NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith says the union would like to see a new collective bargaining agreement in place by November, reports Dan Graziano for NFL FanHouse.

"The players of the National Football League would love to have a deal done in November," Smith said before Thursday. "The timetable and the deadline for players is sooner rather than later."

The NFL hopes to reach new collective bargaining agreement before the 2011 season is scheduled to begin in March, which is likely the more reasonable target date for the two sides to strike a deal. Smith's ambitious timeline is clearly tied to the concern the NFLPA has that when the NFL locks the players out, the players and their families will lose health coverage.

"The league has not told us they will guaranteed player and family health coverage in the event of a lockout," Smith said. "They could do that tomorrow. They have not."