Tag: NFL collective bargaining agreement

Greg Van Roten downplays Jets’ locker room cameras: ‘It’s not like they’re spying on us’

With the NFL Players Association looking into the presence of security cameras in the Jets’ locker room, New York’s union representative reiterated Tuesday that players on the team are not concerned. “Talking to the guys on the team, nobody cares …

With the NFL Players Association looking into the presence of security cameras in the Jets’ locker room, New York’s union representative reiterated Tuesday that players on the team are not concerned.

“Talking to the guys on the team, nobody cares that there are cameras in there,” Greg Van Roten said on a conference call with reporters, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “We know why they’re there. They’re there to protect us if something happens, if something goes missing. It’s not like they’re spying on us.”

According to Van Roten, the heart of the issue lies within whether the cameras violate the collective bargaining agreement. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the NFLPA believes this is a collective bargaining matter, while the NFL does not. The Daily News’ Manish Mehta reported over the weekend that Jets players were unhappy with the cameras being in the locker room, which Van Roten denied.

“We all know there are cameras in there. It’s no secret,” Van Roten said. “The team is up front about that. It’s an ongoing conversation between the NFLPA and the NFL Management Council regarding that. There are different perspectives on if that’s OK, if it’s not OK. The players’ issue with it is not privacy-related. I’ll say that.”

Van Roten went on to say that the players’ concerns center around the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols and if the league can use security camera footage to punish players if they are caught not wearing masks in the locker room. The NFL responded to the NFLPA’s concerns by saying the Jets, and every other team in the league, have the right to use the cameras.

New York has yet to comment on the matter.

“I don’t know if a player on our team complained or how it got to where it got,” Van Roten said. “I just know no one was surprised about that. I don’t think it’s unique to the Jets that there are cameras adjacent to — and sometimes in the locker room. The CBA is a very powerful tool. There are a lot of rights the teams have and the jurisdiction gets kind of cloudy as to who has the say here.”

How the new CBA impacts Sam Darnold’s future earnings

The NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement has a profound impact on Sam Darnold’s upcoming fifth-year option.

If Sam Darnold wants to maximize how much money he can make once it comes time for the Jets to pick up his fifth-year option, he is going to have to take his game up a notch the next two seasons.

Under the old CBA, the monetary value of fifth-year options was based on draft position. That is no longer case, as the language of the new CBA states that fifth-year options are now fully guaranteed and based on performance for players drafted later than 2018.

Darnold falls into that category, meaning his fifth-year option will be based solely on in-game performance and not his third overall draft slot.

There is a chance Darnold’s fifth-year option language never comes into play for the Jets. If Darnold reaches his potential and performs at a new level the next two seasons, odds are New York will look to lock him up as it is currently doing with All-Pro safety Jamal Adams. However, if the Jets and Darnold cannot come to terms on a contract extension before the time to pick up his fifth-year option rolls around, he will still be in line to earn a hefty amount of money if his performance warrants it.

The new CBA language can also work against Darnold. If the USC product either keeps performing as he has been or regresses to the point where the Jets need further time to evaluate him, New York could elect to exercise the fifth-year option at a much cheaper rate than it would have cost when option salaries were based on draft position.

Fifth-year options now being based on performance incentivizes teams to get contract extensions done with their younger players before being forced to pay a more than desired amount on the option. It also affords teams the opportunity to keep players that have not quite come around yet at much cheaper salaries than previously before.

Which end of the spectrum Darnold falls under remains to be seen. Either way, the new CBA has a profound impact on his earning potential moving forward.

New CBA allows Jets to divide Trumaine Johnson’s dead cap hit over 2 years

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Jets can divide Trumaine Johnson’s dead cap hit over two seasons.

The Jets were waiting for a new collective bargaining agreement to be passed before cutting ties with Trumaine Johnson. Now that that’s happened, Gang Green stands to benefit from Johnson’s imminent release.

The NFLPA voted on the proposed CBA by the NFL and voted 1019-959 in favor of ratifying the deal. Under the agreement, there will be a 17-game regular season, an expanded playoff field, an increase in players’ revenue share, former player benefits and a 10-year labor peace.

A new collective bargaining agreement also clarifies the Jets’ situation with Johnson. With a new CBA in place, the Jets can designate Johnson as a post-June 1 cut, which allows them to divide his $12 million dead cap hit over two seasons.

In 2020, the cornerback’s dead cap hit will be $4 million, while in 2021 it will be $8 million. Under the previous CBA, the Jets would’ve been responsible for Johnson’s entire $12 million charge in 2020.

