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This could all change if the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis issues an immediate stay order, but as of now it appears that at least two NFC North teams have scheduled Monday team meetings to kick off their offseason strength and conditioning programs.

Chicago Bears assistant coaches are informing players about a Monday morning meeting, according to ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson. And according to player agent Scott Smith, who represents Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dylan Gandy among others, Lions players have a Monday meeting and will have their first organized team activity on Wednesday.

Again, those meetings would be canceled if a stay reverts us back to the lockout. Absent a stay, it appears we will be back to a full-fledged offseason schedule by Monday. Stay tuned.

Here are some bottom-line bullet points about how the NFL will operate over the next few days after this week's labor developments:

• The draft will go on as scheduled, beginning Thursday night.
• Team facilities remain closed to players through Thursday.
• Starting Friday at 8 a.m. ET, teams can resume football contact with players. Facilities will be open for workouts, coaches can meet with players about football matters, playbooks can be handed out organized team activities (OTAs) can be held if teams choose to. The same goes for minicamps.
• Contract discussions and player movement will still be barred, however. The NFL will notify teams later Friday when the free-agent market will open and when trades will be allowed. Early speculation is that it won't come before next Monday.

This timeline is subject to the NFL's request for a stay of the injunction that has forced this awkward period. That request is currently before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

So all of the above would be rendered moot if the stay is granted.

Again, nothing has changed for Thursday and it might not change at all if the stay is granted.

Now, back to the draft. ...

Indications late Wednesday night were that the NFL would continue to operate under the "lockout purgatory" rules it established Tuesday and Wednesday while pursuing a legal stay on its lockout. So far, at least, that's exactly the way Thursday has played out.

At least two NFC North players have reported to team facilities to work out but were turned away. While there have been reports of agents calling teams to jump-start free-agent and trade discussions, there are no indications that any moves are forthcoming. We'll leave the legal analysis to the experts, but the practical result is that through mid-morning nothing has really changed.

For those interested:

• Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway reported to the team's Winter Park facility but was told by vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski that the weight room was not available. Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune has the story. Greenway: "I don't want to put anybody in a bad position. I just want to see how things shake out and hopefully it will be soon."
• Chicago Bears place-kicker Robbie Gould tried for the second time this week to work out at the team's Halas Hall facility. Gould, however, tweeted that the locker room and weight room were "closed."

Many of you are already suggesting that the NFL is in contempt of court for refusing to follow U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's order to lift the lockout. I don't know what to tell you about that. I'm guessing the NFL is banking on winning a stay and then overturning her ruling on appeal. But I thought Bears tight end Greg Olsen had a good point via Twitter: "If the roles were reversed in labor dispute on eve of training camp and a player didn't show up to camp would he be fined?"

As always, stay tuned.

The latest legal setback for the NFL comes as little surprise.

It's the timing of the setback that raises the stakes for the league -- and for NFC West teams in particular.

With the draft set to begin Thursday, teams do not yet know to what extent the league will open for business in accordance with a federal court order striking down the owners' lockout against players. U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson's refusal to stay her decision pending an appeal sent league attorneys scrambling for relief from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Even if the appeals court ultimately granted a stay, there's no telling when that court would issue such a decision. In the meantime, there's a draft to conduct, and teams need to know as soon as possible whether they can trade players under contract, sign free agents, etc.

Every NFC West team but the St. Louis Rams needs a starting quarterback. Opening the trade market could send the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers scrambling after veteran options such as Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb, a player Seattle inquired about last offseason. Teams in the division could conceivably reach out to long-time Seattle starter Matt Hasselbeck, hammering out a deal before the draft begins. That sort of scenario seems unlikely, but it's tough to take anything for granted under the circumstances.

Barring an expedited assist from the appeals court, would the league fall into contempt of court if it refused to allow at least some level of trades involving players? Nelson was explicit, after all, in her instructions to the league, even though she refused to lay out specific operating rules.

This should be a dramatic Thursday, even by NFL draft standards.

Chris Mortensen with the latest on Judge Susan Richard Nelson's ruling.

Some of you night owls might be aware that U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson has denied the NFL's request for a stay on the injunction that lifted its lockout earlier this week. Technically that means the league is open for business, including trades and free agent signings, on the eve of the 2011 draft.

Practically, however, it appears Thursday will evolve much like Tuesday and Wednesday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the NFL will tell its teams to hold off on all offseason business, with the exception of the draft, while it files a stay request with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. ESPN analyst and National Football Post president Andrew Brandt concurred, tweeting that the NFL won't effectively open its doors for business unless it fails to receive a stay from the appeals court.

Bottom line: If you were hoping your NFC North team would sign a free agent or two before the draft begins Thursday night, or would like them to include players in trade offers during the draft, I'm sorry. As of late Wednesday night, at least, that doesn't appear likely. We're back at it in the morning.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's recent column in the Wall Street Journal warned of impending doom if players' attorneys prevail in ongoing court battles.

The column invited strong criticism from various quarters, and then there was this: veteran guard Chester Pitts, player rep for the Seattle Seahawks, agreeing with characterizations of Goodell as "Fraud-ger" instead of Roger, and comparing league attorney Jeff Pash to something best flushed down a toilet.

Pitts made the remarks during a segment Wednesday with Mike Salk and Brock Huard on 710ESPN Seattle. Salk characterized Goodell as fraudulent and asked Pitts for thoughts on the commissioner. The Pash characterization was unsolicited. Pitts:

"[Goodell] has tried to find in the media’s eyes and the people’s eyes a middle ground where he is not seen as an employee of the owners, when everyone in the world knows he is. But I think if he would just own up to that and say, 'Everything I’m going to do, I’m going to back what my owners tell me to do,' then I think that he wouldn’t be a fraud any more. We may not like him, the same way I don’t like Jeff Pash, but Jeff Pash is consistent. He’s a consistent turd, but he is consistent. He is what he is."

