A threatening NFL lockout is just three years away and already, progress.
When Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and 31 of his NFL colleagues voted Tuesday to unanimously opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement following the 2010 season, complaints were cited.
Among them, the owners called “irrational” their economic system that pays exorbitant contracts to rookies, particularly those drafted among the top five to 10 picks.
“I’m with them on that,” said Broncos safety John Lynch, who is entering his 16th season. “I’d like to come up with an NBA system where you put a cap on the rookies. I can see the owners’ problem there. You look at JaMarcus Russell. He may turn out to be an awesome quarterback, but you’re investing $60 million right off the bat. It’s reached the point where everyone who picks in the top five wants to get the heck out of there. I would like to see that pool of money redistributed.”
At least one issue shouldn’t get much squabble. Of more serious concern to the owners, however, is the 59 percent slice the players get from the league’s revenue pie.
The league cited the players were paid $4.5 billion this year alone. And while simple math deduces the league’s total revenues exceeded $7.5 billion, the owners say the escalating costs of doing business means there’s not enough coming back to them.
The owners are also irked at CBA language that has prevented them from recouping bonuses in cases where they feel players breached their contract — as the Broncos claimed when Ashley Lelie held out in 2006 and Atlanta argued when Michael Vick was sentenced to prison last year.
“The owners were emphatic in their position that the deal wasn’t working for them,” said Broncos executive Joe Ellis, who attended the owners meetings in Atlanta.
If the players don’t make satisfactory compromises, the owners could institute a lockout for the 2011 season.
“I think our fans need to understand there are three more seasons left to be played before anything close to that can happen,” Ellis said.
“We can’t let that happen,” said Broncos cornerback Domonique Foxworth, a member of the players union’s executive committee. “It would be foolish by the league and the players. We’re not going to strike. It’s about whether they push us out. It’s not about us walking out.”
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, it reported an incorrect amount for the league’s total revenues in excess of $7.5 billion.
