"NFL owners emerged Tuesday after a day-long review of the broad concepts of a possible labor agreement with locked-out players ready to intensify talks with the goal of reaching an accord by early next month.

Despite reported owner concerns, opposition to the plan hammered out in closed-door deliberations over the past few weeks apparently was modest and confined to certain aspects of the complex deal.

The agreement would contain a salary-cap system that would give players slightly less than half the sport's burgeoning revenues, according to people familiar with the deliberations. The players have received slightly more than half the sport's revenues in the past.

But, according to one person familiar with the situation, players likely would accept slightly less than half in the future because overall revenue is expected to rise sharply and total compensation would increase rapidly, even if players accepted a smaller percentage of the gross revenue.

It also is likely to include free agency for players after four years and a requirement that each team spends at least 90 percent of the salary cap, up from the previous minimum of slightly more than 85 percent.

Negotiations between owners and locked out players are scheduled to resume Wednesday in the Boston area and the two sides likely will make a push to complete an agreement sometime around July 4, said people familiar with the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deliberations.

"I think the ownership has a better understanding of the framework and I think we have a better understanding of the various issues and priorities within the membership," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said after the owners ended their meeting at a hotel near O'Hare Airport.

Any agreement would have to be approved by at least 24 of the 32 owners. A deal probably would be accompanied by the players reconstituting their union, and would require approval by the federal court in which the players filed their antitrust lawsuit against the owners."