Login

GodThor · 02-09-2018, 05:31 PM

Does anyone know the timeframe on when the league will make a decision on whether Teddy's contract will Toll? Either way, I hope this is soon, so both the Viks and Teddy can plan ahead.

02-09-2018, 05:44 PM

This is a good question. If he is tolled, Teddy and the NFLPA will contest it of course. But how long will it take to get that resolved? it needs to be expedited so the Vikings and Teddy can move on quickly if necessary.

02-09-2018, 05:58 PM

its this time line on Teddy that has me thinking that the team just needs to make a decision on him and be prepared to live with it. If they want Teddy in the long term picture, go to him with an extension that protects both parties by factoring in the possibility of tolling and the unknowns with his knee, but also give Teddy some security going forward and some outs if he isnt happy after next season.

02-09-2018, 06:07 PM

I wish I knew. It has to be decided, challenged and resolved by March 14th or it will have a huge impact on both the Minnesota Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater.

02-09-2018, 06:11 PM

Quote: @MaroonBells said:
I wish I knew. It has to be decided, challenged and resolved by March 14th or it will have a huge impact on both the Minnesota Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater.

I expect the team to wait at least a couple weeks to see what plays out, but if he is in their plans for next year I am betting the move to get something done regardless of what the league and union do. (of course maybe the league wants to fight this out with the union and will pressure the Vikes to let it play out? who knows for sure, however if the Vikes are not seeing Teddy as part of the future, let him go and let him know. He is very well liked in the locker room and to mess with the kids future by playing contract verbiage games IMO would not be well received by his friends that are still on the team.

02-09-2018, 06:20 PM

I don't really see any wiggle room or that a decision needs to be made. He was on the pup list in week 6. That's the requirement.

He can ask the Vikings to be released. He can take an offer from the Vikings. When FA starts, no team is going to want to get involved with a QB who hasn't played in 2 years with a contract issue for any significant money. If he gets an offer in the $3-5M range, that team will likely just throw a 6th or 7th at the Vikes to make it clean, but with the number of QBs in FA and the number of teams actually looking for a QB I just don't see it happening.

If it actually goes to the league to make a decision, they'll say it tolls, and if the NFLPA objects or if Teddy objects, it will go to ...

Well that's interesting. The Arbitrator specifically does not have authority over the section in the CBA that deals with PUP tolling. There are procedures for grievances - both injury and non-injury, but they both spell out a procedure including the arbitrator.

Injury grievances look to be long and drawn out - at least a couple of months with needs for filings, responses, hearings, and appeals. From what I can tell, non-injury grievances look to get dealt with more quickly - less than 2 months, potentially less than 1. The timelines are messy though - with filings, responses, arbitrator selections, scheduling, etc. so those are guesstimates.

The PUP thing is in Article 20/2. Griveances are in Article 43 and 44. Arbitrator authority is spelled out in Article 15.

I would think, however, because of this:

"The System Arbitrator’s and Appeals Panel’s authority shall be limited to the terms of Articles 1, 4, 6–19, 26–28, 31, or 68–70 of this Agreement"

That the only way to fight the rule is to sue the NFL in civil court and in order to do that I would expect that Teddy has to try to go to another team and fail - at which point there would be something to actually fight about.

And taken into context... I would think that it's really in Teddy's best interest to have the contract toll, earn a roster spot and become an FA next year, or to get released and sign a short term contract with a team that has an injury problem early on.

Unless the NFLPA really wants to put this thing on the commissioners desk. Which it might or might not.

Of course, if there's a newer CBA, I could be wrong about everything. That's what popped up in google.

02-09-2018, 06:29 PM

Quote: @JimmyinSD said:

@MaroonBells said:
I wish I knew. It has to be decided, challenged and resolved by March 14th or it will have a huge impact on both the Minnesota Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater.
I expect the team to wait at least a couple weeks to see what plays out, but if he is in their plans for next year I am betting the move to get something done regardless of what the league and union do. (of course maybe the league wants to fight this out with the union and will pressure the Vikes to let it play out? who knows for sure, however if the Vikes are not seeing Teddy as part of the future, let him go and let him know. He is very well liked in the locker room and to mess with the kids future by playing contract verbiage games IMO would not be well received by his friends that are still on the team.

It's possible that if/when the league decides that the contract should toll (I mean, it really should), the Vikings may use that as an opportunity to approach him about a win-win deal.

Basically saying to Teddy...you can take your chances by fighting this with the NFLPA, risk losing, and play next year for $1.3M, or you can take this 1-year $7M-ish contract and compete for a starting job. And if you win it, you're going to get BIG money next year. He might just take that. Because he would have to consider also that even if the NFLPA wins their challenge, it would likely delay his free agency status until after many teams have already grabbed their QBs.

02-09-2018, 06:30 PM

Thanks Steve, good info. Hope it works out best for both parties.

02-09-2018, 06:36 PM

Quote: @MaroonBells said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@MaroonBells said:
I wish I knew. It has to be decided, challenged and resolved by March 14th or it will have a huge impact on both the Minnesota Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater.
I expect the team to wait at least a couple weeks to see what plays out, but if he is in their plans for next year I am betting the move to get something done regardless of what the league and union do. (of course maybe the league wants to fight this out with the union and will pressure the Vikes to let it play out? who knows for sure, however if the Vikes are not seeing Teddy as part of the future, let him go and let him know. He is very well liked in the locker room and to mess with the kids future by playing contract verbiage games IMO would not be well received by his friends that are still on the team.
It's possible that if/when the league decides that the contract should toll (I mean, it really should), the Vikings may use that as an opportunity to approach him about a win-win deal.

Basically saying to Teddy...you can take your chances by fighting this with the NFLPA, risk losing, and play next year for $1.3M, or you can take this 1-year $7M-ish contract and compete for a starting job. And if you win it, you're going to get BIG money next year. He might just take that. Because he would have to consider also that even if the NFLPA wins their challenge, it would likely delay his free agency status until after many teams have already grabbed their QBs.

pretty much what I said in my if they want to keep him post, i am not going to speculate on numbers as we are always way off when we try to do that, but I think the teams best play if they want to keep him is give him some security, but some flexibility if he will take a smaller contract, or if he wants to see the money, then he will sacrifice the security part by giving the team plenty of outs and incentives he has to meet for the cash.

02-09-2018, 06:44 PM

@JimmyinSD brings up some good points. Even though the Vikings have the leverage position right now, they've had a history of being a player's team for a while.

The team could make a reasonable offer on a new contract to take this whole issue off the table.