I find it laughable how these guys think they had anything to do with it... if the big boys really wanted to play hard ball.... the little bys in the sand box would have been commiting a&b on each other...in another month... smart reasonable businessmen allowed the players to gain some player specific advantages while putting the revenue split back in proper perspective... thats what really happened... stuck together..ya ok...   great job demaurice.... see ya in 10 years

“Our guys stood together when nobody thought we would,” Smith said. “And football is back because of it.”

Smith mentioned health and safety issues and benefits for retired players as some of the items on which the players won by sticking together, and he attempted to win back the fans who were turned off by the league’s labor unrest

 "Labor Unrest". How many league games did we miss? It seems to me that both sides can make a case that they did well. The ten year deal is more like "labor peace" with the owners happy, players content (with the exception of a few top rookies who won't be breaking the bank anymore!) and the fans set for ten more years of football. What's not to like about that?

a few top rookies who won't be breaking the bank anymore

Mark my words, due to this you may see teams trading up to the #1 overall pick if there is a player they like. You might even see cash thrown in deals like they do in other sports like BB.

In Response to Re: a closing thought on the labor unrest...:

I was wondering if they can sign and UDFA to a larger value then the rookie wage scale. I'm assuming theres a set value by position for a rookie UDFA.