Goodell optimistic CBA ready Thursday

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sounded an optimistic note Wednesday when he said he expected the league's new collective bargaining agreement to be completed as early as Thursday.

If the remaining issues, which include how HGH testing would be administered and how far Goodell's disciplinary authority can go, are resolved, players who signed or reworked contracts after the lockout ended last week can begin practicing. The players, who recertified as a union last Friday, will vote on the CBA once it is completed.

"If we can reach agreement and sign the collective bargaining agreement by [this] morning, we certainly expect for the new league year to start and the players to be out here," Goodell told reporters during a visit to Panthers training camp.

Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie, the team's player representative, said it's "looking very optimistic" the CBA will be signed on time.

Owners and players agreed on July 25, when the lockout was lifted, to work out any remaining issues by Aug. 4. If the issues were not resolved by then, the deal could fall apart, but that possibility appeared remote.

Steelers safety Ryan Clark, the team's player representative, said talks are ongoing.

"De Smith is still working," Clark said of the NFLPA executive director, "and we're trying to get this figured out. But it's not an absolute that guys will be at practice [Thursday]."

Clark added that the disciplinary process "with Roger Goodell having total control over the fine process, that's a deal-breaker for us in this situation."

The league's 32 teams are eager to welcome back all remaining players to practice, and some teams are moving the starting times of Thursday's practices back to await completion of the CBA. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he doesn't "even want to entertain the thought" of a delay. "The first thing that's going to happen is I'm going to jump out of a building somewhere," he joked.

With AP