Now the Jets will have an extra $8 million in cap space for this upcoming free agency period, which officially begins on Wednesday. The league’s tampering window opens at noon on Monday.

Johnson’s Jets career was an utter disaster. He played 17 games over two seasons and only made the secondary worse. Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions and one touchdown in two seasons with Gang Green.

Signing Johnson to a five-year deal worth $72.5 million was one of the worst contracts in Jets history. Now his time in New York will come to an end in a matter of days.

5 takeaways from new CBA, how it impacts Bears in 2020 and beyond

Let’s take a look at how the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreeement will impact the Bears in 2020 and beyond.

While most of the sports landscape has been shut down by the coronavirus outbreak, the NFL has kept moving through its offseason. NFL players voted to ratify the league’s proposed new collective bargaining agreement, which was decided by just 60 votes.

Among the big changes with the new CBA include 17-game regular seasons, an expanded playoff field from 12 to 14 teams, higher minimum salaries, only one franchise or transition tag can be used and reduced penalties for positive drug tests with no suspensions.

Let’s take a look at how the new CBA will impact the Bears in 2020 and beyond.

1. Changes to the salary cap

Clay Jackson /Herald & Review via AP

The NFL’s salary cap was set at $198.2 million for the 2020 season, which is a 5.3% increase from the previous year, the smallest since 2013. Over the Cap has the Bears with roughly $11 million accounting for Roy Robertson-Harris’ contract but not Danny Trevathan’s extension. Kyle Long is still on the Bears’ books, and he’ll free up $8.1 million in cap space when his contract his removed.

Although, under this new CBA, it would allow more flexibility to “convert big base salaries into signing bonus; push off the cap hits into future years and create short term money now,” according to Tom Pelissero.

While the salary cap is just around $200 million this year, that number could increase significantly in 2021 due to the NFL set to make more money in the future with TV deals.

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Allen Robinson is not happy that the NFL’s new CBA passed

Bears WR Allen Robinson aired his frustrations over the NFL players ratifying the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

NFL Players Association members voted to ratify the league’s new proposed collective bargaining agreement, which will stand for the next 10 years.

Expanded playoff fields (12 teams to 14 teams), 17-game regular seasons and changes to the salary cap are just a couple of the stipulations that come with the new CBA.

The player vote was incredibly close — just 60 votes separated the ultimate decision to pass it. We know for sure that one of the players to vote “no” on the new agreement was Bears receivers Allen Robinson.

Robinson has made his stance regarding the proposed new CBA clear over the last few weeks. He wasn’t in favor of an extended regular season that would cause more wear and tear on players.

So when the decision was announced that the players had voted to ratify the new CBA, Robinson took to Twitter to air his frustrations on Sunday morning.

Well, I think “trash, freaking trash” about covers how Robinson feels about the whole thing.

Robinson isn’t the only Bears player that feels that way. Retired Bear Kyle Long joked that he’s officially retired after seeing the news.

The coronavirus has affected the entire sports landscape, and the NFL is currently deciding whether or not to push back the start of the new league year — and free agency — which was set to begin Wednesday.

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How does NFL’s $198.2M salary cap impact the Bears?

The league’s salary cap has been set at $198.2 million for 2020. How does it affect the Bears’ current situation?

With the NFL players voting to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap for the 2020 season has been set.

The league’s salary cap has been set at $198.2 million for 2020, which is a 5.3% increase from the previous year, the smallest since 2013.

But how does the league’s new salary cap affect the Bears?

Over the Cap estimated the Bears would have roughly $13 million in salary cap space for 2020, based on a cap of $200 million.

When you factor in the $2 million less for the actual cap ($198.2 million) and roughly $3.4 million for a Roy Robertson-Harris’ second-round tender, the Bears would have about $7 million in cap space. But that’s not including Danny Trevathan’s three-year extension.

Chicago’s salary cap situation almost makes it a no brainer that the Bears must part ways with outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

Between Floyd’s lack of production and his $13.2 million cap hit, Chicago could turn to the draft for a young prospect to line up opposite Khalil Mack and save money in the process.

General manager Ryan Pace has until the start of the new league year, still set for Wednesday, to keep Floyd or part ways with him and save $13.2 million in cap space.

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NFL players vote to approve proposed new CBA

NFL players voted to approve the NFL’s new CBA, which will feature an expanded playoff field and 17-game regular season.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the NFL’s proposed new collective bargaining agreement.

Under this new proposal, the league will add a 17th regular-season game, expand the playoff field from 12 to 14 players and three-game preseasons. Additionally, players would get an increased share of revenue and former players would get added benefits.

