NFL Players To Vote On New CBA; What's The Cowboys Impact?

The NFL Players Will Now Vote On A New CBA That Can Create 10 Years of Labor Peace; What's The Impact on The Dallas Cowboys?

The NFL owners and the NFLPA has moved one step closer to labor peace with Tuesday's decision from the 32 players representatives to send the ratification of a new CBA to a vote of its 2,000-plus members.

A 50-percent "yes'' vote will end the threat of a spring-of-2021 work stoppage and provide the NFL with labor peace for 10 more years. So in the "macro'' sense, this is potentially wonderful news.

In the "micro'' sense for the Dallas Cowboys, there are other angles. Some point-by-point thoughts:

*It's been reported that 17 of the 32 player representatives approved the new CBA. Some have raised an eyebrow at the number because it wasn't closer to unanimous. But 17 votes is what it took. That's democracy at work!

*There are reports that the NFLPA is "split" on whether to agree to the new CBA. Again, that is neither unexpected or concerning; it's their right to be "split.'' (We further wonder how, with over 2,000 members, anyone would know about the details or levels of a "split.''

*The NFLPA is surely pleased about the slice in power long granted by Article 46, the decriminalization of pot, the added medical benefits and a slight alteration in the way players would be paid for the added 17th game. Previously, that Game 17 paycheck was to be "capped'' at $250,000, even if a player's regular gamecheck exceeded that. The NFLPA got that changed.

With a 17th regular-season game (which would go into effect in 2021) the four-game preseason is reduced to three games, and the NFL would also add an additional postseason team in each conference. There is talk that change may go into effect in 2020.

*And finally, for the Cowboys: COO Stephen Jones this week said Dallas would wait on doing deals until rules are in place. OK ... here come the rules. ...

A new CBA ratified quickly would mean we're no longer in the final year of an existing CBA, which is the only time multiple franchise tags can be applied by one team. So previously, under the "final year'' rule, Dallas could've used, for instance, the non-exclusive tag on free-agent-to-be Dak Prescott and the transition tag on free-agent-to-be Amari Cooper. But if ratified? Teams are down to one tag ... which should mean the acceleration of negotiations before the March 12 deadline to tag, as in a worse-case scenario, Dallas would have neither player signed, would tag the QB Prescott, and would lose contractual control over the receiver Cooper.