Goodell role may change
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is willing to lessen his role in the player discipline process, but he’s still reluctant to give up final say.
Goodell told ESPN Radio on Tuesday morning the league resists third-party arbitration. The players union wants disciplinary power now held by Goodell to be handled by a neutral arbitrator.
Goodell said he’s “very open” to changing his role and called it “extremely time consuming,” adding he has discussed this matter with several owners the past couple years. After a federal judge overturned Tom Brady’s four-game suspension in the Deflategate scandal last week, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank suggested it may be time to revisit the system that makes Goodell the sole arbiter of cases.
But Goodell indicated any change would come within the initial discipline process, not with the way appeals are handled.
“We believe that the standards of the NFL are important to uphold,” Goodell said. “We believe that you don’t delegate that responsibility or those standards. We think that somebody with a deep knowledge of the game, our policies and our rules are important, particularly when it relates to competitive violations. Those are important to have. There’s got to be a system in there somewhere.”
Cassel returns
In the short time it took the Buffalo Bills to release and re-sign Matt Cassel, the quarterback didn’t have a chance to clean out his locker. “I didn’t even come in,” Cassel said after re-signing with the Bills on Tuesday, three days after he was among the final players cut by the team.
The Bills cut Cassel after he lost the starting job to Tyrod Taylor last week. Cassel was set to make a $4.15-million base salary this season, which was deemed too expensive.
Elsewhere
Atlanta Falcons Coach Dan Quinn says rookie Tevin Coleman will open the season as the starting running back. Coleman will start over Devonta Freeman, who missed all four preseason games because of a hamstring injury but is expected to play in Monday night’s opener against Philadelphia. ... The New York Giants waived cornerback Asa Jackson and defensive tackle Louis Nix III two days after they were awarded to the team on waivers.