The Facts:
e night before delivering a joint message to NFL rookies with commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith held an under-the-radar conference call Tuesday to update many of the league’s most prolific stars on the status of labor negotiations. Perhaps the most important thing to emerge from the talks so far was this: While saying he was optimistic because the two sides were continuing to negotiate, Smith painted a different picture than that of a collective bargaining agreement being reached as soon as this weekend.
Reported by FOXSports.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
According to FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer, Smith began the call by informing players -- 50 Pro Bowlers were given call-in information but the number who participated is unknown -- that recent reports by certain news outlets were way off. Per Glazer, these are the first concrete details that a number of players (who participated in the group call) have been given regarding some of the sticking points in negotiations. Among the details reportedly being finalized: Revenue sharing among clubs, a rookie wage scale and a full season of Thursday night contests that would be sold in whole or in part as a new television rights package. And while it's been widely reported both sides have agreed to restore parameters of the 2009 CBA that allowed unrestricted free agency after four seasons for players who weren’t under contract, Smith told the players that's not the case. ... But the talks are ongoing and Glazer confirms there is a heightened sense of urgency to strike. As previously noted, owners and players will rejoin talks tomorrow. ... Stay tuned.
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