Owners vote 31-0 to settle litigation; first step taken in new CBA (BLOG)

Scott Hanson and Albert Breer of the NFL Network are reporting that the NFL owners have voted to ratify the settlement terms of the litigation that would be the first step in bringing forth a new agreement. The vote took place just before 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the NFL Network's Rich Eisen reports that the vote was 31-0, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining.

It was perhaps the most overwhelming initiative from the owners' side when it came to a settlement agreement or new collective bargaining agreement in the history of the league, and it sets the table for the players to vote on the global settlement put in front of them to put to bed the Brady v. NFL, collusion and lockout insurance lawsuits. The NFLPA will have a conference call at 8 p.m. ET to discuss the offer on the table, how to re-certify as a union and how best to go forward.

"The clubs approved an agreement that was negotiated with the players this afternoon," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday at a news conference. "In addition to approving that agreement, we also approved a supplemental revenue sharing system for the next 10 years. With this ratification, and the ratification of the NFLPA board, we will be prepared to open the training facilities beginning this Saturday. We will then be prepared to start the new league year next Wednesday, subject to the full membership of the players ratifying the agreement and re-certifying as a union."

Goodell also said that the 2011 Hall of Fame game, which was to feature the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams on Aug. 7, has been canceled due to complications brought about by time constraints. The first actual preseason games would begin Aug. 11.

"There's certainly a major effort made to get everybody knowledgeable and familiar with the CBA," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Breer after the owners meetings adjourned. "Obviously, there was a tremendous amount of give and take to get this agreement with the players. And you have questions — the owners had a lot of questions about the give part, for sure, in the negotiations. That's what you expect. Certainly, they felt that the process gave everybody the best chance to do what the players and the league wanted to do, and that's to have a better game for the fans."

Through the day, union leader DeMaurice Smith and Goodell have been talking to resolve all outstanding issues, but it's important to note that the owners have essentially voted on their own proposal -- now, it's up to the NFLPA to meet them halfway.

It's not the final step, but it's a big one. Stay tuned for more news through the evening as we know it.

After Lockout, Cards Need QB in a Hurry (BLOG)

Yes, we are ready for some football.

And when this new 10-year deal between the players and owners is ratified and signed, the first winners next week will be those young free agents, ones with four years of vested service.

And like we’ve said from the very beginning, the biggest lockout losers are teams with new quarterbacks and new coaching staffs.

Yes, Jim Harbaugh still has plenty of time to get the San Francisco 49ers cranked up, but just think where his mindset, and that of his players, would be had he been working all spring with QB Alex Smith.

Ready or not, here are my lockout winners and losers:

WINNERS
1. Atlanta Falcons: The best thing about this city is that it’s not Green Bay or Cleveland or Indianapolis. A lot of NFL players live here, and the Falcons may have had the best turnout at their players-only workouts, which started on May 10. Although I thought they needed defensive help, the Falcons’ great receiver Roddy White says his offense can rival the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf from the Warner-Faulk-Bruce days with the arrival of Alabama rookie receiver Julio Jones. Matt Ryan has Jones more than ready for training camp, and the Falcons seem determined to average 32 points per game this season, up from 25.9 points last season. Such an increase would put them in the Rams’ 500-point range.

2. Chicago Bears: The Bears have been working hard, but the best news during the lockout was that the players stood up for quarterback Jay Cutler, who has looked sharp after minor knee surgery. Cutler’s season ended in ugly fashion with his second-half exit from the NFC Championship Game, with many players around the league ridiculing him on Twitter. The best news, though, is that offensive coordinator/passing guru Mike Martz has figured out that Cutler favorite Earl Bennett should be catching 75-80 passes per season, not his measly 46 from last season.

3. New Orleans Saints: The Saints, like the Colts, have one of the game’s smartest quarterbacks in Drew Brees. When you have experience like that, plus an offensive-minded head coach like Sean Payton, it means you have a huge edge over the rest of the league with the losses of OTAs and minicamps. Brees knows the offense as well as Payton, and now the coach will simply have to fine-tune what the QB has done in this crazy offseason. This should be another fun and high-scoring season in the NFC South.


