NEW YORK (AP and Staff) — Negotiations completed for the day and likely the week, NFL owners are setting sights on their upcoming meeting in Chicago. Many players are looking beyond then — with optimism — toward getting back to work.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners completed two days of talks Wednesday with NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players in Maryland. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides have been making progress at several such meetings in the last three weeks.

The person, who spoke anonymously because details of the discussions aren’t supposed to be made public, also said a new collective bargaining agreement is not imminent.

Nonetheless, several players expressed confidence that a deal will get done soon and training camps will open on time late in July.

“I know that we’ve been talking pretty extensively over the last few weeks,” said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, one of 10 players whose names are on an antitrust lawsuit against the league. “It seems like things are moving in the right direction, which is very positive. It’s what we always hoped for as players because obviously we’re getting to crunch time here.”

Close enough to it.

Although no deadlines have been set for the opening of camps, the 32 teams soon must decide whether to delay them, particularly those clubs that stage a portion of camp out of town. Settling early in July almost certainly would provide for full training camps at previously planned locations, although the Minnesota Vikings have said they could delay until July 18 an announcement on whether they will train at their usual site in Mankato.

“I think everyone kind of has that feeling, that this thing’s starting to end,” said Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth, the team’s player representative. “I feel like that’s the attitude that everybody has, and you can see everybody preparing that way.

“When you look at the timeline for both sides, it starts to get real serious around this time.”

The lockout is in its fourth month. During that time, there have been mediation sessions, court actions in Minnesota and Missouri, and clandestine meetings between Goodell and Smith, a handful of owners and players. Some of those talks have included lawyers on both sides, some haven’t.

Such sessions have been critical in past NFL negotiations, dating to the 1980s.

Brees said to be wary of reports that specific portions of a framework for a new CBA are completed.

“Little steps is good. … I think the gap is being narrowed in a lot of different areas,” he said. “It’s hard to give any kind of prediction at this point, so any percentages that are thrown out there by unknown sources is something that, you can’t necessarily believe everything you hear. But there is progress and that’s a good thing.”

Movement toward an agreement is in both sides’ best interest after a federal appeals court judge warned the owners and players they might not like the upcoming decisions in legal actions sparked by the lockout. Indeed, the court could delay any rulings if a new CBA appears to be near.

If a deal were struck, a free agency period would follow soon after, along with the signing of undrafted rookies. Teams would hold minicamps, which have been put off by the lockout that began March 12.

The labor impasse also has cost the league and some teams advertising and sponsorship money, and some players have not collected workout bonuses. At least seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs of employees who are not players.

The economic pain may not be over. The dealmaking could all come crashing down if one side decides compromise is not in its interest.

“Much can still go wrong — every negotiating session is unique to itself,” said Don Yee, who represents Tom Brady and is an adjunct law professor at USC. “Just because one day was good doesn’t mean the next day will be, too.”

That the lockout has lasted this long is frustrating to at least one player.

“In all honesty, being a professional now in an industry that’s as big as the NFL is, it’s kind of embarrassing that we’re even in a lockout,” said Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who will be a free agent once a new CBA is in place. “And having to go through these things and having to come to (the University of Cincinnati) campus and work out and not having a trainer. It’s slightly embarrassing, but it is what it is and I have no control over those type of things.

“But it is comforting to hear those guys coming up with a solution.”

Pryor’s attorney, Larry James, said Wednesday that the CFL is a genuine possibility for the ex-Buckeye.

“Yeah, it’s like I told (the Roughriders). My house is not for sale, but at the right price, it’s on the market,” James said.

James was in a meeting and had yet to speak with Pryor about the Roughriders, however. James said he did not believe Pryor had ever mentioned the CFL as a strong possibility in their conversations.

Pryor, a three-year starter for the Buckeyes, announced on Tuesday that he is giving up his senior season while the NCAA investigates Ohio State players getting improper benefits, including tattoos, cash and possible sweetheart deals on cars. Pryor has admitted he broke NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner.

Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the team owned Pryor’s CFL negotiation rights and was intrigued by the 6-foot-6, 233-pound quarterback.

