Posted by Ryan Wilson

UPDATE: Via the New York Times' Mark Viera, Umenyiora responds to McCoy's tweet: “She can say whatever he wants about it."  The "she" in question? McCoy, who Umenyiora also calls "Chihuahua" and "Lady GaGa." Apparently, these are popular names for McCoy among members of the Giants defense. Now it's a party.

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora wants out of New York. And he has taken it a step beyond relaying his feelings through the media. In a sworn affidavit to be filed in federal court next month as part of the players' antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, Umenyiora states that Giants general manager Jerry Reese didn't keep promises to renegotiate his contract.

In April, Umenyiora testified:

In early April 2008, approximately two weeks before the start of the New York Giants offseason conditioning program, I ... had a meeting with the general manager of the New York Giants, Mr. Jerry Reese.

After about an hour of discussing my current contract, as well as the contracts of other defensive ends currently playing in the National Football League, Mr. Reese told me that two years from the start of the 2008 league year, if I was currently playing at a high level, we'd either renegotiate my current contract so that it would be equal to that of the top five defensive ends playing or I would be traded to a team that would do that.

Before leaving the meeting, I asked Mr. Reese twice if he was absolutely sure that would be the case. He then told me that he was an honest and church-going man and that he would not lie, which I believed to be the case. Under the penalty of perjury these statements are true and accurate.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the NFL Players Association feels that Umenyiora has "suffered irreparable harm," and it's a primary reason the NFLPA sought out Umenyiora as one of its plaintiffs in the Brady vs. NFL antitrust case.

You'd expect the players to stick together on this issue because, ultimately, the decision will affect all of them. Well, you'd expect wrong. Upon hearing the news that Umenyiora accused the Giants of breaking promises, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy tweeted the following:

"Overrated n soft 3rd best d-line on his team honestly."

As Philly.com points out, McCoy carried 24 times for 175 yards in two games against the Giants last season, averaging 7.29 yards per carry. But Umenyiora racked up 11.5 sacks last season, good for seventh-best in the league. Maybe that still makes him the third-best defensive lineman on the Giants, but he's still no slouch.

McCoy, we'd imagine, remains unimpressed.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

We first saw signs of progress towards a new labor deal early this month when CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman reported that "there is still a great deal of work to do ... but it appears the owners and players have made significant headway in reaching a new labor agreement, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions."

Save the lone report that talks almost "blew up," the subsequent news has been just as encouraging … until Friday.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, some owners are resisting the labor deal they've spent recent weeks negotiating with the players in the hopes of ending the lockout.

"A handful of NFL owners -- at least two of which are from AFC teams -- believe the parameters of the deal being discussed don't adequately address the original issues the league wanted corrected from the 2006 collective bargaining agreement, according to sources," said Schefter.

"It is one of the primary reasons team officials are being prepped to stay an extra night in Chicago at Tuesday's owners meetings. It's not to potentially vote on a new collective bargaining agreement, as many suspected; it actually is to try to fend off some of the resistance that is mounting from a handful of NFL owners, according to sources."

Schefter also notes: "The surprise is that many thought this kind of pushback to a deal would occur within the player ranks, not among NFL owners."

We're not prepared to call it a setback yet; the owners will still meet in Chicago next week, and progress towards ending the lockout can continue. But this month has given fans, for the first time all spring, hope for actual football. If a subset of owners drag their feet, delaying the season, the PR backlash will be swift and unforgiving. Remember when fans booed Roger Goodell to start the NFL Draft? We'll look back on that and consider it cute.

ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio doesn't think it will come to that. "The reality is that, in the end, a handful of owners have no power to derail a deal. A new agreement still can be approved with 24 of 32 votes. (Apparently, there’s a belief in some circles that the committee negotiating the CBA already has the authority to do a deal without further approval. Multiple sources have advised us that any proposal still must be approved by 75 percent of the owners.)"

In the end, this is about money. That's no secret. But unlike most high-level negotiations involving billions of dollars, this is played out on a public stage. There are financial concerns, certainly, but just like politicians running for (or trying to stay in) office, owners have to answer to their constituents.

There's still time to come to a resolution, though. "One NFL executive has been urging the league for weeks that, in order for the full preseason schedule to be played, an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA would have to occur no later than July 14," Schefter said.

And while the owners and players are closer than ever to agreeing to a new CBA, some owners remember the previous negotiations in 2006 that favored the players and ultimately led us to this point. Which, as far as fans are concerned, can be boiled down to rich people fighting over how to split the winnings.

That's not entirely accurate, but it's the perception. And sometimes, perception trumps reality.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

• Come again? We think it goes without saying that Nnamdi Asomugha is a better corner than, say, the Steelers' Ike Taylor -- but apparently not. Using facts and common sense, Shutdown Corner's Doug Farrar takes the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's John Harris to task for suggesting that Taylor is better than Asomugha. 

• Nice bow tie. Last week, LaMarr Woodely unveiled his list of the top NFL linebackers. Yes, it was heavy on Steelers and former Michigan players. Tuesday, Dhani Jones had his turn. And not only did he rank himself No. 7 but ahead of Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, who was left off the list altogether. 

• It counts. We mentioned earlier today that the Dolphins should pass on Terrelle Pryor because of the recent Pat White failed experiment. White was out of the NFL after one year, but it looks like he will soon resurface with the UFL's Virginia Destroyers. 

• Still wanted: QB. Pat White may not have been the answer (and Pryor almost certainly isn't), but according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Dolphins' first order of business once the lockout ends will be finding a veteran QB to compete with Chad Henne. 

• We need Matlock. If there's something we can all get behind it's that the lawyers shouldn't be allowed in the room during CBA negotiations. PFT's Mike Florio offers up yet another reason to lock out the lawyers: money (shocking, right?). 

• Not surprising at all, really. Beanie Wells says he was surprised the Cardinals drafted running back Ryan Williams in the second round. That makes one of us. Silver lining: Wells says, “This is definitely going to be my year without a doubt.” Which should come as a relief to whoever ends up under center in Arizona. 

• I knew him when he had hair. Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer has known Matt Hasselbeck (and the Hasselbeck family) for 25 years. This could be good news for Jake Locker. 

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

The week started on a high note, and for the first time all spring the promise of a 2011 season not only seemed possible, but imminent. More than that, the acrimony between owners and players (and the lawyers that represented them), palpable for most of the lockout, suddenly melted away. Not to overdramatize the past few days, but hope is a powerful emotion, particularly for fans who live and die with their NFL teams.

The recent secret meetings between the two sides was almost simultaneously described as "heading in the right direction" and nearly "blowing up." The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle (though the optimist in us likes to think a new deal is "80-85 percent complete").

For now, however, owners and players will retire to their respective corners to reevaluate what just transpired and regroup for future get-togethers. (Note to interested parties: give the lawyers the wrong address for the next round of meetings. Trust us, it's for the best.)

As for the just-concluded two-day talks, NFL.com's Albert Breer writes that "According to sources, the talks remain productive and are moving forward, though a resolution to the three-month-old lockout is not on the immediate horizon.

"Both sides have evaluated and strongly considered the concessions and compromises that could ultimately lead to the problem being solved, though, and sources indicated an agreement could come within a month."

The sides also released a joint statement Wednesday, and promised to keep the media out of the proceedings. Their statement:

“Discussions between NFL owners and players under the auspices of Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan took place again this week and will continue. At the request of Judge Boylan, both sides have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the substance of the talks.”

Next up for the owners: a June 21 meeting outside Chicago. The meeting is scheduled for one day but could drag on longer as both sides presumably work toward a deal.

The players, meanwhile, will continue to workout -- both informally and on their own -- with renewed hopes for an NFL season.

"Probably a sense of urgency with the season just around the corner," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Wednesday. "The general understanding from everybody is that if we don't have something done by July it would be hard to start on time."

Well, no time like the present, fellas.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

On Tuesday, a new sense of optimism invaded the NFL world, especially after CBSSports.com’s own Mike Freeman reported that labor negotiations were 80-85 percent complete and that it would be difficult for either side to screw up the progress (naturally, I followed up with a post about how the talks COULD be screwed up).

Today, though, there have been tweets here and there dispelling some of the enthusiasm that a new CBA could be forthcoming soon (an example from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello: “As late, legendary George Young said: ‘There is no such thing as close. It’s either done or it isn’t.’”)

And now ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter is reporting that talks almost blew up Tuesday, and not surprisingly, the incident occurred after the lawyers were let back into the negotiations – ahem, that was No. 1 on my list of reasons that could derail the negotiations.

