NFL Rumors: CBA Talks to 'Intensify'; 3-4 Negotiation Sessions in July Possible

Negotiations for a new NFL collective bargaining agreement are reportedly set to "intensify" in July.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, three negotiating sessions have already taken place between the owners and players since April. In July alone, three or four more of those discussions could reportedly take place with the goal of having a new deal in place before the start of the 2019 regular season.

The current NFL CBA is set to expire after the 2020 season.

When the current CBA was finalized in 2011, it ended a 132-day lockout. Per Graziano, things are a bit more optimistic this time around since the owners opted out of the previous CBA ahead of time, which suggested a lockout was likely.

A repeat of that has not happened, but it doesn't mean a lockout won't occur. In April, Malcolm Jenkins, the NFLPA rep for the Philadelphia Eagles, told ESPN's Tim McManus that negotiations could be even tougher than they were prior to the 2011 lockout:

"That's yet to be seen. But I've got a feeling it won't be as simple as it was last time just because you have more players like myself who have been through the lockout before, saw how the NFLPA leadership handled that into where we are now, which I don't think was a bad deal but there is a lot that I feel like we want to get back as players, or get as players."

Perhaps the biggest area of contention during negotiations will be the revenue split. The current CBA has given the players anywhere from 47-48.5 percent of the revenue during its existence, which was a drop from 50 percent in the prior CBA.

Conversations are also likely to be held regarding guaranteed contracts, the rookie pay scale and potential limitations on the franchise tag.

There has long been talk about the NFL taking away two preseason games and adding two regular-season games as well, which could come up during talks.

Ultimately, the two sides will attempt to avoid a work stoppage that costs the league regular-season games, which last happened in 1987.