The NFL and the players' union are close to finalizing the drug policy changes they tentatively agreed upon last week.
Union spokesman George Atallah told The Associated Press on Monday that the "drug policies are currently getting finalized." League and NFL Players Association attorneys and officials are reviewing the documents and could approve them this week, but ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter report approval is likely to occur in the next 24 hours.
Upon agreement of the term sheet for the new drug policy, Broncos receiver Wes Welker, Rams receiver Stedman Bailey, Cowboys defensive back Orlando Scandrick, Giants lineman Eric Herman and former Vikings defensive end Spencer Nealy will be reinstated, sources tell Mortensen and Schefter.
Josh Gordon and former Colt LaVon Brazill will have their season-long suspensions reduced to 10 games. Gordon continues to be allowed to work out at the Browns' training facility.
Those seven names are part of the estimated 20 who will be affected by the new policy once it is approved by the NFL. Those other players' names will remain confidential under the policy. The players are not being reinstated but moved into different stages of the program based on retroactive adjustments.
Hours after the union voted Friday to accept the NFL proposal on changes that included HGH testing, the league said it was not a done deal. Further discussions have taken place since then.
Player representatives to the union also voted for changes to marijuana testing, classification for amphetamines, punishment for driving under the influence, and neutral arbitration on appeals.
Testing for human growth hormone was originally agreed upon in 2011, but the players have balked at the science in the testing and the appeals process for positive tests. If the proposal they voted on Friday is put into action, testing would begin for this season.
The player reps also approved an increase for the threshold for positive marijuana tests. Some players have complained that the NFL threshold of 15 nanograms per milliliter is so low that anyone within the vicinity of people smoking marijuana could test positive. The threshold was increased to 35 ng/ml in the league's proposal.
A two-game suspension would be issued for a player convicted of driving under the influence. But an NFL proposal to immediately suspend a player, owner, coach, team executive or league employee for a DUI arrest was rejected by the union.
The players approved arbitration for appeals under the substance abuse and the PED policies. The NFL and NFL Players Association would hire between three and five arbitrators.
The league and the union also would retain independent investigators to review cases in which player confidentiality under the drug policy had been breached. Punishment for leaks could range up to $500,000 and/or termination of a job.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.