There is a realistic possibility that we may not even know by the time the new league year is set to begin on March 18 whether or not a new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be in place. And whether or not it is in place will have some pretty serious ramifications for a number of NFL teams, some more than others.
For a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the biggest consequence of the current state of affairs is not knowing whether or not the 30 percent rule will be in effect. Under the final year of a CBA, player contracts cannot be renegotiated to reflect a follow differential of over 30 percent of its current value.