"Framework Agreement" Could Be Reached In Labor Dispute In Two Weeks?

According to Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal, a "framework agreement" could be reached in the NFL's labor dispute in as little as two weeks. The news coming out of the NFL and former NFLPA's "secret" negotiations continues to be rosy, though it would be best for optimism to remain guarded. Still, the chances of a normal training camp and preseason schedule appear to be growing by the day. Albert Breer NFL Network has also reported on some reasons for optimism - namely the fact that the NFL and Players were working hard behind the scenes to get it all done. As he wrote yesterday, "The parties began these clandestine-style, face-to-face meetings last week, with a three-day summit in suburban Chicago. The league and players followed that up with a two-day meeting earlier this week in Long Island, N.Y." Browns linebacker Scott Fujita told Will Burge of WKNR in Cleveland Friday that “progress is being made, slowly but surely.â€￾ The Houston Chronicle's Lance Zierlein recently blogged that "According to a couple of sources, NFL lockout could be over sooner than you think." "After lengthy discussions with both sources, they both conveyed to me a great deal of hope that a deal would be done by July and possibly as early as late June," Zierlein wrote. "Why the sudden optimism? According to one of the sources, 'both sides are focusing on the percentage of total revenue coming in (would include the first $1 billion the owners are currently taking off the top) and if that deal gets done, the other issues will probably fall into place fairly quickly according to what I'm hearing.'" Another source told Zierlein that "I am 100 times more hopeful than two weeks ago that a deal can get done relatively quickly." Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm also hears things, all positive: "Sources have indicated to PFW that June 21, which is when the NFL owners are scheduled to meet in Chicago, might be a date to circle on the calendar. The reason for the escalated talks might indicate that the owners want to have a deal — or parameters of a deal — to vote on when they all assemble for the meeting."

Source: Daniel Kaplan: Twitter.com

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