The NFL Owners and Players appear close to making a deal on the new CBA.

The word out the NFL labor meetings is that there’is growing optimism that players and owners could be close to a new collective bargaining agreement and that it could be in place and ratified as early as next week’s NFL meetings in Atlanta.  Those meetings are scheduled for July 21st, with training camps set to open that weekend.  Football fans have held their collective breath fearing a strike and potentially no football.  But from all indications, according to DeMaurice Smith, the players’ lead counsel, unless there’s some major obstacle, that scenario may be avoided.