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RockRam
I'm saying that the league sees too much power on the side of star QBs as things stand today, as those elite QBs use that power to force their way out of town or into enormous new contracts.
I'm saying that the league will find a way to blunt that through contract language. But obviously this will take time and it won't be public knowledge.
Just like it only recently has been revealed that many high salary players can have their contracts restructured to something that helps the salary cap..... unilaterally by the team. Goff's contract was like that. So is Stafford's. You suppose that favors the player? Heck no. But you can bet it was in response to players who refused to be re-structured... perhaps to force their way out.
It's just the business of business. No employer is going to be stagnant when they find that the employees have found a way to gain leverage. Things will change and the Rogers situation will be the catalyst. It was about to be Watson being the catalyst; but at the moment he's trying to avoid prison.
If that particular issue could be solved by contractual language, the NBA would have done that by now. Superstar players there run things.
I don't think the NFL is going to have much success reigning in elite QBs. If they could have success there they would likely be utilizing those strategies to keep elite QB salaries in check but those are skyrocketing recently relative even to other players salaries.
No, the number one leverage provider is simple basic economics. Supply and demand. The supply of elite QBs isn't getting any bigger and the demand is as strong as ever. That's why salaries for elite QBs are increasing. It's why Tom Brady was given a say in how his Bucs team was constructed. And it's why I'm skeptical the leverage advantage will move back to teams any time soon.
I don't see the restructure option comparison as being analogous. First, I don't think that's a new development. Secondly, and more importantly, the restructures that are built into contracts help the player too. They get more money up front.
Lastly, if there was a way to address a problem through contract language it would have to be done in the CBA. And that isn't coming up for renegotiation until 2030.
