One of the key themes at Oakland Raider camp today was that until the Union is able to ratify the CBA, as a Union, the free agents cannot take the field. I was getting ready to write this up and then I saw that my good friend Seth Pollack, at SB Nation Arizona, has already taken this subject to task:
Once the new CBA was agreed to by both sides, the next step was the players reforming the official NFL Players Association which is the legal union authorized to negotiate work place rules. The union would then finalize the last few details and the deal would be actually done.
Until that happens, veteran free agents like Arizona Cardinal's new quarterback Kevin Kolb is unable to practice with the team. Everyone has been assuming that it would all get done and Kolb and the other vets would be on the field Thursday. But according to various media reports there could be a hold up.
So, basically, as Hue alluded to today in his presser, teams are going to be short of bodies until the CBA is ratified. The Oakland Raiders are already short on linemen, linebackers and quarterbacks. Let's just hope that they can stay healthy through this grueling period.
According to Adam Schefter's Tweet the CBA will be ratified at 4PM EST tomorrow, but, until we see it, we will keep you posted on this here on S&BP and on Twitter @silverandblackp