NFL players finally agree to end lockout

The NFL lockout is now a thing of the past...finally and officially!

The NFL owners and players struck a deal Sunday afternoon to end the four and a half month long lockout, now all that waits is the ratification of the document on Monday and training camps and free agency are free to begin this week.

Owners tentatively agreed to a players-recommended plan for the NFLPA to bring players into team facilities starting as early as Wednesday to physically vote on whether to recertify the current trade association as a union, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton.

The players' executive committee will meet in Washington on Monday, a move that, according to a high-ranking NFLPA official, was not communicated to the NFLPA executive committee until Saturday morning via phone.

Following that, a recommendation has to be made by the 32 player representatives, likely via conference call. As of late Saturday night, no time had been set for that vote, but it is expected to occur Monday after the executive committee votes to recommend approval, according to the high-ranking official.

The executive committee is also expected to vote to recommend recertifying itself as a union, according to the source. A recommendation also has to be made by the 32 player representatives on that count.

When the executive committee accepts the new CBA, players from certain teams will be granted permission to report to training camps Wednesday...(ESPN).

With the lockout now over, now begins the process of seeing where 500 free agents sign this summer. Once the league year begins Monday night free agency will begin. It is believed that teams will have 72 hours to negotiate with their own free agents in hopes they can strike deals with them as soon as possible.

After that, players will be free to sign wherever they want. The Jets and Giants both have dozens of free agents set to hit the market. Stay tuned to Cohen's Corner for more details.