Browns center JC Tretter, as newly elected president of the NFLPA, had a lot to do with mobilizing the rank-and-file players to vote on the new CBA.
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
NFL players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement by 60 votes – 1,019 voted yes, 959 voted no.
That slim margin was akin to a third down measurement by the width of an index card.
Essentially, if one yes-vote per team would have changed to a no, the vote would have failed and labor chaos would have ensued.
But as the NFL resumes business on Monday, with free agent signings still scheduled to begin on Wednesday, the closeness of the ratification becomes irrelevant.
Most of the rules set forth in the new CBA go into effect immediately and run through the 2030 season.
Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent changes and how they may relate to the Browns.
1.Beginning this year, a third wild card berth is added in each conference, bringing the playoff field to seven teams in the AFC and NFC. Only the No. 1 seed earns a first-round bye, instead of the top two. So the first playoff weekend will have No. 2 playing No. 7, No. 3 playing No. 6, and No. 4 playing No. 5.
Effect: The seventh seed in the AFC last year would have been the Steelers (8-8). In 21 years of their expansion era, the Browns would have benefitted by this expanded field only once, in 2007, when they finished 10-6. They would have faced No. 2 seed Indianapolis (13-3) in the first round. Incidentally, the last team to win a Super Bowl without having a playoff bye was the 2012 Ravens.
2.Rosters expand from 53 players to 55. Game-day activations increase from 46 to 48 with one spot reserved for an eighth offensive lineman. Practice squads increase from 10 to 12 in 2020, and from 12 to 14 in 2022.
Effect: One of the last players waived at the 53-player cut last year was defensive end Anthony Zettel. After spending time with the Bengals, Zettel wound up with the 49ers and averaged 17 snaps over their last four games, including the Super Bowl. The Browns wound up having a severe shortage at defensive end after an injury to Olivier Vernon, the suspension of Myles Garrett, and the trade of Genard Avery. Also, the Browns faced an emergency situation at offensive tackle in their first game when Greg Robinson was ejected and backup Kendall Lamm was injured, forcing natural guard Justin McCray at left tackle. An extra active lineman would have helped.
3.The use of franchise and transition designations is limited to one per season, rather than one apiece per year.
Effect: The Browns were not contemplating using either designation this year. In 21 years, they used a franchise tag one time, on kicker Phil Dawson in 2011, and the transition tag one time, on center Alex Mack in 2014.
4.Teams can activate three players from injured reserve during the course of the season, rather than two.
Effect: Last year, the Browns used their two IR-return designations on offensive lineman Drew Forbes and tight end David Njoku.
5.There is a limit of four joint practices total for all teams in training camp.
Effect: The Browns had two joint practices with the Colts last year. At the NFL combine last month, PackersNews.com reported the Packers will host the Browns for joint practices prior to a yet-to-be announced preseason game in Green Bay in August. An additional two joint practices with another team would be allowable, but the limit is more likely to be reached when the NFL reduces four preseason games to three.
6.Starting no sooner than 2021, the regular season will be increased to 17 games and the preseason reduced to three games. Although it’s not official, it is expected that conferences will alternate each year which teams have nine home games and which have eight.
Under a 17-game schedule, the number of padded practices in training camp will be limited to 16 (currently is 28), with a maximum of three in a row. In regular season, the number of padded practices is set at 14, with only three allowed over the last six weeks. Also, the “acclimation period” at the start of training camp expands from three days to five days. That means no hitting in camp until five days from when players report.
Effect: Last year, coach Freddie Kitchens maxed out on padded practices and had at least six in a row at one point.
7.Veteran players with four or more accrued seasons are allowed up to five absences from offseason conditioning workouts, including OTAs, without losing their offseason workout bonuses.
Effect: According to overthecap.com, 10 Browns veterans currently have offseason workout bonuses, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.
8.Veteran players under contract who hold out from training camp will not gain an accrued season towards free agency and their fines can not be rescinded when they return.
Effect: I don’t believe the Browns have had a veteran under contract not show up to training camp on time in the expansion era.
9.Violations of the personal conduct policy will be disciplined by a mutually-agreed third party, instead of Commissioner Roger Goodell, though Goodell still rules on integrity of the game issues. Also, routine fines for on-field rules violations will be reduced.
Effect: According to spotrac.com, the Browns ranked third in the NFL last year in racking up more than $2.25 million in fines for 31 infractions.
10.Rules pertaining use of marijuana will be relaxed. Players will not be suspended for positive tests for THC. The testing period will be reduced from four months in the offseason to two weeks prior to training camp. The threshold for a positive test is increased from 35 nanograms to 150. Suspensions will be reserved for fraudulent or tampered tests, or if the league medical advisor believes time off is needed for an habitual offender. Players already under suspension are not affected. Also, suspensions for DUI offenders are increased from two games to three games.
Effect: Last year, Antonio Callaway was suspended for four games for a drug program violation believed to be a positive test for marijuana.