Nfl

After a hiring cycle that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called disappointing, the NFL hosted a career development symposium Tuesday at Penn's Wharton School. Eight new head coaches and seven new general managers were hired this offseason, but none of them was a minority candidate. In March, Goodell identified the symposium as way to improve the Rooney Rule, which was established in 2003 and requires a minority candidate to be interviewed in a head-coaching search. The rule was upgraded in 2007 to include searches for general managers.

AS OF YESTERDAY, Terrell Owens wanted to return to the NFL, or become a professional bowler. But check back tomorrow, the week's still young. Owens, who played for the Eagles for 2 years, but has been out of the league for 3, told Blindside.com that he recently worked out with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and that he would like to sign with the Patriots. "I think that's a no-brainer. You look at what they've done over the years. Under the tutelage of Tom and coach [Bill] Belichick, I think the sky would be the limit in terms of what I'd be able to do. " If the Patriots don't call, however, the 39-year-old Owens apparently has a backup plan.

When NFL owners convened for the annual league meetings in March 2003 at the plush Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix, they implemented league legislation that has become known as the "Rooney Rule. " It initially required teams hiring a head coach to interview a minority candidate, and was expanded in 2007 to include general manager searches. Ten years later, the NFL owners met at the same resort for another round of the annual meetings. The Rooney Rule was again discussed. But the conversation this past March was about refinement, because even though the rule was followed, the results were unsatisfactory for the league during this past hiring cycle.

AS I DO every year, I sought out an NFL player personnel executive and asked him for his thoughts on the Eagles' draft. He was largely complimentary of the first Howie Roseman-Chip Kelly collaboration. His opinions of their eight selections: Round 1 Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma: "It's hard to find fault with this pick. We had him as the third guy on our board. He's a really good athlete. He's only played the position for a couple of years, but you wouldn't know it by the way he plays or by his knowledge.

Quarterback Tim Tebow was waived by the New York Jets on Monday, the end of an embarrassingly unsuccessful one-season experiment that produced more hype and headlines than production on the field. And it all ended quietly, with a three-paragraph news release. "Unfortunately," Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement, "things did not work out the way we all had hoped. " It also left Tebow's football future very much in doubt. A year after he threw a TD pass to win a playoff game in overtime for the Denver Broncos, the Heisman Trophy winner with two college national titles at Florida may have suited up for the last time.

Temple all-American running back Montel Harris of Jacksonville, Fla., and defensive end John Youboty of Houston have signed rookie free-agent contracts with NFL teams. Harris joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Youboty signed with the Denver Broncos. Owls placekicker/punter Brandon McManus (Indianapolis Colts) and offensive lineman Martin Wallace (Cleveland Browns) also are signed rookie free agents this spring. A preseason all-American and a 2012 first-team all-Big East honoree, Harris led the nation with 27 career 100-yard rushing games, including five with the Owls in 2012.

NFC EAST EAGLES (B+) 1 (4) Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma 2 (35) Zach Ertz TE Stanford 3 (67) Bennie Logan DT LSU 4 (98) Matt Barkley QB Southern Cal 5 (136) Earl Wolff DB NC State 7 (212) Joe Kruger DE Utah 7 (218) Jordan Poyer DB Oregon State 7 (239) David King DB Oklahoma Domo's Take: The Eagles stayed true to their board in this draft, ignoring need and selecting the best available player. Johnson is an athletic OT who appears to be a good fit for Chip Kelly's offense and Ertz is going to be a fun weapon to watch Kelly use to create mismatches.

Minnesota went all in with three first-round picks. Super Bowl champion Baltimore went for replacements for Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The New York Jets added to their quarterback uncertainty by taking Geno Smith in the second round. Teams loaded up on linemen, making the big and beefy guys this year's stars. The 2013 NFL draft was light on glamour at the skill positions, but heavy on intrigue (when would Manti Te'o go?) and burly bodies able to either get after or protect all those pricey passers.

NEW YORK - Manti Te'o is headed to San Diego. The Notre Dame all-America linebacker was chosen sixth in the second round by the Chargers, drawing a loud roar from the fans at Radio City Music Hall for the NFL draft. Early in Friday's proceedings, the big names had taken over from the bulk and beef of opening night, when 18 linemen went in the first round. Te'o, who led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game, was projected as a first-rounder last year. But his poor performance in a rout at the hands of Alabama, some slow workouts, and a tabloid-ready hoax involving a fake girlfriend that became a national soap opera dropped his stock.