Owners: No disciplinary duties for Goodell

Roger Goodell has been a central figure in handing out player punishments. (USATSI)

Players conduct and discipline was the prevailing topic of discussion at this week's NFL owner meetings. And sources said several owners expressed strong opinions to Commissioner Roger Goodell about his role in that matter. Goodell is reaching out to the NFLPA and others as he seeks to restructure how the personal conduct policy is enforced, and, during the just completed league meeting he was urged to have a much less substantial role in those decisions.

Several owners praised Goodell for his overall work on the job during the open session with all teams, but implored him to allow others to handle the bulk of these disciplinary decisions, which have become increasingly controversial and have made international news lately in the cases of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and others.

Several owners expressed similar ideas that Goodell has so many macro issues to focus on – handling the Los Angeles market, wading through concussion litigations, collusion claims, etc – that he shouldn't be this heavily involved in determining the outcome of every off-field discipline issue that the league faces.

This was expressed in no uncertain terms, sources said, and, frankly, further points to the new personal conduct committee, which is expected to be finalized by the Super Bowl. The committee will hold significant power in this next era of NFL discipline, which is a stark contrast to how things have operated, with players previously bemoaning the fact the Goodell has been in essence the judge, jury and executioner of these matters since ascending to the position of commissioner.

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