The NFL and NFLPA have made significant progress on talks this week and a new collective bargaining agreement feels imminent. Meanwhile, owners say that the latest variation of the deal – which includes entails lots and lots of complex changes – would grant another $100MM in player costs for 2020.
The owners issued that statement on Friday morning in an effort to get the union’s sign-off as soon as possible and before the start of the league year in March. Even though the NFLPA is warming up to it, they could decide they’re better off waiting for something better.
The new CBA may include an additional game on the regular season schedule and an expanded playoff field that would see seven teams from each conference make the cut. Other expected changes include two extra active roster spots per team, two additional practice squad spots per team, changes to training camp practices, and a close cousin of the NBA’s mid-level exception which would give teams extra money to spend on veterans without impacting the cap.
And, per the union’s fact sheet, the new CBA will have a reduction in both on-field and team fines, as Michael David Smith of PFT notes.
And what? 500mil in the owners pockets? Just let it be. Play preseason games somewhere else like smaller local stadiums so people actual fill the stands. Preseason is important to players on the roster bubble and coaches to know what they have. Yes fans don’t care but it’s some guys chance at a job. What’s the extra roster slot if they don’t have a chance to even get on the field?
The extra roster spot is an inactive lineman that would be able to learn the playbook and be there with the rest of the team in case a lineman were to go down he would be able to step in onto the active roster. Especially since they would be going to a 17 game season with only 3 preseason games.
Still waiting for when the NFL will get rid of the mandatory active/inactive player list before games. Allowing for the full use of all 53 (or 55 if the CBA is approved) players seems like a win-win to me. I doubt it would affect player salaries in a significant way, coaches would get a couple of more players to throw on special teams or use in a specialized way, or it just ends up being extra depth for the team in case of injuries. Just make the inactive list for guys who won’t be suiting up because of injuries/suspensions.
$59K extra average per player. An extra $1/beer will pay it off in 1 game.
Or Goodell could easily reclaim that money with a couple of unsportsmanlike conduct fines.
An extra $100MM seems like a lot, until you factor that’s split by 32 teams, meaning each team is looking at about $3 million more. Break that down further to a 53 man roster, and its just over $50,000/player. Not exactly life changing, and definitely not worth signing off ASAP.
Greed…..