From John Clayton, ESPN football god:
The word around the combine on the CBA talks is that the NFLPA is asking for 61 percent of total revenues and that the NFL is willing to give 57 percent. Each percentage point is worth around $1 billion over the six-year extension being talked about. It's likely that the sides could settle at 59 or 59.5. NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw insists he won't extend the start of free agency past March 3, but commissioner Paul Tagliabue is trying to get a deal done by Wednesday at 4 p.m., and hoping to push free agency back to March 10.
So, it seems our little Scouts.com source was somewhat accurate. Also, Pro Football Weekly reports:
A league source tells us that the NFL previously promised to disseminate on Monday the official crop report (a/k/a salary cap numbers) for 2006, and that the league ultimately failed to do so.
A new CBA means the Colts have money to re-sign Edge, and go after a FA or two. A new CBA means a level playing field where the Daniel Snyders and Bob Krafts of the NFL must make sound decisions rather than throw money at whoever they want. They must share their stadium revenue with the small market teams, unlike that dying corpse called Major League Baseball. A new CBA means a balanced, competitive league, and it looks like a new CBA is on the horizon.
This development has prompted increased speculation among league insiders that a new CBA is imminent, since an extension would require the team-by-team salary maximums to be re-calculated pursuant to the formula set forth in the new agreement.