Judge Susan Nelson has ruled in favor of the players by issuing an injunction to lift the lockout. She did not issue a stay on the order, meaning the owners will now request one from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, MO. Early speculation is that this could take several months, and the appeals court could take "a more conservative view of the case," according to NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora.
If the stay on the ruling is granted before the draft, we are back to square one until a decision is made. However, if the lockout is still lifted when the NFL Draft begins on April 28 there is the possibility that league rules will be in effect to trade players and sign free agents. Before the ruling, teams could only trade draft picks.
Both sides are expected to release statements on the ruling on Monday night.
Stay tuned to this NFL Lockout 2011 stream as this story develops.