New wrinkles to franchise tag, salary cap happened for reason
 

INDIANAPOLIS -- After covering the lockout for more than five months, and just a few hours after it officially ended in front of NFLPA headquarters in Washington, I was on a train to Philadelphia to cover Michael Vick's arrival and pending contract situation.

I'm sure many people in the football business had a similar experience. The point is, after the NFL's first work stoppage in 24 years came to an end, professional football started moving at 100 miles per hour and the foot didn't come off the gas until the final gun of Super Bowl XLVI sounded. So there have been some details in the new collective bargaining agreement that slipped through the cracks and are just coming to light now, because of how they affect the 700 or so free agents who will hit the market March 13.

How to get caught up? I can help. You've got questions, I have answers. Allow me to explain how some of the final pieces came together in the new CBA and, just as important, why they fell into place the way they did.

NFL.com news: New wrinkles to franchise tag, salary cap happened for reason

The CBA, free agency, salary caps, contracts ... this the stuff that just boggles my mind ... just when you think you got something about your team figured out, it gets blown out of the water by front office stuff ... articles like this help clear my head a bit ... good read.

You are so right. This was a very informative read. Thanks for sharing. God I love this board.:p

Very nice 656! Thanks

It helped me so I thought I would pass it along

Kinda explains why it takes more than 3 days to generate a 120 million contract for Brees, while trying to fit Colston and Nicks into the equation, knowing that in 2 years all 3 would be affordable cap wise.

The ideal situation is to structure everyone so that the big cap hit happens in 2014, not in 2012 or 2013.

I'd imagine there are a lot of tricky structural stategies that both sides want to use but the other side is very wary of.

Mickey must be playing a game of infinite "what-ifs" trying to align all 3 of our stars' contracts with an eye on the next 3 years.

This is where Mickey Loomis excels... Let him shine guys.

Can't wait to see how Tampa wastes their cap space this year with '14 looming..........

it all voodoo magic that makes ones head spin