As ongoing NFL labor negotiations continue today (and possibly into this weekend), new issues are popping up alongside the core issue of splitting revenue, per a report from NFL.com's Jason La Canfora.
Per the report, league owners and players are still struggling with major divides on the issues of post-lockout free agency and the expected rookie wage scale. Most assume that once the two sides agree to a revenue split, everything else will fall into place; La Canfora's sources believe that these issues could prevent a deal from happening.
The details of the rookie wage scale are still being worked out. Players are angling for more negotiating room in the system, while owners would like to see more of a slotting process. None of that is surprising.
More importantly, owners have requested a right of first refusal on their own free agents once the lockout ends. This, La Canfora reports, is something the players will not budge on, and per a source in the report, that could unravel a potential deal.
Long story short: the overarching theme of the last few weeks remains the same. Progress is being made, but there's plenty left to iron out.