The Competition Committee made no proposals to ownership regarding potential changes to the replay rules. The Ravens did, and it apparently still has a chance of passing.
The idea -- replacing the universe of reviewable plays with a small list of non-reviewable plays -- is a very good one, especially since on too many occasions officials have made a clear error about which nothing can be done because the circumstance doesn’t fall within the current range of reviewable plays. But since it was the idea not of the Competition Committee but of the Ravens, the Competition Committee (as a matter of basic human nature) needs an opportunity to make the idea its own before acting on the idea.
On Wednesday, NFL V.P. of officiating Dean Blandino told PFT Live that there’s a good chance the Baltimore proposal will be adopted as a rule as of May, when the owners meet again. As one source with knowledge of the proposal and the process told PFT, however, the failure of the Competition Committee to embrace this proposal in the month or so that they had access to it before the annual meeting suggests that they may not be enthused about it. The momentum occurred when the proposal resonated in the meeting room with the teams (and with the Commissioner) on Tuesday.
So it’s too early to know whether the powers-that-be truly want to enhance and improve replay review or whether they simply hope to create the appearance that they do.
What we do know for now, based on Wednesday’s visit with Bears chairman George McCaskey, that Chicago is opposed to any changes to the replay function. If at least eight other players feel that way, nothing will be changing.