Well for a while I thought the CBA would be done yesterday, but as all of you are I was disappointed. The deal is still within reach though and I still have full confidence that we will have the season start within the next week. On to the links.
HOF Game is officially canceled
As expected the HOF game ended up being the sacrificial lamb of the lockout. I agree with the decision to cancel the game. The players need enough time to prepare and since the start of camp would be delayed and combined with the fact that there was no offseason training programs, there isn't enough time. Now the team can fully focus on camp, preparing for the regular season and building the team.
NFL.com's Albert Breer is reporting that one of the reasons that the NFLPA hasn't accepted the CBA is that they think it's illegal. They claim that the law says that an employer can't demand that their employees be in a union. It's sad because the only reason they are claiming this is so that in 10 years when the CBA runs out, they can again decertify. It's an issue that is important to the NFLPA, but to everyday fans, it's just bogus. Another reason is the time. The players all need to review the document and then discuss it. The process can take a day or two and the deal was just sent to the NFLPA last night. The owners can claim all they want that the NFLPA has the deal, but there are only 32 owners and there are thousands of players. They need more time to review it than the owners. I'm expecting a vote by the players in the next few days after they have time to iron out some small issues and review the CBA.
Brant of NFL.com took time to review the best free agent rookies out there. This next week could be a very fast moving time for them as they will be getting calls left and right from teams trying to get them in camp. Some names he points out that could be of intreast to the Rams are Mark Herzlich, Derek Locke, Mario Fannin, Ian Williams, John Clay, and Noel Devine. It's a good read and I recomend you read the whole article.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com made a list of top free agents and the ideal fit and the bad fit for each. He listed the ideal team for Sydney Rice to be the St. Louis Rams. He cites out need for a #1 WR and that McDaniels could really use a guy with his route running and versatility. If he could be signed at the right price, I'd be all for it, but I see other needs that need to be addressed first. He didn't list Barry Cofield at all but I would think the STL would be the ideal fit for him to. Another good read and another recommendation.
That's all I got today. Stay tuned to TST for news on the lockout throughout the day.