If lockout is lifted, can the Packers now trade...

[Patler]

If the lockout is lifted through tomorrow (and the next few days, maybe) can the Packers make draft-related trades using Barnett or Flynn? What about Jackson, Jones, Colledge and Spitz(?) who are tendered RFAs under the 2010 rules? I doubt anything could be done with the later group since they are not signed, but Barnett and Flynn are under contract.

[Gunakor]

I would assume it could. As I understand it, if the lockout is lifted then all business would resume as normal. Free agency would begin immediately, and agents have already begun making calls to teams in anticipation of the lockout being lifted, so I don't see how a trade related to a draft that was going to happen regardless of the lockout would be out of the question.

[Patler]

Yup, that's the way I see it; and for that reason I hope nothing changes through tomorrow. I want TT to have the option of packaging Barnett in a draft related trade if possible, and even Flynn if it makes sense to him.

[RashanGary]

The owners have the appeal in. They want to wait until the appeal is heard before they open shop, but I'm not sure if that's going to legally hold. So far they've been able to avoid opening shop, so maybe they can.

[Lurker64]

The answer is really "nobody's got any idea" expect either Nelson or the 8th Circuit to jump in and add clarity to the situation in the next day or so... all we really got from Nelson is "the lockout is enjoined".

In theory, that would mean that either the league sets work rules and goes forward or we just roll the 2010 work rules over to 2011. Nothing stopping the league from saying "You can't sign free agents or trade players until May 7"... I'm pretty sure that the argument "that's an antitrust violation" is a pretty weak one.

[RashanGary]

The NFL is playing the game, "if you want to oversee this, then we're going to force you to make every decision" game. I'm not so sure game playing with the judges is a good thing. They have enough money to push most people around, but not federal judges.

I don't see this going well for the owners. They're too arrogant to get out of their own way. Just jump in the boat and go wtih the flow. The more you fight, the worse it is.

[Lurker64]

The thing is though, it's a reasonable position to expect slightly more oversight from the presiding judge than "the Lockout is enjoined." I think the league was fully expecting that if she did end the lockout she would have spelled out how the NFL should go about opening up shop, or at least how they should start. The fact that she didn't do that, I feel, is somewhat negligent.

[Patler]

The NFL is playing the game, "if you want to oversee this, then we're going to force you to make every decision" game. I'm not so sure game playing with the judges is a good thing. They have enough money to push most people around, but not federal judges.

I don't see this going well for the owners. They're too arrogant to get out of their own way. Just jump in the boat and go wtih the flow. The more you fight, the worse it is.

How you can come to that conclusion from what is going on now is totally beyond me. The owners aren't pushing anyone around anymore than the players are. Its just the way the game is played. The owners have a court decision they don't agree with, and are appealing it. It's nothing more than that. Nothing wrong with it either.

[Tarlam!]

JH, it case you hadn't noticed, it was the players who walked away from the table. It was the players that clearly have not been negotiating in good faith. Just as clearly, the class act serves the minutest class in the league - the elite players and ignores the JAGs.

Why do you claim the owners are more arrogant than the players? This is obviously a testosterone contest, but this is an extension of the attitude both sides have to any contest they undertake: They wanna win! Why is that arrogant?

Despite all the evidence you've been given, you still side the players? If they win I doubt you or I win, JH.

[RashanGary]

The owners are walking away now. They can go back to the table, with the new decertification in the players hand. Call it a hunch, but I don't think you'll see the players walking away from the table for the rest of this ordeal. They have their ace. Now it's time to play cards.

If the owners don't play, together, they kill the golden goose. Congrats to all.

I'll just follow college ball. Greed will get what it deserves, on both sides. Hopefully levelheadedness prevails and the owners give up the public wining and futile court fight to go back to the table.

The fact that rog is reduced to public mumbo jumbo shows he has no action plan. Demaurice is going to hand them their asses, if they're not too proud to play at the other guys game, that is.

In this whole thing Rog has been a man of words, Smith a man of action.

[Guiness]

Patler's the master of asking questions he knows the answer to in order to provoke discussion

The answer, of course, is that the Pack should well be able to proceed with any business they want to...except it seems the league is telling everyone not to. It seems like the league wants to continue to 'not operate' in hopes the lockout will be reinstated. Why else would they tell coaches and other personal not to talk to players? Doesn't seem like there should be any reason no to.

[Tarlam!]

You're a piece of work on this, JH.

[RashanGary]

Isn't it funny though, now that the players have decertification backed by the judge, the owners are the ones not going back to the table now. The good guys were in a big damn hurry to get taht deal worked out when they had the cards. Now the court process is about over, let's see how anxiously they get back to the tables now. Nobody is stopping them. I thought they just wanted a deal? I thought it was urgent?

Now they're dragging it back to court. Just weird. Who's the side of litigation and procrastination now?

[Guiness]

The owners are walking away now. They can go back to the table, with the new decertification in the players hand. Call it a hunch, but I don't think you'll see the players walking away from the table for the rest of this ordeal. They have their ace. Now it's time to play cards.

If the owners don't play, together, they kill the golden goose. Congrats to all.

I'll just follow college ball. Greed will get what it deserves, on both sides. Hopefully levelheadedness prevails and the owners give up the public wining and futile court fight to go back to the table.

The fact that rog is reduced to public mumbo jumbo shows he has no action plan. Demaurice is going to hand them their asses, if they're not too proud to play at the other guys game, that is.

I like college ball as well...and wish I could pretend the NCAA was a benevolent organization, but their treatment of the athlete students like 'meat' is probably worse. There's money to be divided up there too, so the same problems exist.

To get away from it, you probably have to follow a team like this one:

http://mitathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/index

They play in the NEFC,

http://www.d3football.com/landing/index

[retailguy]

Isn't it funny though, now that the players have decertification backed by the judge, the owners are the ones not going back to the table now. The good guys were in a big damn hurry to get taht deal worked out when they had the cards. Now the court process is about over, let's see how anxiously they get back to the tables now. Nobody is stopping them. I thought they just wanted a deal? I thought it was urgent?

Now they're dragging it back to court. Just weird. Who's the side of litigation and procrastination now?

You talk about this judge like you think she was "fair and unbiased". These Minnesota courts have been "pro player" since they've had jurisdiction. No giant surprise with this ruling. I mean really, don't you think there should be a big banner out front of the courthouse that says "We support the players."?

Justin, if you believed you'd been wronged, you would appeal also.

This decision was expected, not surprising and politically motivated. What else is new?