E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer
for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of
only four sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls.
Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

IT APPEARS THAT THE FINAL LOCKOUT DISPUTE
REVOLVES AROUND HOW MUCH ROOKIES EARN

By Dave Klein
News that filters in through the haze while wondering where-oh-where will Tiki Barber sign and thus find happiness:

We are led to believe now that the only barrier to peace and understanding between the owners and the decertified players is what to do with the rookies, more specifically the first-round rookies, in terms of how much to pay them.

What's that? Other players will have a hand in deciding how much they should earn and for how long their contracts should run? Who said that the players have to accept the fact that they are employees and that they work for the owners, i.e., the employers?

Anyway, with a light becoming more visible at the end of the tunnel (let's just hope that light isn't an on-rushing locomotive), the experts are now focusing on July 21, a scant 10 days or so away, as the official end of hostilities and the resumption of the NFL as we have come to know it.

So what's this all about? Why did the final sticking point become a matter of how much the rookies will be paid?

The owners have their purpose, to subject the rookie first-round contracts to no more than four years - and the team will hold the option for a fifth year. That fifth year salary will be 150 percent of the average salary of a starter at that position. The next eight will be paid a fifth-year salary of no more than 125 percent of the average starter at the position and the final half of the round's choices will come in at the average pay for the 20 highest-paid players at their positions for the fifth year.

There's more. The top eight would have to "live with" an option year minimum of $6 million and a maximum of $12 million; the next eight will receive a minimum-maximum of $5 million to $10 million and the final 16 will have no maximum, just the average for the 20 highest-paid at the position.

The players want the kids to earn less in that fifth year - the top 16 picks would get the average of the 10 highest-paid at the position and the next 16 will receive option-year money commensurate with the average salary of the top 20 position players.

The owners have declared they want an overall dollar limit on rookie contracts of $840 million, with no additional monies for players taken below the first round. The players have proposed a total cash ceiling of $884, while providing players out of the first round the opportunity to negotiate salaries higher than the minimum salaries.

The owners say the $44 million they'll save on paying untested rookies would go to veterans and retired players, while the players have indicated that the $44 million would be nice but they'd like it all instead of sharing some of it with those "old guys" who used to play the game.

Oh, and where do the agents stand on all this? With trepidation, standing on their own version of a precipice, because fewer dollars will mean lower or no commissions and they will rapidly lose money.

Peace in our time? It's now just a little more than an idea.

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Two days ago, Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny said he wanted to remain with the Bills. Then yesterday he was interviewed and said he wouldn't mind playing for the Giants. The 6-1, 240-pound Penn State product knows Giants' defensive coordinator Perry Fewell from Buffalo (where Perry was first defensive coordinator and then interim head coach).

The truth is that Posluszny would be a good fit for the Giants' defense and as a middle linebacker he would be anathema for Jonathon Goff, the incumbent, but then Goff might be moved to strongside where highly-regarded Clint Sintim has spent his time making the Giants look like lousy drafters.

He said the Giants would offer "interesting opportunities" if he signed with them - sure, like winning more games, like maybe making the playoffs and perhaps like escaping those Buffalo winters.

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Not used to living under a deadline? The teams and players will have to learn fast, since a settlement on July 21, for instance, would provide them only with about three weeks to sign rookie, re-sign veterans and finalize deals with unrestricted veterans. That's a lot of work and you just know some teams (most teams?) will slip a few times, creating bargains for others. ... Didja hear what the great (player) Deion Sanders is currently recommending? He thinks all the rich young men in the NFL should hire a guy whose main job is to tell them "no, man, you can't do that." ... You know, it might just work, but then these guys would form a union and demand more money and benefits, too.

A brotherly disagreement seems to have sprouted in Tampa, where Ronde Barber, twin of the famous Tiki, has said he isn't sure it's a good idea for the unemployed half of the tandem to play for the Buccaneers, where he currently plays. And he further suggests that perhaps Tiki needs to take a look at the United Football League, where he might become a quality player and, hey, it's just $50,000 but how much is he making now, you know?

When the teams are finally allowed to report and practice, two relative unknowns will be competing for jobs in the Giants' secondary. ... They are cornerback Brian Witherspoon and free safety Cary Harris. ... Witherspoon is 5-10 and 180 who attended Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., while Harris is a product of USC at 5-11 and 187.

See, wasn't it nice to actually talk about football for a change?

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

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