BOCA RATON, Fla. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media at the end of the owners' meeting Wednesday morning. Among the things he has said:
ON ROBERT KRAFT'S REQUEST TO GET DRAFT PICKS
"I did receive the letter from Robert a few weeks back. I responded to him. I didn’t think there was any new information in there. There will be no changes in discipline.”
ON LEAGUE MEETINGS
"We spent a great deal of time this week, weren’t a lot of voting matters, but most of them came in context of competition committee and context of making our game better. I would say our game got better this week. Very positive changes."
ON NEW EJECTION RULE
“I think Jeff Fisher said it the best, started off the meeting by saying as coaches we are responsible for controlling our players. A second coach made it clear, while we’ve had points of emphasis on competition committee, they need teeth. And this is a rule that brought teeth to that. … Sportsmanship is important to us, it’s important to our players.
“They did consider expanding it into personal fouls and chose not to do that. I think they came to a good place.”
(Goodell left open the possibility that this rule could eventually be expanded to include other penalties, possibly other personal fouls for illegal on-field hits.)
“When you’re implementing a new rule like this, you go in increments. It’s progress in trying to deal with a particular issue, in this case sportsmanship.”
ON FALCONS INVESTIGATION
Goodell said the Falcons will not be punished after an assistant coach asked a draft prospect at the NFL combine about his sexual orientation.
Goodell said he’s spoken with both Dan Quinn as well as assistant coach Marquand Manuel, and is satisfied that the organization has taken proper steps, including franchise-wise education, to correct the issue.
“I was impressed with the way he was handling it,” Goodell said of Manuel.
Goodell confirmed the NFL is working to host a regular season game in China. The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday the Rams would host that game, but Goodell would not confirm that.
“I think the size of china in the global marketplace, that’s something you can’t ignore. We know we have lots of fans over there, and more important, potential fans over there,” Goodell said. “We have multiple teams that are interested in playing. We have more than we can handle at this point in time.”
ON INCONSISTENT CTE STATEMENTS
“The most important thing for us is to support the medical and scientists to determine what the connections are. The statements by Jeff Miller consistent with our position over the years. A lot of the research is still at its infancy, we’re trying to find ways to accelerate that.”
ON CHANGES TO HIS POWER
"Do not expect a change to Roger Goodell’s disciplinary powers any time soon. The commissioner said the league is “not close to an agreement by any stretch of the imagination” to any sort of deal with the NFLPA that would reduce Goodell’s role in assigning discipline."
ON JOHNNY MANZIEL
"Those investigations have been ongoing. I have not gotten an update since before the league meeting. I don’t know where they are [on the review]. Lisa Friel, our lead investigator, was out here, and as you know, worked in the city of New York investigating these kinds of crimes. I have gotten updates from her from time to time but she has not been able to conclude her investigation to a satisfactory level. When she does and if it results in discipline we’ll announce it at that point."
ON JOSH GORDON'S REINSTATEMENT
"II actually have scheduled when I get back to New York sometime in the next week or so to get an update on that. Our staff has been working on it, we’re obviously aware of it and they have been working on it. As soon as we have the opportunity to see that, we’ll make a judgement, but no decision yet."
ON POTENTIAL OF A TEAM IN LAS VEGAS
“Mark Davis is appropriately looking at all his alternatives,” Goodell said. “Both San Diego and Oakland, they need to investigate those alternatives.Hope we can avoid any relocation to start with.”
But Las Vegas is an intriguing possibility because of the league’s longtime reluctance to be associated with gambling?
“Those are things we’d have to do deal with. Would have to understand impact on us. Each owner would have a vote. It would be a factor many owners would have to balance, the league would have to balance.”
Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones
