PHOENIX – One year ago, the Eagles’ brass arrived at the NFL’s annual meeting tight-lipped about DeSean Jackson’s future with the team. One year later, they’ll arrive for this week’s event without a big decision looming but with turbulent offseason activity behind them.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly will hold a one-hour roundtable interview on Wednesday morning to further discuss the team’s March makeover. Owner Jeffrey Lurie is also expected to speak publicly for the first time since he made the decision to rearrange the front-office responsibilities.
The event is one of the highlights on the NFL’s offseason calendar and provides a rare opportunity for owners, coaches, and executives to congregate in the same place.
Here are the key topics to watch this week:
Coaches sound off
The 16 AFC head coaches will address reporters on Tuesday morning and the 16 NFC head coaches will speak on Wednesday morning.
Kelly will be a major draw, as was the case during his first two league meetings. In 2013, he was new on the job. In 2014, the Jackson rumors were floating at the event. This year, Kelly will discuss the departures of LeSean McCoy, Nick Foles, and Jeremy Maclin, and the arrivals of DeMarco Murray, Sam Bradford, and Byron Maxwell, among others.
Former Eagles coach Andy Reid, now with the Chiefs, will be asked about the decision to make Maclin one of the league’s highest-paid wide receivers. Bills coach Rex Ryan, formerly of the Jets, always draws a crowd and will address the blockbuster deal to acquire McCoy.
Extra point plus 2?
The NFL’s competition committee will meet this week to vote on potential rules changes. There are 28 proposals, 13 of which are aimed at modifying instant replay. The proposals range from allowing any call to be challenged to a nine-point touchdown – a proposal to allow for a 50-yard extra-point attempt after a successful two-point conversion.
The Eagles proposed a bylaw change that would prohibit the timing and on-field testing of a draft prospect at a team’s facility if that prospect attended the scouting combine. Teams would be permitted to test players who did not attend the combine in their hometowns or in their college towns. The stated reason for the change is the unequal number of prospects from each NFL metropolitan area.
Any proposal that is approved needs the votes of 24 of the 32 owners.
L.A. beckons
Perhaps the biggest topic this week will be the possible return of a team to Los Angeles, with a race reportedly ongoing among the Rams, Raiders and Chargers. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is planning to build a stadium in Inglewood, Calif., and will show owners plans for a $1.86 billion, privately financed venue, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Giants owner John Mara told reporters on Sunday that he believes there will be one or two teams in Los Angeles by 2016.
The league also held its first veterans combine on Sunday in Tempe, Ariz. Kelly was there, according to reports.
Howie Roseman, the Eagles’ executive vice president of football operations, is in attendance at the meeting, which begins Monday.
