NFL owners table plan to reward minority hiring

Looking to increase diversity in the ranks of head coaches and general
managers, the resolution had proposed allowing teams to move up 10 places in
the third round of the draft ahead of the second year under a newly hired
minority GM. For newly hired minority head coaches, teams would get a
six-place jump in the third round of the draft before his second season.

Should a team hire a minority head coach and GM in the same year, the rise
would be 16 places in the third round -- potentially into the second round.

NFL owners held a virtual meeting Tuesday. The proposal would have needed 24
of 32 votes to pass.

While the potential new rule was tabled, the league did make a change Tuesday
that will prevent teams from blocking assistant coaches from interviewing for
coordinator positions.

"I think that's huge," Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy,
who is African American, told NFL.com of the assistant coach rule. "I think
that's huge across the board regardless of skin color. ... Now you get an
opportunity to interview the best football coach for that particular
position."

On Monday, the Rooney Rule was expanded, requiring teams to interview at least
two external minority candidates for head-coaching openings, and at least one
external minority candidate for vacancies at offensive coordinator, defensive
coordinator, general manager and senior football operation roles.

The draft-pick proposal still could be added at a later date.

Critics of the tabled plan to involve draft picks have said it could lead to
unintended consequences for minority hires.

"There's three things that they're worried about," Hall of Fame coach Tony
Dungy told the Pro Football Talk PM podcast on Monday. "Number one, how does
this put me in my relationship with the other coaches that I work with, and
other white coaches? Are they thinking I'm getting an advantage now? Number
two, when that general manager or owner hires me, is he hiring me because he
thinks I'm the best person, or is he hiring me to move his draft choice up a
little bit? And then the third thing ... is nobody feels like they want
anything special. ...

"Don't hire me and then say I'm going to give you more draft choices later on
because you need help. And I know that's not the reason why the proposal is
being put in, I know that's not what they're driving at, but that's still the
end result. And so there's still some things the league needs to think about,
about this proposal."

Only one of five head-coaching vacancies this offseason went to a minority
candidate, with the Washington Redskins hiring former Carolina Panthers coach
Ron Rivera. According to NFL.com, only three of the past 20 head-coaching
openings were filled by a person of color.

The NFL established the Rooney Rule in 2003, requiring teams to interview
minority candidates for all head-coaching and senior football operations jobs.

--Field Level Media