JOHN MARA, MARK RICHARDSON & OZZIE NEWSOME NAMED TO COMPETITION COMMITTEE
Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE has made several changes to the NFL Competition Committee, the NFL announced today.
The NFL Competition Committee studies all aspects of the game and recommends rules and policy changes to NFL clubs.
Appointed to the committee were JOHN MARA, executive vice president and general counsel of the New York Giants; MARK RICHARDSON, president of the Carolina Panthers; and OZZIE NEWSOME, vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1999 after a stellar career with the Cleveland Browns from 1978-90.
Those executives replace MIKE BROWN, president of the Cincinnati Bengals, and JERRY JONES, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, who rotate off the committee under the normal procedures of the NFL committee system.
Named to the Competition Committee Coaches Subcommittee to assist Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach TONY DUNGY, the chairman of the subcommittee, were head coaches AL GROH of the New York Jets and ANDY REID of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It is important that we continue to bring new ideas and diverse perspectives to the work of the Competition Committee," Tagliabue said. "Each of these individuals will bring something special to the Committee’s tasks."
The NFL Competition Committee is co-chaired by DENNIS GREEN, head coach and vice president of football operations of the Minnesota Vikings, and RICH MC KAY, general manager of the Buccaneers.
Other members of the committee are BOB FERGUSON, general manager of the Arizona Cardinals; JEFF FISHER, executive vice president and head coach of the Tennessee Titans; and BILL POLIAN, president of the Indianapolis Colts.
After each season, the Competition Committee reviews all of the competitive aspects of the game and of the preceding season in preparing its report and recommendations to the membership at the NFL’s Annual Meeting each March. This process includes discussions with the coaches subcommittee of the Competition Committee; an in-depth meeting with a representative group of coaches from each division held at the annual Scouting Combine in February; and then the Competition Committee’s in-depth meeting in early March. The process also often includes a survey of the clubs with respect to key playing rules issues, officiating, and other football competition matters.