CBA's Salary Cap "FINAL EIGHT PLAN"

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

In March, the aggreement between the NFL and the players union will expire and the salary cap will disappear.

I think most people think that means that Some teams will try and "buy" a superbowl...(UH-HUM...Jerry Jones...we are talking to you)...BUT I was thinking, if the salary cap is gone, then the salary minimum is gone also. Which means that there is a chance that in 2010, teams might actually spend less then they did this year.

So I did a little research and found that in Article XXI, Section 3 of the CBA there is a provision that tries to keep teams competitive when there is no spending limit. What this does is limit the 8 best teams (by record) in their ability to sign UFA's

In a nutshell the best 8 teams can sign one UFA for every one player they lose to unrestricted free agency. ..and then it can only be at the same first-year salary the departed player receives at his new team. With other limitiations in effect.

Teams 5-8 may sign one of those UFA's at a first-year salary of $4.9 million and any others at a first-year salary of $3.2 million ....However the top 4 teams will not get this last option.

So Jerry....sorry. But no big salaries this year!!!

[fansince'76]

I've heard something about this recently, but I understood "final 8" as being the 8 teams that made the divisional round of the playoffs (in this case, Dallas, Arizona, New Orleans, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego and New York (Jets))? If it is by final record, I would think that would exclude Baltimore and New York as New England and Cincinnati had better records than they did, at least during the regular season. :noidea:

[xfl2001fan]

What this means (though) is that Daniel Snyder will likely try and bring in a few more FA's to Washington...and heavily frontload their contracts. I can honestly see the Browns doing this too...because Lerner is far from cash-strapped...and he seems interested in bring together one heck of a team.

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

I've heard something about this recently, but I understood "final 8" as being the 8 teams that made the divisional round of the playoffs (in this case, Dallas, Arizona, New Orleans, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego and New York (Jets))? If it is by final record, I would think that would exclude Baltimore and New York as New England and Cincinnati had better records than they did, at least during the regular season. :noidea:

You are correct..it is the last 8 teams remaining in the playoffs.

[steelreserve]

So Jerry....sorry. But no big salaries this year!!!

Yup! That removes the biggest turd from the punchbowl in 2010.

Now it would seem that all that's left are teams like the Raiders and Redskins, who throw around foolish amounts of money, but are such a mess that nobody wants to play there. Can you win with a team made up of only the most blatant mercenaries in the game? I don't think you can.

Only problem I see is if the Patriots* weasel their way into not qualifying as one of the restricted group and decide to go on a spending spree. Then ahh well, just even more reason to hate their guts.