"I believe'cautious optimism' is the ideal way to frame it

I'd call it cautious confidence, as NFL teams begin to submit formal request slips to interview coach and GM candidates. And Rod Graves, head of the Madden nfl 21 coins Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with all the NFL in the pursuit of greater diversity in the management and coaching positions.

"I believe'cautious optimism' is the ideal way to frame it," Graves told me Sunday afternoon. "A lot of credit goes to (Commissioner) Roger Goodell and (VP of football operations) Troy Vincent for the sense of urgency which has developed about this problem over the past 8-to-12 months."

There's nothing to winner before we see the final outcome of those hunts, but it appears more than lip service has been paid to The Rooney Rule, and there is a sense within the groups doing the hiring which time for words is over -- this league must be more equitable in who gets to sit in places of power inside the sport, and, ultimately, just the owners themselves can change this.

Experienced coaches like Marvin Lewis and executives such as Rick Smith seem really poised at this point to have a valid chance with numerous teams.

The league has become more competitive, proactive and consistent with its messaging to groups about the need to alter the way they've been doing business, and I have heard repeatedly from those doing the hiring, and people who represent many of the top candidates, that the nature of the cycle will in reality be different.

"I've never felt a vibe similar to this earlier," said one prominent agent. "I think Goodell has put down the hammer and these groups are receiving the message."

Before Graves has broached the subject of pushing back all hires till after the Super Bowl to attempt to level the playing area to this in and outside of the match, providing the rules that regulate the game. However, numerous coaches and GMs being let go in-season this past year -- creating a stronger cycle of interviews while games were still being played -- is a dynamic that also could foster diversity.

"The early conclusions being made by owners, in an effort to have a head start, could become more of a trend moving ahead," Graves said.

Of course, this is not about just one hiring cycle, or a single blip. It's about a course correction in the way owners think and operate. And Graves wants to expand the scope of the thinking into all aspects under the NFL's umbrella: NFL Films, NFL Media, and all ventures of this type. He, and lots of more, want to observe the same management-level opportunities supplied in these ventures as well, and is already working on a presentation to that end for its spring meeting in March.

"This is something that needs a holistic approach," Graves explained. "It is about peeling the cover back on the buy Madden 21 coins total NFL umbrella and analyzing diversity as it pertains to other businesses, and in some cases it is much worse there than what we have observed on the soccer side."