ESPN: The List: Five Suggested Rule Changes

[WoodysGirl]

The List: Cap break for veterans?

By Eric Allen
ESPN.com
Archive

The NFL is constantly tweaking its rules and with that in mind, here are five rule changes -- both on and off the field -- I'd like to see:

1. I'd like to see the salary cap tweaked so that veterans -- especially guys who have played with one team for a long time -- are taken better care of. It would be great if there was some special cap relief where a player could be paid over the cap amount after a certain length of service with one team.

2. A better health care and disability program must be instituted. We're seeing what players are going through after their careers are over and it's silly to assume that they are able to afford the myriad doctor's bills that are essentially the result of their careers.

3. Relaxed defensive pass interference penalties. It's time that the league thinks about changing the way it calls pass interference on the defense. Instead of having it be a spot of the foul call and an automatic first down, I'd like to see the NFL institute 15-yard and five-yard penalties for pass interference. Similar to how facemask penalties are called, there should be an option for a five-yard penalty with no first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.


4. The NFL and NFLPA have to come up with a solution to help stem the concussion situation. Maybe it's time for a new helmet.

5. Players should return to picking the Pro Bowl participants. Too often, undeserving players are given the honor because they make enough noise to garner attention instead of producing on the field.

LINK

 

[Doomsday101]

The List: Cap break for veterans?

By Eric Allen
ESPN.com
Archive

The NFL is constantly tweaking its rules and with that in mind, here are five rule changes -- both on and off the field -- I'd like to see:

1. I'd like to see the salary cap tweaked so that veterans -- especially guys who have played with one team for a long time -- are taken better care of. It would be great if there was some special cap relief where a player could be paid over the cap amount after a certain length of service with one team.

2. A better health care and disability program must be instituted. We're seeing what players are going through after their careers are over and it's silly to assume that they are able to afford the myriad doctor's bills that are essentially the result of their careers.

3. Relaxed defensive pass interference penalties. It's time that the league thinks about changing the way it calls pass interference on the defense. Instead of having it be a spot of the foul call and an automatic first down, I'd like to see the NFL institute 15-yard and five-yard penalties for pass interference. Similar to how facemask penalties are called, there should be an option for a five-yard penalty with no first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.


4. The NFL and NFLPA have to come up with a solution to help stem the concussion situation. Maybe it's time for a new helmet.

5. Players should return to picking the Pro Bowl participants. Too often, undeserving players are given the honor because they make enough noise to garner attention instead of producing on the field.

LINK

I agree on each of the 5 ideals

 

[NYCowboy22]

I also agree.

 

[adamc91115]

I agree with all of them except the 3rd one about PI. That is a terrible idea. Say someone is flat out beat on a 60 yard pass, if they're just going to get 15 yards regardless, whats to stop them from just blatantly shoving the receiver?

 

[superpunk]

Pass interference is a stupid idea. If you get beat 40 yards downfield, and can't locate the ball, just tackle the guy. At least they'll only get 15.

 

[theogt]

3. Relaxed defensive pass interference penalties. It's time that the league thinks about changing the way it calls pass interference on the defense. Instead of having it be a spot of the foul call and an automatic first down, I'd like to see the NFL institute 15-yard and five-yard penalties for pass interference. Similar to how facemask penalties are called, there should be an option for a five-yard penalty with no first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=allen_eric&id=2788420

Instead of 15 or 5-yards depending on flagrancy, it should be spot of the foul or 15-yards depending on flagrancy.

 

[joseephuss]

Eric Allen is looking for the Larry Bird rule of the NBA. It would have been nice if Dallas would have kept Emmitt, but the truth was that he was not worth it at that point in his career. He was better than Hambrick, but Troy was a lot cheaper than Emmitt. A rule that would have enabled Dallas to spend the money and keep Emmitt would not really have ultimately helped Dallas. It just would have given them a chance to provide a nice ending to his career. That doesn't win games in most cases.

A new helmet can be a good thing. The NFL keeps working on it. It isn't as if they are ignoring the problem, but it is something that is not completly understood.

Players and coaches suck at picking pro-bowl spots just like the fans. There is no good system for it. I have read plenty of interviews and comments from players where they pay little attention to who they are voting for.

 

[Doomsday101]

Pass interference is a stupid idea. If you get beat 40 yards downfield, and can't locate the ball, just tackle the guy. At least they'll only get 15.

It just gets old seeing a 40 or 50 yard penalty for some ticky tack contact that in many cases is caused by the WR. I think they can use a form of flagrant and non flagrant fouls when dealing with PI.

