NFL exec says timeline for relocation applications likely to be expedited

SAN FRANCISCO -- Although the specific time has not yet been agreed upon, the NFL intends to condense and expedite the process for teams looking to file for relocation in 2016.

In doing so, the entire process for teams interested in moving to Los Angeles will likely move up, perhaps into the latter part of this year. The altered dates and time for teams to file should lead to a quicker resolution on the fate of the St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders in their current markets.

NFL executive vice president Eric Grubman told ESPN.com Monday that the condensed timeline was likely to happen and the goal for such a move would be to help aid in the moving process while not dragging out the aggravation in current markets. He said that discussion took place among the owners Wednesday morning, and all signs still point to the expedited time frame.

"We haven't made a specific decision about condensing it or moving it up, but we have told the membership that we are allowing for that," Grubman said. "And we've told the clubs, the home markets, that we're working in a way to be able to make the decision earlier than the March meetings. So everything would move up."

Speaking at the March owners meetings in Phoenix, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell first broached the subject of changing the timeline, indicating a preference to give any team or teams moving to Los Angeles more time to get acclimated to the new market.

Wednesday's meeting didn't put a specific date on when that would happen, but Grubman said the goal was to nail that down by late summer or early fall. Teams interested in filing for relocation have traditionally been able to do it between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15.

Under the old timeline, owners wouldn't weigh in on the teams filing until the March owners meetings. Grubman indicated that the filing window could now open before the season ends, which would in turn lead to a vote taking place sooner than March.

"We also told them that we didn't see any need to have a filing window that was open for six weeks because the clubs that are interested have made themselves known and a lot of work has gotten done," Grubman said. "So we'll probably have an open window that is much shorter than six weeks."

The Rams, Chargers and Raiders have all been linked to new stadium projects in the Los Angeles area.

Representatives of all three teams gave brief market updates to the owners here Wednesday morning with the focus of those discussions on stadium efforts in the current cities.

Neither the Inglewood project nor the Carson proposal was discussed Wednesday, because there have been no major developments on either front since the owners were last updated on them in March.

The NFL's Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities is expected to meet again in June, and it's possible there could be another round of owners meetings this summer though that has yet to be determined. Grubman also said that his team plans to visit the current home markets for further discussions in the coming weeks.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke is spearheading a group working to build a stadium in Inglewood, California, presumably to be the future home of the Rams, though neither he nor the Rams have explicitly stated that intention.

The Inglewood project has already been entitled and is considered ready for construction upon approval from the NFL.

The Chargers and Raiders, meanwhile, have teamed up on a similar stadium project in Carson, California. That project has also already been fully entitled, and the teams recently agreed to hire Carmen Policy to serve as the point man on the project.

But if and when those teams file and make their case, Grubman said the owners will also have to consider what's taking place in the home markets.

"We don't control what the home markets will do," Grubman said. "We tell them what our anticipated time frame is and we give them our time and attention and resources. Then whether or not they can turn it into a proposal and whether or not that proposal is attractive really will determine how many teams are still interested in moving when we get to that stage."