NFL Lockout Watch, Day 104: Free Agency Adds Urgency To Talks

One factor contributing to the "urgency to finish an NFL labor agreement quickly is both sides’ desire for a free agent signing period long enough for teams to assemble their rosters and players to shop for suitable deals," according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. The result of the lockout "will be a mad scramble of signings and trades before training camps open." But sources noted that player movement "won’t begin until there is a formal, signed" CBA between the league and NFLPA. It could take a "couple of weeks to turn a handshake deal between the league and the players into an officially completed agreement." Any deal "must be put into writing by attorneys," and also "must be approved by each side, and the ratification vote by the owners might require an in-person meeting." Maske notes talks between the league and players resumed yesterday in Boston, and the "goal, it appears, is to begin free agency around July 15, giving teams time to add players before training camps open -- on time -- in late July or early August." But that "might require an agreement in principle by about July 1, the end of next week." Sources said that "an attempt will be made to finish a deal before the July 4 holiday, but because of the complexity of the issues, a pact might not come until the following week." Officials have said that "contingency plans are being drawn up for how free agency would work, depending on when a deal is completed" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/23). An AFC GM yesterday said a one- or two-week free agency period would be "chaos." The GM added, "It wouldn't be impossible, but just getting all the physicals (vetted) in that short of time would be a problem." In N.Y., Bart Hubbuch notes, "Adding to the frenzy would be the wave of players newly eligible for unrestricted free agency instead of restricted free agency under the proposed CBA" (N.Y. POST, 6/23).

HUB OF ACTIVITY: USA TODAY's Jon Saraceno notes the NFL and NFLPA resumed CBA talks yesterday with "bolstered prospects that a deal might be reached early next month." A player said that the NFLPA "told him progress is being made, 'but there's still maybe two weeks to go' before a settlement is likely." Player agent Joe Linta said, "The owners are moving in the right direction, but they have to agree among themselves before making their best offer to the players" (USA TODAY, 6/23).

Have a question about the status of the NFL’s labor talks? E-mail us your questions and we will have SportsBusiness Journal NFL writer Daniel Kaplan answer them in our NFL CBA mailbag.