Labor Issues and the Draft

Well today proved to be a very troubling day for the majority of NFL fans. The mediation sessions between the Union and NFL yielded no results which lead to the Union decertifying. I am not going to get into the details of what all that means but check out ESPN and the National Football Post for some good details.

I personally am very disgusted by this whole situation as it impacts the entire way we look at football. This is the time of year where teams are rebuilding their rosters and making adjustments. Anything could happen but it appears unlikely any player trades or signings will happen prior to the draft. As an NFL Draft site, I wanted to break down a few ways the Draft will be impacted. Check them out after the Jump.

I mentioned that NFL teams are usually signing free agents and making trades by this time of the year. However, the labor issues have prevented most player movement. This is going to have a major impact on the Draft and I think we could see team need trump value. Usually, teams are able to address some needs during free agency but with that uncertainty they could look to focus that attention to the draft. If I am an NFL decision maker and I look at my roster and feel I need an upgrade at tackle to compete and I might feel that I need to address it in the draft. I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting hope in the uncertain labor negotiations but rather trust what my scouts have to say about specific prospects. I would like to see some discussion in the comments.

I also want to point out that I am on no sides in this battle because the millions of dollars they are fighting over come from our pockets. The money we are forced to spend on tickets, TV coverage, and other items are paying salaries. Owners are making a profit off of our love of a game and paying players huge salaries. So as I can’t wait for football I am disgusted over this dispute.