It’s been a big week for the NFL in Los Angeles, specifically for Stan Kroenke’s gilded palace of a football stadium project in Inglewood. The Rams owner had the chance to sell his fellow owners and league executives on the project in person at the league’s annual meetings.
Rise ‘n Grind: The NFL is 2 steps closer to Los Angeles
Two major developments this week are a good sign that professional football is closer than ever to returning to Los Angeles. That and even more news from around the NFL.
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Roger Goodell doesn’t usually say much of any substance at his press conferences, but he did say that the NFL will consider bumping up the deadline for a team to apply for relocation. That’s significant.
”If a decision was made earlier, would that give the teams a better opportunity to properly transition to a new
market place, which is the goal if there is a relocation,” Goodell said. “So that has been discussed. I know we certainly
have not come to a conclusion on that. But we haven’t ruled it out either.”
Translating from robot, the commissioner just opened up the possibility for allowing a team to take action before the current window, from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15. He’s usually holding firm on that, insisting that the process will be orderly and controlled by the NFL, so this is s shift in the spokesperson talk, a sign that the league likes what it sees in L.A. now and wants to get started.
Meanwhile, back in Inglewood, organized labor dropped its opposition to the project after agreeing on deal with the developers on the use of union workers for constructing the Hollywood Park facility. That clears the last major political hurdle for the stadium. It’s all up to the NFL now.
MORE STADIUM FUN: San Diego is still working on a stadium solution to keep the Chargers there. It’s a good sign if you’re a Bolts fan in that city, but there’s still work to do.
REFER MADNESS: News that Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory failed a drug test for marijuana at the Combine has launched the annual round of public concern among anonymous NFL scouts and other talking heads about the decline of America’s youth.
GIVE IT THE BOOT: Do not ask Phil Dawson to sign your Seahawks gear.
KEEP CHOPPING WOOD: Jack Del Rio believes he knows exactly what it’s going to take for Trent Richardson to finally be a productive running back in the NFL.
BIG UGLIES: The Bills have six players vying for their two guard spots, and the team that spent big on running back LeSean McCoy is trying to figure out how the starting five will look with a seemingly endless array of options. If they really want to make it work, they’ll almost certainly have to find a starter, maybe two, in the draft.
RISKY BUSINESS: Is former Missouri receiver Dorial Green-Beckham worth the risk for the Kansas City Chiefs? I tend to think he is, but teams that consider drafting him are going to have be very comfortable with their answer to that question.
ON THE MARKET: The 49ers released offensive tackle Jonathan Martin. He didn’t do so great in 661 snaps at right tackle last year, but with so many teams needing offensive linemen, he could still get another shot. I wonder if the Bills would ... oh, wait.
BROWN OUT: The Browns are expected to get a stiff punishment from the NFL for TextGate.
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