How will the voided CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) affect the Lions?

The 32 teams of the NFL voted unanimously to void the CBA with the players union 2 years early. Instead of 2012 being the first uncapped year, it will start in

The 32 teams of the NFL voted unanimously to void the CBA with the players union 2 years early. Instead of 2012 being the first uncapped year, it will start in 2010 (unless a new CBA is worked out). But what does that mean and how will it affect the Lions specifically?

First of all, any contract in place before the vote to void the CBA will not be affected as far as proration of signing bonuses are concerned. That explains the rush by some teams to get their guys signed to new contracts or extensions (the Lions did not do any of that). The only affect it will now have on 2008 is that teams will need to be careful how they word their new contracts (the drafted and undrafted rookies who haven’t signed yet, new free agents who have yet to be signed, and any extensions for current players).

When the last game in 2008 is played some new rules take effect. The first is that all signing bonus prorations are limited to 5 years instead of the current 6 years (making signing bonuses take up more cap per year). In 2009 there will be no cap relief for waiting until June 1st or later to cut someone. The June 1st cuts will be a thing of the past (though it nearly is anyway with being able to designate up to two players as June 1st cuts as early as February). Any LTBE bonuses in 2009 that aren’t obtained will no longer be able to be carried over into the next year but instead will free up cap in 2009 immediately upon determination that the bonus can not be obtained. All NLTBE bonuses will hit the cap in 2009 instead of hitting the cap in 2010 as soon as it is earned. (This could force a team to exceed the cap with no means of correcting it with the sole exception of being forced to either restructure enough contracts to get back under the cap or to be fined and lose draft picks for exceeding the cap.) A player’s salary can not go up more then 30% from 2009 to 2010. Many teams will need to make salary pay cuts for their players because of this rule, and the difference will probably have to be paid as a bonus instead. Any guaranteed salaries from 2010 and beyond will be allocated to 2009 unless 2009’s entire salary is guaranteed as well (CJ’s is). Any guaranteed salaries after 2012 will have 50% of it allocated to the 2009 cap year (reducing a teams available cap for 2009). A team can include only three incentives in a player contract covering 2009 and beyond. (These incentives must also be coupled with a playing time requirement. Previously, clubs were limited to eight team incentives and there was no playing time requirement).

At jaguars.com I found that: Player benefits are expected to decline in the uncapped year. The union agreed that in the uncapped year clubs would be relieved of their obligation to fund numerous benefit programs. Examples include second career savings (401K), player annuity, severance pay and tuition assistance. The total league-wide contributions to such plans in 2009, the last capped year, are expected to be in excess of $225 million, or more than $7 million per club. (This amount comes out of the 40% of revenues that doesn’t go to players salaries already).

Currently players with 4 years or more of NFL accrued seasons are considered unrestricted free agents. Starting in 2010 that goes to 6 years. Meaning a player will be a restricted free agent at 3, 4 and/or at 5 years of experience instead of just 3 years. (An accrued season means being on the roster for 6 games, even if it’s on PUP or IR). That means any draft picks (or undrafted free agents) still on the Lions roster from 2005 and 2006 will NOT be an unrestricted free agent in 2010 assuming they had a contract of 4 years or less to begin with. They will become restricted free agents and subject to RFA rules.

Currently teams may designate or tag one player with either a franchise tag or a transition tag. Beginning in 2010 a team can transition tag a second player as well. (One story indicated that there would be 3 tags per year but I can not verify he was correct, all other sources say otherwise).

Beginning in 2010 the 8 divisional winners from 2009 can only sign a free agent if one of their own players signs elsewhere. They may not sign more players in free agency then they lose. In addition, the four teams that lose the divisional playoffs may sign players based on some financial provisions (not yet defined that I could find).

There will be no minimum team salary in 2010. (Currently teams must spend at least $100.224 million.)

2011 could be the last NFL draft.

The Deion rule comes into play. This is a complicated and highly technical rule named after Deion Sanders because Jerry Jones signed him to the league minimum salary of just $178,000 for the first 3 years (back then) but gave him an unheard of astronomical signing bonus of $13 million (another number that has become "normal" years later). Essentially the "Deion Rule" states that if the prorated share of the signing bonus for the first 3 years is greater then the salaries and roster/reporting bonuses for the first 3 years then the overage must be allocated to the cap now as a Deion cap charge (and the same amount gets credited to future cap years if there is a cap). The Lions had charges of this nature a few years ago for Kevin Jones’ contract.

Starting in 2010 NetRat (and other capologists) will have to find a new hobby.

There may be more to it than this, and I may have some things incorrect, but this is how I see things at present. Since some of these rules will go into affect in 2009 a new CBA will need to be agreed upon by the end of February 2009 (before free agency starts), preferably even before that.

Oh, and to address the owners "greed" talk I’ve heard in various forums, allow me to point out one more item. The Green Bay Packers do not have a billionaire owner trying to get "richer". They are publicly owned. Their stock does not pay dividends. Their stock is not traded, it does not go up in value. The stockholders stand to gain absolutely nothing by having the team make more money, yet they too voted to void the CBA (the vote was unanimous). I believe that this is an obvious sign that when the "owners" say the CBA wasn’t working for them that there is truth to that statement.

My solutions include re-instating the CBA with these changes.

1. Cap the entire contract for draft picks. In fact, slot the entire draft with league-wide approved contracts for each draft spot. You get drafted at 14, here is your contract, sign. No holdouts. No huge contracts to guys who have never played a down. Your contract is based on where you were selected, no exceptions.
2. Extend the NFL season one week by having two bye weeks. This allows for more television income and it gives the players an extra week of rest during the season. I would also attempt to arrange it so that one of the bye weeks is the Sunday prior to a Thursday game.
3. Lock the cap at $116 million for the next 4 years. In 2008 the players will get nearly 60%… but it will be a percent or two less next year (due to more money but a static cap number) and each year thereafter, until the players are getting closer to 55%. At the same time, both players and teams need to contribute to a retired/injured players fund to help those who gave their health to the league. Once funded and once the percentage is at a manageable rate, the cap limit may begin to increase again. In this way no player need take a pay cut and teams do not need to worry about remaining under a reduced cap number.
4. Any player who gets incarcerated, suspended, or retires early must pay a penalty to the team equal to the prorated amount of any signing bonus already paid the player. You could word it as having to pay back the unallocated bonus money but that gets tangled up in court, with a new rule stating it’s a penalty you avoid the legal proceedings. Players who get jailed, suspended or retire early hurt the league (reputation), the team, their fellow players, and the fans. Something to curtail that from happening is sadly needed.
5. With NFL Europe no longer in the picture teams need to be able to keep more then 80 players in training camp. Raise this number to 90, give more players a chance to make a team. I would also increase the practice squad to 10 players (from the current 8 ).

These few changes along with the previous CBA should take care of 98% or more of the problems currently affecting the league, in my opinion.