Dean Blandino is expected to be hired as NFL vice president of officiating, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday.
According to Rapoport, Blandino's mastery of the NFL rule book came through during his interview, and he is a strong candidate for the job. Blandino currently is the league's director of instant replay.
Carl Johnson will leave the VP position after the Super Bowl to return to the field as the NFL's first full-time game official.
The movement comes after the new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association allowed for the hiring of some full-time officials.
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