Upon further review, NFL has more to say to NFLRA

AP

The NFL Referees Association is a small organization representing a constituency of a few hundred game officials.

The NFL has a well-oiled public relations machine, one that’s running smoothly after going through a lockout with the players last offseason.

So the league is firing back at claims by the NFLRA that they’re negotiating in bad faith, and tried to force a bad deal on the officials.

The league has sent out a statement clarifying a few points, insisting they have “a great respect for our officials” and that “we are available to meet with the NFLRA at any time to negotiate a new contract.”

As we wrote earlier, the league contends their seven-year proposal raises the bar for pay.

As to the NFLRA suggestion that the pension issues are as big a concern, the NFL points out that no official would lose any vested benefits, and that they wanted to move toward a 401(k) style program instead. The league cited a New York Times story which said only 17 percent of American workers have a defined benefit plan, saying many were freezing similar pension in favor of the “defined contribution” plan. The league said its latest proposal could provide a larger benefit than the old plan as well, offering “to contribute $16,500 per official in 2012 and increase that amount to almost $23,000 by 2018.”

But the league saved bullets for the claim that replacement officials would compromise the game.

The NFL said they only began hiring replacements from the ranks of retired or lower level football when the NFLPA informed them they were authorizing union leadership to call a strike.

While the NFLRA repeatedly referred to “scabs” during Wednesday’s call, the league refers to them as “experienced and high-quality officials”

“We have made substantial investments in training despite the efforts of the NFLRA to denigrate the replacements and disrupt the training process,” the league statement said.

“Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of officiating for our teams, players, and fans, including proper enforcement of the playing rules and efficient management of our games,” the statement read. ““We are confident that these game officials will enforce rules relating to player safety. Contrary to NFLRA leadership, we do not believe that players will “play dirty” or intentionally break the rules.”

The NFLRA stance is essentially that officials weren’t offered enough of a raise over what they received in 2006.

That’s not an argument that resonates with many, and it’s likely the officials will realize they don’t benefit from the same kind of public sympathy players enjoyed, the kind which could put some degree of pressure on the league.

AP

With NFL owners voting to put a Super Bowl in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it’s logical to wonder if more outdoor title games in cold-weather locales are possible.

So, how about the Boston area getting a game?

The subject came up at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s press conference at the conclusion of the league meetings Tuesday in Boston, and Goodell’s answer shed some light on the various issues that would go into such a decision.

“It is a great city,” Goodell said, according to a transcript provided by the league. “We stress this over and over again. We are holding our first northern site Super Bowl at the end of this season. We want to see what that experience is like.

“It is more than just a game now. I keep emphasizing that. This is a week-long event. We have multiple events that need multiple facilitates. We are at [a need for] well over 25,000 hotel rooms now.

“. . . If there is an interest at some point in time and we decide to look at open-air northern site Super Bowl cities, I assume the Patriots will look at that.”

Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots, opened in 2002. All Super Bowls through 2017 are spoken for with owners selecting San Francisco and Houston as host cities in 2016 and 2017, respectively, on Tuesday.

A New York-New Jersey Super Bowl that leaves teams, corporate sponsors and fans pleased could open up some intriguing possibilities for the league. But Goodell’s response was telling. The league looks to be taking a wait-and-see approach on expanding the pool of host cities with outdoor stadiums in cooler climates.

AP

The Broncos continue to deal with the aftermath of a special season that went awry during a divisional-round double-overtime playoff loss to the Ravens, fueled by a 70-yard touchdown pass allowed by the Denver defense in the final minute of regulation.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was sorry for what happened.  But then he got sick of being sorry.

“I got tired of apologizing to our fans that I would see out in the community,” Del Rio told reporters on Tuesday, via quotes distributed by the team.  “I finally said, ‘Hey, you know, it’s time to move on.’   That’s kind of how I look at it.  I was apologizing.  I was like, ‘Golly, I’m really sorry that we let you down.  I know how you were there with us.’   It was a tough one.  Anywhere, wherever you see fans and we have interactions.  I really felt like we let them down.  Obviously we let ourselves down first.”

