nfl players

Ask Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew whether he would try to play through a concussion or yank himself from a game, and he'll provide a straightforward answer.

High expectations, low production: That's a dreaded combination. Don Banks lists the NFL players, coaches, teams and executives who have grossly underperformed so far this season.

Some NFL players took full advantage of a golden opportunity to relaunch their careers. But others aren't moving in the right direction, writes Don Banks as he closes the book on Week 1.

What can you really learn from the first week of the preseason? First impressions do matter, and a number of NFL players and teams made them -- for better or worse, writes Don Banks.

It's on to the next step for the NFL and its players, who are getting closer to a full-fledged collective bargaining agreement.

"The NFL and NFLPA staffs have been working for the past few days on the final details of the new CBA," league spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email to The Associated Press on Saturday.

A person with direct knowledge of the number of votes cast has told The Associated Press that there enough votes from NFL players to recertify the union.

This is one of the last steps in completing the collective bargaining agreement.

Free agency officially begins Friday, but some NFL players already are starting to find new homes. Peter King ranks the Top 50 players on the market and predicts where they will land.

Now it can be said with certainty: Get ready for some football! NFL players voted to OK a final deal Monday, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally managed to put an end to the 4 ½-month lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history.

Players' agreement finally brings NFL lockout to end.

A person with knowledge of the players association's plans tells The Associated Press that the executive committee will meet in Washington on Monday.