Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

[Mike]

If you were in charge of the whole thing, the NFL, the players, etc how would you run it? Would you have it the way it currently is? Would you have a Union, a Draft, a Free Agency? What would you reward? Talent evaluation, marketing, negotiations, player development, x and o? What would you do?

[Extremebillsfan247]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

If you were in charge of the whole thing, the NFL, the players, etc how would you run it? Would you have it the way it currently is? Would you have a Union, a Draft, a Free Agency? What would you reward? Talent evaluation, marketing, negotiations, player development, x and o? What would you do?

Now, I know nothing about this sort of thing, but this is what I would do if I were in charge of it.

I would have went a different route than a lockout to solve this dispute. I would have instead put a freeze on both Free agency and trades until a new CBA could be worked out. This would keep negotiations ongoing and out of the courtroom. Players would be able to conduct business with their teams as far as preparing for the upcoming season. Only rookies would be allowed to negotiate contracts early on who were drafted by a team. A timeline would then be put in place for a deal to be done.

Once past that deadline, all players and teams would be subject to 2010 rules with added restrictions. Free agents would only be allowed a 1 year contract with a new team while negotiations continued. Restricted free agents would be forced into a temporary franchise tag system also in a year by year basis. No trades would be allowed.

[Mike]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

Here is what I would do. Basically, my version of the NFL would award the best talent evaluators, the best player developers, and the best strategists. I think that is what allows small market teams to compete for and it's also best for a entertainment purposes.

So here is how I would do it.

First, the league would have revenue sharing in same way they have it today.

Second, a certain percentage of the revenue generated by the league and by each team would go into a fund for the players.

Next, each player would get paid out of that fund according to a formula that tracks his personal performance and his team performance in regards to his positions. So, if Rogers is the best QB this year, he will earn the most amount of money next year (obviously you can't do it in real time).

There will be no contracts, no long term deals, just performance based pay. There could be a 10% penalty for top players switching teams that both the new team and the player share in paying to prevent all the great players for playing for the same team.

There can be a great NFL pension for players who played for more than 3yrs and were injured.

An NFL like that would not only have better players and be funner to watch, but also a fairer to all parties involved.

[delectrolux]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

Here is what I would do. Basically, my version of the NFL would award the best talent evaluators, the best player developers, and the best strategists. I think that is what allows small market teams to compete for and it's also best for a entertainment purposes.

So here is how I would do it.

First, the league would have revenue sharing in same way they have it today.

Second, a certain percentage of the revenue generated by the league and by each team would go into a fund for the players.

Next, each player would get paid out of that fund according to a formula that tracks his personal performance and his team performance in regards to his positions. So, if Rogers is the best QB this year, he will earn the most amount of money next year (obviously you can't do it in real time).

There will be no contracts, no long term deals, just performance based pay. There could be a 10% penalty for top players switching teams that both the new team and the player share in paying to prevent all the great players for playing for the same team.

There can be a great NFL pension for players who played for more than 3yrs and were injured.

An NFL like that would not only have better players and be funner to watch, but also a fairer to all parties involved.

I just don't think a performance based system can work because your assuming all players have the same supporting cast. Football is such a team game, and everybody's individual performance depends on the person next to them. It wouldn't be fair at all to pay exclusively off performance. If the OLine doesn't do their job then the Running Back can't do his. If the DLine doesn't do their job than the Linebackers and DB's can't do theirs. It's all connected, and it all depends on the coach and the scheme, which are completely out of the player's control.

That all being said, what you're suggesting is basically what's going on now, just there's bidding wars for the best players (based on performance).

-----------

How I think it should be run? It's a monopoly so take out most of the free market completely. Regulate ticket prices for all teams. Keep them within a certain small range (high end for Dallas, low end for Buffalo, etc). Rookie contracts. Heavy salary cap, but guarantee contracts. Honestly, I think guaranteed contracts would do a lot to keep the game in check, especially when tied to the salary cap. Players make less, but they know they'll get all of it. Owners spend less on the players but are on the hook for stupid contracts. Keep free agency and revenue sharing. What's good for all of the league, is good for all of the league.

Split ticket revenue 50/50, players don't get a share of concessions, but owners don't get a share of endorsements. Not sure how merch is divided now, but players should get 50% of anything with their name on it.

And on that note, you want to reward college players without giving them a salary? Sell jerseys with their names and give them 50%. The best college players would get paid, the colleges would make good money, and it wouldn't have the stink of a salary attached to it.

But I am, admittedly, ignorant of the inner workings of how all this big sports business is run, so this is just off the top of my head...

[trapezeus]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

good call on the effect of guaranteed vs. unguaranteed money.

Salary cap dips a lot, but players get it. it cuts back on gaming the system with paying some old vet who is useless for $24MM with a $2mm signing bonus.

i think that is a great idea.

plus it would help players vest quicker.

