NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about possible changes to the Pro Bowl and the "Rooney Rule" as well as the potential of having an NFL franchise located in Los Angeles during his press conference at the conclusion of the owners meetings Wednesday.
Of the four major sports all-star games in the United States, the Pro Bowl is perceived as the weakest, and Goodell suggested a new way of selecting the Pro Bowl teams -- via a captains draft, with two quarterbacks selecting teams.
Under Goodell's new idea, players would still be voted onto the Pro Bowl roster, but then the teams would be selected by the two captains. It's unknown how the captains would be selected, but the obvious method would be the two top vote-getters.
While nothing is imminent regarding a new team in Los Angeles, Goodell believes it's a "positive" that there is an effort to bring an NFL stadium to Los Angeles.
The NFL commissioner confirmed that the NFL and Major League Baseball are still in talks regarding the Thursday Night Football season opener. As is custom in the NFL, the defending Super Bowl champions host the season's opening game on Thursday night. However, the Baltimore Orioles are scheduled to host the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, which could cause the Ravens to open the season on the road. Goodell maintains that the Orioles have been cooperative, and they're still engaged in talks to make that day a "special day" for Baltimore fans.
The Rooney Rule could expand in the future to include coordinators as well, according to Goodell. The Rooney Rule mandates that teams interview a minority candidate for head coaching vacancies, but offensive and defensive coordinators are not subject to that requirement. Goodell says that it won't expand to include coordinators this year, but that it's "on the table" for future years.
More from SB Nation:
• Printable bracket for March Madness
• NFL Mock Draft: Geno Smith's rapid rise
• Bills aggressively scouting quarterbacks
• Tony Romo close to extension with Cowboys