NFL players voted to ratify new CBA

[SparzWizard]

Looks like we're gonna have a 7th seed playoff team, and 2nd seed no longer gets a first-round bye. Also starting 2021, there will be 17 games in the regular season and only 1 preseason game.

Ryan Tannehill makes the first move and accepts a 4-year, $118M contract from the Titans.

[Roy H.]

I like it.  I especially like the 7th playoff team, because it puts a gigantic premium on finishing first in the conference.

[RPGenerate]

Wow, that was surprisingly quick and easy. Could this be partially due to the impact of coronavirus on bottom lines?

[nickagneta]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

[BringToughnessBack]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

The marijuana thing is a big deal. Wonder if other sports will follow.

[nickagneta]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

The marijuana thing is a big deal. Wonder if other sports will follow.

Just mentioned it offhand.

Discussing it further is against site rules, unfortunately.

[BringToughnessBack]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

The marijuana thing is a big deal. Wonder if other sports will follow.

Just mentioned it offhand.

Discussing it further is against site rules, unfortunately.

No problem, did not know. Wont do it again! 😁

[nickagneta]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

The marijuana thing is a big deal. Wonder if other sports will follow.

Just mentioned it offhand.

Discussing it further is against site rules, unfortunately.

No problem, did not know. Wont do it again! 😁

Not your fault. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it to spark a response. My bad.

[gouki88]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

Wonder what this means for Josh Gordon?

[Roy H.]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

Wonder what this means for Josh Gordon?

Hard to say.

The rule is weird. Players can’t be suspended for recreational drug use, but they can be fined game checks after multiple failed tests. So, in effect the players can be forced to play for free. It’s debatable whether that is a win for them.

They get to stay around the team which might be best for their stability, and if they produce on the field then teams will be interested in them for future contracts, but they still aren’t getting compensated while putting their bodies on the line.

[Phantom255x]

Love the idea of a 7th playoff team in each conference. However, something still feels iffy about the fact that a 2 seed still has to play wild card weekend. But it's hard to imagine another scenario that fits so I'll be willing to see how it works out.

[SparzWizard]

Love the idea of a 7th playoff team in each conference. However, something still feels iffy about the fact that a 2 seed still has to play wild card weekend. But it's hard to imagine another scenario that fits so I'll be willing to see how it works out.

Wild-card round 2 vs 7 can serve as a "bye" week for the 2-seed since they get to feast on them.

But of course, these are your win-or-go-home series and wild-card teams do sometimes end up making the Conference Championships, let alone some win the Superbowl.

[CelticsElite]

Interesting that the CBA pulled the judge, jury and executioner power from the commissioner. Now neutral arbitration will be the rule for discipline cases. Looks like the NFLPA learned a lot from Deflategate afterall.

Also, no more suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

Wonder what this means for Josh Gordon?

Hard to say.

The rule is weird. Players can’t be suspended for recreational drug use, but they can be fined game checks after multiple failed tests. So, in effect the players can be forced to play for free. It’s debatable whether that is a win for them.

They get to stay around the team which might be best for their stability, and if they produce on the field then teams will be interested in them for future contracts, but they still aren’t getting compensated while putting their bodies on the line.

“We’re no longer suspending for weed. Just sign the bottom line. Don’t read that tiny text in the foot note!”

NFL player: Ok whatever I hate reading 

[jambr380]

Would make a LOT more sense to just have 8 playoff teams per conference. I understand it puts a premium on finishing 1st, but only one team getting a bye seems to be a HUGE unnecessary advantage.

[Moranis]

Would make a LOT more sense to just have 8 playoff teams per conference. I understand it puts a premium on finishing 1st, but only one team getting a bye seems to be a HUGE unnecessary advantage.

Maybe but if that team has it wrapped up early, they may go 3 or 4 weeks without actually playing a real game and that could be a huge negative as well.  Just this year we saw a 1 seed lose in their first playoff game (Baltimore), and it happens a lot more than you might think, though is more frequent with a 2 seed on a bye.  I mean in the last decade you've had Baltimore (this year), Dallas, Denver, 15-1 Green Bay, and for the 2010 season both 1 seeds lost in the divisional round 14-2 New England and 13-3 Atlanta.  That is a lot of losing by 1 seeds against teams that should have been vastly inferior teams.  The 2 seeds lose even more often in the divisional round and they've had byes also.  There is probably an advantage to having a bye, but I'm not really sure it is all that large especially when those teams have the bye wrapped up early and rest.