NFL taking away Redskins cap space

And what's weird is that several teams are reported to have done this, but only Dallas and Redskins are getting punished.

Ah well...

The penalty seems wildly excessive given that:

1) there were no well-defined rules or specified penalties, just a vague "agreement"

and

2) Hall and AH might have gotten some bonus money, anyway.

The NFL should at least reduce the penalty.

i agree, but i would find it highly unlikely. looks like the league and union agreed to the numbers over the weekend, so i would imagine its a done deal.

at what point do we have to decide what penalty we want in 2012?

Haha, dont be ashamed, ive emailed Floria before too...... no response.

I bet he will chime in on this though with his background. I can see one of his thorough and over analytical legal opinions on this.

he's always replied to me, but its been a couple years. i imagine he's got cultbrennan syndrome and thinks hes too important now.

Q&A on the Cowboys-Redskins cap mess - NFC East Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/36904/qa-on-the-cowboys-redskins-cap-mess)

With cuts and restructures still left to come, it isn't the end of the world. The skins are still going to pick up a few quality signings and a stud WR.

And what's weird is that several teams are reported to have done this, but only Dallas and Redskins are getting punished.

Ah well...

Well, at least it is fair and not arbitrary. :(

Q&A on the Cowboys-Redskins cap mess - NFC East Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/36904/qa-on-the-cowboys-redskins-cap-mess)

This smells like the Chris Paul trade veto all over again. A few cry-baby owners screwing things up. Ugh.

Q&A on the Cowboys-Redskins cap mess - NFC East Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/36904/qa-on-the-cowboys-redskins-cap-mess)

Q: Why isn't the union challenging this?

A: While this behavior seems to fit the very dictionary definition of collusion, as multiple teams were engaged in discussions to limit the earning potential of their employees and prospective employees, do not expect it to be challenged in court. The decision today, in which the Redskins were docked $36 million in cap space and the Cowboys $10 million, is the result of a settlement between the NFL and the NFLPA. One reason the union has no problem with it is that the money lost to the Cowboys and Redskins is not taken out of the overall 2012 spending pool — each of 28 other teams gets $1.6 million extra in cap room, so there's no net loss league-wide. Another reason the union won't push on it is because they agreed, as part of the settlement of last year's Brady vs. NFL federal lawsuit, to drop all pending legal action against the league. That included their claims that the league engaged in collusion in 2010.



This whole thing disgusts me. Would not surprise me one bit if the most vocal of the teams demanding punishment were teams targeting VJ and wanted to limit the skins as competitors.

Q&A on the Cowboys-Redskins cap mess - NFC East Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/36904/qa-on-the-cowboys-redskins-cap-mess)

He said
"The Cowboys and the Redskins, to a greater extent than the league's other 30 teams, ignored these warnings and engaged in such behavior anyway."

Is the NFL kidding?

Glad a lawyer (you are a lawyer right?) agreed on this. It HAS to be collusion. It is almost textbook from my half-assed understanding of it.

No. I just play one on TV.

Yes. I am lawyer, but labor law is a world unto itself in many ways and not my area of expertise. At the same time, for all the reasons stated in this thread, it seems to me to be a clear violation of the prior CBA and collusion among the owners to avoid the ramifications of their prior agreement.

Further, has a negative impact on the current players. As someone else already stated, the Skins had money in hand and were ready to spend. I think the current NFLPA should be pretty upset about this as it is harmful to the current UFA's out there.

Not sure what, if any, the legal recourse is for the Skins. Maybe an injunctive action alleging that the NFL is punishing them for not acting illegally.