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4. Detroit Lions: The best news is that quarterback Matthew Stafford has been firing fastballs in the Lions’ player-only workouts. Boise State rookie Titus Young said his hands hurt from catching all those throws. Stafford's right shoulder sounds bionic now after corrective surgery. General manager Martin Mayhew has expertly improved the team’s personnel since taking over from Matt Millen, and now the key will be to see how much the Lions spend to improve their secondary in free agency.

5. Fans and retired players: The fans didn’t want to miss their training camp visits, and now they know they won’t be deprived of one single regular-season game despite all the doom-and-gloom talk after the Super Bowl. The NFL has become America’s No. 1 sport and also its best diversion, but even better news is that both the players and owners figured out a way to deposit $1 billion over 10 years into the Legends Fund for all the needy former players who helped make today’s game possible.

LOSERS
1. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are a good team apparently in need of a starting quarterback. Nothing against second-year John Skelton, but all we’ve heard during the lockout is that they're going after Marc Bulger or trading for Philadelphia’s Kevin Kolb. If the latter is going to happen next week, it sure would have been great for his new teammates to have been working their new QB the past couple of months. You hate to overstate the obvious, but we all know how valuable a good quarterback is in the awful NFC West. Just think Sam Bradford. We could say that Seattle is in the same boat with Matt Hasselbeck looking to leave.

2. Washington Redskins: With the Donovan McNabb trade an utter failure, the Redskins have been talking all offseason about John Beck being their new starting quarterback. Problem is offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan missed the chance to work with Beck on a daily basis for the past three months. This is a team that still hasn’t found a resolution with controversial defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, plus GM Bruce Allen has to make a lot of moves and decisions to get his team competitive with the other three teams in the NFC East in very short period.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals forever seem to have personnel headaches and now they have Cedric Benson arrested again — do they re-sign the free-agent runner? — and the constant chatter from Carson Palmer talking retirement or trade. He has sold his Cincinnati home for $1.9 million. These are two huge offensive pieces in the Marvin Lewis puzzle. The Bengals had a very solid draft, but are they really going to start rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who will be throwing to potential superstar A.J. Green? Mike Brown has plenty of decisions to make, starting with cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

4. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have so much going on with a new coach (Ron Rivera) and a new rookie quarterback in Cam Newton while their best player, Steve Smith, wants out of there. The big question: Will owner Jerry Richardson allow GM Marty Hurney the ability to spend to improve the roster and retain talented players such as running back DeAngelo Williams and defensive end Charles Johnson? The Falcons already are eyeing Johnson to improve their pass rush. Thomas Davis and Richard Marshall are also defensive starters who are free to leave.

5. Denver Broncos: There’s plenty to like about the combination of John Elway (Denver's first-year executive vice president of football operations) and new coach John Fox. But these two desperately needed minicamps to settle on their starting quarterback and quit all the games with Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton. Heck, even Brady Quinn has been mentioned. What nonsense! Fox may have a training camp competition between his quarterbacks, and that could further put his team behind. The offseason would have allowed Elway and Fox to make a lot of personnel decisions (new defense, too) that will have to be made now in the next month. That’s no way to catch San Diego and Oakland.

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Kevin Kolb "Envisions" himself with Arizona Cardinals (BLOG)

With speculation about Kevin Kolb’s future picking up again (did it ever stop?), the current Eagles backup quarterback joined Howard Eskin on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday to give his side of things.

“Arizona would be a great place. I’ve obviously envisioned myself there,” Kolb said via Silvamanning the fort over at Rotoworld.

We continue to think the Seahawks will make a push for Kolb, but the Cardinals may have an asset that the Seahawks can’t match. XTRA 910 Sports in Phoenix reported the Cardinals are “prepared” to offer cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie in a deal for Kolb.

We’d be a little surprised if that happened; you just don’t see teams trade away talented young cornerbacks often. Still, the rumor appears to have some legs. Eskin guessed that Kolb would ultimately land in Arizona for DRC and a draft pick.

