Are you ready for some football? The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to terms on a new 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, with only a vote of the players left to make the deal official. According to several sources on both sides the vote is a mere formality at this point, with no deal ever voted down by players once agreed to by their leadership.
The next question is, of course, what's next? While there have been a few different versions of the timeline for the NFL to roll back into business it seems that teams can begin talking to players as soon as Tuesday morning.
Here is what we know so far:
- There will be no grace period for teams to try and resign their own free agents. It is going to be true free agency once the doors do open.
- Trades and free agent discussions can start tomorrow, but deals cannot become official until Friday at 6:00PM.
- Teams can begin to sign their draft picks and undrafted free agents on Tuesday.
Teams have been preparing for this for months. The teams that are most prepared could hit a home run this season. Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren is known for being prepared. Can the Browns take a gigantic leap on the back of the NFL Lockout?