NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

About 35 or so Seahawks players gathered inside the University of Washington’s indoor practice facility on Thursday morning for a planned, but informal workout according to the Associated Press. It was spearheaded by Seattle running back Justin Forsett, but the mix of players was far from Seahawks specific.

There were those under contract and likely to be key players for the Seahawks whenever the season begins: Curry, Forsett, quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, cornerback Marcus Trufant, linebacker David Hawthorne and offensive lineman Max Unger.

There were those under contract and likely to be key players for the Seahawks whenever the season begins: Curry, Forsett, quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, cornerback Marcus Trufant, linebacker David Hawthorne and offensive lineman Max Unger.

There were a handful of college kids, including former Washington linebacker Mason Foster — drafted by Tampa Bay — and safety Nate Williams.

Then there was arguably the largest group — the free agents, most of whom were connected with the Seahawks a year ago but face an uncertain future. At the top of the list was quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, but others like offensive linemen Sean Locklear and Chris Spencer, safety Lawyer Milloy, defensive tackle Craig Terrill and defensive back Jordan Babineaux also took part.

April, 28th 2011, New York City, the green room of the NFL draft and Blaine Gabbert has been sitting here waiting for his name to be called. Blaine could have been the number one pick this year in the draft. This was not to be as the Carolina Panthers took Cam Newton. Not to be outdone the Tennessee Titans also passed on Blaine and picked Jake Locker from Washington.

Things weren't looking good for Blaine as the feel seemed to be that he could be on the slide through round one like a few of his predecessors. Blaine would not have to wait much longer as the Jaguars traded up with the Washington Redskins and selected Gabbert at number 10. By selecting the big armed quarterback from Missouri the Jaguars made a commitment for the future of their franchise. While being selected in the top ten does hold a lot of weight for a quarterback, Blaine has room to improve his skills and learn the offense as he will most likely sit his rookie year out behind David Garrard and Trent Edwards.

This will give him a leg up on Newton and Locker as he would only be thrust into competition due to injury. Blaine by all rights has a great NFL arm but needs to work on his skills under center as he worked in the spread offense in college. Look for Blaine to make his impact on this team within 2 years possibly three. For Jaguar fans in doubt of this move just think of the Bengals and the strategy they used with Carson Palmer who sat out his rookie year and then became a Pro Bowl quarterback.

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Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith gave a sign of two thumbs up as his limousine left Hotel Baker in St. Charles Thursday morning after two days of negotiating with NFL owners. “I’m going to be nice,” Smith said. “No comment.”

“We're not going to make any comments,” NFL commisoner Roger Goodell said as he climbed into the same SUV that transported Kraft to his jet at DuPage Airport on Wednesday.

Asked if there are plans to meet again soon, Goodell repeated himself. Asked if there was a reason for optimism, he politely closed the door to the vehicle.

“That was the point of the meeting,” said one of the players, who declined to go into more details. “No lawyers.”

“We were here,” Kevin Mawae said, smiling.

“We can't make a comment about it at all but we're trying,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We're trying. I think the fact that we're meeting is good.”

DirecTV has sent a mass email to all NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers that says due to the NFL’s uncertain labor situation, DirecTV is offering subsrcibers a no-risk policy. There will be no charge for the Sunday Ticket subscription until it is confirmed that the 2011 NFL season will begin.

Once an agreement is reached your subscription will renew. If any games are cancelled from the season schedule, the balance on your bill will be adjusted accordingly.

Jason La Canfora and Albert Breer of NFL Network report the NFL and players are scheduled to return to Judge Arthur Boylan’s chambers next Tuesday and Wednesday for the latest set of mediated talks. Boylan broke the last mediation by requesting the sides return with proposals, and this week’s secretive talks in Chicago could have been an effort for each to better understand the other’s position before putting those together.

