The NFL after two decades is replacing its rookie symposium "with a new transition program, hosted and customized by each team, that will allow undrafted players to get the same education," according to Tom Pelissero of USA TODAY. NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent yesterday said, "We have an opportunity to capture 100% of all new members, of all new players, of all new employees, where the focus has always been on the drafted, and 55% of (rookies on) your roster is made up of undrafted rookies the last five years." Vincent yesterday "unveiled the plan in a memo to teams." Pelissero notes NFC rookies "will go through the new program June 20-22 and AFC rookies June 22-24." The NFL "will work with team player engagement directors and provide outlines, content, presenters and an expense budget to cover mandatory topics." Those topics include "social responsibility, benefits, mental health and respect at work." Teams also can "choose from 'flex' topics and the league will sign off on the schedule." Vincent said that controversy stemming from Cris Carter's "Fall Guy" comments at the '14 symposium "wasn't impetus for changes that had been discussed for years" (USATODAY.com, 4/5).
THE MORE, THE MERRIER? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has mentioned several times the idea of expanding the postseason from 12 teams -- most recently last weekend during a Jaguars-sponsored event in Jacksonville -- and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the league's Competition Committee "is for" the measure. However, there are several questions that need to be answered first. Rapoport: "What does it do to the regular season? Does it make the last couple of weeks less meaningful? Does it make the playoffs more diluted? That certainly is a concern." The league also would have to "discuss it with the union, considering adding two playoff teams would add additional games to the schedule for the players." He added, "What would it do to the TV contracts? Would you have to renegotiate those?" Regardless, it is an idea that "does seem to be coming, it is just a matter of when” (“NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 4/5). Bengals OT and NFLPA President Eric Winston said of an expanded postseason, “It’s hard to comment on something that we haven’t gotten a written proposal about. ... Until there’s a written proposal from the league, that is when we know they are at least serious about it and then we can start bargaining over that working condition change." Winston added, "That has to be bargained. It’s not something that the owners can unilaterally implement” ("PFT," NBCSN, 4/5).