From Schefter:

How close it did (come to blowing up) is a matter of opinion. But what is factual is that the moment came shortly after lawyers from both sides were brought back into the process. As tensions rose and anger grew, two sources said NFL Players Association leader DeMaurice Smith instructed his lawyers to "stand down."

With the lawyers removed from the direct negotiations, the process was said to get back on track and to a good spot. The incident is an example of just how tenuous these talks can be and how quickly they can be derailed.

But it also is the ultimate proof that (DeMaurice) Smith and his players, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners have taken the process out of the hands of the attorneys and demanded that they control it as the two sides try to hammer out a collective bargaining agreement.

If Tuesday was an overly-optimistic day, then today’s news is a bit of a slap in the face. But the two sides are talking – and really, since nobody is talking on the record, it’s hard to know exactly what is going on – and that’s always a good sign.

Now, if they could just keep the lawyers out of the room.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

In case you missed it, CBSSports.com’s own Mike Freeman reported that negotiations between the players and the owners to end the lockout and establish a new Collective Bargaining Agreement are 80-85 percent complete.

Which means that confidence is at an all-time high that a new CBA will be struck sooner rather than later and the NFL season will begin on time.

As Freeman writes, “That doesn't mean the negotiations can't revert back to the primordial days of disgust and hatred, or that the talks can't implode. It does mean, however, that the discussions are in such a good place it would be difficult for even the most selfish, destructive personality to affect them.”

And as one source told him, “It's going to be very difficult for this to get screwed up.”

That said, here are three ways the negotiations can, in fact, be screwed up (not that I’m hoping for this to happen).

Let the lawyers back in for major negotiations: It’s funny, isn’t it? When the attorneys for both sides aren’t in the negotiating room, significant progress is made. Three weeks ago, the pessimism about a new CBA was extremely high. I’m not saying the attorneys are solely to blame. But Jeff Pash for the NFL and Jeffrey Kessler for the NFLPA didn’t help matters. Not only did the attorneys make life more difficult for everyone at the negotiating table, but the owners didn’t trust Kessler and the players didn’t trust Pash. Three weeks ago, there seemed little reason to hope. But after secret meetings in Chicago (without lawyers present), followed by more meetings in New York last week (without lawyers) and more talks this week (with lawyers), all of a sudden, it seems like we’re very close to ending our long national nightmare. All of a sudden, we get real optimism. Obviously, the lawyers will need to be in the room at some point in order to help write the CBA – and reports said they were in there today – but if they can stay out of the major negotiating points (and it sounds like they have), that would be a big help.

Let the combatants open their mouths: When Roger Goodell or DeMaurice Smith (or any of the lawyers, as mentioned above) start popping off to the media, phrases get highlighted. Like when Smith congratulated the NFL for being the first sports league to sue to stop games from being played (not entirely true) or when the NFL kept sending letters to players to get the union back together and to negotiate even after the NFLPA had disbanded (not entirely helpful). Those words and actions simply don’t help the cause. As a member of the media, I hate it when there’s some kind of blackout where a group of people are not speaking with the press. But in this case, I think we’ll all take it if it means a deal is struck between the two sides and no football is missed and non-football personnel can get back to work with salaries fully implemented.

Let the court system make the decision: Maybe Goodell was right after all. He’s been saying all along that a new CBA would be generated at the negotiating table and not in the courtroom. And maybe the NFLPA chose not to believe him, because, historically, the courts have sided with the players. But when the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NFL a permanent stay in order to keep the lockout in place, it was a major blow for the players. And when Appeals Court judge Kermit Bye told both sides they’d be better off solving the labor situation themselves, maybe both sides saw his point. Yes, the players might have been more desperate after the court ruling (especially when you saw how much the Appeals Court questioned the District Court’s decision), but the owners also seem ready for this storm to slip out to sea.
As is just about everybody else in the free world. Here’s hoping somebody doesn’t screw this thing up.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

NFL owners and players are meeting Tuesday on Maryland's eastern shore in an effort to end the 91-day lockout as soon as possible, according to reports from NFL.com and ESPN.

This is the third time this month the two sides have convened in an undisclosed location to make progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement (and this time, with lawyers). Last Friday, for the first time since the lockout began in March, hopes seemed high for a speedy resolution to a labor dispute that once appeared as if it could go on indefinitely.