The ruling coming off the injunction appeal hearing is expected to create major leverage points, one way or another, in the negotiations. The players will seek to have Nelson’s injunction upheld, while the league is seeking a broader ruling that could lead to the dismissal of the antitrust case altogether.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made the trip to suburban Chicago for the summit, as did influential owners Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, Jerry Richardson, John Mara and Art Rooney — all members of the league’s labor committee. A number of players accompanied Smith to the meeting as well, including Mike Vrabel, Tony Richardson, Brian Dawkins, Kevin Mawae, and Jeff Saturday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan was also in attendance.

Though there were not any major breakthroughs, according to sources, ideas were exchanged between the parties.

San Fran QB Alex Smith confirmed he has spoken to wide receiver Michael Crabtree about attending 49ers players workouts according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. When asked where Crabtree was, Smith bluntly said, “Great question. Asking the wrong guy.”

Crabtree is reportedly in the Bay area but not attending any of the 49ers players sessions despite a report several weeks ago that he would attend. Last season Crabtree had 55 grabs for 741 yards and six TD’s.

It's hard to think that just three seasons ago the Baltimore Ravens used a ground based attack on Offense led by the "Three-Headed Monster" of Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and Le'Ron McClain. Even though the players roles have changed over the past few seasons it looks as if the Ravens may sport a whole new look for next season as the future looks bleak for all three to be in purple this Fall.

Here are just a few questions that need answers.

1) Will McGahee Finally get cut?

It's a question that seemingly gets asked each season due to his heft contract and diminished role. There were rumblings years ago that perhaps he was a malcontent but that doesn't seem to be the case. He's adapted from being a feature back to a Goal-line option and appears to be fine in the locker room. But he stands to make a lot of money for just being a back-up. The possibility of him restructuring his contract to a more cap friendly number does not seem likely.

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Count the Texans among the teams whose coaches did not sign off on the brief the NFL Coaches Association filed last week with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, asking that the league's owners end the lockout according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

"Our coaching staff didn't approve the contents of the brief filed by the Coaches Association," coach Gary Kubiak said Wednesday. "The brief didn't reflect the views of our coaching staff. We support our organization."

Larry Kennan, the director of the NFLCA, filed the brief in protest of some teams forcing coaches to take salary reductions during the lockout. The Texans are not one of those teams.

According to Brad Biggs of the National Football Post, veteran safety Darren Sharper remains consistent in what he has said all season-he wants to return to the Saints.

The question is whether the Saints want him back. Sharper is 35 and his durability will be an issue with the Saints or any other franchise. He has been beset by knee problems and underwent microfracture surgery a year ago.

If he doesn't have a home in Gregg Williams' defense, he wants to play somewhere for a 15th season in the NFL. He is tied for sixth all-time with 63 interceptions in his career-nine more than the closest active player, the Baltimore Ravens’ Ed Reed. Three more interceptions would put him at fifth all-time and would help his Hall-of-Fame candidacy. Sharper is in no hurry to qualify for the Hall-of-Fame. He wants to keep playing at least one more year and believes the current work stoppage is actually benefiting him. Younger players will not have the time to get up to speed with defenses, and that could make a veteran who can learn a system quickly more valuable. Plus he can work out at his own pace.

Sharper has to face the fact that his time will be up soon. He just hopes he has not already played his last game in the NFL.

It will be looked at as a sign of progress, as ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter is reporting today that the NFL Lockout could have see it’s biggest movement in months this past week.

Schefter is reporting that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell along with a couple of owners (Jerry Jones of the Cowboys among them) had a secret meeting with the NFLPA to try and start bridging the gap of what needs to get settled for this lockout to end.

The meeting took place at a hotel in Chicago, and it is not known exactly how long the metting went for. The lockout needs to hurry up and get settled or the league is going to have to start looking at the possibility of cancelling preseason games and possilby training camp.

“They have made some progress,” Schefter said. “It’s not like a deal is immanent, it’s not that it will happen this point this week, but what they are doing is laying a foundation to try and get a deal done at some point this month, by the end of the month, before the judges would weigh in.”

The fact that the two sides are meeting is a HUGE step, and one that is in the right direction.