Wade Davis talks about his journey. (SB Nation)

During his time as a defensive back for the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks, Wade Davis was a smart player who spent a lot of time studying and drawing up the defensive schemes he would need to get ahead. He developed friendships with teammates like Jevon Kearse, Samari Rolle and Eddie George, did his best to stay alive in the ruthlessly competitive nature of the NFL, and dealt with one difficult fact -- he was a gay man in a profession where homosexuality was never discussed openly.

It took years after he left the NFL before he felt comfortable enough with himself to publicly admit that he was gay, but as Amy K. Nelson of SB Nation told me, that was a larger theme in Davis' life through the last decade as he looked to find his place in the world.

"There was a lot that stood out from our conversation; one part that didn't make the edit was his feelings about not only struggling with his identity as a gay man, and how difficult it was to hide it for so many years, but also his identity as a black man," Nelson told me. "He would wear his clothes extra large, use patterns of speech that, to him, sounded like he spoke like many of his peers. He said he became the best actor in the world, because he had to for survival.

"He still struggles with identity, both as a black man and as a gay man. He's still trying to figure this all out, but really, aren't we all in some way? His work with the kids in New York City is truly honorable; 70 percent of them are homeless, couch surfers, and they're teenagers. And now that he's campaigning for Obama he's hoping to help the movement. He's a passionate, sweet person, but he's also still an athlete; you can tell, he's still very competitive."

Before he started working for Obama, Davis found his "second dream" working for Hetrick-Martin Institute, described as a New York organization "which serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning youth." As he found his personal voice, Davis then looked to help others.

"It's a one-stop shop for not only gay and lesbian youth,  but also non-conforming youth, to find really great services and a sense of family, if they don't have that," he said. "I tell people often that I'm living my second dream, because I get to do a job every day that really changes lives."

Davis knew about the need to find a sense of family, and the fear of losing it if you're not like all the others -- that happened to him as he worked his way through the NFL.

"You just want to be one of the guys, and you don't want to lose that sense of family," Davis told OutSports.com. "Your biggest fear is that you'll lose that camaraderie and family. I think about how close I was with Jevon and Samari. It's not like they'd like me less, it's that they have to protect their own brand."

Regarding his new work, "I started to realize there there's an opportunity here for me to really make and affect change -- not only within myself, but within the world," Davis told Nelson.

At the NFL's Rookie Premiere in May, several NFL veterans, former players, and first-year players said that they would have no trouble with an openly gay teammate, intimating at times that they knew of teammates who were fighting that fight. Kearse, Davis' former teammate, once lived with an openly gay cousin, and had this to say about it.

"In the game of football, it's like a war out there. Once you get out on the field, all that stuff is to the side. You're on my side. I played in the NFL for 11 years, I'm sure there were at least one or two guys along the line that were gay."

Whether Kearse knew about Davis or did not at the time, things seem to be better in perspective in the NFL, based on the responses of several rookies when asked that question.

Safety Earl Thomas tries to get the ball from RB Marshawn Lynch during Seattle's 5/24 practice. (AP)

According to the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association, the Seattle Seahawks will not be practicing in Wednesday, June 6, and Thursday, June 7, after it was decreed from on high that the team was in violation of the rules of practice contact per the new collective bargaining agreement.

"The NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association have determined that the Seattle Seahawks violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement's offseason workout rules on the prohibition of live contact during one of the club's organized team activity days. As a result, the Seahawks will forfeit two of their scheduled OTA practices (June 6 and 7) as well as an additional offseason workout day on Friday, June 8. Seahawks' players are not permitted to be at the facility on those days, but will be paid for the sessions. The club cannot reschedule the cancelled days."

These are the first punishments of this type under the new CBA.

There are contact and non-contact days allowed during the offseason before training camp, and apparently, the Seahawks stepped across the line. As someone who has attended some (but not all) of the team's OTAs this offseason, I didn't see any such violations, but there's no public knowledge of when the specific incident occurred. It's also part of the new CBA that all practices must be filmed.

From the CBA:

There will be no contact work [e.g., "live" blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) or use of pads [helmets permitted] at minicamps ... Clubs shall film all on-field activities from any minicamp, and shall maintain a copy of such films until 30 days after the start of the regular season. The NFLPA may view such films [after signing a confidentiality agreement satisfactory to the NFL at the start of each League Year] only upon the filing of a complaint alleging a violation of this Article.

Per the new CBA, teams are allowed 10 OTA days in the offseason, and none of those sessions can last longer than two hours. Helmets may be worn, but shoulder pads may not, and the kind of contact you're used to seeing at training camp is now part of the deal.

