NFL CBA Looks Close To Done
NEW YORK (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Dolphins have plenty of holes left on the squad, but the team remains in a holding pattern as the league and the players association continue to try and iron out a new collective bargaining agreement.
Thursday, five players and the NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith along with five owners and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sat down in New York to try and finish the CBA.
Lawyers for both sides have been meeting for the last two days to put together the paperwork of a new deal. It's left most players and owners hopeful a deal can be struck by the end of business on Friday.
The outstanding issues seem to surround a rookie wage scale and the overall revenue sharing. Both sides are close on the overall revenue sharing numbers, but given the complexity of the overall deal, the talks could fall apart in a hurry.
But as each hour and day pass, the NFL comes closer and closer to losing hundreds of millions of dollars in missed pre-season games. Neither side wants to shrink the overall pot of money they will be pulling from, so time is of the essence.
The lockout has been ongoing since March and is already the longest work stoppage in the history of the NFL.
For the Dolphins, the shorter the free agency period is, the tougher it will be to fill the countless holes on the roster. The Fins need quarterback and running back help; need a speed receiver; need offensive line help; and could use depth at the linebacker position.
Given the Dolphins' performance last season, and the fact that they will be breaking in a failed offensive coordinator from the Cleveland Browns, and Fins fans may need to start looking at next year's draft for the team to finally find a franchise quarterback.
