The scenario may not be as impossible as it may seem, as we wait for a federal judge to make a decision on the NFLPA's request for a preliminary injunction to stop the lockout by the NFL owners:
It will take several weeks before federal judge David Doty, who has made several crucial rulings in favor of the players and is expected to preside over the case, makes a decision in Minneapolis...It is anticipated Doty will grant the injunction. The NFL will immediately appeal to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. It could take days or weeks to get a decision.
So, in the time between the injunction stopping the lockout and a ruling on the appeal, the NFL is expected to be back in business with a new league year starting and the beginning of free agency. [Peyton] Manning, who has played 13 years with the [Indianapolis] Colts but never been an unrestricted free agent, was among 14 players designated with the franchise tag in February.
NFLPA outside counsel Jim Quinn said yesterday that the tags can't be enforced and have no effect. "Null and void," he told the Daily News. There is no union and no collective bargaining agreement and presumably no franchise tags.
It will be up to the league to impose new free agency rules and perhaps up to Doty to rule whether franchise tags are legit...Quinn said the franchise tags will be challenged. If the players win, Manning would be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.Peyton Manning to the Jets? It could happen... [NY Daily News]
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
