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No Progress on NFL Labor Negotiations
By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2006; Page E02
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 22 -- A 3 1/2 -hour bargaining session here on Wednesday between NFL Players Association officials and a reshuffled group representing the league's team owners failed to jump-start the sport's stalled labor negotiations.
"There's been no progress," union chief Gene Upshaw said as he left the downtown Indianapolis hotel at which the meeting was held. "We told them our points. They understand our points. They think we're asking too much, and we think they're not offering enough. We're just not there, and I'm not sure we're going to get there. . . . The positions are still the same."
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and St. Louis Rams President John Shaw joined the league's negotiating team, but the new dynamic failed to produce any breakthroughs. The meeting ended, Upshaw said, when it became clear that neither side was budging from its bargaining position.
"When you get to the point where you repeat yourself four or five times, you end it," Upshaw said. "The clock is ticking, and they all realize that."
Upshaw has set the end of this week as his deadline for completing a deal that would keep the sport's salary-cap system in place beyond next season. The collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2007 season, but that season would be played without a salary cap.
Upshaw is scheduled to address a group of about 500 agents here on Friday. He spoke to a smaller group of agents earlier Wednesday and told them he would leave open the possibility of a last-minute settlement with the owners as late as March 2, the day before league's free agent market is scheduled to open. Upshaw told the agents he would not postpone the start of free agency.
He is scheduled to meet with the players' executive board on March 9 and has said that if there's no labor deal by then, he would recommend to the players that they put in motion the process to decertify the union as a tactic to prevent a lockout by the owners and perhaps set up a courtroom challenge by the players.
NFL Notes:
The Indianapolis Colts agreed to a six-year contract extension with wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who had been eligible for unrestricted free agency. The deal is worth slightly less than $40 million, including about $14 million in bonuses. . . .
The Buffalo Bills placed their franchise-player tag on cornerback Nate Clements, essentially taking him off the unrestricted free agent market. He would have a salary of $5.893 million next season if he remains the Bills' franchise player. Clements became the second player league-wide to get the franchise-player designation. The New York Jets placed their franchise-player tag on defensive end John Abraham on Tuesday. The deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players is Thursday. . .
The Jets began to make their salary cap cutbacks by releasing seven players, including cornerback Ty Law and quarterback Jay Fiedler. The team, which was about $26 million over the projected salary cap, also restructured the contract of tailback Curtis Martin.
Tackle Jason Fabini, fullback Jerald Sowell, linebacker Barry Gardner, defensive tackle Lance Legree and wide receiver Harry Williams Jr. also were released. The Jets might end up releasing quarterback Chad Pennington if they're unable to agree to a reworked contract with him.
No Progress on NFL Labor Negotiations
By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2006; Page E02
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 22 -- A 3 1/2 -hour bargaining session here on Wednesday between NFL Players Association officials and a reshuffled group representing the league's team owners failed to jump-start the sport's stalled labor negotiations.
"There's been no progress," union chief Gene Upshaw said as he left the downtown Indianapolis hotel at which the meeting was held. "We told them our points. They understand our points. They think we're asking too much, and we think they're not offering enough. We're just not there, and I'm not sure we're going to get there. . . . The positions are still the same."
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and St. Louis Rams President John Shaw joined the league's negotiating team, but the new dynamic failed to produce any breakthroughs. The meeting ended, Upshaw said, when it became clear that neither side was budging from its bargaining position.
"When you get to the point where you repeat yourself four or five times, you end it," Upshaw said. "The clock is ticking, and they all realize that."
Upshaw has set the end of this week as his deadline for completing a deal that would keep the sport's salary-cap system in place beyond next season. The collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2007 season, but that season would be played without a salary cap.
Upshaw is scheduled to address a group of about 500 agents here on Friday. He spoke to a smaller group of agents earlier Wednesday and told them he would leave open the possibility of a last-minute settlement with the owners as late as March 2, the day before league's free agent market is scheduled to open. Upshaw told the agents he would not postpone the start of free agency.
He is scheduled to meet with the players' executive board on March 9 and has said that if there's no labor deal by then, he would recommend to the players that they put in motion the process to decertify the union as a tactic to prevent a lockout by the owners and perhaps set up a courtroom challenge by the players.
NFL Notes:
The Indianapolis Colts agreed to a six-year contract extension with wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who had been eligible for unrestricted free agency. The deal is worth slightly less than $40 million, including about $14 million in bonuses. . . .
The Buffalo Bills placed their franchise-player tag on cornerback Nate Clements, essentially taking him off the unrestricted free agent market. He would have a salary of $5.893 million next season if he remains the Bills' franchise player. Clements became the second player league-wide to get the franchise-player designation. The New York Jets placed their franchise-player tag on defensive end John Abraham on Tuesday. The deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players is Thursday. . .
The Jets began to make their salary cap cutbacks by releasing seven players, including cornerback Ty Law and quarterback Jay Fiedler. The team, which was about $26 million over the projected salary cap, also restructured the contract of tailback Curtis Martin.
Tackle Jason Fabini, fullback Jerald Sowell, linebacker Barry Gardner, defensive tackle Lance Legree and wide receiver Harry Williams Jr. also were released. The Jets might end up releasing quarterback Chad Pennington if they're unable to agree to a reworked contract with him.