Get Going

The NFL Lockout is not over yet. Owners voted on Thursday to aprrove the labor deal, 31-0 with the exception of the Raiders. After them, were the players. The NFLPA discussed between themselves, and agreed not to sign the deal off yet. Knowing that a deal is close, the players will work through the weekend, sources tell ESPN.

When the lockout does officially end, teams will be able to get to work. They won't be able to do everything as soon as fans expect, but time will come. Thanks to ESPN's blogger, Kevin Seifert, we can get on overview of how long it will take when the lockout ends.

Day 1: Conditioning, classroom work, and voluntary player training begin. Management can renegotiate contracts of their players. They can also sign their draft picks, as well as re-sign their own free agents. After 2 p.m. , ET, teams can then discuss contracts with other teams' free agents, and undrafted rookies, but cannot sign them.

Day 2: After the twenty-four hour time period passes by, at 2 p.m. , ET, undrafted rookies may be signed to any roster.

Day 3 & 4: Same as days one and two, training, conditioning, sign own free agents, and sign rookies.

Day 5: Teams are allowed to sign any unrestricted free agents. Rosters may be expanded to 90 players. Trades can be completed. Training Camp begins, but no official practices yet.

Day 6 & 7: Official practices begin, but without pads.

Day 8: Practice with pads begin.

Plan on this being the schedule after the lockout ends. Depending on how long it takes the NFLPA to sign their part of the deal, free agency and training camp might extend further into the season. Maybe a loss of a pre-season game? Speaking of a loss of a pre-season game, the Hall of Fame game between the Bears and Rams has been canceled. The next game after that would be San Diego and Seattle.

In my opinion, Day 5 should be interesting. Coaches and Managers should be negotiating like crazy on the days pryor to the open of free agency. With limited time before the season starts, trades, signings, and other offseason moves will be made quite fast.

Are you ready for some football? Yeah, I thought so.