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More coaches question NFLCA's brief supporting players

The Jacksonville Jaguars' coaching staff distanced itself from a court brief filed last week by the NFL Coaches Association. And it wasn't the only staff to do so Wednesday.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said his staff had no knowledge of the statement, which supported the players in the NFL's labor dispute.

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"I checked with our guys and not one member of our coaching staff had knowledge of last week's brief filed by the Coaches Association prior to the news breaking," Del Rio told The Associated Press. "None were consulted or involved in any way. This action was taken without approval. Heck, it wasn't even mentioned to any of us.

"We just hope that this all gets resolved soon so we can get back to coaching up our guys."

Texans coach Gary Kubiaktold *The Houston Chronicle* that his staff didn't approve the brief's contents, either. And in a letter obtained by *The Dallas Morning News*, Cowboys assistant coach John Garrett said the team's staff doesn't "agree with the brief's position."

Likewise, Rams general manager Billy Devaney told the *St. Louis Dispatch* that the team's coaching staff was surprised by the filing.

"They assured me that they weren't informed or consulted about it," Devaney said.

Last week, the Washington Redskins' coaching staff released a similar statement. New Orleans Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt told the Times-Picayune that the team's staff was "appalled" by the filing of the brief.

The NFLCA didn't identify any individual coaches in its brief to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Owners and fans increasingly demand immediate success," the NFLCA lawyers wrote in the brief, "and coaches whose teams cannot fulfill such severe expectations face likely dismissal, which means the uprooting of families, economic dislocation, and a significantly less promising career path."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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