While things haven't looked good for the NFL's 2011 season of late, they recently turned a corner, with the League and Players' Association agreeing on terms for rookie contracts and a salary cap for the year.
This doesn't mean that the lockout is over, but it surely is a good sign for those who want to watch live football come September.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, speaking on Dennis and Callahan on WEEI Friday morning, said that the owners still have some work to do to get where they want to be, and that they should be able to do just that.
"What happens is, once there's a sense that it's inevitable a deal's going to get done, that's when the owners start being a little more hard-headed, because they think the players are going to agree to anything," he said. "So, we could see another bump today, where the owners decide [to be tough on] all the remaining stuff. And there still are some issues left — not major issues, not issues as challenging as the ones they've already worked out — but there's still issues.
Florio noted that there will still be a divide between the small-market and big-market teams, and that there's little that a new CBA can do to fix that. With a salary cap agreed upon, it'll be up to the League to find a way to help the low-revenue teams out.