But Del Rio is done with feeling sorry for himself, or to anyone else.

“That’s way in the past now,” Del Rio said.  “At this point, it’s in our rear-view mirror.  You learn what you can about anything that you experience in life and go forward.  That’s where we are.  We’re going forward.”

As the Broncos go forward, they’ll continue to be regarded as an elite team with a real chance of going to Super Bowl XLVIII.  Still, they’ll have to emerge from the valley of 0-0 to get there.

After seeing last season’s regular-season success evaporate so quickly, that could be hard to do.

AP

On the off chance the Cowboys have any idea who’s calling plays this year, or how they’ll be called, they’re not in the mood to talk about.

For some reason, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett still won’t say who is taking over the responsibility that by all appearances was snatched away from him by owner Jerry Jones this offseason.

“I think we have a pretty good plan, and we’ll execute it as the offseason progresses,” Garrett said, via Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.

No reason to be in a rush fellas, it’s only May.

The usual suspect is offensive line coach/coordinator Bill Callahan, but he ducked for cover when asked about what ought to be a fairly conventional process Tuesday.

“Whatever coach wants me to do, whatever role he wants me to fill, I’m more than happy to do that,” Callahan said. “We’re working through a lot of things right now. . . .

“When that play goes in, they’re all types of options that we build into the play itself. They can be checks with me, they can be packaged with another run, run-to-run, pass-to-pass. A lot of that [goes] on when the play goes in. You have to, from the people that I’ve spoken with around the NFL. There’s a lot of teams that use that mechanism, use that procedure. That’s one way of doing it.”

That points to the added influence quarterback Tony Romo will have. But no one knows whether to think quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson might have a hand in it, or another coach, or Jones himself.

But the latest simple thing-made-complicated can’t possibly help the Cowboys on the field.

Getty Images

Tony Romo’s first coach with the Cowboys, Bill Parcells, liked to say that you are what your record says you are. But Romo doesn’t exactly see it that way.

Romo told reporters today that despite the Cowboys’ .500 record, he doesn’t view himself as average, or his team as average.

“We were 8-8 the last couple of years, that doesn’t sit well with me,” Romo said, via ESPNDallas.com. “I don’t think I’m an 8-8 quarterback. I don’t think this organization is comfortable being 8-8. We’re going to do everything we can as coaches, players and in this building to change that. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen again. That just sits there and eats at you. We make choices to do everything that we can to change that. That’s the approach you take in an offseason. Really every offseason, but it’s there, staring us in the face right now. We’re going to exhaust everything to make sure this football team gets better to take the next step.”

Romo said he believes the Cowboys are improving.

“Now it’s obviously been some good times and some times that we’ve had some rough spots, obviously,” Romo said. “In a lot of ways I know that this team is continuing to get better, and using those experiences to be better, and it’s going to be good.”

And 8-8 is not good.

AP

The Turk could be getting a visit from, well, the Turk.

At a press conference held in connection with the quarterly ownership meetings in Boston, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league is interested in making the process of widespread roster cuts more “humane,” according to multiple Twitter entries from folks covering the press conference.

Currently, the NFL’s teams jettison up to 37 players each in the days after the third preseason game through the days after fourth preseason game, cutting offseason rosters from a maximum of 90 down to 53.  Typically, the players who are getting cut are asked to meet with the coach or the G.M., they get the news, and then they move on.

It’s hard to envision a way to make the scene, which has played out numerous times on Hard Knocks over the past decade, any different.  For football players, who are used to being chewed out on the practice field, a calm, rational, matter-of-fact meeting is as “humane” as bad news ever gets.

Goodell also mentioned the possibility of post-cut services for players who will be faced with the task of transitioning to a new line of work.  Perhaps that’s how the process can become more “humane,” given that currently the players basically get a handshake and a clear path through the door.

