NFL passes new conduct policy; NFLPA says it hasn't seen it

NFL owners unanimously passed a new conduct policy, which wasn't a surprise. With all the off-field turmoil the NFL has been through, it didn't need the appearance of a disagreement about the new policy among its owners.

The new conduct policy was promised by commissioner Roger Goodell in September after the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson situations became a national topic of conversation. The biggest change to it, according to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN that outlined the new policy, is that the NFL will "no longer defer entirely to the decisions of the criminal justice system, which is governed by processes and considerations that are not appropriate to a workplace, especially a workplace as visible and influential as ours."

In other words, it won't help a player if the legal system goes light on him for a indiscretion that the NFL frowns upon. That especially applies to domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault, ESPN's report said. There will be "specific criteria for paid leave for anyone charged with a crime of violence," according to the Associated Press. The AP reiterated a previous report that there will be a six-game suspension for "assault, sexual assault, battery, domestic violence, child abuse and other forms of family violence," although circumstances will be considered.

"The policy is comprehensive. It is strong. It is tough. And it better for everyone associated with the NFL," Goodell said, according to the AP.

Another big key to the new policy is that a special counsel for investigations and conduct will oversee initial discipline, ESPN said. Goodell said a "highly qualified individual with a criminal justice background" will be hired for the role, the AP said, and the league will use independent investigators as needed. Goodell will keep the authority to rule on appeals, which likely won't make the NFL Players Association happy.

Yes, the union. That group is the other big story about the new policy. The fact that the NFL has unilaterally made a new conduct policy without including the NFLPA is meaningful negotiations has been a major point of contention with the union. NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah didn't try to hide his displeasure in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

It seems like an arrogant move by the NFL, which has always held a good deal of power over the union, to agitate the NFLPA by cutting them out of the negotiating process in the new conduct policy. This terse statement by the union sums up its discontent:

"Our union has not been offered the professional courtesy of seeing the NFL's new personal conduct policy before it hit the presses. Their unilateral decision and conduct today is the only thing that has been consistent over the past few months."

The NFL has a new, tough conduct policy that could garner the positive publicity it seeks after a bad run of off-field incidents. How it went about pushing that conduct policy through might create problems with the union, problems that will be hard to smooth over.