NEW YORK (May 16, 2007) -- NFL owners next week will discuss shortening the time for each pick in the first two rounds of the draft.
The owners will meet May 22 in Nashville to award the 2011 Super Bowl, and also will talk about decreasing the 15 minutes allowed for each first-round draft choice. In the second round, teams are allowed 10 minutes -- and that also could be diminished.
But league spokesman Greg Aiello said no decision is expected in Nashville.
The NFL's competition committee has been studying the issue since last month's draft, in which the first round took a record 6 hours, 8 minutes. The entire first day, consisting of three rounds, lasted more than 11 hours, also a record.
After the draft, the first one conducted by Goodell as commissioner, he spoke to members of the competition committee about shortening the proceedings.
There also has been speculation the draft could be moved from New York City on a rotation basis, and that the first round could wind up on a Friday night as prime-time programming for NFL Network and ESPN, both of which televise the entire draft.
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