Albert Breer of NFL.com notes that the league had a 15-year plan to get London its own franchise when they played their first game at Wembley Stadium in 2007, and that means the NFL is more than halfway there. He writes that the people in charge in England are still looking at a timetable for 2022, including NFL Executive Vice President for International Mark Waller.
“It’s a realistic time frame,” Waller said Wednesday. “But there are still things we need to test for, so we have to be able to build a lot of things into the next few years. We don’t need to prove as much on the fan-demand side. We feel comfortable that, in a few years, we’ll be where we need to be there. The real focus is doing things to keep testing. We’re really focusing on the logistical and operational side.”
- Breer also notes that the NFL will look to add at least one more international game in 2016. With three games already in London, they could add a fourth game at Wembley or take that fourth game to another international market, and there is a chance the league could take both options.
- While Breer writes the league is still on target to have a franchise in London and Waller’s public comments back up that stance, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the NFL isn’t optimistic about getting a franchise in London anytime soon. Coles says that after speaking with more than 10 team executives, the consensus is that there is no way the league puts a permanent team in London and that the league has largely given up on the idea.
- Breer also writes that the recent trades of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic are new Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox admitting that they inherited a roster that is barren due to poor drafting and trades in the past. The team would like to continue to strip the team down, but of the players with trade value, only Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte are older players who aren’t likely to be a part of the future in Chicago.
- The Colts have benched Todd Herremans, even though he was the biggest pickup this offseason for a team that pushed offensive line help in the offseason. Additionally, the only draft pick the team used up front was the 255th overall selection of Denzelle Good, so the team has only themselves to blame for Andrew Luck‘s early season issues, performance and injury alike.