I tried for a couple days to respond to one reader's question about how a lockout would effect the Green Bay Packers. Is it more important for them to end the lockout sooner rather than later? I don't know, but I would expect a smart organization like the Packers would be prepared as best they can. Adam Schefter tweets about one insider who says the owners are not ready to make a deal.
The news wasn't encouraging last week. Via the National Football Post, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who's already encouraged the other owners to "take back our league," was last seen criticizing the intelligence of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Also, from Jason Cole at Yahoo, Richardson questioned what Manning knows about player safety (which I would expect he'd know a great deal about). How much is enough for that guy? His franchise is now worth $1 billion, up from the $206 million expansion fee his ownership group paid for it back in the mid-1990s.
Jay Feely had a bunch of good quotes in that article. He said the owners want an 18% pay cut from the players, though everything I've read says NFL profits and TV ratings are growing. The players have already agreed to throw the rookies under the bus, but no concessions from the owners have apparently followed. Unsurprisingly, incoming rookies will attend the combine since they'll need those results to improve their draft stock, but they could boycott the draft itself since I don't think teams change their draft rankings on who's actually sitting in the green room.
The news has gotten even worse this week, when on Monday it was reported that the NFL has lawyered up. I have no idea about the merit of the case, but if the NFL is trying to get a court order against the NFLPA, I think it's safe to assume that constructive negotiations have broken down.