Report: NFL Players Reach Agreement; Lockout to End

A deal has been reached by the players in the NFL lockout, according to ESPN.com. The news site says the players and owners have reached a settlement, and that player representatives will meet Monday to vote and approve the deal.

It must first be accepted by the National Football League Player's Association executive committee.

The players' executive committee will meet in Washington on Monday to consider the deal.

Lawyers from both sides worked through the weekend to resolve final points that held the players and owners at odds in recent days.

As soon as the players' association ratifies the deal, NFL training camps and league free agency could begin almost immediately, according to ESPN.com.

Players will get to vote on whether or not to recertify as as union when they report to team facilities, and that process, expected to be completed by Friday, would allow free agency to begin as early as Saturday.

The Associated Press reports, however, that a Monday meeting by the NFLPA is not a certainty.

Owners approved a tentative deal to end the four-month NFL players lockout Thursday. NFL players said they needed more information before they can vote. Lawyers for both sides worked into the weekend to iron out details.