WASHINGTON (AP) — NFL owners and players agreed early
Monday to the terms of a deal to end the lockout, and players were
expected to begin the voting process later in the day, two people
familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The
people spoke on condition of anonymity because the process was supposed
to remain secret and no formal announcement had been made.
The NFL
Players Association’s executive committee was to meet Monday to be
presented with the finalized agreement. Owners overwhelmingly approved a
proposal last week, but some unresolved issues still needed to be
figured out to satisfy players.
The sides worked through the weekend and wrapped up talks Monday morning, one of the people told the AP.

The league’s old labor deal expired in March, and the owners locked out the players, the NFL’s first work
stoppage since 1987.
"We have every reason to believe it’s going to be a good day," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote
in an email to the AP.
If
players sign off on the agreement Monday, NFL clubs would be able to
start signing 2011 draft picks and rookie free agents on Tuesday.
Conversations with veteran free agents also could start Tuesday, and
signings could begin Friday.
Under that tentative schedule,
training camps would open for 10 of the 32 teams on Wednesday, 10 teams
on Thursday, another 10 teams on Friday, and the last two teams on
Sunday.
The major economic framework for the deal was worked out more than a week ago.
That
included how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be
divided (about 53 percent to owners and 47 percent to players over the
next decade; the old CBA resulted in nearly a 50-50 split); a per-club
cap of about $120 million for salary and bonuses in 2011 — and at least
that in 2012 and 2013 — plus about $22 million for benefits; a salary
system to rein in spending on first-round draft picks; and unrestricted
free agency for most players after four seasons.
Should the
players’ executive committee vote to accept the deal, it then would go
to the 32 team representatives to approve, perhaps later Monday. After
that, the total membership would need to vote, with a simple majority
required for passage.
The 10 named plaintiffs in the players’
lawsuit against the league — including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and
Drew Brees — must officially inform the court in Minneapolis of their
approval of the pact, too.
Even after that, while training camps
would be opened, a true CBA can’t be agreed upon until the NFLPA
re-establishes itself as a union. Players will need to vote to do so
even as the sides put the finishing touches on a deal; only after the
NFLPA is again a union can it negotiate such items as the league’s
personal conduct policy and drug testing.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.