[YardRat]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

I would start with booting Jerry Jones, Bob Kraft, and Dan Snyder's asses out the door. The owners, collectively, should have the right to remove the privilege of owning an NFL team if said person attempts to **** with revenue sharing.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

From an objective, outside view:

Step 1: Contract/expel the four weakest franchises.
One of the two Bay Area franchises, Detroit, Buffalo and one other (Jacksonville? Cincinnati? Houston? Heaven forbid, Cleveland? I don't know, but 29's an awkward number of teams.) Perhaps arrange for Buffalo and Detroit to join the CFL or something. Neither team's made the playoffs since the millennium, so there's no reason for me to believe they're anything worth keeping in the league. Alternate scenario: get Al Davis to move to L.A., contract/expel Buffalo and Detroit, and go with 30 teams with all bases covered. Realign the divisions accordingly.

Step 2: Rookie salary cap. No brainer. The NHL does it, there's no reason why the NFL can't do the same.

Step 3: Restructure revenue sharing. The luxury box issue isn't quite bankrupting the league, but it's causing a lot of problems. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses (quite literally) by building brand new nine-figure stadiums, build a revenue sharing plan that doesn't punish those that use the stadiums that already exist. If you want to get a team back in L.A., that will help matters a lot.

Step 4: NFL Network? No más. Sell the 8 games to the other networks and put the archive programs online. A channel devoted to nonstop top-10 lists does nothing to promote the league and is costing the league more revenue than they're taking in.

Step 5: Term limits. Quite frankly, the only way we can have parity in the NFL is to give other teams the opportunity to get the best players. When you have players like Brady and Manning tied into what amount to perpetual contracts, nothing ever changes until they're over the hill. You have the same teams winning the same titles over and over again. After a set amount of years (10 years or so ought to do), each player hits the open market. If a player wants to re-sign with his old team, which will be allowed to negotiate with him prior to the free-agency window, he has to wait until a certain waiting period ends (10 days ought to do) so that other teams can give him offers.

Step 6: Salary cap. Seems to be working fairly well as it is. Don't mess with the fundamentals of it. Sure, a guaranteed contract works well on paper, until you try to release a player and you're on the hook for the contract.

[Night Train]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

Steel cage match...because I don't care who wins.

I just wish to see blood, suffering and humility on both sides.

Builds needed character.

[Mike]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

I just don't think a performance based system can work because your assuming all players have the same supporting cast. Football is such a team game, and everybody's individual performance depends on the person next to them. It wouldn't be fair at all to pay exclusively off performance.

That is like saying there are no great players. All great players are good because of people around them. Its a circular argument. It like saying the QB is good b/c of the O-Line, the O-line is good b/c of the QB. If that is the case, then no one is good or bad.
Great players exist both on good teams and on bad teams. There are great WR whose QB and O-Line suck, yet they are great. Barry Sanders never had a good o-line, or qb, or wr, or a good team around him, yet he is one of the best of all time. Equally, great teams have bad players on them.

If the OLine doesn't do their job then the Running Back can't do his. If the DLine doesn't do their job than the Linebackers and DB's can't do theirs. It's all connected, and it all depends on the coach and the scheme, which are completely out of the player's control.

Players do have control, why else would you pay a Payton Manning or a Tom Brady? You Pay them because they can throw open a covered WR while their Guard just blew his assignment! They can overcome other players mistakes and take advantage of the mistakes of their opponent.

That all being said, what you're suggesting is basically what's going on now, just there's bidding wars for the best players (based on performance).

There would be no bidding war at all. What the players would get would be Automatic and be derived from a formula that measures their Team Success and Personal Success. The teams would not even pay the players directly, it would come out of a collective players fund that each team puts money into. There would be no Free Agency, No Contracts, No Salary Cap, complete redesign etc... players after 3yrs would have the freedom to move at any year after that.

[Mike]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

This would allow small market teams to compete on the field as they would not need big $$$ to get the talent, it would already be paid for. The whole focus of the league would be drafting great and player development. For Good-Great Players there will be incentive to stay with the team that drafted them -if they leave they see a 10% reduction in pay- however they will have the choice to leave at any point. There can be a 3yr Pension plan, to protect against career ending injuries.

Other Benefits:
1) No Cash and Dash: Players wont be able to cash in and then play aweful
2) Near Instant Reward: Players wont have to wait until this contract is up to get paid their true value
3) No Contract Disputes: there is no contract
4) No Hold Outs: If a player plays well,he get paid well.
5) Salary Cap Hell: No salary cap, teams will not need to player costs, it can be managed by the league and since there are no contracts, no one is ever owed anything
6) Special Retirement/Injury Fund: Insurance for players in case of injury

Rewards:
1. talent evaluators
2. talent developers
3. strategy
* This system will make it all about the Football not the Money! The best and most winning teams will accomplish this because of their knowledge and ability not their $$$$*
It will be a lot more like College Football except with a draft...

[YardRat]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

The players would laugh you out of the room if you brought that to the table, Mike. No way they would even consider 90% of those suggestions.

