With a unanimous vote of the NFPLA* Executive Committee and the 32 team representatives, the NFL Lockout is officially over and the league is back in business. The new collective bargaining agreement will be a 10-year deal with no opt out clause on either side of the table. The players, who were on the defensive from the get approximately 47% of the 9 billion dollar pie, down from a fairly 50-50 split, while earning themselves a hand full of concessions to make up for the lost revenue.
The new deal will have numerous measures to help to protect veterans and retired players, as well as increase safety measures. New spending rules will force smaller market teams to spend to a much more aggressive salary floor while the salary cap actually is down from 2009, it will increase each season as revenue's increase.
Teams will be able to open facilities beginning Tuesday, as well as begin singing their draftees and un-drafted free agents at 10am Tuesday. Free agents may begin negotiations with any team but may not sign until Friday, when free agency officially will begin at 6:01pm.
The next week will certainly be a hectic one for NFL teams as they scramble to sure up rosters, get up to speed on the new CBA, and begin their training camps.