There was an interesting AP report this morning about the ongoing negotiations between the players and owners regarding a new CBA. While most reports we've heard about the negotiations have centered around money and how it all gets sliced up... Players have said this weekend however that the money is not what this is all about. In fact, money might not even be the biggest issue anymore.
"There are so many moving parts, so much that goes on," added Saints player rep Jon Stinchcomb. "When you have these CBA negotiations, what we establish now will affect how we do business for years to come. It’s more than just how to slash the pie. It’s how you go to work, what your offseason will look like, benefits for former players, how protected are we when injuries come along. There are so many aspects being negotiated, it takes time to come to an agreement on all these different fronts."
Titans guard Jake Scott says that player safety has become their #1 concern. "We have made player safety our biggest concern, and we won’t back off on that."
Some of the debates over money don't seem as bad as they were before. The report suggests that rookie compensation won't be overly contentious and the owners appear to be ready to compromise on the amount of money they want off the top before splitting with the players... but the negotiations over the possible 18 game season will be tough. The players are dead set against it, but if the owners are dead set the players will likely ask for significant reductions in offseason and training camp workouts as well as rosters increased by about 5-6 players.