Shockey To The Phins? Labor Mediation A Bust?

Former New York Giant and New Orleans Saints TE Jeremey Shockey is looking for a “new” home after his release two days ago by the Saints.  Now, according to his Miami based agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the Miami Dolphins would be of very high interest to the Miami U product.

The Dolphins are looking for a TE, Shockey is looking for a home.  According to Shockey, he has already taken a physical with an interested team although that team has not yet been identified.  The question is that while the Dolphins are in need of another TE, is Shockey the right TE to fill that gap?  Spending most of the last three seasons nursing various nagging injuries, the 34 year old 11 year vet is hardly as productive as he once was.  Which still could be more productive that what the Dolphins currently have, at least some will argue that.  So naturally it would have to be asked if the Dolphins would have interest in him?

The NFL and NFLPA are wrapping up their 7th day of mediated negotiations under tight lip lock and key.  No owners have been summoned to the negotiations and neither has league player president, Kevin Mawae.  Tomorrow, Friday, the mediator George Cohen has a previous scheduled appointment so the talks between the two parties will not continue for an 8th day under mediation.

Some believe that the talks are going well enough that a new CBA could be agreed upon in the next couple of days allowing business as usual to start on the 3rd of March.  Others believe that the talks have gone smoothly in regards to lesser evils of the contract negotiations and that the two sides still are far apart on major issues.  Earlier this week, it was reported that a “breakthrough” had occurred and was a positive sign that things were getting done.  Yesterday, the NFLPA contingent abruptly left the meetings and headed back to their offices.

They simply said they were “taking a break”.  They left shortly after 3:00 pm and returned close to 5.  They left again for the night about an hour later according to NFL.com reports.

The fact that both sides are talking is a positive but it really holds only hope that the progress is such that something is close to being done.  After today, the two sides will once again be open to publicly talking about the situations and will not have a mediator in place to “encourage” them to come to the table to bargain.  In other words, when today ends, all bets are off that the two sides will continue negotiations on their own.  AND, if a lockout does take place, as still expected on March 4th, what progress may have been made these last 7 days could simply vanish.

In order for a new CBA to be ratified, 3/4 of the owners must approve while only a majority of players must say yes.

Today’s conclusion does not mean that the sides will not continue to talk but if an agreement is not in place prior to the March 4th deadline, it could be months before both sides come back to a table.