NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "remains on track for a formal announcement of his new contract soon, but other major changes are looming at the league office," according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSPORTS.com. Sources said that some owners are "sympathetic" to Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones' "belief that there are too many high salaries and too much money being spent on the investigatory arm of the NFL office (and on outside legal counsel), and those owners support a fiscal downsizing" at NFL HQ. The topic "continued to be discussed among owners at last week's committee meetings" in N.Y., and the "prospect of curtailing resources being spent at the league office has gained momentum among owners." Some owners also "believe that slashing spending" at NFL HQ is "one means of placating Jones on some level" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/3). Meanwhile, La Canfora reports no "official hearing dates have been set yet, but there is an expectation that depositions" in Colin Kaepernick's collusion grievance against the NFL "could begin taking place by February." The list of execs from teams and the league office, as well as specific coaches and other personnel from individual teams, was "submitted to the league weeks ago" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/3).
CLOSE TO COMPLETION: THE MMQB's Peter King cites sources as saying that they believe Goodell's contract extension will be "finished by the time owners meet in Dallas on Dec. 13." It "may even be done early this week, after the six members of the Compensation Committee finish calling the other 26 owners in the league." All six committee members are in "favor of the final iteration of the Goodell contract, and the final few calls to owners could result in minor changes." A source said that the message from the committee to owners is they "want to put this to bed so they can focus more 'on the important things we need to do as a league.'" The source continued, "There is a common feeling in these conversations -- the owners want to address TV ratings, attendance, no-shows, the anthem issues, civil rights issues. Basically, the owners want to get on with it." King: "Does Jerry Jones have time to mount any organized opposition to the Goodell deal? Does he want to still? Time is of the essence now" (SI.com, 12/4).
