There is no date that looms larger than March 3, when the current deal expires. If no deal is in place then and Smith was vocal about trying to reach an agreement by that point the league endures a work stoppage, players cannot work out at team facilities and their health benefits are compromised. The league would begin to lose money.Leroy muscular, wheelchairbound volunteer assigned to checking press credentials at the main facility being around the Redskins. As I walk up to the entrance, his goldtooth smile is beaming. "How are you doing today, sir," he says like he won the lottery.

"I know I won't be a firstday guy. I'm just hoping to be taken somewhere in the middle . But all I'm looking for is an opportunity. There is another step after that, which is actually being prepared to be on the field.Like aging tennis players suddenly becoming sentimental favorites (Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova), there is poignancy to the saga of Troy Aikman