The head of the NFL's negotiating team says it will be much easier to reach a new labor agreement with the players' union if the pact includes an 18-game regular season. "It's something that both sides recognize the value of, and so both sides will work hard to incorporate it into the new agreement," NFL executive vice president of labor and chief counsel Jeff Pash said Thursday. Pash also said the league is "focused on a full 2011 season" and the owners want to have a deal in place "well before" the summer. The current collective bargaining agreement expires in March, and the union's executive director, DeMaurice Smith, has said he believes owners are preparing for a lockout.