Owners to tackle catch/no-catch puzzle
The NFL’s catch rule would get less complicated if team owners approve recommendations from the powerful competition committee.
One of the first orders of business when the league’s annual meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Fla., will be a proposal by the committee to clarify what is a catch. Commissioner Roger Goodell said during the week of the Super Bowl he would urge simplification of the rules.
“Catch/no-catch is at the top of everyone’s minds,” Troy Vincent, the NFL’s football operations chief, said yesterday before outlining the committee’s recommendations.
The owners will be asked to vote on clarifications that eliminate parts of the rule involving a receiver going to the ground, and that also eliminate negating a catch for slight movement of the ball while it is in the receiver’s possession. No calls in the last few years, not even pass interference, have caused more consternation than overturned catches in key situations, including those by Dez Bryant, Jesse James and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
“We were at the point as far as players and particularly coaches who asked, ‘Why is that not a catch?’ ” Vincent said. “We talked to fans, coaches and players and we asked the groups, ‘Would you like this to be a catch?’ It was 100 percent yes.
“Then we began writing rules that actually apply to making these situations catches.” . . .
Every round of the NFL draft will air on network television next month for the first time as Fox will simulcast the NFL Network’s coverage of Days 1 and 2 and ESPN’s coverage of Day 3 will be shown on ABC.
Dad says Jones is ‘fine’
Zay Jones is with family and is going to be fine, the Buffalo Bills receiver’s father said two days after his son was arrested following a naked, bloody argument with his brother.
Robert Jones posted a note on his Twitter account saying Jones “is with me and his mom,” while adding “he’s going to be fine!”
Online jail records also showed the player, whose legal name is Isaiah Avery Jones, had been released.
The 22-year-old Jones was arrested after officers were called to a disturbance in downtown Los Angeles, said police spokesman Luis Garcia. Jones was found “breaking glass doors and windows” and arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism.
Lions sign pair
The Detroit Lions have signed tight end Luke Willson, adding a potential starter in place of Eric Ebron, and bolstered their defensive line by adding Sylvester Williams.
Detroit addressed needs on both sides of the ball with the moves yesterday . . . .
The Minnesota Vikings resigned kicker Kai Forbath to a oneyear contract after a strong finish to his 2017 season . . . .
The Indianapolis Colts are bringing back offensive lineman Jack Mewhort and cornerback Pierre Desir, continuing their free agent signing flurry.