Revise: Proprietors, Commissioner, NFLPA kept solution conference within Chi town.

UPDATE: On Thursday morning, ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter first reported that DeMaurice Smith, the head of the NFLPA, and various players association officials were in Chicago for what was actually a negotiating session in which it was hoped that the vast divide between the owners and players could be bridged -- perhaps as a precursor to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Schefter also reported that the meetings were so confidential, some owners didn't know that they were taking place. Certainly an interesting series of developments with the next hearing just a day away. Stay tuned for more details as we get them... With the next labor hearing beginning on Friday on front of the Eighth Circuit Court in St. Louis, another opportunity for the players to argue the legality of the current should lead to some drama in what has been an all-too-quiet NFL landscape of late. And as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has sleuthed, the drama is beginning before the date of the hearing. Biggs figured out that three important owners — Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, and Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers — met in the Windy City with Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday. Kraft's private jet was spotted at DuPage Airport, as was Jones' Gulfstream with blue stars on each side of the tail. Sources also placed Richardson and Goodell at the private confab. Kraft was apparently questioned about his business in Chicago, but gave no comment. Of course, the meeting could mean any number of things — it could be a strategy session for the NFL in the event that they win the next round with the Eighth Circuit Court (which they expect to do), or an entreaty to a possible negotiation strategy should they lose. It could have been a meeting with members of the NFLPA, though that seems less likely — as much as Goodell has been ringing the bell for 'negotiation, not litigation," the only recent discussions have been legally mandated ones. It could also have been a discussion about a possible ruling for damages by Judge David Doty in the lockout insurance case — the players have asked for damages exceeding $700 million after Doty found that the owners had colluded to try and set up a $4 billion slush fund with 2011 television money, and Doty could do a lot worse if he so chose — he could rule for treble damages and really give the owners something to cry about. Or it could just be three of the league's most powerful owners telling Goodell what he needs to know about the way the next wave of labor issues will go. We can only hope that the meeting is a precursor to negotiations — ANY kind of negotiations — instead of the stalemate that has dragged on for months. It's unlikely that either side will move until the Eighth Circuit Court rules again, but one never knows.

After a while ticking out, Manning can be narrowing the possibilities.

While Peyton Manning remains the free-agency trip, a number of squads are actually bounced out of your match, no matter whether with their individual volition as well as certainly not. Manning obviously got an incredibly beneficial along with profitable pay a visit to while using Denver Broncos, as outlined by Henry Klis in the Denver Article, after which it, they hurt the means into Illinois, wherever they satisfied using Cardinals administrators, go instructor Ken Whisenhunt along with phone Lewis Fitzgerald. Manning is beyond Illinois, obtaining went back for you to the Fl household. There is not any signal no matter whether he'll almost certainly talk to your New mexico Dolphins, who will be rumored to get able to place on your full-court click, nevertheless Klis affirms in a really exciting survey that will Manning intends to generate the determination by simply Mondy -- which is the starting up morning in the brand-new group calendar year along with the stage where squads could basically make a deal using non-released no cost providers. Klis composed that will Manning don't take adviser Jeff Condon coupled in sometimes pay a visit to, knowning that not your Broncos not your Cardinals get built standard gives. Manning obviously thought i would create these kind of sessions additional everyday to ensure they may get a greater impression involving precisely what every single crew was actually similar to devoid of the perhaps adversarial element of income chat mucking issues way up. Manning ended up being obviously quite satisfied while using Broncos corporation immediately after conversing with anyone inside the front place of work, plus the Cardinals countered Denver's additional everyday tactic with additional of an "red-carpet cure. " [Related: Report: If Broncos sign Manning, Tebow could be gone ] Precisely what Klis described, immediately after speaking with a person, can be that this Seattle Seahawks along with Kansas Area Chiefs are generally out of your jogging. The two squads got into contact with Manning along with wanted that they visit his or her features, nevertheless ended up rebuffed -- at the least as outlined by Klis. On the other hand, Eric Williams in the Tacoma News-Tribune described in On the nighttime that this entrance remains to be wide open to the Seahawks, knowning that Manning would not exclusively usually? pay a visit to? your team's features. Along with the FOOTBALL origin instructed? Shutdown? Place in On the nighttime that this? Chiefs? are nevertheless inside search for also. While Marvin Gaye after sang, "Believe 50 % of what we discover, kid, along with it's unlikely that any involving what we pick up. " At any rate... Klis in addition stories that this much-ballyhooed "surprise teams" inside manage pertaining to Manning could possibly be a pair of: Your Tn Titans along with San fran 49ers. Titans seller Marijuana Adams just lately gone general public regarding his inclination that will Manning revisit Tn (wherever they attended higher education), along with generally there definitely seems to be a new school of thought if your 49ers are unable to understand free-agent quarterback Alex Johnson, some may article a new delayed put money involving awareness. This can be most supposition at this stage, nevertheless one particular thing's definitely -- your Manning derby is around to acquire more exciting along with powerful. Stay tuned for more!