We are working hard with the players' negotiating team every day to complete an agreement as soon as possible." Brady, Manning and Brees spoke out as a group publicly for the first time as representatives of players and owners gathered Wednesday morning at a Manhattan office building for the latest round of talks aimed at resolving the fourth-month lockout. It's the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987, and negotiations are at a critical phase, with deadlines to get training camps and the preseason started on time. Players' association chief DeMaurice Smith, along with NFL owners Robert Kraft of the Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys were seen arriving for the talks Wednesday morning. There is a growing belief inside league circles that the NFL and NFLPA will have an agreement in place that can be ratified during the July 21 league meetings in Atlanta, sources familiar with the state of negotiations told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. But one member of the players' negotiating team who has been a constant presence at the table told Mortensen that players believe they have made significant concessions and overtures "that have not been reciprocated." He stated that negotiations Wednesday and Thursday will be the most telling days on whether an agreement indeed will be finalized within the July 21 time frame because "we've basically reached the limits of compromise." The same source added that the players have agreed to cut rookie compensation in half but won't agree to a deal that does not allow for the rookie class to become free agents at the end of four years. High-level sources on both sides of the talks told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the debate in the rookie pool talks is over how to structure a fifth-year option for first-round draft picks. Under current proposals, all first-rounders would get four-year deals, plus an option year. That option could be executed by the team after the third or fourth year of the contract. However, owners want a fixed amount for the fifth-year option, roughly $4 million. Players want a top 10 salary at the position for the top 16 picks. They proposed a top 15 salary for picks 17 through 32. According to sources, Smith told those on Tuesday's conference call that the players' association had no comment on current negotiations and wouldn't be updating plaintiffs on the particulars. Smith said plaintiffs have some legal tactics they could pursue if necessary in the future, sources said, but Smith declined to identify what those were. Aside from the rookie pool talks, the owners and players also have been stuck on a proposal by management that for the 2011 transition period, teams can exercise the right of first refusal on three free agents, in addition to their franchise-tag designees. The proposal -- in which teams could match any contract offer and retain their free-agent player -- has been rejected by the players. The two sides appear comfortable with a split of an all-revenue model in which players will receive about 48 percent of the money at the outset, and never less than approximately 46.5 percent as revenues are expected to grow significantly from $9.6 billion in 2011 over the term of an agreement that will be no less than seven years and could go as long as 10. Meanwhile, NFL retirees continue to press for their say in the labor fray, telling a judge Wednesday they they have fresh complaints against the league and players they accuse of negotiating a new labor deal without them. Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller is the lead plaintiff for the retirees. Attorneys for the Eller plaintiffs asked a judge for permission to update an existing complaint signaling their intent to sue both sides for allegedly leaving them out of the labor talks. The retirees say a federal appeals court decision upholding the lockout is one of the reasons an update is needed and so are the "unlawful" ongoing talks that don't include them. The retirees say the NFL and NFLPA "have conspired" to set low retiree benefit and pension payments. A hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 8 in Minneapolis on the retirees' complaint. Information from ESPN national correspondent Sal Paolantonio, ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton and The Associated Press was used in this report.