Regardless, there’s only so much the NFL can do to alter the harsh reality that players get cut — routinely.  Whether they get a ribbon for participation or a pat on the back or a juice box or a swift kick in the ass, the end result is that the player who previously had a spot on the roster no longer does.  Other than making those post-cut services available to ease the transition to life after football, we’re not sure what else can be done.

Apart from, you know, not releasing a guy right after he is diagnosed with diabetes or any other health condition that can be managed and treated.

AP

In addition to discussing changes to the league’s offseason schedule on Tuesday in Boston, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also addressed the future of the Pro Bowl.

The game is set for 2014 in Hawaii and Goodell said that the league is still contemplating changes to the game to make it more entertaining for fans and players alike. Goodell did not address talk about making the Pro Bowl more like a “game show” in the future, but he did touch on another proposal that’s been bandied about in recent weeks.

Goodell said that the idea of having team captains pick two squads from the players voted into the game under the current process was one that “may happen” as soon as this season. He credited players for coming up with the idea of having a schoolyard-style draft to set the rosters for the game and indicated that a decision could come soon about the format that this year’s game will take.

There wasn’t much direct discussion of the future of the game overall, although Goodell did say that the league had interest from cities on the mainland about hosting the game in the future. That (and still-strong TV ratings) could serve as a suggestion that the Pro Bowl isn’t going away despite the many complaints about its quality.

Getty Images

Yet another former Eagle has landed in Cleveland.

On Tuesday, the Browns announced they were awarded rookie running back Miguel Maysonet on waivers from Philadelphia.

In something of a surprise move, the Eagles let go of Maysonet after giving him a healthy signing bonus for an undrafted free agent. In Cleveland, he will compete with Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya, Brandon Jackson and Dion Lewis — another ex-Eagle — for backup spots in the Browns’ backfield.

With Maysonet arriving, the Browns waived fellow rookie tailback Jamaine Cook.

Trent Richarson is the Browns’ featured back, and Hardesty, Ogbonnaya and Jackson were his backups a season. The question is, who sticks on the depth chart behind Richardson this year? The competition got a little more crowded on Tuesday.

AP

At a press conference to wrap up the league meetings in Boston, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league saw “no choice” but moving next year’s draft to May because of a conflict with Radio City Music Hall.

Goodell said that a choice would be made soon about whether to hold the draft from May 8-10 or May 15-17 in New York. The change has been forced by a conflict with another event at the venue and Goodell said that there’s been no determination about when the event would be held beyond 2014. Because the conflicts with the spring event at Radio City will recur, the Commissioner also said that the draft could move if the decision was made to move things back to April in future years.

“Beyond that, if we want to move the draft back into April, we’ll have to look at other alternatives,” Goodell said.

Goodell also said that other proposed changes to the offseason schedule, including moving the start of the league year ahead of the combine were still being discussed with the NFLPA. Goodell said that he believed that such alterations would be a “good change for fans and for football” and that the league would continue working toward an agreement on a new calendar for February, March, April and May.

AP

The San Diego Chargers needed an offensive tackle. Max Starks needed a job. It just made sense for them to get together. So it’s no surprise that Starks agreed to terms with the Chargers today.

Starks told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he has accepted a one-year contract offer.

The 31-year-old Starks has played in Pittsburgh for his entire nine-year NFL career. Last season Starks started all 16 games for the Steelers.

The Chargers will likely have Starks and King Dunlap compete for the starting spot at left tackle, while first-round draft pick D.J. Fluker starts at right tackle.

Getty Images

The Falcons have come to terms with with rookie tight end Levine Toilolo, the club said on Tuesday.

A fourth-round selection from Stanford, Toilolo is likely to fill a complementary role in the Atlanta offense as a rookie. He caught 24 passes for 393 yards and four touchdowns in 2012 for the Cardinal.

The return of Tony Gonzalez for 2013 gives the Falcons a proven pass-catching threat at tight end for 2013, but there could be a chance for the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Toilolo to contribute in multi-TE sets right off the bat. Moreover, he gets the chance to learn from a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer in Gonzalez. Longer term, there is certainly a chance for Toilolo to earn a bigger role, what with Gonzalez nearing the end of his special career.

