National Football League

Sunday's NFL labor developments

Published Mar. 14, 2011 7:19 p.m. ET

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On Sunday teams continued to reach out to fans and received a stern warning too. FOXSports.com keeps you up to date on the NFL's labor situation. (All times are Eastern.) | Saturday's updates | Friday's updates | March 10 updates | March 9 updates | March 8 updates | March 7 updates | March 4 updates | March 3 updates

Sources: GMs to log all agent contact — 10:53 p.m.

The NFL lockout has made business relations between teams and player agents far more difficult.

Not only is communication between the two parties about current NFL players now against league rules, two sources have told FOXSports.com that the league is requiring general managers to keep a log of every conversation held with an agent. Full story

49ers president addresses fans — 6:07 p.m.

The following is a statement from the San Francisco 49ers to their fans:

Dear Fans,

As I am sure you are aware, the Collective Bargaining Agreement — the contract between the NFL and the labor union representing the players — has expired. On Friday, the union filed for decertification and we have now entered into a lockout. Although this is not the outcome any of us wanted, the NFL remains committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process, which we believe is the fastest way to a fair agreement for both the players’ union and the clubs. The ultimate goal is to establish an agreement that is good for the long-term health of the league and provides a tremendous product for you, our fans.

Please know that regardless of how this offseason unfolds the 49ers commitment to building a championship football team remains steadfast. As such, we will be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity within the league rules to be ready for a successful 2011 season.

As you might expect, Trent Baalke and Coach Harbaugh, as well as their respective staffs, are working tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming draft. And, as in recent years, we will be inviting you to participate in the draft weekend excitement with our annual Draft Contest and Draft Day Party, which will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. In fact, to every extent possible, we will be operating with a business-as-usual attitude. So, this summer, keep an eye out for announcements inviting you to our annual Family Day and State of the Franchise, as well as additional Fan Forums.

Throughout these labor proceedings, I will be committed to keeping an open line of communication with our entire fan base. Like me, you are all true fans of the NFL, so I encourage your patience and understanding during this time. And, of course, I thank you for your continued support of the San Francisco 49ers.

Sincerely,

Jed York
President & CEO, San Francisco 49ers
 

Broncos willing to open books — 2:11 p.m.

The Denver Broncos are one of the few NFL teams willing to open up their financial books to the players. The Denver Post said the team is willing to open them up for the past few years. However, the NFL Players Association asked for the last 10 years.

"If the league decides they want to open up the books of the Denver Broncos to present them to the union — I don't know if the league is into identifying individual clubs because they're private businesses," Broncos president Joe Ellis said. "But with a neutral (auditor) to verify the fact that certain teams haven't been operating as effectively as they did in the past, we're a willing and able participant.”

"We offered to show the union league-wide and club profitability data," Ellis said. "Not only that it can be verified by a mutually agreed upon third-party auditor. This is the type of information we don't share with each other. In other words, we aren't allowed to see how other teams are doing specifically in terms of revenues and expenses. Everything is very formalized in terms of information we get from other clubs. Now the union didn't even want to look at it." — Adam Caplan

Eagles issue statement to fans — 2:04 p.m.

Like so many NFL teams have done over the past few days, the Philadelphia Eagles have issued a statement in regard to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players. And like the rest of the teams, the Eagles believe the way to get a new deal done is back at the bargaining table through mediation.

“In light of the events that occurred yesterday, we wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the status of the collective bargaining agreement and how it affects the Philadelphia Eagles. As we are sure you are aware, the contract between the league and the labor union representing the players has expired, the union decertified and we have entered into a lockout.

"However, the NFL remains committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached — an agreement that is good for the long-term health of the league. We believe that a deal will get done.

"We want you to know our focus is on preparation for the 2011 season and we are going to continue to do everything we can to strengthen our football team. We will be ready to take advantage of all opportunities within league rules to help reach our ultimate goal. We are also excited about the upcoming 2011 draft on April 28-30 and our preparation for that has been in the works for a long time.

"Regardless of what transpires throughout this offseason, our commitment to winning a Super Bowl remains the number one priority throughout our entire organization. We are also committed to keeping an open line of communication with you and our entire fan base throughout these labor discussions. We plan on hosting several events throughout the off season that our fans can enjoy. Our annual draft party will take place on April 28 at Lincoln Financial Field.

"We greatly appreciate your continued support."

Sincerely,

(Chairman and CEO) Jeffrey Lurie and (president) Joe Banner — Adam Caplan

Coaches could get fired for talking to players — 1:47 p.m.

According to the Charlotte Observer, coaches have been told to have no contact with players during the lockout. One agent who represents a Carolina Panthers coach said they were told that contact was reason for firing with cause.

All team employees (all coaches, personnel staff included) are not allowed to have contact with players for any reason until the lockout is over. — Adam Caplan

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