[Extremebillsfan247]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

From an objective, outside view:

Step 1: Contract/expel the four weakest franchises.
One of the two Bay Area franchises, Detroit, Buffalo and one other (Jacksonville? Cincinnati? Houston? Heaven forbid, Cleveland? I don't know, but 29's an awkward number of teams.) Perhaps arrange for Buffalo and Detroit to join the CFL or something. Neither team's made the playoffs since the millennium, so there's no reason for me to believe they're anything worth keeping in the league. Alternate scenario: get Al Davis to move to L.A., contract/expel Buffalo and Detroit, and go with 30 teams with all bases covered. Realign the divisions accordingly.

Step 2: Rookie salary cap. No brainer. The NHL does it, there's no reason why the NFL can't do the same.

Step 3: Restructure revenue sharing. The luxury box issue isn't quite bankrupting the league, but it's causing a lot of problems. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses (quite literally) by building brand new nine-figure stadiums, build a revenue sharing plan that doesn't punish those that use the stadiums that already exist. If you want to get a team back in L.A., that will help matters a lot.

Step 4: NFL Network? No más. Sell the 8 games to the other networks and put the archive programs online. A channel devoted to nonstop top-10 lists does nothing to promote the league and is costing the league more revenue than they're taking in.

Step 5: Term limits. Quite frankly, the only way we can have parity in the NFL is to give other teams the opportunity to get the best players. When you have players like Brady and Manning tied into what amount to perpetual contracts, nothing ever changes until they're over the hill. You have the same teams winning the same titles over and over again. After a set amount of years (10 years or so ought to do), each player hits the open market. If a player wants to re-sign with his old team, which will be allowed to negotiate with him prior to the free-agency window, he has to wait until a certain waiting period ends (10 days ought to do) so that other teams can give him offers.

Step 6: Salary cap. Seems to be working fairly well as it is. Don't mess with the fundamentals of it. Sure, a guaranteed contract works well on paper, until you try to release a player and you're on the hook for the contract.

Expelling franchises would never fly among the owners, or players of the league. The success of the NFL is predicated upon its ability to expand the fan base, not shrink it by cutting teams out. Since this lockout is between the owners and players, You would then unite both parties against you for even suggesting a downsizing of the league. JMO

[Mike]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

The players would laugh you out of the room if you brought that to the table, Mike. No way they would even consider 90% of those suggestions.

I think they would too due to lack of security. But if I'm in charge, I'm in charge

[SabreEleven]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

From an objective, outside view:

Step 1: Contract/expel the four weakest franchises.
One of the two Bay Area franchises, Detroit, Buffalo and one other (Jacksonville? Cincinnati? Houston? Heaven forbid, Cleveland? I don't know, but 29's an awkward number of teams.) Perhaps arrange for Buffalo and Detroit to join the CFL or something. Neither team's made the playoffs since the millennium, so there's no reason for me to believe they're anything worth keeping in the league. Alternate scenario: get Al Davis to move to L.A., contract/expel Buffalo and Detroit, and go with 30 teams with all bases covered. Realign the divisions accordingly.

Step 2: Rookie salary cap. No brainer. The NHL does it, there's no reason why the NFL can't do the same.

Step 3: Restructure revenue sharing. The luxury box issue isn't quite bankrupting the league, but it's causing a lot of problems. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses (quite literally) by building brand new nine-figure stadiums, build a revenue sharing plan that doesn't punish those that use the stadiums that already exist. If you want to get a team back in L.A., that will help matters a lot.

Step 4: NFL Network? No más. Sell the 8 games to the other networks and put the archive programs online. A channel devoted to nonstop top-10 lists does nothing to promote the league and is costing the league more revenue than they're taking in.

Step 5: Term limits. Quite frankly, the only way we can have parity in the NFL is to give other teams the opportunity to get the best players. When you have players like Brady and Manning tied into what amount to perpetual contracts, nothing ever changes until they're over the hill. You have the same teams winning the same titles over and over again. After a set amount of years (10 years or so ought to do), each player hits the open market. If a player wants to re-sign with his old team, which will be allowed to negotiate with him prior to the free-agency window, he has to wait until a certain waiting period ends (10 days ought to do) so that other teams can give him offers.

Step 6: Salary cap. Seems to be working fairly well as it is. Don't mess with the fundamentals of it. Sure, a guaranteed contract works well on paper, until you try to release a player and you're on the hook for the contract.

These are the stupiest idea's I've ever heard of and not just because you suggest contracting the Bills.

[Turf]

Re: Best Possible Solution between Owners & Players

I would appoint starting salaries:

Qb: 8 million
RB:4.5
WR: 4
T G C etc etc you get the idea based on whatever money is split up.

Take the revenue money from the league, take it away from the "stars"and distribute it evenly among ALL players. The stars get way to big a chunk of the salary cap.
This would also elminate free agency for money, and make footbal more stable with linemen playing together for years, and teams not losing their stars. Football would become a better product, and teams would have identity again and build for the future, instead of the watered down paper thin lineups we have today. Drafting and trading would also mean so much more.

If a 2-6 million dollar salary isn't enough, there are some great sales an accounting jobs out there starting at $30000.