Monday’s health and safety news from the world of football:
- NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent wrote on NFL Ops that the NFL Competition Committee was considering banning the chop block and creating a medical timeout entering last weekend's meetings in Naples, Florida.
- Pro Football Talk reported that player health and safety was on the minds of the NFL Competition Committee, which is considering expanding rosters to 55 and letting all players be eligible for Thursday night games.
- ESPN reported that the NFL has considered making changes to some athletic events at the NFL Scouting Combine, NFL director of player development Matt Birk said at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference this weekend.
- NFL.com reported on New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who promoted virtual reality training for quarterbacks during the Sports Analytics Conference.
- Time Warner Cable News reported on University of Buffalo researchers who offered a method to make the NFL schedule safer for all players.
- The Miami Herald featured the Miami Dolphins' hiring of a new sports science expert.
- ClevelandBrowns.com featured five Browns players who have committed to teaching kids to play football overseas through the American Football Without Borders program.
- The Associated Press featuredNew York Jets offensive lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who donated 10,000 copies of his children’s book about recycling.
- The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported on former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Merril Hoge, who talked about concussion awareness with North Hills High School student athletes.
- WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, covered a concussion summit that focused on children’s head injuries.
-- Bill Bradley, contributing editor