[SueveDobe]

RE: the 18 game schedule as posted on ProFootballWeekly.com:

The NFL Players Association has offered the NFL owners a counterproposal to the 18-game schedule.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the union's proposal asks for reduced voluntary offseason workouts, among other things, if an 18-game season is to occur.

The proposal asks for voluntary offseason workouts to be reduced from 14 weeks to five weeks or 20 days. Considering the recent studies on concussions and NFL players, safety is a big concern, and the union is asking for reduced contact between players, with four practices a week consisting of helmetless and padless periods.

During the season, the union wants to implement two bye weeks for each team and rosters to expand from 53 to 56 or 57. It also wants increased prorated salaries for players under contract and a reduction in the number of games players need to become vested to qualify for post-career health care and pension benefits.

The way we see it

NFL owners are very firm in their desire for an 18-game regular season, and the NFLPA seems to focus on player safety with their counterproposal, asking for offseason workouts to begin in June, not March, a big difference. A point of contention could be the roster size, as owners are unlikely to pay for four extra players per active roster.

[BurdenRobert]

If they get two extra games and aren't willing to pay for four minimum contracts (because that is what they would be), then they are just being greedy. Those two extra games are worth a lot of money.