The NFL rank and file doesn't want to weigh in piublicly on the labor issue.

01:00 AM EST on Saturday, March 4, 2006

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

Precious little has been heard from the so-called rank and file NFL players on the current labor dispute.

Despite efforts to get Patriots players to weigh in on it, we didn't hear much last spring when it was a speck on the horizon. We didn't hear anything when it was broached with them during the season. And now that the players and owners have gone to overtime to try and settle the dispute over how much of the league's total football revenues the players will get, we're still not hearing much.

Part of the reason, as one Patriot explained yesterday, is because it's not an issue they want to weigh in on publicly.

"Believe me," said the veteran, "if the two sides went on Dr. Phil and battled this out, the audience wouldn't have a lot of sympathy for either of us. Nobody wants to hear millionaires arguing over millions."

NFL players have a reputation for being blasé when it comes to labor issues. While multiple players in other sports seem readily available to speak in times of crisis, the only one telling the players' side is NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw. He's been the face of the NFL players. He's also been retired for more than 20 years. NFLPA president Troy Vincent has been seen little. Attempts to talk to current Patriots Mike Vrabel and Don Davis -- player reps for the team -- haven't been answered in the past week.

If they aren't talking because those are their marching orders from Upshaw, then

that's their decision -- as wise or unwise as it may be. But there's also been the suspicion that many of the players simply weren't aware of the issues. And that when they heard that 2007 would be an "uncapped year" they felt it would be some kind of great bonanza.

Well it will be. For some. Richard Seymour stands to get very rich in an uncapped year. His contract is up after this season and he has six years of service. His teammate Deion Branch, whose contract is also up? He'll instead be a restricted free agent since he'll only have five years of service instead of the necessary six to become a free agent. Same with center Dan Koppen, whose deal is up but has two years of restricted free agency to look forward to since he's only going to have four years.

Calls to Branch have gone unreturned. But one player, Vikings center Matt Birk, did talk this week. He ripped into Upshaw in an interview with the Star-Tribune in Minnesota.

In discussing the information the NFLPA's given the players, Birk said, "When you go to these CBA meetings, you always feel like you're being sold something instead of being given the straight facts. Through all the meetings leading up to this it was always, 'The owners don't want an uncapped year. We'll get a deal and if we don't, so what? There will be an uncapped year and there will be crazy money out there.' The reality is, that's not the case. And you're seeing that it's not the leverage we were told it would be."

The owners and players delayed the start of the 2006 league year until 12:01 a.m. Monday morning. They have until then to figure out how much the players will get of total football revenues. The owners are offering 56.2 percent. Upshaw's said he'll take no less than 60 percent.

"Too many guys in the league just accept whatever Gene says," said Birk. "I don't know why no one has called this guy out."

Now that Birk has, it will be interesting to see if we'll hear from any other current players about their take on the situation.

Here and there

The Patriots re-signed cornerback Hank Poteat yesterday. The sure-tackling corner had 24 tackles for the Pats last year. He carved a niche for the team as an extra defensive back when the Pats fell on injury woes in the secondary . . . Willie McGinest has a $3.5 million roster bonus due this month and carries a $3.5 million salary for 2006. He understands the Pats will want to rework his deal to make it more cap-friendly and that he may be released with the intention of working out a new deal, he told The Boston Globe. "This last year was a ghost deal. It wasn't meant to stick," he explained. "I knew if it came to it, they'd renegotiate, release me or release me and then do a new contract. I want to retire in New England . . . I understand with the cap number I have that I'd probably get unloaded. I'm not worried about it."

tcurran@projo.com / (401) 277-7340