"But a new CBA will come eventually, and if it does lower the cap percentage somewhat, it will put a lot of teams in the '04 Bruins' mindset. Management will have to calculate where they feel the cap would be, and if they could in fact meet that new target..."
-- Will Any Team Adopt the '04 Bruins Blueprint?, BTB, Feb 2nd
It appears we're getting some early feedback which supports my prediction. The Pittsburgh Steelers announced last week that they are treating 2010 as if it were a capped year, because they anticipate a new cap will come eventually and, "don't want to have to do something to undo what you did," should a cap be re-instated, according to Steelers Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert.
Closer to home, the Cowboys' Stephen Jones announced yesterday that his team did not plan to spend lavishly when the free agent market opens next month.
Reading between the lines, these comments offer some hope that management feels a new agreement can be reached before any or any lengthy work stoppage occurs next year.
Good. With the NBA facing even shorter odds of a lockout next year, 2011 could bring an empty fall for pro sports fans.