"We've had great practices," Carroll said in response to the announcement. "Our guys have worked like crazy and met every expectation to get the job done. We have talked all of the time about taking care of one another and working to keep it safe -- play within the guidelines, and we probably stretched this limit, obviously, by this indication. I'm not surprised by that. We're as competitive as you can be, and we're a young football team. Most of these guys have never been in an OTA practice, so this is their first time to get a smell of it. As we go through this, we've had to learn, and I think our best practice was maybe our last one.

"We practiced really hard and really fast, and we did it in a teaching mode, which is what we're asked to do. Our guys will miss these two days, we'll be back at minicamp starting next week, and it will be really important to us to do really well there. We'll be that much smarter about how we can do things right, and we'll continue to work with our young guys to make sure they understand."

As Carroll also said, part of the problem that the Seahawks ran into (and other teams might as well) is that the standard for contact hasn't really been spelled out.

Peyton Manning airs it out during Monday's practice while rookie QB Brock Osweiler looks on. (AP)

We were all waiting to see if Peyton Manning's downfield velocity would return after the multiple neck surgeries that cost him the 2011 season, and according to the man himself, it finally happened at the Denver Broncos' most recent OTA event. With new receivers Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas in tow, Manning aired it out during a 60-throw performance that had everyone on the Broncos' team and staff thinking that yes, indeed, it was the old Manning they signed to a five-year, $96 million contract in March.

"I think every day you have some point of emphasis, whether it's a screen play one day or play action one day, goal line, red zone," Manning said after Monday's practice. "Today it was kind of was a deep-ball shot, they call them, down the field. It's good to do that. We get great looks. First our defense, and you get great coverage, so that's something that the more work you get, the better you're going to be. It's going to be hard to get a more challenging look than going against some of the guys in our secondary, which is only going to make us better. The more times we can do it … I wish we could have more time for OTAs, but the limited practice that we have, we've got to take advantage of it. It's only going to make us better."

Head coach John Fox was predictably ecstatic after seeing what he saw. "I think he's doing tremendous," Fox said. "Physically, he looks the same to me as he's always looked. Whenever you get a new player out here, it's a new language, and he's making adjustments to that. Just like everybody else, we're hoping they get better every day."

Fox also said that "I think our passing game is way further along now than it was at this time a year ago," which, with all due respect to the legitimate abilities of Tim Tebow, should be the expected result. Though Tebow found unconventional ways to get things done in 2011 and the Broncos' coaching staff adjusted admirably to his specific strengths and limitations, the Broncos seemed to understand that without a more standard passing offense, it's very tough to go deep into the playoffs unless you have a dominant rushing attack and defense. Since the Broncos are working on assembling those two aspects of their team, it's always nice if you can get one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and watch him return to form over time.

"I still have work to do in my rehab, and that's the good thing about these OTAs -- you really see where you are on certain plays because you are making different types of throws and you're learning a lot and you can know what to continue to work on even harder in your rehab," Manning said. "Some things you may just not quite be ready for yet. I think you really do get a good gauge going against the defense whereas before hand you're just throwing first just air and you may not find out and so this is good work from that standpoint."

Though Manning has been helped in his efforts by the familiarity he enjoys with former Indianapolis Colts teammates Jacob Tamme and Brandon Stokely, what excites people familiar with the team is how he'll match up with Decker and Thomas, who could comprise one of the best young receiver duos in the NFL in the right offense. Team president John Elway might eventually have flashbacks to the days when he threw pass after pass to Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey in the late 1990s -- not coincidentally, the only time in franchise history the Broncos were winning Super Bowls.

@Donald_Driver80In case you were wondering (and you shouldn't be, if you know his life story), Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver is the epitome of a class act.

When he found out that young Stephen Wagner had the cleat that Driver threw into the stands following the Packers' charity softball game on Sunday stolen right out of his hands, he went on a mission to connect with the boy.

Wagner had the cleat stolen by a reprehensible person named Robyn Ereth, who actually had the temerity to brag about the get on her Facebook page before having to take said page down when she encountered a hail of well-deserved Internet abuse.

Meanwhile, Driver was using Twitter to set things right.

[Also: A Green Bay Packers ring from the Super Bowl turns up in a federal drug bust]

After reading Tyler Dunne's review of the scandalous incident, Driver tweeted this:

@Donald_Driver80

A few hours later, the Packers fan base had pointed Driver in the direction of the young man in question.

@Donald_Driver80

He did indeed connect with Stephen on Monday (you can see the picture above).

