The NFL is preparing to hire replacement referees for the upcoming season as talks between the league and the NFL Referees Association on a new collective bargaining agreement remain at an impasse, with the current CBA set to expire in the coming months.  In fact, the league has already given the go-ahead for staff to start hiring and onboarding replacement refs over the coming weeks, ESPN reported Sunday night.   The new report does not paint a hopeful picture of the two sides coming to an