Randall Cobb could be looking up at a much bigger contract in the next couple of years … or he might be one of those could hold out for more.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The Minnesota Vikings‘ Percy Harvin could be a trend-setter, but not the type of trend any of us really like to see and a trend that could in 2014 absorb the Green Bay Packers‘ Randall Cobb, among many other NFL veterans whose rookie contracts will be coming to an end.

The issue that will be rearing its head this year coming to a boiling point within the next couple of years centers around the salary cap. You see, it is increasing, but not enough to stay abreast of the increases that players are wanting in their salaries.

And I thought the collective bargaining contract would keep the peace for the next decade. Apparently not.

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com said in his post yesterday on the topic that “something has to give.” He’s right, but there will most likely be conflict between employers and employees before some kind of middle ground is worked out. In other words, players will most likely hold out until they get their employers to understand their place or to at least meet them in the middle.

So, here’s what many are saying will occur in 2014 – those who signed rookie contracts in 2011, including Randall Cobb, will be coming due for their first big pay day.

Here’s the list of some of the players who might be ready at the time to sign a new contract and could be affected: Cam Newton, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, Aldon Smith, J.J. Watt, Muhammad Wilkerson, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, Torrey Smith, DeMarco Murray, Cecil Shorts, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Randall Cobb.

But because the amount of money available to teams from the slow-growing salary cap could hamstring teams, these players, who will most likely be looking for big dollars, will use the only tool they have available to them – the holdout.

However, Florio points out that the league has at its disposal the tool of a $30,000 per day fine for each day missed of training camp, but it seems the penalty has lacked any teeth – at least to-date. Florio said that in the case of Maurice Jones-Drews’s holdout last year the two sides came together and agreed on a reduced rate instead of applying the full penalty of $30,000. His fines amounted to more than $1 million, but he ended up paying much less.

The big question will center on how willing employers will be in compensating these high-performing players, especially if they continue to play at the level they have in their first two seasons. There’s no question that Cobb has earned every dime of his $729,414 salary. He sits at number 27 among the 53-man Packers roster and will surely be looking to move up toward the top of that list.

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Packers President Mark Murphy, a former player himself, was toeing the management line yesterday with his comments about where things stood with the CBA. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Packers president Mark Murphy’s statement last night as reported by Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press Gazette today, “NFL owners are done negotiating,” is pretty tough sounding, especially coming from a former player who should know better.

Murphy’s statement,

“We’ve put our pens down,” Murphy said. “We’ve negotiated in good faith with the union. We’ve reached an agreement on all the key points.

“They know what we ratified and they’re voting to ratify the same thing.”

was made last night during the hectic few hours of finger-pointing and miscommunication, but it still emphasizes the point that there are and always will be deep divisions between employees and management.
With sideways glances and mistrust, the players were pissed yesterday when the owners passed their own version of the collective bargaining agreement … a document that players said they hadn’t fully seen and wanted to study before even considering a vote. (more…)

Remember five years ago when The Packers signed then-free agent cornerback Charles Woodson to a big, fat contract? Most of Packer Nation, including myself, said, “Um, what the hell is wrong with Ted Thompson?”

Yeah, sorry about that, Ted. Good call, man.

Guess what? Now there are a few rumblings that free agent, all-world corner Nnamdi Asomugha may be Green Bay bound, following in the footsteps of his former Raiders teammate Woodson. Word is that Asomugha himself has hinted that he would like to play along side Woodson again, and Woodson has in turn expressed an interest in moving to free safety.

As wonderful as it sounds, Packers fans, it ain’t gonna happen.

Wouldn't this guy look good in green and gold? Yeah, it's not gonna happen.

Imagine a defensive backfield of Woodson, Nick Collins, Tramon Williams and Asomugha — with upstart Sam Shields playing the role of nickel back. Are you kidding me? There would be NO passing allowed. Period.

But — oops! — have we forgotten about promising youngster Morgan Burnett? And what if we end up with a salary cap after the highly-dramatized Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations finally play out? Um, a guy like Asomugha, a perennial all-pro the last three or four seasons, won’t come cheap.  And the truth is, the Packers need help at outside linebacker in the form of a bookend pass rusher to help complement a fellow named Clay Matthews.

Yes, we may have doubted Thompson in the past (Justin Harrell, anyone?), but I think it’s time we let the man do what he does: Find good talent in the draft. Asomugha and Woodson won’t be reuniting until they do so in Canton, Ohio.