Dan in Florida Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 NFL Insider: Browns' D'Qwell Jackson among many young vets facing labor contract limbo Posted by jturner May 09, 2009 19:01PM D'Qwell Jackson is among the younger veterans of the NFL who may be affected by the uncertainty of an expiring labor agreement between the league and its players union. CLEVELAND -- Uncertainty about the NFL's salary cap system beyond 2009 is starting to be felt as players whose contracts are up after this season seek the security of new deals. Several things in the league labor agreement change if an extension isn't in place by March. One hitting home now is eligibility for free agency. Players used to be eligible for unrestricted free agency after four accrued seasons. That changes to six without a salary cap. That means players drafted in 2005 who signed five-year deals and players drafted in 2006 who signed four-year deals will not be eligible for unrestricted free agency after '09, as they may have thought when signing those contracts. It has been estimated that about 170 players fall into this category. The Browns have four players who may be hurt by the change -- receiver Braylon Edwards, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, fullback Lawrence Vickers and linebacker Leon Williams. It so happens that Edwards, Jackson and Vickers have not been participating regularly in the Browns' off-season conditioning program. League-wide, off-season workouts are voluntary and not mandatory. The agents of Edwards and Williams couldn't be reached for comment. The agents for Jackson and Vickers said their absences are not related to their contract situations. Brian Mackler, Jackson's agent, has begun talking to the Browns about a new contract, however. He said talks are in the "infancy stage." Jackson is in the last year of a four-year deal signed as a rookie. He is scheduled to earn the NFL fourth-year minimum salary of $640,000 in 2009. "[Jackson] has outperformed his contract," Mackler said. "He's a leader on the team -- on and off the field. He's proven himself the last few years to be the top inside linebacker in the NFL. He led the league in tackles last year. And his contract needs to be addressed. "I have a nice rapport with George [Kokinis, GM], Eric [Mangini, coach] and Dawn [Aponte, VP of administration and new contract negotiator]. So we'll continue to speak." Mackler said Jackson's absence from the off-season program is related to personal business. He said Jackson will be "i n and out," and that he expected him back on Monday. Vickers has been doing conditioning work with Browns running back Jamal Lewis in Atlanta, said agent Andy Simms of locally-based PlayersRep Sports. Tracy Boulian/The Plain Dealer The agent for Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers is in a wait-and-see mode as Vickers' contract with the team expires at the same time as the league's labor agreement. "There are a lot of players who prepare themselves on their own," Simms said. "Some people feel that as good as the [browns'] strength department is, they're worried about 80 guys and not everybody trains and prepares the same. Ultimately, it's what you do when you get there." Simms said that Vickers' contract situation is not an issue at the present time. "He'd love to stay in Cleveland," Simms said. "Our approach is to see how things go in training camp. We haven't approached the Browns about an extension." The uncertainty about the labor agreement swings leverage in these individual cases to the team. If Edwards, Jackson, Vickers and Williams don't sign new deals, they become restricted free agents and the Browns can retain them by tendering contracts in accordance with present rules. Edwards would be a restricted free agent in 2010 and then could become unrestricted the following year. The four-year players could be restricted for two years through 2011. "Obviously, the uncertainty with the CBA is an issue for every player," Simms said. "I don't know how it's going to play out. Every position is unique, with a different pay scale. It's not something we're worried about right now. If we hang tight a little bit, we will learn a little more. Rushing into things isn't the right thing to do." Be careful what you wish for: Most people assume abolishing the salary cap would be a financial boon to players because well-oiled owners would overspend to buy a championship. "I don't believe that would be the case," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at league meetings in March. "People have to understand that there are two sides to [the removal of the cap]." The present collective bargaining agreement calls for significant changes to go into effect if an extension isn't reached and the salary cap is abolished after 2009. Besides the free agency eligiblity rules, the key changes are: • The salary cap floor would be eliminated. Presently teams must spend at least 84 percent of the league cap on player salaries. The cap for 2009 is $127 million. The floor is $107 million. Without a salary cap, teams could lower their payroll to whatever they want. • Teams receive an additional franchise or transition tag to protect players from leaving. Instead of one franchise and one transition tag, teams would have a combination of three. Some have speculated this provision could keep as many as 30 prime players from entering free agency. • Strict limitations for the eight teams that reach the divisional round of the playoffs. The final four teams in the conference championship games would not be permitted to sign any free agent except for players who became free agents as a result of being released or whose contracts with their former teams expired. The four losing teams in the divisional round would be restricted to signing only one player with a salary of $4.925 million or more. They could sign one free agent for each one of their own that leaves, but they can't spend more than what their former player received from his new team. • Terms of the college draft would have to be renegotiated. The draft is in place only through 2011. If a new agreement is not in place by then, it's possible the union could hold out to abolish the draft and make every incoming player a free agent. Nobody thinks it will come to that. link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobalaz Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 I can't even say bummer, sucks to be them because even at league minimum they make more in one year than I do in 15. AND if the salary cap doesn't come back, then they have to play 1 more season "undervalued" before they can get insane contracts. Whoa is me, boo hoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 Interesting note in there about the draft. I didn't know the draft is written into the CBA. I can't imagine how many websites would be finished without a draft to prop them up, and what would happen to Mel Kiper? At least it would put a true value on these unproven rookies. Their agents could only speculate where they would have been taken. I could see congress intervening because of the lobbying by the agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckeyeDawg Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 Am I missing something here? When it says: 'The final four teams in the conference championship games would not be permitted to sign any free agent except for players who became free agents as a result of being released or whose contracts with their former teams expired.' I feel like I am missing something. How else can you become a free agent? Are they talking about people that were undrafted? This clause doesn't seem like a big deal but maybe I am missing something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 I think they mean those teams wouldn't be able to sign restricted free agents cause that player wasn't actually release by his team and his contract is still technically not expired cause his in his restricted free agent year. Of course, I don't work in contractual lawyer-ing so I'm probably wrong, but that's how I read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobalaz Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 No draft, hmmm. Well, that would just shoot the system all to hell. I wonder what the Vets would do if every snotnosed unproven rook got 3-4 times the amount of cash that they did just to show up to training camp? Can you say players strike damn the union? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NebBrownsFan Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 Am I missing something here? When it says: 'The final four teams in the conference championship games would not be permitted to sign any free agent except for players who became free agents as a result of being released or whose contracts with their former teams expired.' I feel like I am missing something. How else can you become a free agent? Are they talking about people that were undrafted? This clause doesn't seem like a big deal but maybe I am missing something. I wonder if it means they can only resign their guys if they hit the FA market. Too much can be read into that wording as it is written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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