Free Agency/Cap Deadline Extended 3 Days

[Atlanta Dan]

The league extended its deadline for free agency by three days and resumed talks aimed at an extension of the collective bargaining agreement.

The breakthrough came with a mutual agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association Thursday afternoon.

With regard to the deadline to get down to the cap:

That deadline has been pushed back until 6 p.m. ET Sunday

I assume the Broncos had a good reason to cut 3 starters yesterday if a new CBA & a higher cap migt have made that unnecessary. If not somebody made a big mistake by jumping the gun.

This is some high stakes poker going on here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2351271

[tony hipchest]

dan rooney and jerry richardson were the only 2 team owners to stay back after meetings broke to continue talks with tagliabue and upshaw. good for our team to have the best representation

[RoethlisBURGHer]

Well,if the cap gets raised,I say we cut Duce and sign Mike Anderson.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

The push back of the start of FA is obviously a last ditch effort showing that atleast both sides are willing to talk and continue to try and work out their differences..so keep your fingers crossed.

Mike Anderson will not be a Steeler..he will be way to expensive and starting RB's is not a priority for us this year .. depth and 3rd down back, yes but not starters.

[Atlanta Dan]

Apparently some of the salary cap cuts, the realization by this year's FAs that no CBA means a big drop off in the ability to pay signing bonuses this off-season, and the fact that to be a FA in a capless 2007 you will need 6 years in the league, not the current tenure of 4 years, has a number of players chatting with Upshaw that not only the owners have something to lose here. Upshaw had said the NFLPA would not agree to extend the FA deadline and did, so maybe something is up.

I can only hope a deal gets done, although it still seems to be a long shot.