According to ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli, we may see a lot of cuts this Thursday, and some of the names will be surprising. This is a result of the league’s failed labor talks that did not result in an extension of the collective bargaining agreement.
Because so many teams are up against the projected cap limit of $95 million to $96 million for 2006, and the lack of a CBA extension means there are few options for relief, some big-name players will be jettisoned by Thursday, when teams must be in compliance with the spending limit.
“In past years, you’d see a lot of guys released who maybe still had some name value but who were really in decline in terms of production,” said one AFC team executive who was working late Tuesday, trying to figure out how to pare down a prohibitively bloated cap figure. “This year? People are going to be stunned — not just by the quantity of players who are cut by Thursday but by the quality, too. It’s going to be ugly. There’s going to be blood in the streets and, compared to past years, it’s going to be from some bluebloods, guys who can still play.”
The negotiations are deadlocked over one issue: revenue sharing. The league and the players association are about four percent apart – the league is offering 56.2% while the NFLPA is looking for 60%, which translates to $300 M to $350 M. Things could get really ugly if the two parties can’t come to a last-minute agreement.
Said one cap manager: “For months, my owner told me to develop two strategies, one with [an extension] and one without. But nobody, even with all the gloom-and-doom talk of the last few weeks, ever really believed we’d be breaking out Plan B. And then, these last few days, even my owner was telling me he thought it would get done. Unless there’s some kind of miracle on Wednesday, our team is going to have to do some drastic things, and I know we’re not the only team in that situation.”
How drastic? There continue to be rumors the Washington Redskins, who extended numerous contracts in the past to deal with previous cap crunches, could have to play with 20 rookies on the roster in 2006. On Tuesday night in Atlanta, there were rumblings the Falcons, who aren’t in nearly the dire straits some other franchises are, might be forced to release tailback Warrick Dunn, who rushed for a career-best 1,416 yards in 2005. The Kansas City Chiefs could part ways with perennial Pro Bowl guard Will Shields if he doesn’t agree to adjust his contract and reduce a $6.67 million cap charge. And that is just the start of the many examples of potential attrition cited by team officials Tuesday evening.
Teams with a lot of cap space could potentially stand to gain by this situation. Check the cap status of your team here.