This is the first time I can recall one person labeling another person a "turd" and meaning it as a compliment. Makes a fan want to run out and purchase season tickets, no?

Pitts' less personal points, including that player are gaining ground as more becomes known, are worth a listen. You might want to plug your nose just to be safe.

NFL players Joe Flacco, Tim Hightower, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs react to U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson's ruling.

Roger Goodell talks about the NFL lockout.

Tuesday came and went without much clarity on when this period of lockout purgatory will continue in the NFL. But for those interested, let's wrap up what happened in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Three players showed up at Halas Hall, according to team president Ted Phillips. Place-kicker Robbie Gould, defensive end Israel Idonije and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina were allowed into the building but were restricted from using the facilities. "... [W]e're not opening the building for business yet,' Phillips said. "Hopefully we will soon."

Detroit Lions: According to multiple reports, no Lions players showed up at the team's Allen Park practice facility. Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, the team's player representative, advised players against it. Vanden Bosch, via Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com: ""My understanding is that the doors to the facility would be open but we wouldn't be able to work out or talk to our coaches much. I don't know how much progress would be made or what the benefit might be. We'll wait until things become clearer."

Green Bay Packers: According to team president/CEO Mark Murphy, no players showed up at Lambeau Field. Murphy, who has a key NFL role as a member of the Management Council Executive Committee, said he anticipates more clarity by the end of this week. Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has more.

Minnesota Vikings: Backup linebacker Erin Henderson was the only player to visit the Vikings' Winter Park facility. He departed after being told he could not use the cold tub. Coach Leslie Frazier said he had a "very brief conversation" with Henderson as he moved through the building.

According to NFL.com, the NFL Players Association has recommended that agents immediately begin initiating contract discussions with teams. But it's safe to say that teams aren't going to respond. Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman said teams were instructed to maintain the lockout "status quo" -- when contact with veteran players and agents was barred -- until further notice.

Among the new developments at NFC West facilities since the earlier item:

• St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis showed up, but details were sketchy, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes.
• Running back Justin Forsett and defensive back Roy Lewis showed up at Seattle Seahawks headquarters, but they reported being unable to enter the building, Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle reports.
• Add safety Kerry Rhodes to the list of players showing up at Arizona Cardinals headquarters, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says. Rhodes was hoping to qualify for a $500,000 workout bonus this offseason.

Bring on the draft, please.

Steelers player representative Ryan Clark talks about the judge's ruling lifting the NFL lockout.

New York Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson thought he had 750,000 reasons to show up to the team facility Tuesday.

In reality, he had none.

Ferguson, who will earn a $750,000 workout bonus for attending 85 percent of the Jets' offseason workouts, popped up in Florham Park, N.J., because the NFL lockout was lifted Monday. Ferguson found no workouts to be had. He told ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini he should be credited for his effort when it came time to calculate the bonus.

Ferguson was one of several players around the league who showed up at team facilities. Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery, guard Brandon Moore, defensive lineman Mike DeVito and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris also appeared. Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin dropped by One Bills Drive to find there was no reason to be there. Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen did the same in Davie, Fla.

Those players who showed up Tuesday came off looking naive or like they're seeking attention with a publicity stunt.

Prudent agents and NFL Players Association team representatives have advised their clients and teammates to stay away from facilities because there's no legitimate point.

Workout clauses are predicated on a percentage of sessions the team has scheduled. Conditioning programs haven't commenced. Therefore, players can't get credit for a workout attended or marked down for a workout missed.

"Just because we have a decision rendered in our favor, my mindset hasn't changed," Bills player rep George Wilson told Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan. "I'm still set on working out on my own. We knew that whoever didn't get the ruling in their favor was going to file an appeal. At the end of the day this is what I expected, and what we told all our guys."

New England Patriots rep Matt Light held a charity breakfast Tuesday morning and was in no rush to report to Gillette Stadium. Light advised his teammates to relax for now.

"What I've been telling the guys is 'Give it a little time,' " Light said. "Guys are wondering, 'Do I need to get on a plane today? How do I proceed?' I can't give them answers to all those things, but hopefully later on tonight I will have more of them."

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork added: "I won't head to Foxborough until everything is over with. I don't think that is the right way [to do things] in this situation."

Here is a PDF of the entire 89-page ruling from U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson that ended the NFL's 45-day lockout of players.

A quick look around NFC West team headquarters from reporters monitoring potential fallout from the court ruling striking down the NFL lockout:

• Arizona Cardinals: At least four players showed up for work, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reported. Also according to Somers, team officials gathered players in a conference room and "politely" explained that they could not work out at the facility. Players Rex Hadnot, Levi Brown, Jeremy Bridges and Mike Leach then left.
• Seattle Seahawks: Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle camped out at team headquarters this morning, but did not see much. She saw receiver Deon Butler at one point. Butler is recovering from a serious leg injury. Rules governing injured players have been a bit confusing. Mathews saw another car approaching at one point, but it was ESPN.com's John Clayton dropping by for a look-see.
• San Francisco 49ers: Linebacker Takeo Spikes advised the 49ers that players could show up for work, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. Team spokesman Bob Lange told Maiocco any players showing up would meet with a "senior staff member" and that football-related activities would remain suspended pending further clarification from the courts.
• St. Louis Rams: Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had seen no players as of noon CT. Windows from the media room at the Rams' facility look out over the only parking lot.

The courts might have struck down the lockout, but nothing much has changed. We're still waiting to see whether the courts allow the lockout to stand pending an appeal. In the meantime, teams appear ready to greet players and tell them, in effect, that there's nothing to see here.