Talking to various coaches, general managers and club executives on Sunday, I'm not convinced any of the rule change proposals made by clubs have a chance for passage at this year's owners meeting.
One club official and longtime league veteran told me that the only two proposals that might gain enough support to be adopted were the moves to allow teams to increase their active game-day roster from 46 to 49 for Thursday night games (precluding the league's season-opening game), and the two-man increase of each team's practice squad from eight to 10 members. Both are in being pushed in under the heading of player safety and greater attention to player development.
But other club officials read the tea leaves differently and say even those relatively small changes won't fly, due to both changes needing to be collectively bargained for in the next round of labor negotiations with the players. The 2014 season is only the fourth year of the hard-fought CBA that was put in place in 2011.
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