NFL, Players Close to New Deal

(Newsroom America) -- The NFL and its players are close to a new labor deal, reports said Friday, with an agreement this week in sight, according to sources close to the negotiations.

"The discussions this week have been constructive and progress has been made on a wide range of issues," the league and players said in a joint statement, as the four-month-old lockout seems set to end.

NFL.com reported that several issues, including The Legacy Fund (retired player benefits) and drug testing, will require the player's union to re-certify, but they aren't considered to be stumbling blocks on the way to a new deal.

In addition, the report said, most player safety issues and other issues like offseason workout programs were successfully addressed Friday.

Team owners also dropped a proposal to give them one-time, right-of-first-refusal tags on free agents, after initially proposing a three, and then two, tag right.

Most of what is left to hash out is the Brady antitrust litigation and the television rights fees case, which is largely procedural because of where the parties currently are, the report said.

Both parties appeared optimistic when they left negotiations Friday in New York.

"We made some progress," said NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. "We continue to have a lot of work to do. Our lawyers and other folks are going to continue to work through the weekend. (NFL Commissioner) Roger (Goodell) and I will either talk or meet starting tomorrow morning.

"I know everyone is frustrated and they want a definitive answer. I hate to disappoint you, but you're not going to get one right now. But we're going to continue to work, and that's a positive sign," Smith added.

Rookie and player salary issues were also addressed, the report said, as well as rules governing the negotiation of player contracts and off-season workout bonuses.

NFL.com said both sides hoped to have a deal to present to their respective constituencies later this week. If the deal is agreed to by both parties, it could mean that the entire preseason will be saved. The first of those games, the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, is scheduled for Aug. 7 between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.

© 2011 Newsroom America.

Contact Jon E. Dougherty

Newsroom America Twitter Feed