Denver Broncos President Joe Ellis has issued a statement, regarding the lack of agreement between the NFL and NFLPA, as well as the Broncos' focus moving forward.
"Pat Bowlen is extremely disappointed that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement has yet to be reached. He shares our fans’ frustrations, disappointment and sense of urgency for a quick resolution.
"This is part of the process and not the end of the process. The owners are looking forward to getting back to the negotiating table and working toward a new deal that benefits our teams, players and fans. Everyone is committed to growing the game that we love.
"The Broncos are continuing with preparations for the NFL Draft and the 2011 season. We’re all hopeful that a deal is reached as soon as possible."
Trying to console the fans, at this point, is going to be a focus from all sides of the negotiation. If there's one thing that nobody wants, it's a mutiny from the fans. The collective bargaining negotiations were for a ransom of around 9 billion dollars, but with frustrated fans, that number could decrease over the long term.
It is good, however, to hear that the Broncos are still doing their due diligence with player evaluation. The Broncos front office will continue to do their job and will be ready if/when there is football in the fall of 2011.
***Special thanks to the Denver Broncos P.R. staff.