NFL to consider 5-year window for pick trades

The Cleveland Browns are proposing a rule change that would allow NFL teams to trade draft picks five years into the future instead of three.

The league announced Wednesday that only two teams submitted proposals that will be considered by owners at the league meetings later this month, with the other coming from the Pittsburgh Steelers about contacting players during the free agent negotiating period.

NFL executive Troy Vincent said last month at the scouting combine that no team had submitted a proposal to ban the tush push after Green Bay's proposed rule change was narrowly defeated last year. There were no other on-field rule changes proposed by teams this year, although the competition committee will announce next week its proposed rule changes.

Any changes need to be approved by at least 24 of the 32 teams.

The most significant proposal came from the Browns, who are trying to extend how far into the future teams can trade draft picks. Current rules allow teams to trade draft picks up to only three years into the future, compared to a seven-year window in the NBA.

A new crop of general managers has led to more trades in recent years, and this rule change would make that easier in the future. There have already been six first-round picks from this year's draft that have been traded with the latest coming earlier this week when Denver sent its first-rounder to Miami for receiver Jaylen Waddle.

The Browns argued that the changes would lead to a more active trade market and greater roster flexibility.

The NFL allowed teams this year on a trial basis to conduct up to five phone or video calls directly with players on other teams during the two-day free agent negotiating period before the start of the league year. Teams previously had been able to contact only agents during that time.

The Steelers are asking for that rule to be permanent, as well as allowing teams to make travel arrangements before the start of the league year with players who have agreed to terms for new contracts during the negotiating period.