What was amazing about the four month water torture that was the NFL Lockout was how close we came to the precipice of disaster only to have resolution that benefits everyone. Sort of surreal, right? I'm used to half if not entire seasons being blown out, postseasons eliminated and whatever happens during the future Major League Soccer strike.
Owners get more money. Isn't that what they were looking for in the first place? They also get another safeguard against being stupid: the rookie salary cap will eliminate the type of albatross we saw in the person of Jamarcus Russell. The get their "soda" in full: because owners charge regular season prices for preseason games, preseason parking and preseason concessions yet only have to pay players their preseason rate, their margin is ridiculous for the two August home games (like soda at a fast food restaurant: you don't want to know how much profit's in a medium sprite). They also get a team option on a fifth year for first round picks-- a semi-franchise tag if you will.
Players get a better quality of life. Lightening the offseason workload will allow the body to heal better and not be subjected to the constant pounding that makes players more susceptible to wear and tear injuries. Veterans will get the mad money that was thrown at rookies (thanks to the salary floor). And health care benefits will be a little more appropriate for players this time out.
Fans get a full season of football-- although let's take a moment of silence to mourn the loss of this year's Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Fans can plan training camp trips, fantasy leagues, and weekend journeys to see their team play. And ten years of labor peace. The NFL's streak of not missing any regular season play since 1987 continues.
Who loses? New coaches, coordinators and quarterbacks. Six new head coaches haven't had the benefit of a fully productive offseason and will find it challenging to put their stamp on the team. Offensive coordinators have to fit three months of studying into three weeks of cramming. And unlike years where we saw a Marc Sanchez, Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco guide a team to the postseason-- there will probably be a steeper learning curve.
Whither the Redskins? Can a team with a less than awesome track record of procuring talent make the right moves? Will a non-offseason of working out the kinks of the 3-4 haunt a unit still not built for the new defense? How long will Donovan McNabb remain a Redskin-- and will John Beck justify the Shanahan's optimism? And what about Albert Haynesworth's progressive infection of a locker room and organization trying to move on? Thank goodness we're no longer worrying about transition tags, rookie caps and percentages of the gross.
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