"NFL owners have a one-day meeting scheduled in suburban Chicago next Tuesday, and they are planning to meet once a month until the situation is resolved," NFL.com's Albert Breer reported Tuesday. "A memo went out to owners asking that they keep their schedules for next week flexible, in case the June 21 meeting spills into Tuesday night or even Wednesday."

Latest on the lockout

Freeman: Source: labor negotiations 80-85 percent complete Judge: Calendar, courts, money quicken pace of NFL talks

ESPN's Chris Mortensen writes that "Sources have characterized the owners and players as being in a 'deal-making mode' and hope to make significant progress over the next two or three days."

The NFL estimates that canceling the preseason could cost upwards of $1 billion, which means that the longer the lockout drags on, the more likely it is that the owners will be in danger of losing serious dough. Sources tell Breer that "internal deadlines to have some semblance of a 'normal' preseason with the games preserved sit on or around July 15." That gives both parties a month to sort things out.

More background on Tuesday's gathering, via the Associated Press:

A person with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press that the owners and players are "headed in the right direction" and that lawyers "are back in the room" after being excluded from sessions the past two weeks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting are not being made public.

Two other people familiar with the talks say a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement could be in place before the owners gather next Tuesday. ... Still, it would be premature to predict that lockout is about to end, the people familiar with the talks told the AP. Yet the atmosphere of negotiations has been more positive than it was previously, creating "a sense of movement," they said.

That movement toward an agreement might be in both sides' best interest after a federal appeals court judge warned the owners and players they might not like the upcoming decisions in legal actions sparked by the lockout. Indeed, the court could delay any rulings if a new CBA appears to be near.

The AP reports that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith; several owners, including the Giants' John Mara and the Cowboys' Jerry Jones; and a large group of players that includes NFLPA President Kevin Mawae, Jeff Saturday, Mike Vrabel, Tony Richardson and Domonique Foxworth, were all on hand at the meeting.

For the first time all spring there is much to be optimistic about. Not only are the owners and players willing to work together, they're doing it now, well before deadlines could legitimately imperil a 2011 season.

If the lockout ends in the coming weeks, Goodell, who was roundly booed at the April draft, will have suddenly saved his legacy. Because in the end, all fans want is football. They don't much care how we get to that point.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

After a three-month staring contest that appeared to accomplish little, there is finally some movement on the lockout front. Optimists think it could be settled in the next week or two, while the glass-half-empty set pegs mid-July as the more likely scenario.

Either way, that means real live NFL football, complete with free agency, training camp and a season that starts on time. While we wait for the owners and players to work out the details, we're left to speculate on, well, just about everything.

Not having organized team activities and minicamps will make it tougher for rookies to transition from college to the NFL, and the lockout didn't do any favors for those undrafted free agents who remain unsigned. But Browns' left tackle Joe Thomas doesn't think missing spring workouts is the worst thing in the world.

Appearing on Denver's 102.3 The Ticket, he explains:

"I think it can be good and it can be bad," Thomas said. … [F]or some of the veteran guys and the veteran teams, the OTA minicamp, all the spring work and stuff like that maybe became a little bit too much and could be a little bit of extra grind on the body and the mind. Come January and February people were a little bit worn down and those same veteran teams and I think Green Bay is going to be especially rewarded for the team they have.

"You kinda take a step back and you get a chance to think about other things and refocus your mind and get your body a little bit fresh, think about the rehab and the stretching and the other things you can do in the offseason on your own is going to probably pay off because the season is going to feel shorter and your body is going to be healthier at the end of the year and I think the mind will be a little fresher."

There have been concerns that the lockout-induced "everybody for themselves" approach to keeping in shape out could mean some low-quality football, at least early in the season when teams are essentially still in preseason mode. But Thomas doesn't consider that a big problem. "You may see, at the beginning the football not being as good, but at the end I think you may see guys that are more fresh and more ready to go after it.”

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was pushing the 18-game schedule earlier this year, part of his pitch included reducing the offseason workload to keep players fresher during the regular season. Pretty much everyone agrees that extending the schedule by two games is a horrendous idea, but there could be a groundswell of support from players at the thought of limiting OTAs and minicamps (but still no more than 16 games). The owners don't make money during the offseason, and we've gotten to point because spring and summer workouts turned into an arms race. "If our division rival is doing it then so are we!" the thinking went.

So, Roger, if you're looking to smooth things over with the players, there's your olive branch.

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