The NFL has announced that it will implement a "whistle-blower" system of protecting players from being pressured to play with concussions starting when training camps begin in July.
"I have said repeatedly and will continue to say that medical decisions must override any competitive decisions. And if anyone feels they are being forced onto the field when they are not ready to play, we want to know about that and look into it," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The new system allows anyone to report anonymously when doctors are being pressured to clear players or when players are pressured to play.
The *Boston Globe* and the *Boston Herald* both offer reports on the new policy.
Potential PickThe Boston Herald reports that Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver will work out for NFL scouts today in preparing for the upcoming supplemental draft. At 6 feet and 208 pounds, Oliver has the size that NFL teams covet and has clocked in the 4.45 range for the 40-yard dash. Oliver made a name for himself last fall with shutdown performances against two of the top receivers in college football -- Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson and South Carolina's Sydney Rice. Oliver is projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick in the upcoming supplemental draft.
Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe reports in his blog that Paul Oliver could be a possibility for the Patriots in the third round of the supplemental draft. Because the Patriots own the unconditional rights to the Raiders' 2008 third-round pick which had been acquired when the Pats dealt their 2007 third-round pick to the Raiders for their 2008 third-round pick and a 2007 seventh-round pick, they would pick at the top of the third-round and would have the opportunity to pick Oliver if they choose.
