NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith met today in New York, and have agreed to formal negotiating sessions, NFL spokesman Greg Aeillo announced on Twitter.

"DeMaurice Smith & Roger Goodell met today in NY to discuss a range of issues related to a new CBA," Aeillo wrote. "As part of a process to intensify negotiations, they agreed to hold a formal bargaining session with both negotiating teams Saturday in Dallas.

"They also agreed to a series of meetings over the next few weeks, both formal bargaining sessions and smaller group meetings in an effort to reach a new agreement by early March."

It's a start.