Good morning from a really fancy hotel in Boca Raton, Fla. I’m not actually staying here (because expense reports), but am now posted up for the NFL’s annual meetings. This year’s meetings will be focused on two things: concussions and player ejections.
The NFL just can’t get over its obsession with player discipline
Automatic ejections are the hot topic at the league’s annual meetings this week. The unintended consequences can be sorted out later.
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The league is maybe, kinda, sorta taking a more proactive stance on the long-term health impact of head injuries following NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller’s admission to Congress of a link between football and CTE, the first official acknowledgment from the league.
Rule changes are the other big item on the agenda, specifically one that would lead to an automatic ejection if a player got two unsportsmanlike conduct flags in a game. It looks like the kind of disciplinary posturing the Goodell era has been known for, or at least would like to be known for, rather than the ongoing scandals and haphazard responses.
FUN FACT: Odell Beckham Jr. wouldn’t have been ejected under the NFL’s proposed rule. He got flagged for unnecessary roughness, not unsportsmanlike conduct. Peter King walks through the unintended consequences of the proposed rule change that would have a player tossed after two unsportsmanlike conduct calls. Bottom line: it puts tremendous pressure on the refs. Oh, and those plays aren’t reviewable.
DUMB RULE: Richard Sherman says bad NFL rules are made by “a bunch of guys who never played.” Richard Sherman says Roger Goodell’s idea to eject players for multiple unsportsmanlike penalties is “foolish.”
CONCUSSIONS SETBACK: Giants owner John Mara: “This year was a setback” on concussions. Giants owner John Mara nodded along last week when NFL senior vice president for health and safety Jeff Miller acknowledged a link between repeated concussions and CTE. And while he admitted it was a concern, Mara said he didn’t view that admission during a congressional hearing as a bombshell.
ATLANTA SUPER BOWL WATCH: Atlanta could lose out on a Super Bowl because of anti-gay legislation. If Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signs a controversial “religious liberty” bill into law, the NFL could shy away from making the new Atlanta stadium a Super Bowl site.
MOCK DRAFT MONDAY: 2016 NFL mock draft: Free agency spending sprees and new priorities. With just over a month until the start of the draft, team needs and player ranges are coming into focus, but some things still remain hazy.
RG3 MEETS THE BROWNS: QB Robert Griffin III meets with the Browns. Could RG III be the next Browns’ starting quarterback?
REINSTATEMENT: Is Josh Gordon going to be reinstated today? We could soon hear about whether WR Josh Gordon’s application for reinstatement in to the NFL has been approved. He originally applied for reinstatement on or around Jan. 20, 2016.
CHUCK ALMOST GOT CANNED: The Colts really were going to fire Chuck Pagano ... twice. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer appeared on a podcast with Bill Simmons recently and talked about the Colts’ situation with head coach Chuck Pagano, and this much is clear: the team wasn’t sold on Pagano at all last offseason.
THE CALL OF GRONK: Did Rob Gronkowski help Patriots trade for Bears Martellus Bennett? The New England Patriots acquired tight end Martellus Bennett from the Chicago Bears, and there’s a chance Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski played a role in the transactions.
BELICHICK SKIP DAY: Bill Belichick skipped Roger Goodell's opening speech. A tradition unlike no other! Maybe he skipped it to hang out with his new BFF, Kid Rock.
SHAQ FU: Shaq Lawson has everything an NFL coach could want. Now he needs the right coach. Retired defensive end Stephen White takes a closer look at the Clemson pass rusher who could be one of the first pass rushers off the board.
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