Tag: Owners meetings

Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi talks kickoff rule change proposal

New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi discussed his kickoff rule change proposal on Good Morning Football:

The NFL is considering another change for its kickoff rules this offseason, and the latest effort is being led by New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. With fewer kicks being returned than ever after pre-snap positioning and other procedures were changed in the name of safety, Rizzi hopes his new proposal will make the play more impactful without sacrificing player safety.

Rizzi made an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show to discuss the proposal. He said that he’s collaborated with other special teams coaches around the league to come up with a solution that’s both safer for players and more exciting for viewers.

They drew inspiration from all levels of the game. Rizzi said: “We looked at it, not only the XFL but the USFL, the CFL, the arena leagues, college. The number one goal here was to make the play safer. We wanted to eliminate some of the space and speed. If you can imagine our current kickoff in a condensed version, that’s kind of what we’re doing.”

Rizzi’s proposed format would keep kickoffs from the 35-yard line, but allow players on the kicking team’s coverage unit to line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team would have blockers positioned between their 35- and 30-yard lines with two returners allowed to start further back. The kicking team can’t move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by the return team. There are more rules involved, which you can read about in greater detail here.

“I should say this as well. The NFLPA, they’re on board, the players love this,” Rizzi continued. “This is a play that’s going to add more plays for the returner, for the core players. It’s more strategy for the kickers. There’s a lot of exciting things. Once the fans understand what we’re doing here, they’re going to be excited too, because you’re going to see a lot of your favorite players with the ball in their hands significantly more.”

This proposal has already been approved by the NFL Competition Committee, and it will go to a vote before league ownership when they convene for offseason meetings next week in Orlando, Fla. Rizzi and his team have put a lot of work into this proposal. Let’s see if it crosses the finish line.

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Saints among teams that voted against Thursday night flex scheduling

The Saints are among the teams that voted against Thursday night flex scheduling at spring NFL owners meetings:

The New Orleans Saints are among the teams that voted against Thursday night flex scheduling at spring NFL owners meetings, as first reported by NBC Sports’ Peter King. Notably, Saints owner Gayle Benson was not in attendance, having instead made the trip to New York City for NBA Board of Governors meetings to fulfill her responsibilities as owner of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Maybe Benson will vote differently than team president Dennis Lauscha did (as her representative) when NFL owners regroup for another roundtable in May, but it’s more likely they are both on the same page here. The Saints could have chosen to abstain altogether, as the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos did, but they decided to vote against the proposal outright. NFL bylaws needed 24 votes for the Thursday night flex scheduling rules change to pass, but it came up short.

It’s been a divisive topic. Thursday night games haven’t done as well with ratings as traditional Sunday and Monday night prime-time games, so from that perspective moving better matchups into that time slot makes sense. But it asks a lot of the players and coaches to switch up their preparation schedule even on two weeks’ notice — to say nothing of the tens of thousands of fans who have to make expensive travel arrangements in the event of a flex. We’ll see if this passes eventually or if there’s enough opposition to shelve it altogether.

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Watch: Travis Kelce can’t ID nametag-wearing Dennis Allen while trying to name NFL coaches

Watch: Travis Kelce can’t ID nametag-wearing Dennis Allen while trying to name NFL coaches

Ouch. Dennis Allen can do everything right and still catch a stray. Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce attempted to name every head coach in the NFL during an episode of his “New Heights” podcast, but the New Orleans Saints head coach was one of a dozen or so coaches he couldn’t identify from the lineup of an annual group photo at NFL owners meetings in Phoenix.

He could identify former Saints coach Sean Payton at first glance, of course — quipping a wry “Broncos country, let’s ride,” in passing — but was stumped when it came to Dennis Allen.

“And then,” Kelce said, pausing in thought, “No clue.”

It sure doesn’t help that Allen is one of the only coaches in the photo wearing his event credentials lanyard for the league meetings. That’s probably hard to read in a grainy, zoomed-in photograph, but still: ouch. Hopefully Allen can lead the Saints back to the playoffs this year and put himself on more peoples’ radar.

