A key issue in the negotiations of the NFL lockout has been reached. NFL players and owners have agreed in principle to a new rookie wage system, sources on both sides told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Rookie contracts were becoming ridiculous with the guaranteed money, Sam Bradford for example, his contract netted him $50 million in guarantees and $86 million overall. Jamarcus Russell signed a $61 million contract with $32 milllion guaranteed. NFL veterans and owners could not continue to let unproven players earn this kind of money.
In the expected deal; all first rounders would get four-year deals, plus the option year, under current proposals. That option could be executed by the team after the third or fourth year of the contract.
Sources told ESPN Analyst Chris Mortensen that the two sides expect to work late into Thursday night and return Friday morning to work on open issues that include workman’s compensation, extra right-of-first-refusals on this year’s free agent class, settlement on the television damages and the antitrust lawsuit and issues relating to commercial sponsorships.
Progress has been made in the NFL labor negotiations and the July 21st deadline of reaching an agreement is within reach. Owner’s realize they will lose $20,000,000 per week if any games are cancelled. There could be light at the end of the lockout tunnel, but no celebrations coming from me until the deal is finalized.
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