The impending labor stoppage doesn’t mean that NFL teams are proceeding as normal. Many teams have cut veterans that can be useful in different situations. The Chicago Bears released defensive tackle and 3-time pro bowler Tommie Harris. The Washington Redskins cut running back Clinton Portis. Portis has only played in nine games the past two seasons due to a concussion in 2009 and a pulled groin in 2010.

The Bears also terminated the contracts of linebacker Hunter Hillenmyer and offensive lineman Kevin Shaffer. Hillenmyer played eight seasons for the Bears. His 2010 season ended due to a concussion in the Bears’ third preseason game. The New York Jets will also part ways with veteran defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, offensive tackle Damien Woody and defensive ends Jason Taylor and Vernon Gholston. Jenkins and Woody are expensive veterans that seem to be past their primes. Taylor had a poor season and is expected to retire. Gholton’s a draft bust for the Jets.

It’s good to see that teams are operating as if Thursday’s deadline doesn’t matter, maybe even a deal will be reached and no work stoppage will happen. We can all be hopeful. These veteran players can help other teams whenever there’s NFL football again. Coaches and general managers are watching draft eligible players and cutting aging veterans that could find success with other teams. For now, it’s business as usual.

The NFL Combine is a chance for college players to meet the NFL media. It was also the opportunity for quarterbacks to register their vitals, height, weight and other measurables. It was also the opportunity for NFL coaching staffs to meet with top prospects including Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton. Newton will run and throw during Sunday’s workouts. Gabbert will not throw during the NFL combine. he’s going to save it for individual team workouts or let his game tape speak for itself. Christian Ponder, the Florida State prospect decided that he will throw during the drills. Ponder is expected to go in the second or third round.

It’s Newton that everyone wants to see. His decision to partake in all the drills won’t affect his draft stock. Teams are already falling in love with him. The Washington Redskins pick tenth in the first round. Newton intrigues head coach Mike Shanahan but Newton’s unlikely to last until the tenth pick. Newton might be chosen as early as one if the Carolina Panthers decide to trade the pick or chosen at three by the Buffalo Bills.

Gabbert deciding not to throw at the combine goes along with the recent draft years. Many top quarterbacks picked chose not to throw at the combine. There are a lot of other QB prospects that will throw at the combine Sunday. It’s a chance for the top players to showcase their talents in front the NFL brass.

Let the meat market assessment begin. Next week, NFL scouts, general managers and some other executives will descend upon Indianapolis for the NFL Draft Combine. It’s an opportunity for the lesser know players to show off, along with some highly-ranked players showing off their measurable skills. The biggest player underneath a microscope at the combine will be Cam Newton. He’s decided to participate in all the quarterback drills at the event.

Measuring how fast players run the 40-yard dash, how far they can throw the football and the broad jump is just one part of the combine. For coaches and GMs, it’s a great opportunity to see the players’ football intelligence and sit down, face-to-face with each player during the interviews. The Wonderlic test is also administered, but it’s less relevant. It’s just to gauge the general knowledge of the players, not football smarts.

Coaches and GMs must evaluate everything. The stats during the drills will provide some insight into the player. Game film does a better job. The combine is a chance to meet each prospect and get a feel for their character. Newton will be the most scrutinized player at the event. It’s a solid showcase for the top college talent. Stock will rise and fall, but it’s still a positive NFL light.

Let’s operate under the assumption that there will be a new collective bargaining agreement. It means teams will be able to sign and move players. Quarterbacks will move from team to team, with many teams getting a new signal caller. Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton and Donovan McNabb could be available for the right price. It’s known that the Washington Redskins will release or trade McNabb. Matt Hasselbeck is another QB available, and cheaper because he’s a free agent.

The interesting candidate for a new team, Carson Palmer, is the one that’s most unlikely to be moved. Palmer wants out of Cincinnati. He is not an elite QB. He could help a team like the Minnesota Vikings. Cincinnati was winning games when they could rely on the running game and whose better at carrying the load than Adrian Peterson? Palmer would instantly provide the deep ball to Vikings wide receivers. McNabb wants to prove he’s still a top guy and there’s teams out there that can use a veteran quarterback.

It looks like drafting a QB is going to be the solution most used by teams. No CBA means teams will look to the draft for their new signal caller. Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton are most likely to be chosen within the top few picks of the draft. It’s not as deep as recent drafts, but the potentials there in Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett. They just need to go to teams where they can learn for a couple of seasons before being handed the reigns of the franchise. Buffalo has Ryan Fitzpatrick for a couple more years, but is still in the market for a QB of the future. There’s a lot of uncertainty without a new CBA and fans are hungry for veteran QBs, but it’s just a waiting game now.

It’s a start and it looks like the NFL and the NFLPA will get together and hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement. Now, with the help of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. It’s an independent government organization that will oversea the negotiations between the two sides. The process will begin this Friday in Washington, D.C. It’s suppose to be the first of seven straight days of negotiations between the two sides.

Let’s be honest, that’s a bit of a stretch. There’s a lot of detail to iron out before labor piece is achieved. Both sides cannot meet for that many days consecutively without upsetting each other. The mediator will just facilitate the process, they cannot force the two sides to come to an agreement. The owners changed the location and dates of their meetings, from March 3 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to March 2-3 in Chantilly, VA. It’s a positive sign that their serious about getting a deal done by the March 3 expiration deadline.

It’s going to take a great compromise by both sides. It’s going to be up to the players to not break ranks but the if the process continues to drag, expect some of the lower level players wanting to get those paychecks in the fall. The owners have the television revenue, they’re only missing out on the game day revenue, which is quite considerable but mediation shows they’re serious about the sides talking, not just letting important deadlines pass without a mention. There has been only one meeting between the two sides, with the owners walking out over money. It’s always about money, but bringing in moderators means they’re serious about the deal getting done sooner rather than later.

It’s not March yet and the Super Bowl ended the 2010 NFL season two weeks ago, but the NFL does a great job of staying in the headlines during the off season. This one promises to be more interesting than projecting the NFL Draft or see which top free agents sign lucrative deals with other teams. Fans will probably also miss the cutting of aging veterans or young under-performing players. The uncertainty with the collective bargaining agreement puts most of it in jeopardy.

The one thing fans know will take place in April is the NFL Draft. The top prospects will gather in New York City for the three day spectacle. Roger Goodell moved the first round to prime time. The ratings were solid and it’s two and a half hours of talking heads debating which player to choose. All the teams at the top of the draft need drastic overhauls to get better sooner rather than later.

When Andrew Luck decided to return to Stanford for his senior season, it threw the top of the draft off. The Carolina Panthers were poised to choose the signal caller number one because of his tremendous upside. It’s now believed that Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley will be the number one player chosen by the Panthers. There’s no clear number one quarterback in the draft. Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton is an intriguing prospect, but he needs time to develop into a quality NFL quarterback. Blaine Gabbert is going to be chosen in the first round, but where?

The question will be which team decides to mortgage the future for Gabbert, Newton or some other quarterback. Quarterbacks have usually been the number one overall pick, it’s almost like clockwork. The QB is the most important position on the field. The NFL is a showcase for analysts to debate about the best available. It’s an opportunity for fans to dream about the the future of their franchise. This time, fans will be relishing longer because it’s unclear when exactly we’ll see these players on the field.