Days after DeMaurice Smith had Domonique Foxworth commence Operation Do Your Worst on NFL owners, it sounds like lockout negotiations are proceeding at a brisk pace. Smith and Roger Goodell are supposed to keep talking throughout the weekend, and lawyers pretty much always stay lawyerin’.
NFL Lockout Supposedly Nearing End, With New Free Agency Details Reported
One significant detail: ProFootballWeeklyl’s Eric Edholm reports fourth-year free agents will be unrestricted under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement. Under the uncapped system the league had been under, fourth-year players remained restricted.
This isn't a surprise, but it would open up a whole new crop of free agents for teams to fight over, including Minnesota Vikings WR Sidney Rice, who had previously said he'd like to test the waters instead of re-signing with the team that drafted him. Couple that with the report that teams will have 72 hours to lock up their own free agents before those players are up for grabs, and this will almost certainly be the zaniest free agency period ever.
For more on the NFL lockout, keep following this storystream.
See More:
