One word seems to finally be attached to the NFL labor situation: optimism. And it’s been a long time since that’s been the case.
Still, before we go any further, another word must be placed in front of optimism: cautious.
One player said he’s no more optimistic than a week ago.
“Not really, not until it’s signed and sealed,” he texted.
Ah yes, anyone in this business knows that nothing is done until it’s signed. But the owners meetings in Chicago, during which they went over ideas about proposals to the players, produced little to suggest the building momentum was about to be slowed.
Read the tea leaves; the stories out of Chicago all have a similar tone — they’re talking to the owners, don’t forget. If there’s a split between the owners — which has long been a major problem — it’s not enough to stop a potential deal. Sometimes, what you don’t hear is more encouraging than what you do.
And that means there’s a chance — how much of one probably won’t be known until later this week — that camps could open on time.
Amazing, isn’t it? Guess the threat of losing millions of dollars from having no preseason games makes owners work a little harder, huh?
Of course, the real test is what the players think of any proposal that comes their way. However, they’ll be able to brace for it considering some of it is likely known. Still, until they’re in the room it’s tough to react and it’s why some will remain guarded.
What is becoming clear as well is that free agency will revert to pre-2010 rules, which means players with four years service time will be eligible. That’s good news for the Redskins as they’re likely to be aggressive and this just adds depth to the talent pool.
In many cases, because free agency will occur in such a small window, players will sign one-year deals with their old teams. But not all. And aggressive teams such as the Redskins can react quickly, with months to know their targets.
The latest developments are, cross your fingers, a good sign for the league.
