NFL Lockout: Owners Toss "First-Right-of-Refusal" Aside

by Chris Pokorny on Jul 15, 2011 10:30 PM EDT in General News

An agreement a day sounds like a good pace for bringing an end to the lockout. Yesterday, arguably one of the major hurdles remaining, the rookie pay scale, was agreed to. Today, the owners and the players reportedly took another significant step forward by coming to an agreement on free agency rules.

The owners originally wanted teams to have "first-right-of-refusal" on up to three free agent players, meaning they could match any team's offer on those players. The players never warmed up to this idea, and today the owners decided to throw the whole concept out of the window. Poof, it's gone. The lack of a compromise seems like more evidence that both sides are ready to keep things moving along and not let the smaller issues hold things up for much longer.

Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith will reportedly continue to talk this weekend, without the lawyers, as both sides prepare to meet in court this Tuesday.

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initially i worry about our own FA like Vickers, but overall how will this affect teams like the Colts with Peyton Manning. isn’t he a FA this season?

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Jul 15, 2011 10:48 PM EDT reply actions

Franchise tag.

by Bernie19Kosar on Jul 16, 2011 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

we used it on Phil Dawson already, which in my opinion is way more important anyway, although many of you are likely to disagree. i want Vickers, but not as much as i want Dawson.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Jul 16, 2011 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions

As much as I love Vickers, in our new offense he doesn’t fit.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Jul 17, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m not sure that’s true. Given the chance, I bet he’s got better hands than we expect. No matter, he’s still all but guaranteed to be a better all around FB than Marecec(sp?) this year.

Dawgs by Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.

by golanbatrac on Jul 17, 2011 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I feel Vickers fits the roll of a WCO FB nicely. His lead blocking abilities will be needed. Marecic may not be ready yet.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Jul 18, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

You may be right, but the very small sample we have doesn’t support it. I remember cringing as balls bounced off of Vickers’ hands. Maybe he was a victim of not practicing it enough and not getting as many chances as he should have, but I really feel like if the coaches thought he could do it they would have let him.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Jul 18, 2011 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions

He caught 23 for 169 and 2 TDs in 22 games for Chud (catching DA knuckleballs). 70 for 572 and 3 TDs in 3 years as a starter at Colorado. Not great, but much better than the last couple of years would suggest.

Dawgs by Nature -- where Hitler, apparently, 'did some good things'.

by golanbatrac on Jul 18, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I was referring to the Colts and Manning.

by Bernie19Kosar on Jul 17, 2011 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions

but as far as Manning goes that should work for the Colts, but i have a feeling he’ll demand more than Brady and a hold out is a strong possibility.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Jul 16, 2011 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Excellent news. The “first-right-of-refusal” idea was a terrible idea that would have been extremely unfair to the players.
At any rate, props to both sides for working their asses off and getting this thing hammered out. It looks like we’re almost there !!

We're going to hold onto him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're gonna go through him like crap through a goose. -- Patton (channeling his inner Joe Thomas)

by burntorangeandbrown on Jul 16, 2011 8:05 AM EDT reply actions

Are you kidding? They´re making the new rules in court?

by mooncamping on Jul 16, 2011 8:28 AM EDT reply actions

Has anyone heard of just 1 tangible improvement the owners have negtiated over the prior contract? One?

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Jul 16, 2011 8:30 AM EDT reply actions

Isn’t the revenue sharing number lower? And wouldn’t a salary cap on upper first rounders be an improvement?

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin

by Spidey on Jul 16, 2011 2:19 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

The owners are going to be making much more money.

Instead of getting 40% of revenue, they will be getting 52-53%. In ten years the NFL financial pie could be 20 Billion dollars.

by Bernie19Kosar on Jul 16, 2011 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions

In ten years the NFL financial pie could be 20 Billion dollars

Well, maybe. Pure speculation, but certainly possible.

The bottom line is both sides will make boatloads of money for the next decade or longer, for just the reason you mention. There will be plenty of “NFL financial pie” for everyone in the business, owners and players. The is why this deal got done.

by burntorangeandbrown on Jul 16, 2011 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

speculation? absolutely. reality? positively. the NFL is going no where but up unless they screw up their own product. MLB seems to be getting popular again, but nothing at this point could take away from the NFL than their own selfish stupidity.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Jul 16, 2011 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions

They were making more than that. Only now, they will make a larger pure percentage instead of a billion off the top and then a percentage. A move for the future when the league is worth 20 billion.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Jul 17, 2011 2:37 AM EDT up reply actions