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Players can now wear the number 0 among other changes

At the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, they passed a resolution that will allow players to wear the number 0 next season.

The NFL owners meetings are going on right now in Arizona and they just passed a big motion that will allow players to wear more numbers in 2023.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, players will be allowed to wear the number zero next season. Here is the full list of changes.

  • Quarterbacks can wear numbers 0-19
  • Punters and place kickers can wear numbers 0-49, 90-99
  • Defensive backs can wear numbers 0-49
  • Running backs, full backs, H-backs, tight ends and wide receivers can wear numbers 0-49 and 80-89
  • Linebackers can wear numbers 0-59 and 90-99

This expands on the number restrictions that were lifted priort to the 2021 season. Who will be the first player in Minnesota Vikings history to wear number zero? That will be an interesting one moving forward.

Dennis Allen shares Michael Thomas health update at NFL owners meetings

Dennis Allen shared a brief Michael Thomas health update at NFL owners meetings. The star WR isn’t quite back to 100% yet, but he’s right on track:

Try not to overreact to this: New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared an update on wide receiver Michael Thomas and his recovery from November toe surgery at NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Tuesday.

When asked about his star player’s status, Allen said that Thomas is making progress in recovery: “He’s not 100%. We’re going to be cautious with it and take our time. We don’t want to put him out there until he’s 100%. I expect him to be fully healthy and ready to go. When that point in time is, I don’t want to get into those speculations.”

Allen added, “But yeah, we feel good where he’s at.”

It was previously reported that Thomas has a physical scheduled “on or about” April 21 which will trigger guarantees in the new contract he signed with the Saints at the start of free agency. So even if Allen isn’t willing to put a firm deadline on his progress in front of reporters, the Saints medical staff has a timeline and they know when Thomas is due for his next checkup.

So by the sound of it, Thomas is right on track with where Allen and the Saints expect him to be, nearly six months removed from his latest surgery. This dislocated toe was unrelated to the ankle injury that cost him most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but it’s still a frustrating sequence of events for the 30-year-old.

But this isn’t really something fans need to worry about now. They may not even need to sweat it in April after that deadline. If Thomas is still unavailable once the Saints begin OTAs and minicamps over the summer ahead of training camp, then we’ll start to feel some concern.

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Houston Texans giving all staff ability to work from home to prevent spread of novel coronavirus

The Houston Texans have given everyone in their employ the ability to work from home to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The Houston Texans are doing their part to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

According to a release from the team, the Texans are, “implementing certain measures to do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus.” One part of the measure is to give all staff the ability to work from home.

The Houston sports and entertainment scene has been rattled since Wednesday evening when the NBA suspended the season, MLS announced a 30-day suspension, and RodeoHouston cancelled. According to the Houston Chronicle, community spread may already be happening in the greater Houston area.

“All decisions are being made in the best interest of the health, safety and care of our Texans family and our community,” the statement from the Texans read. “We are continuing to monitor the situation and will adjust policies and provide updates as necessary.”

On Thursday, the NFL cancelled the annual owners meetings that were slated for March 29 through April 1 in Palm Beach, Fla.

NFL cancels annual owners meeting amid novel coronavirus concerns

The NFL has canceled their annual owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., due to concerns over the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

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The NFL announced Thursday they are canceling the upcoming annual owners meeting scheduled for March 29 through April 1.

According to a statement released by the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell informed franchises after “careful consideration and consultation with medical experts.”

The business that was to be discussed at the owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., will be moved to the NFL’s spring meetings May 19-20 in Marina Del Ray, Calif. That is the first chance owners and members of the various committees will have a chance to vote on playing rules, bylaws, resolutions, and other business matters. Coaches and general managers will also be available for comment at that meeting, when normally they aren’t during the spring meetings.

The NFL also said they will, “closely monitor developments, consult with leading experts, and be prepared to make any changes necessary as circumstances warrant.”

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has claimed the lives of 39 Americans with over 1,300 confirmed cases. The NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, and major college sports have postponed their seasons and events in response to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.