Though the NFL and NFLPA appear to have reached a stalemate regarding the much-discussed split of revenues - a rift that could halt CBA negotiations and lead to union decertification, a lockout and anti-trust lawsuits leveled against league owners - that doesn't mean there hasn't been progress on other fronts.

For example: Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole reports that the two sides have agreed to the basic structure of a rookie wage scale. The NFL conceded a few major points in the structure of that scale in return for stronger CBA language that would allow teams to recoup signing bonus money for players with legal issues (see: Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress).

Per Cole's report, rookies selected in the first round will sign four-year contracts, while players selected in subsequent rounds will sign three-year contracts. Restricted free agent tenders can be assigned to these players, and, of course, there will be a limit on base salary and guaranteed earnings for all rookies.

This is far from ironclad, however, and in the big picture of the negotiation is pretty meaningless - both sides have long supported a rookie wage scale. Still, progress is progress, however small - and ultimately insignificant - it may be.