@Donald_Driver80

Driver, a good guy all along, even had a few kind words for Robyn Ereth, who's probably hiding in a garage somewhere in Wisconsin right now.

Ed Hochuli will now explain the negotiations. This should only take a few days. (Getty Images)

With no current agreement between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association, and negotiations toward a new agreement proceeding more slowly than it takes Ed Hochuli to explain a holding call, the league has taken steps to put replacement refs in place for the 2012 season. We first reported this a few weeks back based on a story written by Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (with a few ideas as to who could best take the place of certain high-profile officials, including Mr. Hochuli), but things are getting pretty real between the NFL and NFLRA. The two sides had been negotiating a new agreement since last October, but the NFL's side is led by Jeff Pash (the league's King of Rhetoric) and Ray Anderson (the NFL's King of Minutiae), so we can only imagine how those sessions have gone.

"Negotiations with the NFL Referees Association on a new collective bargaining agreement remain unresolved and the previous CBA has expired," the league said in a statement on Monday. "Therefore, in order to ensure that there is no disruption to NFL games this season we will proceed immediately with the hiring and training of replacement officials.

"Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of officiating for our teams, players and fans, including proper enforcement of the playing rules and efficient management of our games ... We have great respect for our officials and in keeping with that view have made a proposal that includes substantial increases in compensation for all game officials."

The statement also said that regional training for replacement officials will begin this month. No specific word on where that pool will come from, but we can assume that there may be some former NFL refs involved, and perhaps some from the NCAA ranks. As long as the NFL stays the heck away from whatever it is the PAC-12 has officiating games, they might actually be able to pull this off.

The two sides will continue to negotiate  "under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service," per the NFL, but that's not how the NFLRA sees it.

From NFLRA lead negotiator Mike Arnold:

After only two sessions with a Federal Mediator, the NFL today terminated negotiations and announced the recruitment of amateur referees as replacements. We learned that they sent out letters to potential replacements on Saturday and Sunday before we even finished our negotiating session with the Federal Mediator.

Additionally, the NFL's negotiators took fewer than five minutes to review the NFLRA's offer, which requested increases smaller than those the League agreed to in 2006, before walking away from the bargaining table.

It is now clear the League never intended to work toward a fair agreement, even through mediation.  There are no additional negotiating sessions currently scheduled. However, our organization's professional referees will continue preparing for the 2012 NFL season to the best of their abilities, despite the NFL's refusal to provide them with vital training and educational materials. It is unfortunate that as referees' responsibilities are expanded that the NFL would jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game by seeking amateur, underqualified referees to administer professional games.

And if that sounds very much like the statements the NFLPA put out during the 2011 lockout ... well, the NFL Players Association would most likely agree. Its Monday statement:

Gronk gets buzzed for a great cause. (@RobGronkowski)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is known for a great many things. We know him as the man who set a record for touchdown catches at his position in 2011 with 17. We know him as the man who freaked out on YouTube when attempting to get his face on the cover of Madden '13. We know him as the man who was willing to sacrifice Tim Tebow's virginity, and we know him as the man who has spent time with a certain member of the adult film industry.

As teammate Wes Welker recently told Shutdown Corner about Gronk, "He's just one of those guys -- he's funny, and he's just being himself. We always tell him, 'Dude, don't change for anything.' It's pretty comical to watch. I encourage it a little too much, I must admit. Believe it or not, he's a pretty intelligent guy. He does a good job of being in the plays for the coaches, and he's so physically gifted, that he's able to make some plays for us."

One thing we'd like to encourage is what Gronk recently did for the One Mission's Buzz For Kids event -- he had his head shaved at Gillette Stadium on Sunday morning to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer, and to help families deal with the issue. The event raised about $500,000, and 450 people volunteered to get buzzed.

As you would expect, Gronk had the crowd going the whole time. "I thought I was getting a number two," he said while the buzz was happening. Then, when appraising the new cut on its conclusion, he said, "It looks better than Tom Brady's."

"It's a great foundation," Gronkowski told the Boston Herald. "The least is buzzing off my hair, that's all I can do to help out. That's no problem. That's easy to do.

"I saw many of the kids already. They're all having a blast. They're all having a lot of fun, too. It's cool seeing that. It makes you cherish your life more when you see little kids that are age 5, age 10, and they have cancer right now, going through a tough time. It's great to put a smile on their face being out here with them. It puts a smile on your face, too, seeing them smile. I'm having a real blast out here."

