NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Albany State cornerback Prathon Wilkerson ran a 4.50 and a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash on grass at his campus Pro Day workout Friday in front of the Giants, Seahawks and the Colts, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation. The Division II sleeper cornerback also posted a 30-inch vertical leap, a 4.23 short shuttle, a 7.23 three-cone, bench pressed 225 pounds 13 times and registered a 9-3 broad jump.

The 5-9 1/2, 185-pounder managed to stick with speedy, imposing Fort Valley State wide receiver Ricardo Lockette during the regular season and at the HCBU all-star game. He recorded 38 tackles, three for losses, 16 pass pass deflections and seven interceptions last season, returning one for a touchdown.

The Ravens’ pair of bitter losses to the Steelers haven’t stopped haunting the AFC North franchise. Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that he doesn’t let the rivalry with the Steelers leave his thoughts very often, saying the AFC champions are on his mind: “Every single day, in all honesty." The Ravens lost in the regular season, 13-10, in December when quarterback Joe Flacco fumbled on a sack by safety Troy Polamalu that led to a game-winning touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger.

In an AFC divisional round playoff loss, the Ravens squandered a two-touchdown halftime lead by committing three turnovers on seven offensive plays in the third quarter.

"I've said it before, and people in Pittsburgh got upset, but I feel like we gave them the game twice this year," Harbaugh said during a conference call with season ticket holders. "We should have beaten them three times, and that's on us. That's our fault. The one thing that Pittsburgh has done better than the Ravens the last three years is they found ways to win that game. They made the plays they needed to make in the critical moments to win those games."

The NFL officially announced a lockout of players by team owners following the move by the players’ union to dissolve themselves and pursue action against the league in the courts, the league said in a statement on Saturday.

A lockout effectively closes down the league’s activities and will halt any trade activities and any other dealings between players and clubs.

Friday the union announced they had ‘decertified’ and were no longer taking part in collective bargaining over a new deal between the league and players.

“The union’s abandonment of bargaining has forced the clubs to take action they very much wanted to avoid. At the recommendation of the Management Council Executive Committee under the authority it has been delegated by the clubs, the league has informed the union that it is taking the difficult but necessary step of exercising its right under federal labor law to impose a lockout of the union,” said the statement.

“The clubs are committed to continuing to negotiate until an agreement is reached, and will gladly continue to work with the FMCS (federal mediators).”

Below is the NFL’s statement put out on the Union announcing they are officially decertified.

The fastest way to a fair agreement is for both the union and the clubs to continue the mediation process. Unfortunately, the players' union has notified our office that at 4pm ET it had "decertified" and is walking away from mediation and collective bargaining, presumably to initiate the antitrust litigation it has been threatening to file. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, the clubs offered a deal that would have had no adverse financial impact upon veteran players in the early years and would meet the players' financial demands in the latter years.

The NFL clubs remain committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached. The NFL calls on the union to return to negotiations immediately. NFL players, clubs, and fans want an agreement. The only place it can be reached is at the bargaining table.