NFL Lockout: ESPN Reports Details Of Owners' Next Offer

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting details, per his sources, about the next labor agreement that NFL owners will apparently present players when the two sides next convene. They are very much worth discussing here, and we suggest reading the full report as well.

First and foremost, the two sides are prepared to do away with billions in credit off of total league revenue in an effort to split money on a percentage of total revenue basis. Owners are prepared to offer players as much as 48 percent of total revenues in the next offer; this would be a slight decrease for players from the previous model, but the players are willing to listen with league revenues expected to double by 2016.

Another reason the players would be willing to take a bit less money: a proposed change to the salary cap floor that would mandate that teams spend between 90 and 93 percent of the total salary cap. That is a major increase from the previous model, and likely a point of contention for smaller-market clubs like the Buffalo Bills.

The agreement will also reportedly include a rookie wage scale (still in progress) and a 16-game Thursday night TV schedule that is designed to generate more league revenue, as well as make an 18-game schedule a point of future negotiation, rather than part of the next labor deal.