The man on the right just got himself a bigger hammer. (Getty Images)

At some point, Jonathan Vilma and the other "aggrieved parties" involved in the Saints' bounty scandal who are still fighting the fight against their own suspensions will have to realize that they're running out of air. Jason Cole's story late last week about the existence of a ledger detailing bounties struck a blow against Vilma and his buddies in the court of public opinion, and now, the arbitrator assigned to hear the Saints' appeal in certain suspensions has rules decisively in the NFL's favor.

On Monday morning, Special Master Stephen Burbank ruled that Roger Goodell had jurisdiction to suspend Vilma for a year, and three other current and former Saints players for a series of games, based on a collective bargaining agreement that was established after some of the alleged "pay-to-injure" incidents took place. That was the big blow to the Saints' case, as Burbank ruled that the idea of "pay-for-performance" was more onerous than any specific incident that may have come out of it.

The NFL summarized it thusly in a statement:

"System Arbitrator Stephen Burbank upheld the commissioner's authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to impose "conduct detrimental" discipline on players who provided or offered to provide financial incentives to injure opponents. He also upheld the commissioner's authority to impose such discipline against players who obstructed a league investigation. The System Arbitrator thus confirmed the commissioner's authority to suspend Mr. Fujita, Mr. Smith and Mr. Vilma. He invited the commissioner to clarify the precise basis for his discipline of Mr. Hargrove who, among other things, was found to have lied to the league's investigators and obstructed their investigation."

While the players and the NFLPA believe that the suspensions fall outside the purview of the "conduct detrimental" clause Goodell invoked in his letters to the players informing them of the suspensions, Burbank ruled that such arguments are irrelevant.

The NFLPA, of course, disagreed.

In the opinion, system arbitrator Stephen Burbank wrote, "[I]t is important to emphasize — with respect to all of the Players — that nothing in this opinion is intended to convey a view about the underlying facts or the appropriateness of the discipline imposed."

The union believes that the players are entitled to neutral arbitration of these issues under the CBA and will continue to fight for that principle and to protect the fair due process rights of all players.

Vilma, Saints end Will Smith, and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita are still awaiting a decision from arbitrator Shyam Das on a grievance filed in early May. That claim states that since the alleged incidents happened on the field, the penalties for any involvement are the jurisdiction of collectively bargained arbitrators Ted Cottrell or Art Shell. The NFL went with the global "conduct detrimental" argument in that case as well, and if Das rules in favor of the league, you can expect "conduct detrimental" language to be used as the hammer for every league ruling against the players.

From any angle, Aaron Rodgers is one of the NFL's best. (AP)

Aaron Rodgers knows what it's like to be humbled, and he knows what it's like to be great. He didn't receive a single Division I scholarship offer out of high school and had to go to Butte College in his hometown of Chico, Calif., before Cal picked him up a year later. After an impressive college career, he then had to sit behind Brett Favre in Green Bay for three interesting years after dropping to 24th overall in the 2005 draft. He learned patiently behind Favre, and he watched as Utah's Alex Smith, taken first overall by the San Francisco 49ers (the team Rodgers loved as a kid), struggled mightily.

We know the story from there. After Favre's first of many retirements in 2008, the Green Bay Packers became Rodgers' team, and he's put up the kind of numbers you see from people who are messing with cheat codes on Madden. One season after leading the Packers to their fourth Lombardi Trophy, he had one of the best years any quarterback has ever enjoyed -- 343 completions in 520 attempts (68.3 completion percentage) for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage (9.0) and yards per attempt (9.2).

Now, at age 28 (just a few weeks younger than Cleveland Browns first-round pick Brandon Weeden), the man who recently told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he wants to be a "Packer for life" stands on the precipice of a host of similar seasons. There's no reason not to believe that he'll be one of the game's great players for years. Anyone who believes that Rodgers will slack off in the face of success doesn't understand the slights that drive him.

"I think it's a little bit less of that now and more of remembering where I came from and remembering the path I took to get here, which the doubters were a part of that," Rodgers told the Press-Gazette, when asked about the motivation given from those early struggles. "But just remembering the journey and where I came from as a high school player in Northern California going to junior college, being a backup at Cal, and remembering the hard work that it took to get to where I am now. That's kind of more of a motivator than the doubters because I realize as hard as it was to get to this point, it's going to be just as hard to stay and maintain at this point."

Like Tom Brady, another Northern California kid who came up the hard way, Rodgers now has it all at his disposal. A coach in Mike McCarthy who operates in lock-step with his own talents, the best receiver corps in the league, and a formerly befuddled defense strengthened in the 2012 draft by defensive linemen Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy. Green Bay's first-game elimination from the 2011 postseason at the hands of the New York Giants was disappointing after a regular season that saw just one loss, but Rodgers also knows that this team is primed to get back to the biggest game more than once.