CHICAGO -- NFL owners are behind locked doors for their scheduled meeting Tuesday, and they're not talking about staying overnight. That is positive, only because it might be a sign that there isn't enough opposition among owners to block a potential deal.

Owners were supposed to be divided on negotitating issues and were told to prepare to stay through Wednesday. But it appears that opposition is not substantial -- at least not substantial enough to warrant two days of talks.

If nothing else, Tuesday's meeting gives all owners a chance to voice their concerns ... or their support ... and to hear from commissioner Roger Goodell where talks are headed. And I'll be honest: Right now it appears they're headed to a settlement sometime in July.

One source warned against reading too much into what could be a one-day session, but Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay sounded optimistic on his way into the room, saying, "It's the season for getting a deal done." Irsay suggested that something could happen within the next two weeks, which would make sense. It was he, after all, who targeted July 4 as the deadline for a deal without compromising the season.

"Now's the time to keep pressing on, to chug along," Irsay said. "These things stop and start, but you stay the course."

While Irsay termed the talks "fragile," another owner told me he believes both sides realize "this isn't a situation where one is going to win. It's time to do a deal that favors both."

Bottom line: Owners sound more optimistic now than they did at their annual spring meetings last month.

One other thing: In addition to owners, there are football operations people here, too, presumably to go over potential rules governing free-agency. That is also positive. It means we're getting closer to a resolution, with one owner saying, "The farther we get away from owners the better our chances of getting a deal done."

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