PHOENIX (AP) _ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will meet next Tuesday with two players who have had recent legal problems and hopes to hand down disciplinary measures within 10 days of those meetings.
While Goodell's new, stronger player conduct policy has not been formulated, he received input from the teams at the league meetings that concluded Wednesday. Next week, he'll hold hearings for Tennessee cornerback Adam (Pacman) Jones and Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry.
Jones has talked to police in 10 separate incidents since being drafted in April 2005 and has been arrested five times. On Monday, Las Vegas police recommended prosecutors file a felony charge of coercion and misdemeanour charges of battery and threat against Jones, stemming from a Feb. 19 strip club fight and shooting.
Henry is among nine Bengals players arrested in less than a year. He had four arrests in 14 months, including marijuana possession, a weapon charge, and a drunken-driving count that resulted in a guilty plea to reckless operation of a vehicle.
``I won't lump all of these incidents into a bowl and deal with it,'' Goodell said Wednesday. ``I'm not trying to send a signal here and make examples of people. We'll do what we need to protect the integrity of the NFL. That's our objective.
``These are part of the hearings I've had with a player or coach facing discipline decisions. It's to get their perspective, look them in the eye and get them thinking. They are clearly to give me better info and more facts. I do it frequently.''
It could happen more frequently, given the number of off-field incidents that plagued the league over the last year or so. While a small minority of players and coaches have been involved, their actions cast a shadow over the entire NFL.
``I think it's really in the forefront of what we need to do,'' Colts coach Tony Dungy said. ``I'm for whatever steps would help us address this problem better. We have a great game and we can't let it erode.''
