PFT: Redskins, Cowboys could go “nuclear” over cap mess

[Boone]

Wow. That about sums it up, doesn't it.

 

[Neophyte]

Mara can't seem to see the forest for the trees and is apparently clueless that while Jones and Snyder have been unable to field winning franchises for the last decade or more, they rarely loss off the field.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Florio and PFT aren't doing anything but gossiping with a few facts here and there. I don't give them any credibility.
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They're trying to keep the issue in the public eye. With everything going on behind closed doors, I don't think we can ask for much more.

 

[China]

Mara is pissing me off. He's making me hate the Giants more than usual. He needs to lose his spot on the Competition Committee.

 

[TomE]

I was trying to find out who's on the Executive Competition Committe of which Mara is the chair.

Chuckled at an entry in wikipedia

John Mara was also the driving force behind the NFL's Executive Competition Committee in forcing the NFL's Players Union to limit player salaries during the NFL's 2010 uncapped year forcing collusion with the NFL owners and Players union.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mara

Never did find out the other members of the committee.

 

[SNF]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000...hy-among-three-added-to-competition-committee

Packers' Murphy among three added to competition committee

By National Football League
Published: Feb. 14, 2012 at 03:24 p.m.

Head coaches Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams and Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals, along with Green Bay Packers president and chief executive officer Mark Murphy, have been named to the NFL Competition Committee by Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL announced Tuesday.

The competition committee studies all aspects of the game and recommends rules and policy changes to NFL clubs.

The committee consists of McKay, Fisher, Murphy, Whisenhunt, Stephen Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals), John Mara (New York Giants), Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens) and Rick Smith (Houston Texans).

 

[Boone]

I don't trust half of what they say even. Even the Enquirer is legit once in a while but their reputation keeps anyone from trusting them.
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That's fine and all - but what exactly don't you trust in regards to their reporting of the cap penalty controversy? Honestly - we should be appreciative of the fact that PFT is keeping the pressure on the NFL. I also think Florio, with his legal background, may be more reliable in speaking to this situation than he might otherwise be.

 

[Boone]

Did you read or see the comments Mara made today stating the Skins and Cowboys 'should feel lucky they didn't get picks taken away'? That's not Florio making **** up. That's flat out threats from the owner of a division rival who's basically driving this thing from all appearances. I don't care if Florio ate somebody's baby - he's dead right on this and has been. We got screwed and there was no legal basis for it whatsoever.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

If it wasn't for Florio, we wouldn't have public sentiment on our side and the story could've died down. He did the same thing with Vick and that story nearly faded - good thing too.

We're going to have a favorable outcome and much of it will be due to Florio's continual coverage and commentary.

 

[TomE]

We hear ya Mike, but this time it's not only Florio mixing it up, he's just part of the media mass that's being junk yard about the situation.

Kinda nice for once having the venerable Mara et al being chewed on by these guys.
Snyder must be loving it, at least 'til he hacks down some more trees or sues a grandma again.

 

[RG3 Fan]

Due to this mess, I will be majorly hacked if RG3 gets hurt because we weren't able to sign a free agent lineman to adequately protect him. Take this one to the supreme court if you have to. Definite collusion and the Giant organization wants to keep the cowboys and redskins down.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Due to this mess, I will be majorly hacked if RG3 gets hurt because we weren't able to sign a free agent lineman to adequately protect him. Take this one to the supreme court if you have to. Definite collusion and the Giant organization wants to keep the cowboys and redskins down.

I thought you were a Dallas fan ?
This post sounds the opposite of that.

 

[McD5]

Even if we win in arbitration, we have probably already lost. There's just no way to win in this in terms of our team.

PFT is reporting that this is now delaying us from signing London Fletcher.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...tedly-getting-in-way-of-london-fletcher-deal/

 

[Miles Monroe]

Even if we win in arbitration, we have probably already lost. There's just no way to win in this in terms of our team.

PFT is reporting that this is now delaying us from signing London Fletcher.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...tedly-getting-in-way-of-london-fletcher-deal/

This actually broke a few days ago in another piece, and while it's likely speculation, it could have some merit to it. The piece I read had the same quote from Alexander, but also brought up the fact that some vets would likely be leaving in 13 any how.

 

[Ax]

Even if we win in arbitration, we have probably already lost. There's just no way to win in this in terms of our team.

