An NFL lockout will not be necessary any time soon after players voted to approve the proposed collective bargaining agreement, putting the new deal in place for the next 10 years. In order for the proposal to pass, a majority of NFL players had to vote yes. The NFLPA announced Sunday that the final tally was 1,019 votes in favor of the CBA and 959 votes against it – so it was an extremely close race.
A lot of changes will come with the new CBA, while the masses of players who earn the minimum salary will receive a big pay bump, and the player’s revenue share will increase as well. The regular-season and playoff schedule will also receive a shake-up, as an extra game will be added to the calendar for every team, and who extra wild-card weekend games will be implemented. Starting in 2020, the postseason field will expand to 14 teams and beginning as early as 2021, the regular season will be 17 games with only three preseason games.
Here’s a quick list of the biggest changes this new CBA will bring:
- 17-game season, 3-game preseason starting no earlier than 2021
- 14-team playoff field
- 7 in each conference, only No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye
- Higher minimum salaries
- Increased revenue share for players
- Only one tag (franchise or transition) can be used
- Reduced penalties for positive drug tests, with no suspensions
So, how does all of this affect the Redskins? Let’s lay out what it means for D.C. in 2020 and beyond.
Salary Cap could spike in coming years
The Washington Redskins are currently in salary cap heaven, as they head into the coming free agency period with about $60 million to work with. Their cap bliss will likely continue for the next couple of years too, as they have a load of young players who have been highly-productive on rookie contracts.
The salary cap is projected to be around $200 million this year, but that number could rise significantly in 2021.
With no labor strike or lockout coming, the NFL stands to make more money in the near future with TV deals, which should lead to an inflated salary cap in the next few years. That means that when it comes time to pay these players in Washington, the Redskins will have a lot more flexibility to do so, keeping more of the drafted talent around for the future.
Brandon Scherff contract now gets green light
The Redskins placed the franchise tag on right guard Brandon Scherff on Friday, locking him down for the 2020 season. An extension is expected though, as the two parties have shown the desire to continue their partnership well into the future. The tag is merely a placeholder until an extension can get done.
Now, with the 2020 salary cap set at $198.2 million, an increase of about $10 million, don’t be surprised to see the two sides come to an agreement soon. On the open market, Scherff is likely to sign a contract that would see him become one of the highest-paid RGs in the league, likely somewhere around $15 million per season.
Expanded roster size
With the new CBA, rosters will expand. They gro from 53 players to 55, with 48 being active on game day – up from the previous limit of 46. Additionally, practice squads will grow from 10 to 12 in 2020, and to 14 players in 2022.
For the Redskins, this will allow them to keep more of the 90-man roster from the preseason and carry them into the regular season. A couple of notable names that have been on that roster-cut bubble in past years were WR Steven Sims Jr. in 2019, and WR Cam Sims in 2018. Both players have been able to make a difference on the Redskins roster, so look for more players to get a chance going forward.
