Thread: NFLPA's DeMaurice Smith tells agents to 'collude' on offers to ensure teams not limiting salaries with reduced cap, source says

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told NFL player agents Thursday that they should work together during the upcoming free-agency period to ensure that teams aren't taking advantage of the reduced 2021 salary cap to limit player salaries, a source who was on the videoconference told ESPN.

Speaking on the videoconference, which replaced the annual all-agent seminar the NFLPA holds each year at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, Smith told the agents that the union expects this year's cap to be pretty close to the $180 million "floor" negotiated by the NFL and the NFLPA, and that the 2022 and 2023 caps could be affected as well by the pandemic-related revenue losses that resulted in this year's cap reduction, the source said.

Because of that, Smith said, agents this year should push back on teams trying to cut players for cap reasons and should consult with one another and with the NFLPA's cap department on the offers they're receiving from teams for free-agent players. The source relayed Smith's message to ESPN and said Smith told the agents it was OK for them to "collude" in free agency in order to ensure the best possible deals for players.

rest - https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...es-source-says

There's been talk of players taking cheap 1 year deals to try to make NBA style super teams. Logic is that the cap will jump up again in 22 and they'll get their paydays then.

Originally Posted by SmilinAssasSin27

There's been talk of players taking cheap 1 year deals to try to make NBA style super teams. Logic is that the cap will jump up again in 22 and they'll get their paydays then.

3 BFFs who are elite NBA talents constitutes 60% of a NBA team’s starting lineup. Counting Ks & Ps as 2 of 24 starters, 3 BFFs who are elite NFL talents only constitutes 12.5% of a NFL team’s starting lineup. However, if 2 BFF elite WRs & their BFF elite TE might agree to go to sign with the team with a great QB to stack that team’s passing game, I could name at least a half dozen teams what might strike such a deal with them. I could also see a trio of BBFs who are elite D players doing the same thing.

I’m all for the little guy colluding against the big guy for once.

Originally Posted by FanInAZ

3 BFFs who are elite NBA talents constitutes 60% of a NBA team’s starting lineup. Counting Ks & Ps as 2 of 24 starters, 3 BFFs who are elite NFL talents only constitutes 12.5% of a NFL team’s starting lineup. However, if 2 BFF elite WRs & their BFF elite TE might agree to go to sign with the team with a great QB to stack that team’s passing game, I could name at least a half dozen teams what might strike such a deal with them. I could also see a trio of BBFs who are elite D players doing the same thing.

Hello, BFF!

Outstanding post.