“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Taman said. “We get a lot of U.S. college football up here. We’re well aware of him. With the (bigger) field up here in Canada, with the athlete that he is, he would be an interesting component to come up here and run around and do some things as a quarterback.”

Taman said he was more concerned about Pryor’s passing ability than his past.

“It (the CFL) is a pass-oriented league, so that’s one thing he’d have to master,” he said. “But as a runner he would flourish up here, I know.”

Asked if the ongoing NCAA investigation into Pryor and the fact that he was unable to complete his college career would be a concern for the Roughriders, Taman said no.

“Any time we sign a player we check into their character and whatnot,” he said. “If we get these talks advanced, we’d obviously have a thorough discussion with him and get input back on exactly what went down. What little I know about him, I don’t think there’s anything that’s a major red flag that he’s just totally a kid you would ignore.”

Taman said Pryor is being looked at by the Roughriders strictly as a quarterback. There had been speculation that Pryor might have to switch to wide receiver or tight end in the pros because of his footwork and arm strength.

Pryor has other options. He could make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft, although there are questions about whether one will be held due to the labor unrest in the league.

He also could take a year off to heal from ankle surgery last January and prepare for next year’s NFL draft. Many experts think that might be the way to go.

“When we look at him athletically I think he’s a good athlete, but I don’t think he’s an athlete like (former Auburn QB and Heisman Trophy winner) Cam Newton,” said NFL draft analyst and former general manager of the Dallas Cowboys Gil Brandt.

Or Pryor could even join another player who fell into disfavor and did not finish his Ohio State career, running back Maurice Clarett, and sign with a team in the United Football League. Clarett plays for the Omaha Nighthawks.

Nighthawks coach Joe Moglia didn’t sound excited about the idea of that pairing.

“The job of any coach is to do what’s in the best interest of his players, his coaches and his fans,” he said. “If that were to come up, we would take a look at that. I’m not the type of guy normally who hypothesizes on something that probably, under normal circumstances, may not happen.”

James said he will discuss the opportunities with Pryor, possibly next week.

“We would try to get through next week in order to do our due diligence, in order to figure out where we are,” James said. “No. 1, try to figure out whether the NFL’s going to have a supplemental draft. If they are, what’s the timetable and what’s the protocol. Then we’d also explore what are the processes and procedures for the Canadian league and what would be the dates and deadlines and decisions to be made.”

He added, “And any other options that might be available for Terrelle. So we’re going to go through A, B, C options.”

Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl quarterback, says he hopes Burress uses him as an example in his return to the NFL. The former New York Giants receiver spent nearly two years in prison for a gun charge and was released Monday.

Vick has made a remarkable comeback to the league after spending 18 months in federal prison for dogfighting charges. He led the Eagles to the NFC East title last season and was voted The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.

Vick hasn’t communicated with Burress, but shared his thoughts on what he would say to him.

“Just take your time coming back and getting acclimated. Think family first and football second and it’ll all work out,” Vick said Wednesday. “It’s great that he’ll get a second chance. We’ll pray for him, we’re going to support him 100 percent and we’re in his corner and we just want him to excel.”

Vick was reviled when he came back, and there was an outcry from animal rights groups when the Eagles signed him in August 2009. But Vick won over fans in Philadelphia and outside the city, too, with his sensational performance on the field and his service in the community.

Burress doesn’t have to overcome similar animosity, though he still faces some challenges.

“Hopefully he’ll use my situation as an example and go out and try and emulate what I’ve done in his own way,” Vick said. “That’s what it’s about. It’s about growth and it’s about learning. Things in life happen in stages and those are some things you have to go through as an individual.”

The Eagles are rumored to be a potential home for Burress, and were even listed on one betting website as the favorites to land him at 3-2 odds. But a person familiar with the team’s thinking told The Associated Press that Burress isn’t in their plans.

That makes sense, considering the Eagles already have two standout receivers: DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Jackson has been to the Pro Bowl twice and Maclin has star potential. Jason Avant and Riley Cooper give the team depth at the position.

Burress would fit in perfectly as a situational receiver inside the red zone because of his size. But it’s likely he’d prefer a team that would offer him a chance to be the No. 1 or No. 2 target.

