Nate Solder to Vote Yes on NFL CBA; Giants LT Says It's Great for 'Core Players'

A number of NFL players have expressed publicly that they will not vote for the collective bargaining agreement on the table, but New York Giants offensive tackle Nate Solder isn't among them.

He told Peter King of Pro Football Talk that the proposed CBA was "a great deal for the core players":

"Minimum salaries would go up significantly, with bumped-up benefits for current players and retired players. We'd increase the practice squad [from 10 to 14 by 2022]. Work rules would improve. I don't think it's perfect, but we're making incremental gains on player health and safety. Some players have fallen victim to the thought if we turn this down, we'll get something better. We might, but we might not. You have a couple of guys on Twitter who have millions of followers criticizing the deal. Other guys who support it might have 5,000 followers. Their voices aren't loud. In some ways, I'm trying to be a voice for the voiceless."

A number of NFL players—including stars like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, JJ Watt and Richard Sherman—have voiced opposition to the potential CBA:

There's also the fact that the current CBA won't expire for over a year, giving the players time to negotiate a better deal, despite Solder's concerns that a better agreement might not come about.

Solder's other argument, however, is that while star players making tens of millions of dollars per year could easily survive a work stoppage, players on the lower end of the salary spectrum may be more willing to take the current deal. The fifth-year pro, who will make $13 million this year, said:

"I've asked at least 15 guys on our team, mostly minimum-salary guys or close to that, this question: 'If you were able to make more money and get better benefits in exchange for a 17th game, would you do it?' Everyone said yes.

"I respect democracy, and I respect the process. The reps are passionate about doing the best for the players. A lot of guys have a fighter's mentality to get the best deal for the most players. I respect that. But I would rather take the deal that's presented here than put everyone in danger of not getting a deal."

As King noted, the proposed deal would increase salaries for minimum-contract players by $90,000 in the 2020 season and by $175,000 in 2021. 

It's an interesting debate for the players and one that will have serious ramifications for the next generation to come.