The NFL players voted to approve the proposed new CBA. The vote closed Saturday night.

The final vote was extremely close, separated by only 60 votes. There were 1,019 players that voted “Yes” and 959 that voted “No.”

It sounds like the expanded playoff field will begin in 2020, while the 17-game regular season would begin in 2021, at the earliest.

In addition, teams will be allotted just one franchise or transition tag. There will be $700 million extra dollars for 2020, which includes a $100 thousand increase in minimums.

While the coronavirus outbreak has all but shut down the sports landscape, the NFL has insisted that the new league year will indeed begin Wednesday as scheduled.

That means that, as of now, free agency is slated to begin on March 18.

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Allen Robinson voted ‘no’ on the NFL’s proposed new CBA

Bears receiver Allen Robinson has made his stance clear about the proposed new CBA, which is why he voted “no.”

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the NFL’s proposed new collective bargaining agreement, particularly with players.

Bears receiver Allen Robinson has made his stance clear about the proposed new CBA, and he doubled down sharing his thoughts with the Chicago Tribune about why he ultimately voted “no” on the proposed new CBA.

Allen Robinson thought players should have demanded a 50/50 revenue split in exchange for playing a 17th game, as would be implemented between 2021-23 if the CBA passes. If the proposed agreement passes, the players’ revenue share would bump up to 48%, or slightly more depending on media contracts.

There’s also a concern about how playing an additional regular-season game would affect players’ health, something Robinson is adamantly against.

“At the end of 16 games, you have guys who played through broken ribs, sprained ankles, dislocated shoulders, torn labrums, hamstrings, quad injuries,” Robinson said. “So adding another game only increases the chance of injury, and nobody knows how significant that injury may be.

“If this is voted through, there will never be less than 17 games again. Only possibly more.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Robinson wasn’t sure how the vote would go.

We’ll learn soon enough as the players’ vote on the proposed new agreement closes on Saturday night. A simple majority of those who voted is needed for it to pass.

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NFL prohibits all in-person pre-draft visits, could affect free agency

The Jets pulled their coaches and staff from the road and will now conduct pre-draft interviews over the phone instead of at their facility.

The Jets have already pulled their scouts and coaches from the road amid the spread of the coronavirus and now they won’t be having in-person visits for draft prospects, either. Teams debated closing facilities and now it looks like this is the first step towards that, as the NFL forbade all teams from letting prospects from meeting team personnel.

Teams are allowed to conduct interviews with prospects over the phone or video conference call, according to a memo sent to teams by the league. The memo states all conversations must be recorded and sent to the Player Personel department upon completion with the dates, times, length and names of participants on the call. Additionally, teams aren’t allowed to hold more than three calls per week and each call can only last one hour.

One of the biggest issues revolving around this new procedure is discovering medical information on prospects. Typically, a team’s medical staff would run tests and take down information for their teams. The NFL said it will now work with the Competition Committee and General Managers Advisory Committee to figure out how to give out medical information to teams.

How this affects free agency and the beginning of the league year is unknown. Right now, the NFL says it plans to open up the legal tampering period for free agency as scheduled on March 16 with the 2020 league year beginning March 18.

Access will continue to be limited for the foreseeable future as teams and the league discusses next steps for the future of the 2020 season as well as the safety of players, coaches, staff, and prospects. This is a fluid situation that could easily change by the day or hour.

If there was a No. 7 seed, the Bears would’ve made the playoffs in 2011 and 2012

With the proposed new CBA, there would be a No. 7 seed in each conference. When it comes to the Bears, things could’ve been much different.

One of the changes with the NFL’s proposed new collective bargaining agreement is that the playoff teams will expand from 12 to 14. That means there would be seven playoff spots up for grabs in each conference.

Obviously that changes things moving forward in the NFL with a presumed third wild card team in the mix. But how would it have impacted the league over the last decade?

When it comes to the Bears, things could’ve been much different. First off, their

If the Bears made the playoffs in those three consecutive seasons (2010-2012), Lovie Smith would’ve retained his job as head coach, which means we would’ve escaped the Marc Trestman era. It also makes you believe that general manager Jerry Angelo would’ve survived for another couple of seasons with three consecutive playoff berths.

What about quarterback Jay Cutler? Would his entire trajectory with the Bears have been shifted with two additional playoff appearances? Cutler missed the final six games of the 2011 season with a broken right thumb. But Smith was confident Cutler would return in time for the playoffs.

Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure how having a seventh playoff spot would’ve affected the Bears. But perhaps it’ll help them moving forward in the future — that is, if the NFLPA approves the new CBA.

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