“He definitely brings a lot to the game, his passion, enthusiasm and the way he plays,” Vick said. Vick and several other Eagles have said they’d welcome Burress to Philadelphia.

It’s not their decision, though.

“We haven’t even gone there,” Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said during the team’s annual playground building event. “There is nothing you can do there.”

Vick was 29 when he returned. Burress turns 34 in August. While age is a factor, Vick said Burress’ position helps him.

“It’s actually easier being a receiver and coming back and playing the game,” Vick said. “You have to get your legs back up under you. I was a guy that had to live that. It’s tough. You think you can do it, but you have to take that time out and make sure you’re ready to go.”

NEW YORK (AP and Staff) — Whether they are meeting in secret locations or in the middle of Times Square at rush hour, talks between NFL owners and players are a good sign.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has been saying that ever since the lockout began on March 12. Players, agents and lawyers familiar with the negotiating process second the notion.

Both sides met Wednesday for a second straight day in New York, with Judge Arthur Boylan joining Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith. It was the second time this week that the sides got together. Last week, they met twice near Chicago.

Also on hand were five team owners and five players. That’s a critical component for reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

“Having meetings on a regular basis is not nearly as important as having productive talks,” said agent Ben Dogra, whose clients include Patrick Willis and Sam Bradford. “If having productive talks encompasses meeting on a regular basis, then it is a good for them to meet as often as possible.”

Both sides seem ready to do that as they await a ruling about the legality of the lockout from the federal appeals court in St. Louis. The factions aren’t due back in court until August. On Wednesday, Judge Susan Nelson moved up a hearing for the league’s motion to dismiss the players’ antitrust suit from Sept. 12 to Aug. 29 — nine days before the regular season is scheduled to begin.

“NFL owners and players continue to be engaged in confidential discussions before Chief Magistrate Judge Boylan,” the two sides said in a joint statement. “Both sides met again this week as part of ongoing court mediation. Those discussions are expected to continue.”

A person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that the owners and players will meet again “soon and often. That means in the near future, not in a month or anything like that.”

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were supposed to remain confidential.

On hand at the latest talks were owners John Mara of the New York Giants, Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, Clark Hunt of the Kansas city Chiefs and Dean Spanos of the San Diego Chargers.

Representing the players were NFLPA President Kevin Mawae, Mike Vrabel, Tony Richardson, Domonique Foxworth and Jeff Saturday.

Goodell told Buccaneers ticket holders Wednesday that “any time we’re talking that’s a positive because I believe both sides want to find solutions.”

“I believe it’s the objective of everybody involved with the NFL to play a full 2011 season,” Goodell said during the conference call. “That’s certainly what we’re working towards, and I think the players are working towards that, too. It’s for the good of the game, it’s for the good of the people involved in the game, and it’s absolutely good for the fans.”

But don’t get too excited about the recent talks.

“I don’t think having the meetings is necessarily a sign for optimism,” Dogra said. “But the fact both sides are meeting and will continue to meet in undisclosed locations, and that ownership is present, is a good sign that both parties are continuing to talk through the issues.”

Added Don Yee, agent for Tom Brady and an adjunct law professor at Southern Cal: “I think it is far too early for optimism. Generally, nothing in the sports business happens until the very last minute, and we’re nowhere close to that yet.”

Still, the timing is crucial. Although June usually is a slow month in the NFL, teams already would have signed free agents and some rookies; held mini-camps and offseason training activities; and laid out plans for a full training camp beginning at the end of July.

But other than conducting the draft in late April, the NFL has been dormant.

“I’m still optimistic we’re going to have 16 games,” said Bengals guard Bobbie Williams, an alternate player representative. “July is not here yet, and June just started. We still have time here to get this thing done. Now when July starts running out, then it’s a different ballgame. Come ask me again.”

The announcement was no surprise. BCS officials had said USC was in danger of having its championship vacated after the Trojans were hit with heavy NCAA sanctions last year for rules violations committed during the 2004 and ’05 seasons.

“The BCS alerted us today that their presidents have voted to vacate USC’s 2005 BCS championship game victory,” USC athletic director Pat Haden said. “This was not an unexpected outcome. We will comply with all requirements mandated by the result of this BCS vote.”

