Kickoff rule reduced concussions

Instant replay also could see two significant changes: booth replay officials reviewing plays rather than referees, and all turnovers being reviewed just as all scoring plays currently are reviewed.

The committee felt because reviewing a turnover will not cause a delay _ the clock is stopped on such plays _ it makes sense to look at them just like the way the league began reviewing touchdowns, field goals, extra points and safeties in 2011.

“The coaches will have a lot more challenges left in their pockets,” McKay said. “The majority of challenges were on scoring plays and turnovers prior to last year.”

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday the league would look into its restriction on cross-ownership if St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke buys the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“If he ultimately has the winning bid,” Goodell said, “we’d immediately move with our committee, knowing it’s important to baseball.”

The league also handed out compensatory picks to teams who lost free agents last year. Green Bay, the New York Jets and Cleveland each got four selections in next month’s draft. Indianapolis, Oakland and Pittsburgh received three each. Baltimore and Minnesota got two apiece, while Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Dallas, St. Louis, San Diego and the Super Bowl champion Giants each got one.

Only the Raiders will make a compensatory selection in the third round, No. 95 overall. The Packers and Vikings both got two in the fourth round, when the Giants, Raiders, Ravens and Cowboys received one. Oakland, Baltimore and Indianapolis were awarded fifth-rounders. The rest of the picks are in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Teams cannot trade compensatory picks.

Free agents who brought such picks to their former teams included cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who left Oakland for Philadelphia; running back-kick returner Darren Sproles, who went from San Diego to New Orleans; and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who went from Minnesota to Seattle.

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