Thankfully, it may not be long before Kevin Kolb speculation turns into a Kevin Kolb transaction.

AP sources: Labor seminar set if NFL deal approved (BLOG)

Two people familiar with talks to end the NFL lockout tell The Associated Press that if an agreement is ratified by Thursday, team executives will be updated on the deal's terms that day.

The people said the league's 32 clubs were told Monday that topics would include the rookie salary system and guidelines for player transactions. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the process is supposed to remain confidential.

Owners are meeting in Atlanta on Thursday, when they could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then.

Lawyers for players and owners are meeting Monday in New Yorkin an attempt to end the four-month lockout.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Lawyers for the NFL Players Association and the league met Monday at a Manhattan law firm to try to work out an agreement to end the four-month lockout.

The court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, was expected to arrive in New York later Monday to oversee talks aimed at ending the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987.

The owners have a special meeting set for Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then. Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the named plaintiffs in a federal antitrust suit against the league, and the NFLPA's 32 team representatives.

Players and owners have come up with the framework of an agreement that resolves most of the issues that have been blocking a deal.

That includes:

— how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be divided;

— a rookie salary system;

— free agency rules;

— a cap of about $120 million for player salaries in 2011, with about another $20 million in benefits.

The lockout began March 12, when negotiations broke down and the old collective bargaining agreement expired. The NFLPA announced it was dissolving itself and would no longer be a union that could bargain for all players under labor law, instead saying it was now a trade association. That allowed players to take their chances against the NFL in federal court under antitrust law.

The sides are trying to put together a tentative agreement in principle in time to keep the preseason completely intact. The exhibition opener is scheduled to be the Hall of Fame game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears on Aug. 7, and as of Sunday, no preseason games had been canceled.

The regular season opener is scheduled for Sept. 8, when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are to host the New Orleans Saints.

Steelers' Harrison to magazine: Goodell a 'devil', Mendenhall "Fumble Machine" Rothlisberger "Not Peyton" (BLOG)

NEW YORK (AP) — Heavily fined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison calls NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a "crook" and a "devil," among other insults, in a magazine article.

The 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year hasn't been shy about ripping the league after he was docked $100,000 for illegal hits last season. In the August issue of Men's Journal, his rants against Goodell reach another level of wrath.

"If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it," Harrison told the magazine. "I hate him and will never respect him."

His other descriptions of the commissioner include an anti-gay slur, "stupid," ''puppet" and "dictator."

If the Steelers had defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, Harrison said, he would have whispered in Goodell's ear during the trophy ceremony: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

Harrison also criticizes other NFL execs, Patriots-turned-commentators Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi ("clowns"), Houston's Brian Cushing ("juiced out of his mind") — and even teammates Rashard Mendenhall and Ben Roethlisberger for their performances in the Super Bowl loss.

Harrison calls the running back a "fumble machine" for his fourth-quarter turnover. Mendenhall said on Twitter on Wednesday he didn't have a problem with what Harrison said "because I know him." But he also included a link to his stats from last season, which show he didn't have a pattern of fumbling.

Of the quarterback's two interceptions, Harrison says: "Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does."

Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement that he hadn't seen the article or talked to Harrison.

"We will discuss the situation at the appropriate time, when permitted once the labor situation is resolved," he said.

Harrison also questions whether a black player is punished more for a hard hit on a white player than the opposite. Beyond the insults, Harrison makes some serious points about what he believes are the league's misguided attempts to increase safety.

He explains how non-guaranteed contracts make players more likely to hit high, because in the short term, a torn knee ligament is more costly than a concussion.

Harrison suggests the real way to prevent head injuries is to shorten the season to 14 games, start offseason workouts later and trim the length of training camp so "we're not bangin' heads so much in August; that's where the brain trauma comes from."

NFL stumbling blocks: free agency, rookie wages(BLOG)

NEW YORK (AP) — A rookie wage scale and free agency for veterans appear to be the biggest stumbling blocks to ending the NFL lockout.

