Lockout puts Giants' Cofield in tough spot
FILE - Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield. Credit: AP
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Of the approximately 1,900 players waiting to see whether the NFL's lockout will end soon, Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield may be affected more than most. Entering his sixth season, he is among a handful of players who could be unable to fully enjoy the benefits of unrestricted free agency, because of unfortunate timing.
"There's so much in the air right now with the labor situation," Cofield said. "You don't even know what the league as a whole is going to do next. It's a unique scenario for everyone. For me, I have a family, I want security, and I want to know where I'm going to live next year."
A hearing Wednesday in Federal District Court may offer clues about the length of the lockout that began March 11. Judge Susan Nelson will hear arguments about an injunction request to lift it, as attorneys representing 10 players suing the league on antitrust grounds and NFL lawyers make their case.
Nelson isn't likely to rule for at least a few days. Even if she decides the lockout must be lifted, it may still be a while before the NFL gets back to football, because any decision is expected to be sent to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. If she rules for the players, the lockout may last until June or July, when the Court of Appeals rules. If she rules the lockout is justified, the players' attorneys would appeal.
If the lockout is lifted and there's no new collective bargaining agreement, Cofield likely would suffer. Even if ordered to resume operations, the league likely would impose work rules similar to last year's. That means he'd likely be offered a one-year deal again, which he almost certainly would reject.
Before last season, a player with four years' experience whose contract expired would become unrestricted. But because there was no salary cap, unrestricted free agency was limited to those with at least six years' experience. So Cofield would get the double whammy of restricted free agency for two straight years.
The players suing the NFL include Osi Umenyiora, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. They argue that several aspects of the league's operations, including the draft and the designation of "franchise" players whose free-agency options are greatly restricted, violate United States antitrust law.
The NFL claims the case shouldn't be heard before its complaint to the National Labor Relations Board. The league claims the NFLPA bargained in bad faith, and that the union's decertification is a "sham" and should not be recognized by the courts. The NFL wants to resume negotiations to resolve the labor impasse.
More Giants
