I know this was kinda brought up before, that the players pool their money and start their own league if the work stoppage is a long drawn out one.  But as This Article points out, "The NFL has never experienced a work stoppage when alternate leagues were in effect."  If there's no CBA in place all the players are basically unemployed.  If the UFL were to start offering decent contracts, I could see quite a few players jumping ship.  

So what does this mean for the future of football?  Personally, I see this possibility as a really bad thing. The thing that makes the NFL head and shoulders above other start up leagues is the talent and it's depth.  If fringe starting players start jumping ship for full time gigs, and decide not to come back if/when the NFL starts back up, the talent is going to be hurting and I don't think we'll see the quality of football we've come accustomed to.