The NCAA ruled star tailback Reggie Bush received improper extra benefits during those seasons and was ineligible when he played.

One of Haden’s first moves when he took over as AD last year was to give back the school’s copy of the Heisman Trophy that Bush won in 2005. Bush later relinquished his own Heisman and the trust in charge of handing out the award announced the ’05 winner would be left vacant.

The BCS waited until USC appealed the NCAA sanctions, which included a two-year ban from postseason play and a loss of 30 scholarships over three seasons, to make a decision about its championship. The NCAA denied USC’s appeal on May 26.

At that point, it was just a matter of time before the Trojans’ 55-19 victory against Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl was wiped from the record books.

The dominant performance capped a perfect season by USC and left it ranked at the top of both the AP and coaches’ polls. Auburn and Utah also finished that season undefeated.

The Trojans will not have to relinquish The Associated Press national championship.

“The BCS arrangement crowns a national champion, and the BCS games are showcase events for postseason football,” BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “One of the best ways of ensuring that they remain so is for us to foster full compliance with NCAA rules. Accordingly, in keeping with the NCAA’s recent action, USC’s appearances are being vacated.”

The BCS also said the Trojans must vacate their participation in 2006 Rose Bowl. USC lost that game, 41-38, and the national championship to Texas.

ST. LOUIS (AP and Staff) — NFL players urged a federal appeals court Friday to declare the lockout illegal, saying the league had no right to impose a work stoppage that is now approaching three months with no sign of a deal that will save the 2011 season.

In a courtroom packed with some 200 people, including out-of-work players and retirees on folding chairs brought in to handle the crowd, attorneys on both sides of the bitter labor fight got roughly 30 minutes each to make their cases.

The appeal centers on the lockout that began hours after months of labor talks fell apart March 11, the players’ union dissolved and the fight ended up in federal court. The NFL contends the union decertification was a sham meant to gain leverage in the talks and the conflict remains subject to labor law.

The players argue that antitrust laws apply and the lockout put in place under labor law needs to be put on hold, as it was in April by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson in Minnesota.

“We’re asking for a preliminary injunction for a short period of time,” the players’ counsel, Theodore Olson, said in the hushed courtroom. “We’re simply asking that the laws of the U.S. be respected.”

The arguments came before a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals whose two earlier 2-1 decisions have sided with the league and upheld the lockout. The panel took the arguments under advisement with one judge, Kermit Bye, saying only that a ruling would come in “due course” and he suggested the two sides figure things out.

“We wouldn’t be all that hurt if you go out and settle that case,” Bye said with a smile as he closed the 68-minute hearing. “We will keep with our business, and if that ends up with a decision, it’s probably something both sides aren’t going to like.”

The league is starting to see the effects of the lockout, with furloughs and other recent moneysaving steps. Training camps traditionally start in late July and the first preseason game is little more than two months away.

The hearing has been seen as pivotal in the dispute over how to share the NFL’s $9 billion in annual revenue, and the turnout included NFL Players Association leader DeMaurice Smith and two dozen players, including Green Bay’s Cullen Jenkins, the Jets’ Tony Richardson and Giants standout Osi Umenyiora.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spent Friday in Fort Bragg, N.C., a league spokesman tweeting that Goodell isn’t a lawyer and “wouldn’t have added much to the legal proceedings.” Jets owner Woody Johnson was at the hearing.

Paul Clement, an attorney representing the NFL, waved off a reporter’s question about whether the NFL had the upper hand.

“As we tried to make clear in there, we think the lockout is actually the best way to get players back on the field,” said Clement, who like Olson is a former U.S. solicitor general. “I think people understand that this will be resolved; the resolution will include a collective bargaining agreement. And the fastest way to get there is to get the antitrust laws, which were just a misfit in this context, out of the picture.”

The hearing was sometimes dense as Olson and Clement laid out arguments over Nelson’s April 25 decision to lift the lockout on the grounds that it was illegal and the players suffering irreparable harm. The 8th Circuit — seen as a more conservative, business-friendly venue for the NFL than the federal courts in Minnesota — put her ruling on hold April 29 and reaffirmed its decision May 16.

