League owners in the NFL will meet next week ahead of the draft for the annual spring meeting. Among the items on the agenda are new rules recommended by the competition committee.
The top rule change on the docket involved expanded replay. The new proposal allows for the booth official and the officials in New York more communication with the field official. The booth official still won’t be allowed to call a penalty or negate one, but they would be allowed to correct obvious enforcement errors.
Among the rules, they can advise field officials on are down corrections, penalty yard enforcement, clock issues, first downs, and issues with the boundary lines or goal lines. The coaches have suggested and approved the rule change from the competition committee, and it is now up to the owners to approve.
The Baltimore Ravens originally proposed an eight official, or sky judge, that was used in the AAF. They have since withdrawn that proposal as it didn’t gain traction among the coaches.
Bears Add Receiver
The Chicago Bears have a new quarterback in Andy Dalton for 2021, and now they have a new target for him as well. They added wideout Marquise Goodwin on Friday with a one-year contract.
Goodwin sat out the 2020 season with the Philadelphia Eagles due to COVID-19 concerns. He last played with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019.
Goodwin has 140 career receptions over seven seasons with 2,323 yards and 13 touchdowns. His best season was in 2017, when he caught 56 balls for 962 yards. He had a career-high four touchdown receptions in 2018.
A third-round pick out of Texas by the Buffalo Bills in 2013, Goodwin made the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in the long jump. In 2019 he was limited to nine games with the 49ers while catching just 12 passes for 186 yards.
The Bears are +650 to win the NFC North in 2021, ranking being the Green Bay Packers (-250) and Minnesota Vikings (+350). They are +2500 to win the NFC and +5000 to win the Super Bowl.
Browns Shuffle Defensive LIne
The Cleveland Browns cut defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson a day after signing defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney. The move saves the Browns over $11 million on the cap space.
Richardson had 7.5 sacks in his Browns stint while starting 31 of a possible 32 games. They brought him over on a big contract from the New York Jets prior to the 2019 season, and he had one year left on the deal.
In addition to signing Clowney, the Browns added Malik Jackson and Andrew Billings this offseason. Jackson played 15 games for the Eagles last year with 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He had a career-high eight sacks in 2017 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Billings say out the 2019 season with COVID concerns after starting 16 games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 and 2019. He has 3.5 career sacks after being drafted out of Baylor in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.
The Browns are +180 to win the AFC North after the Clowney signing. They are second-favorites behind the Baltimore Ravens at +110. They are +1000 to win the AFC and +2000 to win their first Super Bowl.
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