The NFL Players and Owners overcame a major hurdle in the negotiation yesterday by agreeing on the salary cap number for the new labor deal, as well as the salary cap for rookie contracts. The new salary cap for the league looks like it will be around 120 million dollars a year. An additional 21 million dollars will be spent on benefits for players. The salary cap will allow for an additional 3 million dollars in the first year for teams that are already over that figure. That will allow teams like the Pittsburg Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys the opportunity to adjust to the new salary cap figure.
The salaries spent on rookies will be reduced by 50 percent under the proposal discussed by Owners and Players. Owners will have the option of guaranteeing the 5th year of rookie contracts. However rookies will have the benefit of their 5th year salaries averaged against the salaries of the top players at their positions. This will allow for teams to have a little more control over players that are top performers at their position for that 5th year, and also allowing teams to let go of players who haven't performed up to their first contracts.
The next action item between the two sides is Owners wanting right of first refusal for upcoming Free Agents. Players on the other hand want unrestricted Free Agent rights for players with 4 four years of service. This seems like the next major issue that Owners and Players will have to work out. Everything seems to be lining up for a signed agreement in the coming weeks for both sides. If the sides don't come to an agreement the leagues stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars each week that preseason games are missed.
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