It’s still going to take some time for New Orleans Saints to get any resolution after the NFC championship game loss, but progress is being made behind closed doors. Kevin Seifert of ESPN spoke with executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent and reported that the NFL Competition Committee finished their first meetings with a mandate to develop a plan to implement a “SkyJudge.” The thinking behind it would be to have an official who can observe the on-field crew and correct their mistakes.
As Seifert reports, there are many questions for Saints head coach Sean Payton and his fellow committee members to resolve. Those questions suggested by Seifert include whether the SkyJudge would be active all game or just in critical moments. Would there be limits on which plays the SkyJudge can correct? And who would the hiring pool be made up of?
This position would either be an addition to the existing officiating crews or a shift in assignment for officials already employed by the league, depending on the committee’s findings. It’s just too early in the process to say.
Additionally, Seifert reports that there are doubts whether NFL ownership will approve any proposal the committee submits during league meetings in April. There are months of quiet deliberation ahead of us, and there very well could be no change. But for now, Saints fans can take some solace that the NFL is at least following its own procedures.