Judges Steven Colloton and Duane Benton wrote for the majority then that “the league has made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits.” Bye dissented both times, favoring the players.

Colloton and Benton — appointed by Republican President George W. Bush — were outspoken Friday, peppering Olson and Clement with requests to elaborate on legal points and precedents. Bye, an appointee of President Clinton, a Democrat, offered the opening welcome to the crowded gallery, but remained mostly quiet.

Clement insisted the Norris-LaGuardia Act bars court injunctions in cases arising from a labor dispute, which he maintained is in play, and said Nelson’s decision runs afoul of it.

“Ultimately, collective bargaining is a much better way to resolve these disputes than antitrust litigation,” Clement said.

Olson countered that the act, which dates to the Depression, didn’t apply without organized labor activity — and the players’ union legally dissolved before the court fight, which includes a still pending federal antitrust lawsuit filed by 10 players, including Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

“The players are perfectly happy to be protected by antitrust laws,” Olson said. He denied the decertification was a negotiating tactic, adding the players are barred from engaging in collective bargaining after their decision.

“They did every step necessary” to dissolve the union, Olson said. “They made a significant choice, which has significant effects under labor law.”

Olson also argued his clients continue to be harmed financially by the lockout. Clement, asked by Bye about that issue, refused to concede Olson’s claim and said “any evidentiary hearing before the court would bear that out” — though he didn’t think it necessary.

The two sides met for 16 days before talks fell apart. A federal magistrate has also held six days of mediation with the two sides, and he was on hand with them again during three days of discussions near Chicago.

Ernie Conwell, a former Rams and Saints tight end, said the players were at the negotiating table all those times but “didn’t have a willing participant” in the NFL. And he scoffed at Clement’s suggestion that players are enjoying more recreational time with the lockout.

“Come on,” said Conwell, now a players’ representative. “There is a lot of stress on these guys not knowing what the future holds for them. And the league understands that — that’s why the lockout is in place.”

Brady said during halftime of a charity touch football game at Harvard that he’s still hopeful that there will be a resolution soon, though he acknowledged that “nobody knows.”

“Everyone is working hard toward a great outcome,” the Patriots quarterback said. “And I’m confident that a lot of reasonable people will come to a very reasonable agreement.”

While the owners and players spent Friday in a St. Louis courtroom arguing over the legality of the lockout, Goodell visited with troops at a U.S. Army base in North Carolina with Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

At the end of a long day at Fort Bragg that included trying on — but not using — a parachute, Goodell took questions from soldiers before telling reporters there’s some reason for optimism following the talks in Chicago.

“The importance is to have the principles talk,” Goodell said. “That’s what we were interested in doing, have the owners and players talk to one another. That was accomplished this week. … That’s a positive sign for us.”

Goodell was far from specific — he wouldn’t say when the next round of talks would be held or if the owners will be preparing another offer — but acknowledged both sides showed a willingness to work toward a deal.

He wouldn’t say how the two sides would compromise on the stumbling blocks in the negotiations, mostly notably how to divvy up $9 billion in annual revenue.

“I would just tell you that both sides are committed to continuing the dialogue,” Goodell said. “In negotiations, you’re making different suggestions, recommendations and proposals from time to time. I think both sides will do that in a responsible fashion.”

Goodell agreed that having the lawyers absent and the players and owners meeting directly — Rivera acknowledged Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was there — helped get the talks rolling.

“I still believe principle to principle is the best way to really get the kind of dialogue you need so people understand the different perspectives,” Goodell said.

But time is running out. Already free agency has been delayed, minicamps canceled and optional workouts put on hold. Training camps are scheduled to open next month.

Goodell wasn’t spared from the fans’ frustrations at Fort Bragg. One soldier accused the owners of being the players’ “No. 1 distraction” and asked Goodell, “Where’s the passion, the love of game?”

“I understand the frustration and criticism because people want football,” Goodell said. “You hear that everywhere you go. I heard that all day today. That’s what we’re in the business of doing. You have to make sure you’re taking the right steps, though, to protect the game for a long-term basis.”