Some teams and players would inevitably be hurt more than others in a long lockout.
And then there are the guys like Panthers quarterback Matt Moore and Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, who could oddly be helped out by a long work stoppage.
Moore is coming off shoulder surgery, and is in the early stages of throwing again according to Darin Gantt of the Charlotte Observer. Moore probably won’t be able to be 100% until August at the earliest. If there is no football until August, he won’t fall behind anyone on the practice field.
Then again, it’s uncertain if Moore will even remain with the Panthers. He was given a restricted free agent tender by the team, but is more likely to wind up as a unrestricted free agent if the league reverts backs to pre-uncapped year league rules.
Either way, a long longout would give Moore a chance to get healthy again and find a job.
Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne could also benefit from a long lockout. As Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel points out, Henne’s chances of remaining the Dolphins starting quarterback will only grow the longer a lockout lasts.
Miami won’t have the chance to integrate a new quarterback into their system if there is no agreement, so Henne could remain the The Guy by default.