It's time for your weekly labor news update. Don't all "huzzah!" at once, now.
While Peter King is certainly a polarizing figure in the NFL world for his seemingly cozy relationship with Roger Goodell and the owners, that stance also puts him in a position to know what's going on in labor talks. He's delivering some interesting news today in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.
According to King, it's exceedingly likely that fourth-and-fifth year NFL veterans will remain unrestricted free agents under a new collective bargaining agreement:
Bad news for the Vikings, if and when free agency happens -- and assuming unsigned players will be unrestricted free-agents after four or five years. Rice has four seasons of accredited service with the Vikings, and it's very likely that when a new CBA happens, unrestricted free agency will revert to the original rules -- if you're not franchise- or transition-tagged when unsigned after four or five years, you're free.
Obviously, we don't really give a horned helmet about the Vikings, but there are guys like Rice who will be diving headfirst into free agency once Mommy and Daddy stop fighting. If King is right, it helps to clarify the free agency picture for teams, and that can only help the Falcons to get ready for what's ahead.
Your thoughts?