Report: NFL Free Agency Target July 18th?

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting via an actual source with an actual name, as opposed to the many, many “unnamed sources” we get from all the big guys, that the target for NFL free agency is July 18th.

From the Gazette:

Turner said he was told by a person familiar with the negotiations that the goal is for the deal to be official by July 15. He also said it is his understanding that the free agency period would begin July 18, with a 48-hour signing period for undrafted free agents to follow. Then veteran free agents would go on the market July 20.

From www.post-gazette.com (share this quote)

The Turner the paper is quoting is agent Joel Turner who represents Steelers safety Ryan Clark.

If Turner is correct then it would set up a wild period of free agency. The teams would only have two days to negotiate with and sign their own free agents before free agency would begin. It woul dnot be fun for GM’s but it would be a heck of a lot of fun for us. Football would come back and come back with a vengeance.

Turner also told the paper that the NFL and players want to try to wrap up a deal before or right after the July 4th holiday because they are worried that the courts will come back next week and hand down a ruling that is unfavorable to both sides. Remember, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals told both parties that they would be wise to work this out on their own.

Despite varying reports of whether or not the talks are going well, recent news has broke that seems to support Turner’s claims that the sides are trying to wrap this thing up now. Various sources are reporting that the talks in Minnesota went until after midnight last night and that they resumed at 8AM this morning, less than eight hours after they broke for the night. That shows urgency we haven’t seen in some time.

Cross your fingers and toes Addicts. This thing will hopefully be over soon.