NEW YORK — The NFL’s powerful competition committee is recommending making permanent extra-point kick snaps from the 15-yard line, eliminating all chop blocks and ejecting a player for twice receiving certain unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game.
When NFL owners meet next week in Florida, they also will consider such proposals as moving the line of scrimmage up 5 yards to the 25 on kickoff touchbacks, allowing coaches and players to use video rather than just photos on sideline tablets, and expanding the penalties on horse-collar tackles to cover the nameplate on the uniform.
Among the rule proposals that teams will present Monday through Wednesday are several involving video review: allowing three coaches’ challenges instead of two even when one challenge fails, expanding what can be challenged to include everything but turnovers and scores, and eliminating overtime in preseason games.
What won’t be altered is what constitutes a catch, a subject that often infuriates players and fans, but which is not part of any proposals this year.
Instead, according to Troy Vincent, the league’s football operations chief, the emphasis will be on education and enforcement of the three current catch rule considerations: gaining possession, getting two feet down inbounds and player safety.
After Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested during Super Bowl week that player ejections for two egregious fouls would be considered, the committee is suggesting that specific unsportsmanlike conduct penalties could lead to expulsions. Those are:
• Throwing a punch or a forearm, or kicking at an opponent, even though no contact is made.
• Using abusive, threatening or insulting language, or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials or representatives of the league.
• Using baiting or taunting acts or words that engender ill will between teams.
Officials don’t need to judge the fouls as flagrant for an automatic disqualification. And it won’t necessarily take two fouls for a player to be tossed.
“We do believe officials should be empowered and should not feel ejection is not an appropriate remedy … when there is a flagrant foul,” said committee co-chairman Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons.
BENGALS: Adam “Pacman” Jones signed a three-year deal this week, turning down comparable offers from other teams. The Bengals’ top cornerback turns 33 in September.
Jones was one of the Bengals’ priorities in free agency, coming off his best season. He had three interceptions and was their top one-on-one defender in a defense that allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL.
Cowboys: Dallas agreed to a one-year deal with running back Lance Dunbar, who might not be ready to start the season after a major knee injury in 2015.
JETS: Cornerback Darrelle Revis has undergone surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist and is expected to be in a hard cast for two to three months.
BRONCOS: Denver continued bolstering its offensive line, agreeing to a five-year contract with former Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung.
Selected by Seattle with the sixth pick in the 2010 draft out of Oklahoma State, Okung started 72 regular-season games and a dozen playoff contests for the Seahawks over the last six seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in 2012.
TITANS: Tennessee agreed to one-year deals with cornerback Antwon Blake and offensive tackle Byron Bell.
CARDINALS: Running back Chris Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Johnson revived his career last season, leading Arizona with 814 yards, despite missing five games.
SEAHAWKS: Seattle added depth at running back by re-signing Christine Michael after he had a strong performance at the end of last season.
VIKINGS: Minnesota signed a one-year deal with free agent tackle Andre Smith.
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