Several people with knowledge of the talks tell The Associated Press that such key issues as splitting total revenues — the major reason for the dispute — the salary cap, fewer offseason workouts and the length of a new collective bargaining agreement are close to being completed.

The people spoke anonymously because details are supposed to remain private.

Owners and players are to meet again, beginning Tuesday, after two days of long negotiations last week. Lawyers from both sides are to meet Monday.

The sticky topics include limits on rookie salaries and signing bonuses. Another is the number of transition tags for free agents, with right of first refusal.

With training camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks for some teams, time is growing short to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-month lockout without a disruption to the preseason. With court-appointed mediator Arthur Boylan on vacation this week, the two sides plan to negotiate in New York, where last Friday talks were slowed by differences over the rookie wage scale and guidelines for unrestricted free agents.

NFL owners have long sought to restrict the huge bonuses and salaries paid to unproven rookies, particularly those selected high in the draft. Quarterback Sam Bradford, the 2010 top overall pick by St. Louis, signed a six-year, $78 million contract that included a record $50 million in guaranteed money.

The NFLPA insists that money diverted from the rookies go to veteran players; some also would go for retired players' benefits. The main disagreement right now is how deep into the first round the rookie wage scale would apply, perhaps eight picks, perhaps twice that many. Some owners also are seeking longer contracts for rookies.

In addition, the owners are pushing for more restrictions in free agency, which the players "vehemently oppose," one of the people familiar with the negotiations said.

"Maybe for one year there might be an extended right of first refusal as a compromise," the person said.

Would either side hold up a deal over that, especially with the possibility of lost exhibition games no longer remote? NFL revenues would be reduced by upward of $60 million for one weekend of canceled preseason games. The first full weekend of exhibition play is Aug. 11-15; the Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams is Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.

Who pays how much to a so-called "legacy fund" to help retired players has become somewhat contentious. Originally, the funding was to be 50-50 between the owners and the players. There has been no agreement yet on that breakdown.

Whenever a deal is struck, it will be anywhere from six to 10 years. It also will include mechanisms for ending the CBA early, as happened with the 2006 agreement that the owners opted out of in 2008, leading to no salary cap in 2010 and, ultimately, to the lockout.

A topic on which there remains little disagreement is the salary cap. Some owners are not thrilled with a salary floor that requires teams spend up to 90 percent of the cap in cash on players' salaries each year, but that is not expected to be a significant hurdle.

Players would receive around 48 percent of all league revenues, which reached $9.3 billion last year, and the owners have dropped their demand for money off the top before splitting income with the players. There still will be some stadium credits for teams that recently financed new homes or are planning to do so.

An 18-game regular season still is favored by the owners, but has been set aside for now.

Reducing offseason workouts and minicamps, and the parameters for drug testing are close to being resolved and not seen as major roadblocks.

Boylan has ordered the two sides to meet before him in Minneapolis on July 19. He also made it clear that both sides should continue their own sessions in the interim "in an effort to define and narrow the differences between their respective settlement positions."

He also ordered lawyers from both sides to be ready to meet with him on the evening of July 18 for an "in-person agenda-setting session" that presumably would set the stage for productive talks the following day.

The owners have a labor meeting scheduled for July 21 in Atlanta.

Steelers' Hines Ward arrested on DUI charge in Ga. (BLOG)

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was arrested early Saturday outside Atlanta on a drunken driving charge, sheriff's officials said.

The former Super Bowl MVP and reigning "Dancing With the Stars" champ was booked into the DeKalb County jail at 3:41 a.m. and charged with driving under the influence. A jail official said he was released on $1,300 bond, though the sheriff's office website said his bond was set at $1,000. The discrepancy couldn't be immediately resolved Saturday.

The sheriff's office said it had turned over paperwork to the courts and couldn't release any further information about the player's arrest. DeKalb County police did not return repeated emails and phone calls seeking details of the arrest.

Atlanta lawyer Andrew Ree issued a statement saying the 35-year-old Ward cooperated fully with police and truthfully answered their questions.

