directly from the city, while the rest will come from the public authority that owns the Edward Jones Dome.

NFLPA Exec Discusses CBA, Rice, Discipline

October 22nd, 2015 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith was in Houston this week to meet with the Texans, as the team elected its union representatives — linebacker Brian Cushing, safety Quintin Demps, and center Ben Jones. During his visit to Houston, Smith spoke to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle about a few subjects of interest, so let’s round up the highlights….

On the Texans’ new player reps:

“All three of those guys are good, sharp guys. The core of our union is leadership from players, and we strive to find new leaders on each team in each locker room. The player reps are the guys who own the union. Every team needs strong representation. That helps me and it is important that every team has those guys in the locker room who have the respect of the men they work with every day. Brian, Quintin and Ben definitely fit that bill.”

On the CBA, and what issues need to be addressed:

“The reality is negotiations on the CBA never end. Two years ago, we came out with a new drug policy that was negotiated during the current term. We’ve already continued to negotiate whatever core issues there are. There’s a lot to talk about. We need a comprehensive improvement in workman’s compensation across the league. … We need to talk about the commissioner discipline issue, obviously. We haven’t had any real concrete discussions about that. We have had some discussions about stadium funding for Los Angeles. That’s something that was changed in the last collective bargaining agreement to have a more liberal system for stadium credits. That’s something they didn’t get. They have reached out about increasing credits for stadiums. I’m not sure we’re close to any sort of deal on that, but it shows the collective bargaining agreement isn’t written in stone. It’s something we’re constantly trying to work on and improve.”

On the fact that Ray Rice hasn’t been able to get a second chance:

“I believe in redemption. I’m troubled by the fact that no team has given him an opportunity to work out for them or meet with them. I think when a young person, any person, makes a mistake and atones for those mistakes, it’s our culture to give them another chance. I believe in forgiveness. I do think he deserves every opportunity to show he’s worthy of forgiveness. He made a mistake, an awful mistake and he’s paid an awful price. I do believe in the power of redemption. I do believe we tend to show our best when we forgive.”

On the issue of Roger Goodell handing out player discipline and overseeing appeals:

“I think we are better off obviously if the league and the union come to an agreement on commissioner discipline, whether it was Tom Brady or Greg Hardy or Adrian Peterson or Bountygate, the work we are able to accomplish when working together is always better than the work that results from when we are fighting each other. Right now, we’re at a place where if the owners want to get something done on commissioner discipline, it will get done. If they don’t, it won’t get done. We shouldn’t be in a world where we’re constantly fighting in the courts.”

NFC Notes: 49ers, RGIII, Chancellor

September 12th, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers after they drafted him 10th overall in 2009. His time in San Francisco was somewhat underwhelming, given his production at Texas Tech and draft status, as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau just once and never racked up double-digit touchdowns in a season. Crabtree stayed in the Bay Area and signed with Oakland during the offseason, but he told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that the 49ers wanted him back. The feeling wasn’t mutual.

“A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” the 27-year-old said. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too — the Niners offered me more money than anybody did — but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”

Crabtree then took a shot at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, saying, “I needed a quarterback that can deliver the ball, and that was hungry like I was.”

Owners To Discuss Changing Goodell’s Role in Disciplinary Process

September 4th, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the NFL’s latest defeat in court, the NFL’s team owners intend to discuss the possibility of changing commissioner Roger Goodell’s role in the player disciplinary process, several sources tell Mark Maske of the Washington Post.

According to Maske, there’s no guarantee that Goodell’s role will be altered as a result of these discussions, but it’s the first sign that Judge Richard Berman’s ruling on the DeflateGate case could have an impact beyond just getting Tom Brady back on the field for the Patriots.

A person familiar with “the league’s inner workings” tells Maske that it’s too soon to know whether there are enough owners in favor of changing Goodell’s role. If there are, it could result in the league engaging the NFL Players Association about possible modifications to the disciplinary process. The players’ union would like to see a neutral arbitrator hear disciplinary appeals, replacing Goodell in the process.

A timetable for the owners’ discussions has not yet been set, but the next formal meetings are scheduled for October.

Reactions, Notes On Tom Brady Decision

September 3rd, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

After Judge Richard Berman announced today that he has vacated Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, the NFLPA and NFL each issued statements on the matter, with the league confirming that it will extend the legal battle by appealing Berman’s ruling. Now, Patriots owner Robert Kraft has released his own statement on the decision, via the Patriots’ website.

“As I have said during this process and throughout his Patriots career, Tom Brady is a classy person of the highest integrity,” Kraft said in the statement. “He represents everything that is great about this game and this league. Yet, with absolutely no evidence of any actions of wrongdoing by Tom in the Wells report, the lawyers at the league still insisted on imposing and defending unwarranted and unprecedented discipline. Judge Richard Berman understood this and we are greatly appreciative of his thoughtful decision that was delivered today. Now, we can return our focus to the game on the field.”

While Kraft may be eager to shift the focus to the action on the field, there are plenty of reactions, opinions, and leftover tidbits on today’s news to pass along, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….

The NFL’s appeal of Judge Berman’s decision didn’t include a request to expedite the process, so it figures to drag on for a while, tweets Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com.
In a conversation with CSN’s Jill Sorensen, NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith says that the union doesn’t “make the mistake of trusting the league,” and suggests that the Patriots probably wish they had a “do-over” after accepting the NFL’s sanctions against the franchise earlier this year without an appeal.
While Smith may be right about the Pats, the team is highly unlikely to attempt to recoup those lost draft picks now, reports Tom Curran of CSNNE.com after speaking to someone “very high in the organization.”
Rachel Axon of USA Today Sports provides a brief and informative Q&A on what today’s ruling means for Brady, the Patriots, and the league, and what will happen next.
The NFL’s lawyers figure to take “saws and blow-torches” to the league’s personal conduct policy in the near future, says Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Specifically, in Robinson’s view, the league must address the ramifications in future cases for obstructing justice or for having “general awareness” of a violation, since there was no precedent set before the league attempted to penalize Brady for those acts.
Following the league’s latest PR disaster, commissioner Roger Goodell still isn’t in danger of losing his job, but the NFL will likely make more nuanced changes and alterations to various roles and job descriptions, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that several sources believe it’s only a matter of time until changes are made within the league’s front office, and the CBS scribe also wonders if the NFL’s relationship with Ted Wells has run its course.
The NFL’s loss in court is just the latest defeat in what has become a “pattern of losing” for the league, writes Mike Freman of Bleacher Report. According to Freeman, Berman’s decision dealt a blow to both Goodell’s legacy and the NFL’s image.
As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports outlines, there may have been a silver lining for the league and for Goodell, since Judge Berman declined to rule on a number of claims made by Brady and the NFLPA. Brady’s camp claimed that Goodell was an “evidently partial” arbitrator and improperly delegated authority to executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent. Had Berman sided with Brady and the NFLPA on those issues, it would have sent a precedent for independent arbitration going forward, but the judge felt he had enough to overturn the league’s ruling based on several other factors, and didn’t commit one way or the other to those claims.

NFL Players Association News & Rumors