Although it looks almost certain there will be a work stoppage when the NFL's collective bargaining agreement expires at 10:59 p.m. (central) on Thursday, that doesn't mean teams are going to stop conducting business and working under the terms of the old CBA until it expires.

Several clubs, including the Vikings, used the franchise tag, even though there is no guarantee that will hold up when a new CBA is done. (Linebacker Chad Greenway signed his franchise tender on Tuesday). Now teams have started applying restricted free-agent tenders, employing the rules of the uncapped 2010 season.

The Vikings made no such move on Tuesday, but it's expected they will use the tags on a few players before the 3 p.m. deadline on Thursday.

No. 1 on the Vikings list likely will be wide receiver Sidney Rice, who under the old CBA would be a restricted free agent because he has four years of service. Before 2010, four years in the NFL made a player an unrestricted free agent, but in the uncapped year it took six seasons to be a UFA and players with four and five seasons were restricted.

Rice's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, reportedly said his client would test free agency after the Vikings had talks with him at the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend in Indianapolis.

The Vikings seem likely to place a first- and third-rounder tender on Rice. That is the highest tender they could give him and figures to be worth around $3.4 million for 2011 on a one-year contract. This means the Vikings could match any offer sheet that Rice signs or receive first- and third-round draft picks if he leaves. It also could result in other teams not approaching Rice because of the big compensation price that would have to be paid.

Of course, it could mean nothing because a new CBA could make four-year players unrestricted free agents. Other players who are uncertain if they will be restricted or unrestricted are: WR Hank Baskett -- 5 seasons DE Ray Edwards -- 5 seasons DT Fred Evans -- 5 seasons OL Ryan Cook -- 5 seasons QB Tarvaris Jackson -- 5 seasons FB Naufahu Tahi -- 5 seasons S Eric Frampton -- 4 seasons DE Brian Robison -- 4 seasons

One has to figure the Vikings will place the various available tags on Edwards and Robison and perhaps Evans, Cook, Frampton and Tahi. In fairness to Jackson, he needs a fresh start and might be allowed to walk and there is little chance Baskett is brought back.

Under the expiring CBA, players can be tendered contracts at different levels. This includes the ability for a team to match any offer a player gets upon signing an offer sheet with a new club, or compensation of a draft pick in the round the player was taken goes to the team losing that player. The next tender makes that compensation a second-round selection, then a first-round pick and finally the first- and third-round tender.

The salary a team agrees to pay a restricted free agent increases with each level.