Goodell Restates NFL Is Willing To Go Without Salary Cap In '10

Goodell Notes Next CBA Negotiations With Union Will Take Place Tuesday

The NFL and the NFLPA will have their fourth CBA negotiations next Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters this morning after the league's fall meeting ended. Goodell had little to say specifically about the ongoing labor talks other than to re-affirm that the league is prepared to live without a salary cap. The current CBA expires after the ‘10 season, but if a new deal is not reached by next March, the final season is played without a salary cap. The owners have complained that the current CBA gives too much to the players and leaves teams with huge capital investments and minimal returns. The union has responded that the league needs to be more forthcoming with its internal financials before the labor group can judge whether the league's claim is accurate. In addition to stressing that the league is prepared for a cap-less season, Goodell emphasized some of the restrictions the players will face, including the loss of a minimum salary, and free-agency eligibility rising from four to six seasons of service. The union has said in the past they are confident players will benefit without a cap. Goodell also called supplemental revenue sharing a league-only issue and not one that is part of collective bargaining. However, currently the league's $100M-a-year sharing for needy teams is in the CBA. When asked if by saying revenue sharing is a league-only issue he was saying the league would not put it back in the CBA, Goodell responded he was unsure if the revenue-sharing language was actually in the CBA. An NFL spokesperson later confirmed the revenue-sharing requirement is in the CBA, but that the owners agreed to it among themselves, and agreed to put it in the agreement at the request of the union. Leading up to the ‘06 CBA renewal, the union had made supplemental revenue sharing a requirement of getting a deal done (Daniel Kaplan, SportsBusiness Journal).

WHAT THE MEETINGS MAY HOLD: Goodell yesterday noted the league has made a proposal in CBA negotiations with the NFLPA, and league owners are "looking and hoping to get a response on some of it” next week. Goodell: "Things are so complicated and there are so many issues, and our [CBA] is so broad, you want to be thorough. ... We’ve talked to the union about breaking it down into sections so we can do it on a more comprehensive basis and maybe on parallel tracks in some cases." He added, "We are going to move as fast as we can to get an agreement that's appropriate and as soon as possible. But I'm not working off of any deadlines" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/14).

ALUMNI CLUB: Goodell this morning addressed the media following the conclusion of the meetings, and he said today's session was "highlighted" by a presentation by the NFL Alumni Association that introduced former Giants DE George Martin as its new Exec Dir. Goodell said the retired players "wanted that independent organization, and I think it's a great development that George is in place." Goodell: "We're encouraged that this will give us an organization that we can work with to try to address the issues for the men that helped us build the game and lead to a new level of cooperation with the retired players" (NFL Network, 10/14).

OTHER TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED: NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reported Goodell "seemed intrigued" about a team possibly relocating to L.A. La Canfora: "He said the stadium can be built. It’s a matter of the financing and if that can come into place. ... It’s definitely a story to keep an eye on” (“NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 10/14)....Colts Owner Jim Irsay said discussions about expanding the regular season have gone "nowhere." Irsay: "We’ve talked about the direction we’d like to go in, but it needs to be studied more and negotiated, and really made sure the roster sizes are large enough. It’s something on the horizon, but something that’s not real active at this meeting" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/14)....Goodell yesterday also indicated that he is "going to let the Napa Valley District Attorney's Office do their work" on an investigation involving Raiders coach Tom Cable "before wading in" himself (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 10/13).