EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Welcome back, players.
The NFL cleared the way for some basic football operations to begin at 8 a.m. EDT Friday, five days after a federal judge declared the lockout illegal and nearly seven weeks after it began.
And the players immediately took advantage.
“From the players’ standpoint I think everybody is pleased we’re not locked out anymore, especially the rookies,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said on CNBC in his first public comments about the dispute since he became a named plaintiff in the antitrust lawsuit filed against the owners.
In a conference call with New York Jets season-ticket holders, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will hold a conference call later Friday morning to address player transaction rules. The guidelines for free agency, trades and other roster moves have been uncertain in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. That expired March 11, the same day the players’ union was disbanded to clear the way for a court fight.
“What we’re doing right now is having to adjust, obviously, to court decisions,” Goodell said. “We are opening our gates this morning to the facilities. … The most important things for us is to obviously respect the decisions of the court,
Read More from the Article Source: Full Article
