Roger Goodell calls meeting beneficial

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell described his meeting with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and other union officials as beneficial.

According to ESPN, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees attended the negotiation session that was conducted Saturday.

"It's always a positive when both parties are talking," Goodell said during an ESPN radio interview. "My focus is on the next three or four weeks. I've often said, our agreement expires on March 4. We have to use that period of time to reach an agreement that's fair for the players, fair for the clubs, and allows our great game to grow for our fans."

Per the report, the meeting was described as productive.

Besides Goodell and Jeff Pash, five owners attended the meeting: Robert Kraft, Clark Hunt, John Mara, Dean Spanos and Jerry Richardson.

Richardson has been described as inflexible and pessimistic.

As for Smith, he told ESPN that it was a good meeting, adding: "I don't think anyone went into the meeting with the idea that we were going to build Rome in one day."

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