NFL players and owners were reviewing progress and working out remaining issues as they appeared to be closing in on a settlement to the league's labor dispute. ESPN reported that NFL Players Association player representatives gave chief DeMaurice Smith and the executive committee a “vote of confidence” to finish the remaining deal points in a proposed contract. Once a proposed deal is finalized, it must be voted on by both players and owners. A meeting at the NFL Players Association headquarters lasted nearly 10 hours and included the group's executive committee and team representatives. The players, however, decided Wednesday not to rush into a vote on a tentative agreement. The players did take a conditional vote and left word with the NFLPA about hypothetical terms that they would agree to in order to recommend a possible settlement of a pending antitrust lawsuit against the league, the website said. “Make no mistake, the players are not in a rush and are not tied to the timeline of July 21 (Thursday),” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae told reporters. “Our timeline is the timeline that gets the best deal for the players.” NFL owners had hoped the players would have given early approval to the deal so the league could hold its vote at an owners meeting scheduled Thursday in Atlanta. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of the league's labor committee met in Atlanta Wednesday to study the proposed deal. At least 24 owners would need to approve the agreement when it comes to a final vote. Time is running out for an agreement if the league is to begin its preseason on time with the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams scheduled to play on Aug. 7. Many key sticking points in the dispute have been resolved, including an agreement in principle on how to divide more than $9 billion in annual revenue. But an antitrust lawsuit filed by 10 players including quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Bees after bargaining talks broke down on March 11 must be settled. The owners locked out the players the next day and the move has withstood legal challenges at the appellate level. The four-month lockout is the NFL's first work stoppage since a 1987 players' strike.
