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Roger Goodell might lessen his discipline role

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell leaves the Federal District Courthouse on Aug. 12 in New York.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell leaves the Federal District Courthouse on Aug. 12 in New York.

(DON EMMERT / AFP/Getty Images)
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is willing to lessen his role in the player discipline process, but he’s still reluctant to give up final say.

Goodell told ESPN Radio on Tuesday morning the league resists third-party arbitration. The players union wants disciplinary power now held by Goodell to be handled by a neutral arbitrator.

Goodell said he’s “very open” to changing his role and called it “extremely time consuming,” adding he has discussed this matter with several owners the past couple years. After a federal judge overturned Tom Brady’s four-game suspension in the Deflategate scandal last week, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank suggested it may be time to revisit the system that makes Goodell the sole arbiter of cases.

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But Goodell indicated any change would come within the initial discipline process, not with the way appeals are handled.

“We believe that the standards of the NFL are important to uphold,” Goodell said. “We believe that you don’t delegate that responsibility or those standards. We think that somebody with a deep knowledge of the game, our policies and our rules are important, particularly when it relates to competitive violations. Those are important to have. There’s got to be a system in there somewhere.”

As for losing another high-profile case against the NFLPA, Goodell isn’t conceding yet. He cited the league’s victory in an appeal ruling in Maurice Clarett’s eligibility case a decade ago. After U.S. District Judge Richard Berman erased Brady’s suspension, the NFL promptly appealed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Success sometimes when you’re having litigation, you lose in the initial phases and you get to the right places when you have that long-term view, which is what we do and there are many cases like that,” Goodell said.

But he also added: “You also have to understand you’re not going to win them all.”

Cassel back with Bills

In the short time it took the Buffalo Bills to release and re-sign Matt Cassel, the journeyman quarterback didn’t have a chance to clean out his locker.

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“I didn’t even come in,” Cassel said after re-signing with the Bills on Tuesday, three days after he was among the final players cut by the team.

For the Bills, the decision to cut Cassel was made after he lost the starting job to Tyrod Taylor last week. Cassel was set to make a $4.15 million base salary this season, which was deemed too expensive.

A team person familiar with the decision said the Bills took the calculated risk to cut the 10-year veteran in hopes they would have the opportunity to re-sign him at a more salary-cap-friendly contract.

Elsewhere

Atlanta Falcons Coach Dan Quinn says rookie Tevin Coleman will open the season as the starting running back. Coleman will start over Devonta Freeman, who missed all four preseason games because of a hamstring injury but is expected to play in Monday night’s opener against Philadelphia. Coleman returned from a hamstring injury to play the final two games. ... The New York Giants waived cornerback Asa Jackson and defensive tackle Louis Nix III two days after they were awarded to the team on waivers. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the team Monday, so one of the open spots could be used for him, provided the team feels he can play with the right hand that he injured in a July 4 fireworks accident.

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