Interesting Read on Salary Cap

**lilvikes33** · 02-11-2006, 01:25 AM

http://nfl.com/news/story/9222468

What to expect in an uncapped year

(Feb. 10, 2006) -- There is a chance that 2007 will be an uncapped year if the collective bargaining agreement doesn't get extended. The closer we get to the start of this year's free agency, the more we will hear about an uncapped season in 2007 and the ramifications of such a situation. So I thought it might be a good idea to let the readers know what an uncapped year means, since the term is getting mentioned in the media on a daily basis.

If 2007 is uncapped, then qualifying free agents can be paid as much as can be negotiated. This sounds great for the players, but who are the qualifying free agents?
The rules to become a free agent change in an uncapped year. To become free, a player will need six years of service instead of four years and his contract has to be expired.
A player with five years of experience who under capped season rules would have been free, will now be a restricted free agent if the club decides to designate him as restricted. Quality players with five years of service will be restricted and not many teams will be willing to surrender high draft picks for them. A player waiting for his big 'free agency' contract with a nice fat signing bonus will probably play for a one-year salary with no signing bonus and risk a career ending injury.
The same rules apply to players with four years of service to those players with five years as mentioned in point No. 3. The group of potential free agents will be significantly reduced in 2007 because of the loss of four- and five-year players. The best players from the 2002 and 2003 draft classes will not be moving around too much in 2007.
If that isn't bad enough for the players hoping to hit the market, each club will also get an additional 'transition tag' to protect an older veteran. As long as the club offers a player in this category a one-year contract for the average of the top 10 players at his position, the franchise retains his rights unless another club wants to give significant draft compensation. Figure the top 32 veterans (one per club) who was supposed to hit free agency will now be tagged.
Just from points Nos. 3, 4, and 5, there should be very few quality free agents in 2007 if it is uncapped. My best guess is that 70 percent of the players who warrant big contracts because of their 2006 production and their age will be off the open market.

Sorry if this was already posted but i found it interesting...

**Ltrey33** · 02-11-2006, 01:42 AM

Kind of interesting how when you put it in realistic terms it doesn't sound as great as all of the players make it sound, huh? The whole clamoring for a free 2007 season is very shortsighted, but then again most pro athletes only want one big pay day, and care very little after that.

**gregair13** · 02-11-2006, 03:00 AM

if this year is uncapped, its going to be a gongshow. all the work we ahve done to clear cap room really goes for nothing if the year is uncapped.

**NordicNed** · 02-11-2006, 03:52 AM

"gregair13" wrote:

if this year is uncapped, its going to be a gongshow. all the work we ahve done to clear cap room really goes for nothing if the year is uncapped.

I hear ya gregair13, but one good thing is, we have a very very rich owner. Wilf seems like he's willing to spend some big bucks to get a championship.....Could he be the Steinbrenner of the NFL?... :lol:

So the uncapped might be okay for us......Wilf could out pay any others for some top of the list FA's...... :lol:

**MaddenVodkaAddict** · 02-11-2006, 04:09 AM

Could you imagine an uncapped year with good ol Red in charge? :shock:

**singersp** · 02-11-2006, 04:18 AM

Fewer FA's is going to mean higher pay checks for those that are available & it could very well set the trend for what players want both in long term contracts & those coming out of the draft.

It could also lead to more "re-negotiated" contract disputes & holdouts.

I can only see salaries escalating because of it.

**VikesfaninWis** · 02-11-2006, 05:10 AM

Could be good for us, and bad for alot of other teams.

**DiehardVikesFan** · 02-11-2006, 05:30 AM

The NFL as a whole is a better league because of the salary cap. Look at baseball, teams like the Twins don't have the coin to compete with an owner like Steinbrenner. Salary cap is great because it takes power away from the owners, rather than having some owner haul in a bunch of all-stars. I really hope they get that taken care of.

**aceclown** · 02-11-2006, 05:49 AM

"VikingNed" wrote:

"gregair13" wrote:

if this year is uncapped, its going to be a gongshow. all the work we ahve done to clear cap room really goes for nothing if the year is uncapped.

I hear ya gregair13, but one good thing is, we have a very very rich owner. Wilf seems like he's willing to spend some big bucks to get a championship.....Could he be the Steinbrenner of the NFL?... :lol:

So the uncapped might be okay for us......Wilf could out pay any others for some top of the list FA's...... :lol:

True, Wilf is very rich, however... I think we all know that the metrodome generates an embarassingly low revenue (NFL rank 30th). Steinbrenner ranks at the top of MLB every year in revenue, which is a big reason why he is able to spend so much on player salaries. Wilf may be rich, but he is not going to be spending as much as say, the Redskins (revenue generated ranks 1st or 2nd). I think if the cap is dropped, it will be absolutely essential that the legislators give the Vikes a new stadium so we can compete with the Steinbrenners of the NFL.