Articles on NFL.com are indicating that Upshaw is telling the agents to prepare for free agency under the assumption that there will be no new agreement. Adam Shefter reports, "The union has a soft deadline of Friday for a new deal, a hard deadline of next Thursday,
before Upshaw insists there will be uncapped year in 2007. And then, potentially, a strike in 2008 -- a scenario nobody wants."
It'll also really pay off to be under the cap right now if that's the case. In the extreme example, I've seen claims that the Redskins would be $4 million over the cap even if they reduced their entire roster's current salaries to the veteran minimum. While we may not be able to make any big signings, some other teams may have to go Texas Chainsaw Massacre on their depth charts just to be able to field a team next year.
See
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/9261946,
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9263825 for details.