CBA A Done Deal

That's the word from Chris Mortensen on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio this morning. The NFL and the NFLPA have an agreement in principle, and all that's left to do is ratify the damn thing.

Before we think this is a slam dunk, the latest proposal addresses the revenue sharing issue by limiting the "cash over cap" issue that a team can carry in a given year.

The best example of this is in Washington, who seemingly never have any salary cap room, but always seem to land expensive free agents, who sign long-term contracts with high amounts of guaranteed money and low base salaries. Only the high revenue teams are capable of spending like this, and the latest CBA proposal seeks to put a limit on it.

So where's the beef? The high revenue teams would get to keep their precious locally-generated revenue, and there would be a level playing field for all 32 franchises. It's a "win, win" situation, especially after the union conceded some ground on the percentage of defined gross revenue that the players will receive.

Yet, some owners aren't on board with this, and Mort identified one of them as Robert Kraft, whose team has never behaved in such a fiscal irresponsible manner. In fact, New England is about to (stoopidly) bid farewell to a Hall of Fame kicker, Adam Vinateiri, because they want him to sign a contract that doesn't include a nickel of guaranteed money.

How soon Bob Kraft forgets, eh? It was only 12 years ago when the Patriots were a low revenue team, playing in a decrepid stadium and unable to attract marquee free agents. So much so, they nearly moved to St. Louis.

The CBA between the NFL and the NFLPA has helped bridge the gap between the "haves" and "have nots", and Bob Kraft knows it, and being an NFL owner has added to what was already a great fortune. That he is even thinking about being a thorn in the side of this deal is reprehensible. Then again, this is the same guy who got drunk and gave his Super Bowl ring to Vladimir Putin.