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George S. Cohen announced that the NFL and the NFLPA have agreed on extending the current CBA seven days. Yesterday the NFL announced a 24-hour extension that was proposed by the owners. The 24 hour extension was designed to add time for both sides to make a longer extension.

Cohen’s statement was the following:

“At the request of the FMCS, the parties have agreed to a seven-day extension, ending the evening of Friday March 11.Due to the extraordinary sensitivity of these ongoing negotiations, the FMCS will refrain from any public comment while the mediation process continues and, further, I have requested and the parties have agreed to do likewise.”

Cohen received heat on Thursday after he released a press release that contained only nine words. It is certainly not a coincidence that this press release is longer.

Here is a statement from NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, who talked breifly after he left the FMCS offices.

“I’m not going to talk about where we are,” Smith said. “I think it’s very important to recognize, and never forget, what we’ve talked about over the last two years about both what the league has demanded back and what the players’ response has been to it.

“I’m not going to talk about what’s going on in the mediation sessions, but when you look at the at the case caption on that case Judge Doty just ruled on, the 4th name on that case caption is a man named Dave Duerson. (Duerson played for the Chicago Bears and took his own life two weeks ago and donated his brain for scientific research)

“That’s our history. He signed on to be a plaintiff in a case to fight for free agency for players. He signed on to be a leader to benefit players who he knew were going to come after him.

“What we do is hold firm, and keep close to our chest, the history and the legacy that we have. We believe that that’s the legacy that has to carry us through, that defines what our mission is, and there isn’t a day where we don’t make every decision based on that.”

Peter King of Sports Illustrated, citing a source, reports that both sides have made significant progress, but what they have going is still fragile. Michael Silver of Yahoo! thinks that leaders on both sides are optomistic for the first time.

Likewise, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talked to reporters after he left the FMCS building.

“This is going to get resolved through negotiations, not litigation,” Goodell said. “Talking is better than litigating.” According to Pro Football Talk, Goodell shared Peter Kings’ optomism.

Michael Silver of Yahoo! thinks Smith has gained a lot of respect for the seven day extension he made with the NFL.

Talks will resume Monday, but I can assure you, talk of the talks will not stop.

Darren Rovell has already started the chatter, predicting that at least three NFL owners will show up on Monday.

More…

By: Bryan Brackney, SJ Contributor, Blogger