I'd consider having any or all of the cap reinstated a huge win. Free agency is still open. Plus, with June 1st cuts coming, after whatever we get from the draft, we'll be in better shape this year, and undoubtedly better off next year.

I don't see anybody we've potentially missed out on so far as being a death nail for the upcoming season. Getting our money back = getting Fletcher back. Which to me, is more important than any other additional free agent.

Win-win.

 

[McD5]

I'd consider having any or all of the cap reinstated a huge win. Free agency is still open. Plus, with June 1st cuts coming, after whatever we get from the draft, we'll be in better shape this year, and undoubtedly better off next year.

It's a fine line we are walking. And one we definitely have to fight, but I don't think there is any winning scenario for us.

First, I have no idea how long this is going to take before a resolution. If it's a few months, it could cost us Fletcher or some other FAs.

Even if we do win, it's probably not in our best interests to piss off the league too badly.

An extra holding flag here, a longer suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit there, a player getting caught smoking pot a year from now......it's just not going to work out well.

 

[Goaldeje]

McD, I normally would agree with you here. But I think the NFl has really overplayed its hand here. This goes far beyond normal discipline, and sure, it got swept up in the Bountygate discipline and Tebow trade and even Free Agency. But the fact is that the league has essentially admitted to collusion. There is some trust damage done there. The NFL has a choice to make. If they go punitive and start the kind of BS you're talking about, they will lose some fans. They may be tyrannical, but they aren't (I don't think) stupid.

This procedural stuff allows them to save face while simultaneously back down. We'll see how smart they really are, I guess.

 

[Ax]

My guess is we'll have at least some support from a few other owners. If only the teams who went way under the imaginary cap, who may fear that even if we don't get ours back, they may have to lose theirs in order to just be fair.

Mara, and maybe a few others, are the driving force behind this. I'd be surprised if the other owners will continue to support their arrogance when it proves to put all their asses on the line.

I believe Mara convinced them this would be a cake walk. Looks like it has a better chance to wind up as a pie in the face.

 

[Goaldeje]

Graziano's not letting this go either:

A couple of us tried to stop Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder a few minutes ago during a break in the NFL owners meetings to ask him about the salary cap penalties against his team and the Dallas Cowboys and the comments New York Giants owner John Mara made about the issue Sunday. Snyder declined to comment, saying he may do so at some point this week but not right now.

This follows similar no-comments Sunday from Redskins GM Bruce Allen and coach Mike Shanahan, as well as a subdued and minimal response to Mara by Cowboys player personnel director Stephen Jones. While Mara came out with an impassioned, defiant defense of the penalties, those being penalized are staying very quiet.

That tells me they think they can win.

If the Cowboys and the Redskins filed their grievance against the league and the NFLPA just for show -- just to make it look to their fans and the rest of the general public as if they're fighting back -- then they'd be out in front of this, barking about it as loudly as they wanted to bark. Instead, they're keeping quiet, in spite of ample opportunity to respond, as they prepare to make their case in front of an arbitrator.

That's the way you act if you have confidence that you're right and can win, as the Cowboys and Redskins do and should. The penalties came from the NFL Management Council -- a group headed by Mara and determined to act in what it believes is the best interest of the league. The NFL's owners decided, among themselves and in the absence of consultation with the players, to attempt to restrict spending during a 2010 season that did not have a salary cap. They are angry at the Redskins and Cowboys for not going along with that.

But arbitrator Stephen Burbank isn't going to be beholden to what Mara and the majority of the NFL's owners believe is in their best interest. He's most likely to rule in favor of common sense. And common sense is on the side of the Cowboys and Redskins here.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/37436/cowboys-skins-must-think-they-can-win

 

[Neophyte]

Man, this is going to get ugly.

Anyone else think we might be seeing our new QB on national TV sooner rather than later? Like Sept 5th soon?

I'm just thinking here but if I'm the league and I want to lead off with a strong game, with big ratings, featuring the Super Bowl champs what better way than to bring in a division rival that beat the champs twice in preceding season? A rival with a brand new, freshly minted QB who has been fought over in the off season? And a rival where there is some recent and serious bad off season blood?

Hell, Mara might even like it, viewing it as a chance to give Dan a public spanking on the field.