 

[adamc91115]

Instead of 15 or 5-yards depending on flagrancy, it should be spot of the foul or 15-yards depending on flagrancy.

Thats a little better, but I would still avoid the set yardage on PI. That would just force more decisions on the officials, was it on purpose or not? Add that to the question of was it even a penalty or not, people would be going mad. It would just add more controversy, it should be left as is.

 

[theogt]

5. Players should return to picking the Pro Bowl participants. Too often, undeserving players are given the honor because they make enough noise to garner attention instead of producing on the field.

Then again, sometimes deserving players aren't given the honor because the players or coaches don't like them.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Instead of 15 or 5-yards depending on flagrancy, it should be spot of the foul or 15-yards depending on flagrancy.

That makes more sense...and I'm not sure why Allen didn't suggest that vs the 5 and 15 yrd penalties..

 

[percyhoward]

3. Relaxed defensive pass interference penalties. It's time that the league thinks about changing the way it calls pass interference on the defense. Instead of having it be a spot of the foul call and an automatic first down, I'd like to see the NFL institute 15-yard and five-yard penalties for pass interference. Similar to how facemask penalties are called, there should be an option for a five-yard penalty with no first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.
LINK

Whatever they do with PI, they need to make it reviewable by instant replay. There are just too many variables (was the contact past 5 yards? was the ball in the air? was the ball catchable? was it just contact, or was it holding?) for it not to be reviewable.

They could give each team one "non-possession" type challenge per half, which would be used for PI's.

 

[burmafrd]

I agree that PI should be flagrant or not- and then go from 5 yds, to 15, to spot of the foul. Incidental is 5 yds, real contact is 15, and flagrant is spot of the foul.
the veterans rule would be great. A real reward for teams that draft well.
Just confining it to talking about Emmitts situation is just lame.
And as regards teh Pro Bowl- NO ONE OUTSIDE OF PLAYERS AND COACHES SHOULD EVER VOTE.
New helmet- with the advances in technology and the like, there is no excuse.
Any players pre 1980 should be covered by the NFL for all playing responsible maladies for life.

 

[Doomsday]

I agree with all of them except the 3rd one about PI. That is a terrible idea. Say someone is flat out beat on a 60 yard pass, if they're just going to get 15 yards regardless, whats to stop them from just blatantly shoving the receiver?

I agree but they do need to tweak the rules a bit. There are too many times when offenses just throw it upand get bailed out by questionable calls.

 

[superpunk]

I don't think defensive holding should be an automatic first down, though.

Too many tiems you see a team in 3rd and 13, and they decide to not come after the QB, and because some corner clutched at a WR who wasn't involved in the play, they get 5 yards and a first down.

 

[joseephuss]

I agree that PI should be flagrant or not- and then go from 5 yds, to 15, to spot of the foul. Incidental is 5 yds, real contact is 15, and flagrant is spot of the foul.
the veterans rule would be great. A real reward for teams that draft well.
Just confining it to talking about Emmitts situation is just lame.

Thanks for reinforcing that I am lame.

A rule change like that would only affect one or two players per team. We are talking about an exemption to the salary cap, so a team that drafts well could not be allowed to exempt several players to circumvent the cap.

Emmitt is probably not the best example, but he is a decent one. How about Larry Allen?

 

[adamc91115]

I agree but they do need to tweak the rules a bit. There are too many times when offenses just throw it upand get bailed out by questionable calls.

I agree, something does need to be changed with the PI calls. Like someone else said, maybe instant replay for PI would help.

 

[YosemiteSam]

3. Relaxed defensive pass interference penalties. It's time that the league thinks about changing the way it calls pass interference on the defense. Instead of having it be a spot of the foul call and an automatic first down, I'd like to see the NFL institute 15-yard and five-yard penalties for pass interference. Similar to how facemask penalties are called, there should be an option for a five-yard penalty with no first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.

Problem with this is, if you are beat deep or clueless to where the ball is you can just tackle the receiver and only take a 15 yard penalty instead of a 55 yard TD pass (or puting you in field goal range) when time is expiring.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

I disagree with the first suggestion. It's well intentioned but as written would have the opposite effect of harming vets by depriving themof jobs. On the salary cap or no, management would be asked to pay more for veterans, which would cause them to opt for the lower-priced youngsters.

Much like the veteran minimum, must-have veterans would be marginally helped, low-need veterans would be irreparably harmed. Net effect: veterans lose more than they gain.

More lessons in supply and demand.

 

[Doomsday101]

Another change I would like to see is teams allowed to dress the entire 53 man roster instead of the 45 man roster. I just think if your paying them they should be dressed on game day.