"From our preliminary investigation we can tell you that we are confident that the facts will show that Hines was NOT impaired by alcohol while driving," Ree wrote. "However, Hines is deeply saddened by this incident and apologizes to his fans and the Steelers organization for this distraction."

A Steelers spokesman did not immediately respond to a message.

Since being drafted in the third round out of Georgia in 1998, Ward has been a four-time Pro Bowl selection, playing on teams that won two Super Bowls.

Dancing with professional partner Kym Johnson, Ward in May became the second professional football player to win the "Dancing" crown after Emmitt Smith won in 2006. He bested actresses Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane to become the season 12 champion of the TV celebrity dance competition.

NFL QB Collins Retires After 16 Seasons (BLOG)

NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP)
Quarterback Kerry Collins is retiring from the NFL after 16 seasons in the league, his agent announced Thursday.

''The past several months have brought on much introspection, and I have decided that while my desire to compete on Sundays is still and always will be there, my willingness to commit to the preparation necessary to play another season has waned to a level that I feel is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the position,'' Collins said in a statement.

Collins, 38, was facing free agency after his contract expired in March, though he said as recently as last month that he still wanted to play. Tennessee has said it plans to trade or release quarterback Vince Young after the NFL lockout ends, which would leave just this year's eighth-overall draft pick, Jake Locker, and Rusty Smith, a sixth-round pick in last year's draft, on the roster at the position.

Collins shared the stage with Young in his final season despite suffering injuries to his middle finger and thumb. Collins took over for good after Young suffered a season-ending injury to his right thumb on Nov. 21, though the Titans only won one of their final six games.

''Kerry had a great NFL career and we have been very fortunate to have had him with our organization for the last five years,'' Titans coach Mike Munchak said in a statement. ''I really enjoyed working with him. He was a true pro, who loved the game. His work ethic and commitment were a great example to his teammates of what it took to be successful in this league.''

In 195 career games, Collins maintained a 55.8 completion percentage and threw for 40,441 yards, 206 touchdowns and 195 interceptions.

He was the fifth overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL draft after playing at Penn State. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders.

As a starter, Collins lead his team to the playoffs four times, including an NFL Championship appearance during the 1996 season with the Panthers and a Super Bowl appearance with the Giants in the 2000 season.

In his statement, Collins said he was fortunate to have played for longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the late Giants co-owner Wellington Mara, Raiders owner Al Davis and Titans owner Bud Adams.

''I would like to thank all of those coaches, players and other team personnel along the way who have shaped me both personally and professionally,'' Collins said. ''I want to wish Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans the best of luck in the future. I have had a fantastic five years here, and my family and I look forward to remaining part of the Middle Tennessee community that has been extremely gracious towards us and an honor to play for.''

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Michael Vick Signs New Endorsement Deal With Nike (BLOG)

Quarterback Michael Vick is back with Nike once again, signing a new endorsement deal with the shoe giant nearly four years after he was dropped in wake of his dogfighting scandal from 2007.

Nike announced Friday (July 1) that they had re-upped with Vick, due to the positive changes he's made since the scandal rocked his world.

"We have re-signed Michael Vick as a Nike athlete," Nike said. "Michael acknowledges his past mistakes. We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field."

At press time, details regarding the deal were unknown.

According to USAToday.com, Nike has hooked Vick with equipment since he returned to the NFL in 2009, but had not signed him as an official spokesman/endorser until now.

"Michael is committed to working with Nike and wants to utilize his platform as a professional athlete to have a positive impact on our youth," Andrew Stroth, a lawyer who negotiated the deal for Vick, told the Associated Press.

The deal is Vick's third endorsement deal he's signed since returning to football two seasons ago. Sports-accessories suppliers, Unequal Technologies and Core Synergy, signed the football star Vick in January and in March, respectively.

However, Nike is his biggest endorser currently.

Vick has re-established himself as a player in the NFL following his jail sentence. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 as a backup quarterback. Last season, he took over as starting quarterback, and put up career bests in passing numbers.

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