Thread: Poison Pills going Bye-Bye?

POISON PILLS GOING BYE-BYE?
Mike Florio
POSTED 10:00 p.m. EDT, July 21, 2006

Word is that the NFL is going to close the loophole in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that gave rise to the "poison pill" used by the Vikings to land Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson, and then by the Seahawks to secure Minnesota receiver Nate Burleson.

But the NFL can't make the rule go away on its own. Because the device increases player movement, the NFLPA would like to keep it in place. Thus, we're told that the restricted free agent tenders will be increased by the NFL as consideration for the removal of the poison pill.

The problem arose in connection with the crafting of offer sheets. In the 1990s, the CBA was revised to prevent provisions in offer sheets that, if matched, would result in a greater pay requirement from the original team. In the Vikings' offer to Steve Hutchinson, a term was included that didn't increase the total dollars, but that made the full amount of the seven-year, $49 million deal guaranteed if Hutchinson wasn't the highest paid offensive lineman on the team.

In Minnesota, he won't be. In Seattle he would have been.

A clumsy grievance followed, with the Seahawks trying to reduce the average annual pay of left tackle Walter Jones before matching the offer. It didn't work, and Hutch got Starsky-ed by the Vikes.

So the Seahawks struck back, signing Burleson to an offer sheet that would have made the entire seven-year, $49 million deal fully guaranteed if, among other things, he plays at least five games in any year of the deal in Minnesota.

Both teams, we're told, were read the riot act at league meetings in March, and no one else tried to use this device.

Moving forward, the problem is the dreaded C-word for management types. (No, not "cancer" or "coochiepop.")

Collusion.

You see, if the 32 teams decide among themselves that they're not going to utilize a quirk that is readily available to each of them, the union could argue that the owners are colluding in this regard.

So the rule needs to be dealt with via the CBA, and the players will get something out of it in order to make it happen.

Wow a quick lesson in contract law.

As happy as I am the Vikes got Hutch, I really hope they do close the loophole. That could get out of hand real quick!

I don't know increasing tender amounts doesn't seem like enough to seal what the poison pills allow for players if I were them I'd try to get the abolishment of the franchise tag for closing it up.

Yeah them poison pills already got out of hand. I hope they fix that. Now after saying that............ Glad we got hutch !!! :lol:

us getting hutch after crafty work from the front office was GREAT

us loosing nate due to pissed off seachickens front office revenge.. was lame..


am i biased.. 4 sure.. do i think we made out better.. ohhh yeah baby!!!

thoug i will miss nate.. always like him!! he has a great name!!!!

DiGiTaL
aka
nate