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NFL notebook: Goodell discusses safety, anthem protests

[March 29, 2018] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell closed the owners' meetings in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday by reinforcing the league's stance on safety as he weighed in a variety of topics.

Goodell is bullish about a new rule passed that calls for a 15-yard penalty and possible ejection if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet, saying the league wants to take the head out of the game and prevent helmets from being used as weapons.

Goodell said league officials will meet with players, coaches and medical personnel from all 32 franchises during the offseason to address the rule change. He added that coaches support using replay to confirm ejections.

"If we're able to have replay to confirm when there's one of these fouls when it happens in the game, then we should be able to use replay to confirm when an ejection may be necessary," Goodell said. "I believe that our coaches and clubs feel (reviewing ejections) is the appropriate thing to do."

--Among other topics, Goodell was asked about the situation involving free agent safety Eric Reid, who remains unsigned after taking part in anthem protests last season. Reid, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, said earlier this month that he isn't being pursued as backlash to his social activism.

Goodell denied Reid is being blackballed, saying, "The 32 teams make their individual decisions on the players they think will best help their franchises."

Goodell was noncommittal on the league's national anthem policy, but instead pointed to a new social justice initiative the NFL recently passed that he says it allows players to bring awareness to issues they feel strongly about, calling it a "unique program."

--In an effort to continue to improve player safety, the NFL's competition committee intends to recommend the elimination of kickoffs unless the play is made safer.

The league will meet with head coaches and special-teams coordinators "in the next few weeks" to discuss the play, Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, a member of the competition committee, told reporters, via ESPN. His message to those in attendance will be: "If you don't make changes to make it safer, we're going to do away with it. It's that serious. It's by far the most dangerous play in the game."

Murphy says the league's medical department presented statistics at this week's owners meetings that show concussions are five times more likely to happen on kickoffs than the average play. That rate has remained steady even with touchbacks being moved to the 25-yard line.

--The NFL competition committee has eliminated the need to kick a meaningless extra point after a game-ending touchdown.

The new rule states: "Eliminates the requirement that a team who scores a winning touchdown at the end of regulation of a game to kick the extra point or go for two-point conversion."

There was an awkward scene in an NFC division playoff game in January when the New Orleans Saints had to be called back from the locker room to line up for an extra point after the Minnesota Vikings had won the game 29-24 on the "Minnesota Miracle," a 61-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs with no time remaining.

--If any NFL team wants to trade for Odell Beckham Jr., it'll have to pony up at least two first-round picks, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, citing a league source.

This comes on the heels of New York Giants owner John Mara trying to downplay trade rumors on Tuesday. Mara told reporters at the NFL owner's meetings in Orlando that if he had his druthers, the Giants would not trade away their three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. However, he isn't ruling out the possibility of a trade entirely.

"Do I want him to be traded? Absolutely not," Mara said. "I want him to be a Giant. I can't promise that's going to happen. We're not looking to get rid of him, OK?''

--Former Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin was arrested in Mansfield, Texas, on suspicion of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.

The arrest comes less than two days after Shabrika Bailey, Boykin's girlfriend, told WFAA-TV in Dallas that Boykin broke her jaw in two places and choked her until she passed out during a March 20 incident at her home in Mansfield.

The Mansfield Police Department said in a statement that Boykin was arrested at his home without incident and that bond would be set at his arraignment. Police also said they have video of the alleged assault from a surveillance system inside the house.

--49ers CEO Jed York isn't afraid to part ways with 2017 first-rounder Reuben Foster is his off-field behavior doesn't improve.

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Last month, Foster was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, threats and possession of an assault rifle in Los Gatos, Calif. It was the second time the 23-year-old had been arrested since the 2017 regular season ended. He also was arrested in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Jan. 12 and charged with second-degree marijuana possession.

"We'd love Reuben to be on this team," York told NBC Sports Bay Area from the owners meetings. "And we'd love him to participate for us. But if he's not doing things off the field that allow us to be able to rely on him -- or he's doing something that we're not comfortable with off the field and it's proven that's what's going on -- I think the guys have said then you're just going to have to move on."

--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers say they are aware of a video that surfaced on social media showing cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III smoking an unknown substance but have declined to comment.

The video was posted to a fake Hargreaves Instagram account with a similar name to his verified account. The fake account has since been deleted, but not quickly enough to prevent users from sharing the video on other platforms.

The video shows Hargreaves, wearing a hoodie, looking into the camera and blowing smoke from an unknown substance in it. There is no sound, but the song lyrics "i put a lil ice on the flex" are posted across the screen.

--After missing the entire 2017 season due to a substance-abuse suspension, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is in the process of applying for reinstatement, according to a Dallas Morning News report.

Per the report, Gregory still has steps to take and paperwork to file before petitioning commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement, but Gregory reportedly "is doing well" and "adhering to his program."

Gregory, 25, was suspended for at least one year in January 2017, his third such suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

--The Denver Broncos have reached a deal with the Washington Redskins to trade for safety Su'a Cravens, according to multiple reports.

The Redskins reportedly will receive a fifth-round pick this year and conditional sixth-round pick in 2020 for Cravens. The teams will also swap spots in the fourth and fifth rounds of this year's draft, with Washington moving up slightly in each round.

After considering retirement and sitting out the entire 2017 season, Cravens was reinstated in February by the NFL to active status from the team's reserve/left squad list.

--Tight end Benjamin Watson has agreed to a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, according to multiple reports.

The 13-year veteran had his best season with the Saints in 2015, catching 74 passes for 825 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

He then signed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, but a torn Achilles in the preseason sidelined him for the entire regular season. Watson, 37, returned in 2017 to catch 61 passes for 522 yards and four scores.

--The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired quarterback Cody Kessler from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2019 conditional seventh-round draft pick, both teams announced.

Kessler played in 12 games (eight starts) for Cleveland in two seasons after being a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

"We are excited about the opportunity to add Cody as depth to our quarterback position," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said in a news release. "Despite being just 24 years old, Cody has already seen NFL game action and was very effective as a rookie in 2016, showing accuracy and efficiency in posting a quarterback rating of 90-plus."

--The Detroit Lions agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Atlanta Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo, according to multiple reports.

Toilolo, 26, was released by the Falcons this month in a salary-clearing move. He was set to enter the final year of a three-year, $12 million contract and was due a $4 million base salary in 2018.

The Lions needed help at tight end after releasing former first-round pick Eric Ebron this month -- before the fifth-year option of his rookie salary became guaranteed -- and letting Darren Fells depart for the Browns as a free agent. Detroit also signed former Seahawks tight end Luke Willson.

--Field Level Media

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