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Tag:Lockout
Posted on: July 25, 2011 10:43 am
Edited on: July 25, 2011 10:58 am
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Agent: Teams started calling Sunday night

So this will not stun you but some teams began calling agents about their free agent clients on Sunday night, one agent tells me.

Once it seemed a collective bargaining agreement was close to being done, teams started calling agents around the sport, and began talking deals. No one was wasting time.

My agent source said teams are in full negotating mode now with agents. He believes -- shocker -- numerous deals are already done.

The agent also said something interesting that teams were informing agents which of their clients was going to get cut so teams stayed under the salary cap.

Just the beginning of what's going to be a wild week.

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Category: NFL
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Posted on: July 25, 2011 7:14 am
 

The Daily Shoutout

HOW MONDAY MIGHT GO: Emphasis on might because there have been more than a few timelines the league and players have discussed. But player sources now say this:

9 a.m. eastern--Executive committee meets. This could be pushed back an hour or so. Also, some members aren't physically attending. They're calling in. They'll vote and pass the new CBA. At some point aorund this time, the Brady plaintiffs will sighn off, unless one of them makes a last minute demand for a car and some floor mats.

11 a.m. -- Player reps vote. There will be some spirited arguments but that vote will pass as well.

2 p.m. -- Press conference with DeMaurice Smith. It's possible Roger Goodell joins the press conference as well.

Get ready for a crazy day.

See you Tuesday.

Category: NFL
Tags: Lockout
 
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Posted on: July 25, 2011 4:50 am
Edited on: July 25, 2011 10:59 am
 

Football is back (we hope)

On Saturday, after speaking with two high ranking player sources, I reported that NFL players and owners had reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Jay Glazer of Fox reports that one was reached late Sunday. His timeline for when the season begins differs from what players had been previously told -- Glazer reports team facilities open Tuesday, camp starts on Thursday for 10 teams, Friday for 10 more and then the weekend for 12.

Combine this report with mine, the Drew Brees email stating a deal was very near, and other reports, and it looks like this CBA is finally, totally done. We think. We hope.

The executive committee will vote on it Monday and pass it easily. Then the player reps will vote (slightly more challenging but that will pass as well). Then the rank and file. The latter will easily pass.

Football, it seems, is back.

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Posted on: July 25, 2011 4:44 am
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Posted on: July 24, 2011 12:50 pm
Edited on: July 24, 2011 1:03 pm
 

And one more important thing you need to know

Details surrounding the new agreement between the players and owners continue to come in and this is the latest. Voluntary training, lifting, treatment and classroom instruction at team facilities will be allowed from the signing of the agreement until training camp begins.

That's an interesting caveat. It allows players to acclimate and readjust to NFL routines (or begin adjusting if they're rookies) until training camp begins.
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Posted on: July 24, 2011 12:42 pm
Edited on: July 24, 2011 12:55 pm
 

How player voting might go

The new CBA is done. It's left the oven and is now headed for a vote. The proverbial icing. Here's how voting will likely go based on NFL sources I've spoken to.

The player executive committee will vote whether to pass or not either on Monday or Tuesday. The agreement will pass easily.

DeMaurice Smith will announce the vote saying it is a great day for the players. He's holding the press conference for a specific reason. More on that in a moment.

There would next be a conference call with all 32 player reps. This is where it would get interesting. Like any deal, if it's a good one, both sides will find something they don't like in it. That's the case with the players and owners. Owners hate parts of this deal and players do as well.

The challenge for Smith on the call is the same as Roger Goodell when owners voted: keep the extremists at bay and make sure his membership understands the bulk of the deal is a good one.

There will be some players unhappy with the new CBA and like owners there are extremists on the player side. On the call Smith must keep them from taking over. That is where his press conference will come in. Smith will be talking to his player reps as much as he is to the general public. He'll be softening them up.

The player reps take the CBA to the general membership and then a vote is taken.

A simple majority is needed to pass and it will pass the general membership. No question. There's no chance Smith would have agreed to the new CBA if he didn't think it would pass. So it will.
Category: NFL
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Posted on: July 24, 2011 11:26 am
Edited on: July 24, 2011 11:50 am
 

One important CBA detail

There's something you need to know about the new CBA and the timing for when training camps will start.

The new proposal stipulates the league year starts on the fifth day after the agreement is ratified, I'm told by a player source. Training camps cannot start until seven days after agreement is signed by both parties.

So we are still over a week away until camps start.

Union officials also expect some player dissent but fully expect agreement to pass.
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Posted on: July 24, 2011 8:44 am
Edited on: July 24, 2011 9:47 am
 

CBA reached; players' vote remains

So, it's done. The negotiating teams for the players and owners have reached a new collective bargaining agreement, a player source tells me. It's over.

Players are flying to Washington to vote on it. But it will pass.

"It's done," one player source said. "We have an agreement. Now we just have to vote."

Finally, some definitive, good news.
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