NFLPA investigating Rams/Redskins trade

[shower beers]

Here is an interesting blurb I saw on rotoworld/espn, and would be pretty slick (and rather heartless) if that's what we did indeed, intend to do:
-----------------------------

The NFL Players Association is monitoring a little-known "85-percent rule" in 2010 after two minor trades this week involving rookie players were made, according to union and league sources.

Under the rule, which is only applicable in an uncapped year, any drafted rookie who is cut by his team is guaranteed 85 percent of his first-year minimum-wage $310,000 salary.

However, the union believes the Redskins and Rams circumvented the rule when they exchanged rookie players in separate transactions earlier this week. The Redskins traded rookie tight end/fullback Dennis Morris to the Rams for a future conditional draft pick; the Redskins then acquired rookie linebacker Hall Davis, also for a conditional draft pick.

Davis was cut by the Redskins after he practiced just once, on Tuesday. Davis will not be paid $272,000 he would have been due if the Rams had cut him.

The Rams are expected to release Morris when they make their final roster cuts this week from 75 to 53.

Davis and Morris each were sixth-round draft choices.

The 85-percent rule applies only to rookies who were drafted in April. There are other quirks -- if a drafted rookie is waived by a team and re-signed by the original club to its practice squad, he will get the difference of the practice squad minimum of $80,000 and the minimum-wage $310,000 -- or $230,000.

Also, a drafted rookie will not be entitled to that 85 percent guarantee if he is cut and claimed on waivers by another team.

One other rookie trade involving sixth-round draft picks between the Cardinals and Eagles also is under scrutiny by the union -- Arizona dealt rookie cornerback Jorrick Calvin for rookie fullback Charles Scott.

The Cardinals did lose fullback Nehemiah Broughton for the season in Saturday night's preseason game.

Chris Mortensen is ESPN's senior NFL analyst.

[TheBritishRam]

Rams could get Hall Davis on the practice squad now

[Azul e Oro]

So....Davis could be claimed by The Rams for the PS & make the 80K, rather than the full salary because he was, technically, a Redskin for the blink of an eye ? Can't blame a team for trying to avoid what seems to be punitive fine print for letting The CBA lapse. Sorry, Hall, but I cry crocodile tears for a kid making 80K straight out of college.

Besides,I guess they've gotta find that $50 million somewhere...or Fat Albert's $100 mill, for that matter.

It did seem like an odd move to me; if you just needed a camp/pre-season body, there had to be plenty of UDFA guys out there.

[AlphaRam]

Actually, I think the Redskins and Rams were probably trying to circumvent the system. If it is a legal loophole, why not do it?