Getty Images

There was some uncertainty about whether or not safety Reshad Jones was going to report for the start of OTAs with the rest of the Dolphins on Tuesday.

As it turns out, Jones wasn’t the member of the secondary to worry about. The safety reported for duty, but rookie cornerback Jamar Taylor missed the session. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that Taylor had sports hernia surgery in Philadelphia on Tuesday instead of practicing with his teammates.

Taylor is expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks as a result of the surgery, which means that he won’t be joining his teammates on the field for the remaining offseason workouts or the June minicamp. The second-round pick is expected to be healthy in time for the start of training camp.

If he is good to go at camp, Taylor will have to make up some lost time in the fight for snaps in the defensive backfield. Brent Grimes, Richard Marshall, Nolan Carroll, Dimitri Patterson and fellow rookie Will Davis will be his chief competition in that battle.

Getty Images

The Mt. Rushmore nomination process descends into the Black Hole.

Yes, Raiders fans, it’s time to nominate candidates for the four-person Oakland/L.A/Oakland Mt. Rushmore.

Post your favorites below, and then at some point next month you’ll get to vote on  the final four from a list that may include Al Davis, John Madden, Ken Stabler, Marcus Allen, Fred Biletnikoff, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Ray Guy, George Blanda, Todd Christensen, Jack Tatum, Lester Hayes, Mike Haynes, Ted Hendricks, Howie Long, Willie Brown, Tim Brown, Tom Flores, Jim Otto, and/or some combination thereof.

Good luck.  You’ll need it.

AP

The Chargers have released offensive tackle Kevin Haslam, the club said Tuesday.

Promoted from the practice squad on November 24, Haslam started three games at left tackle for San Diego down the stretch of the 2012 regular season.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Haslam played collegiately at Rutgers. The Jaguars signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010. The Chargers added him to their practice squad in September after he was released by Oakland.

The Chargers have now let go of two of their starters at left tackle from a season ago. Previously, they parted ways with Jared Gaither. The club added ex-Eagles tackle King Dunlap in free agency and has done its due diligence on other veteran left tackles, including Max Starks and Bryant McKinnie. Starks remains unsigned, while McKinnie re-signed with Baltimore.

AP

One of the burning questions about the Houston Texans for the 2013 season is whether they will be able to break through and advance beyond the second round of the playoffs after losing in that round in each of the last two years.

If they do, it’s likely that rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will help them get over the hump. Hopkins was the team’s first-round pick last month and it’s hoped that he’ll make their passing game more dangerous by forcing defenses to pay less attention to Andre Johnson. Hopkins will be a guest on Tuesday’s Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network and we’ll find out how ready he thinks he is for that kind of contribution.

Burning questions for the rest of the teams in the AFC South will also be on the docket as Erik Kuselias, Mike Florio and Ross Tucker discuss the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area will also be on hand to talk about the NFL’s decision to award Super Bowl L to the 49ers’ forthcoming stadium in Santa Clara.

It all gets started at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

AP

Any time football players get on the field, there’s a chance of injury.

That includes offseason workouts and OTAs, although aches and pains from May rarely wind up meaning that much. The exceptions are the serious injuries, of course, and injuries for players who have histories that make any physical setback reason for concern.

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray would fall into the latter group. He’s missed nine games over his first two seasons, including six last season with a foot problem, and had his fair share of injuries in college as well. That backdrop made word that Murray missed the first day of Cowboys OTAs with what coach Jason Garrett described as a “hamstring tweak” jump out more than it might for another player.

Garrett said, via the team’s website, that the team was taking a conservative approach with Murray because there’s no sense in doing anything else in May. He’s right, although that won’t do much to quiet concerns about the Cowboys offense should Murray wind up missing any significant time. Philip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and rookie Joseph Randle represent a big drop from Murray and the team will need a more effective running game to snap their playoff drought in 2013.