NFL.com's Conor Orr noted Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie yesterday "spent a long time ... trying not to say what appears to be the absolute truth," that coach Chip Kelly wanted then-GM Howie Roseman "out of the way in order to create the team in his vision." Lurie said, "It wasn't Howie. I think it was much more Chip's requirement to have sort of a football guy that he was comfortable with in terms of helping him day by day and minute by minute. We all recognize the value of, in organizations today, having someone that can manage the cap well, negotiate well, plan well and at the same time, evaluate well and be tied at the hip with the coach" (NFL.com, 3/24). In Philadelphia, Jeff McLane writes Lurie "made the correct final call" when faced with the prospect of choosing between Kelly and Roseman (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/25).
MARTHA MAY I? In Detroit, Josh Katzenstein notes Lions Owner and Chair Martha Firestone Ford has "yet to speak publicly" since taking over last March, but she has "been in Phoenix this week" for the NFL owners meetings. Lions President Tom Lewand said that Ford was "involved in all aspects of the meetings." Lewand said, "She's in there from the time they start until the time they end over the course of the day. She's engaged on every topic. We met before we came down here to go through some of the agenda items and talked through them in greater detail. She's got strong opinions on certain things. She's got strong opinions and she's extremely sharp, very perceptive and she has a lot of interaction with her peers" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/25).
HOW TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS: Bills and Sabres co-Owner Terry Pegula described the role of his wife, co-Owner Kim Pegula, with the two teams, saying, "If you divide it between the actual sports side and the business side, she’s working closely with [Sabres President Ted Black and Bills President & CEO Russ Brandon] on the business side, and I haven’t been as involved on that side of it. That’s what she likes to do; she’s good at it. So I actually stay over on the sports side, the actual makeup of the teams and working with how we’re going to build the team, the coaching staff" (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/25).
THE NAME GAME: In Richmond, Michael Phillips reports a lawsuit claiming the Redskins "should have a handful of their federally recognized trademarks removed because the team's name is offensive" will be "heard in the Eastern District of Virginia on June 23." But regardless of "what that court decides, the case is likely to remain under appeal, potentially to the Supreme Court." The U.S. Attorney General's office "filed paperwork on Monday supporting the Native Americans" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 3/25).
