Here’s some big news from the past few days:
- Last Thursday, the NFL owners approved, by a 31-0 vote with the Oakland Raiders abstaining, a ten year collective bargaining agreement. They sent the deal to the NFLPA for the players to approve, which is expected to be approved Monday, according to ESPN. Once the players vote in favor of the deal, it will be submitted to the court for approval. Training camp and free agency are expected to begin the same day they players ratify the deal. It’s going to be a wild one.
- On Friday, Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, resolving a case from September 21, 2010 when he was stopped by police for tinted windows. Edwards blew a .16 on the breathalyzer, which is twice the legal limit. If he pays a $500 fine, there will be no jail time or probation, and he is required to continue an NFL alcohol counseling program, which he started in November. His driver’s license will also be suspended for six months.
Edwards will be a free agent once free agency begins (again, presumably the same day the new CBA is approved). His rap sheet isn’t really expected to hurt his market value, and the debate is on as to whether the Jets should re-sign Edwards or Santonio Holmes, also a wide receiver and also a soon-to-be free agent, if they can't keep both.