The NFL owners voted to change an element in the overtime rule, giving the team that loses the coin toss at the start of overtime to get a possession if the coin-toss winning team scores a field goal with the first possession.

The proposal passed 28-4. As it is written, the rules change applies just for the postseason, but the owners also decided to discuss adopting the changes for the regular season at their next meeting, in May in Dallas.

Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.

If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.

If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period's] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

The Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals voted against the proposal.

The competition committee recommended the change in a vote of 6-2, and commissioner Roger Goodell supported the plan. He was able to secure enough votes to get the proposal passed on Tuesday, a day before the expected Wednesday vote.

The reason for the change was the increased accuracy of kickers since 1993. In 1994, the NFL moved kickoffs from the 35 to the 30, which created better field position for the teams that won the coin toss and received the kickoffs.

Statistics examined by the committee showed that since 1994, teams winning the coin toss win the game 59.8 percent of the time. The team that loses the toss wins the game 38.5 percent in that 15-year span.

“We’ve had this discussion for a number of years,” competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said. “We feel this year’s proposal gave us the opportunity to [install] a pretty good rule. Statistically we felt it needed to be changed. It wasn’t creating the fairest result as far as field goal accuracy, field goal distance and drive starts.”

McKay said one of the selling points was it maintained the sudden death aspect of overtime.

This is not a one-year experiment. The vote is a permanent change to the overtime rule, which was established in 1974 to minimize the number of games ending in ties.

Jerry Rice, 1st Round, Pick 16. Emmitt Smith, 1st Round, Pick 17. Joe Montana, 3rd Round, Pick 82. Roger Staubach, 10th Round, Pick 129. Tom Brady, 6th Round, Pick 199.

They are considered among the greatest NFL players. But who is the Most Valuable Draft Pick?

In celebration of the 75th NFL Draft, which kicks off in primetime for the first time on Thursday, April 22, fans now can help choose the 75 Most Valuable Draft Picks of all time. Fans can vote for their choices at NFL.com now through April 18.

Following the conclusion of the fan vote, picks 11 – 75 will be announced from April 19 – April 22 on NFL.com and NFL Network. The top 10 greatest Draft picks then will be revealed during the 2010 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 pm ET. The Second and Third Rounds of the Draft will be on Friday, April 23 at 6:00 PM ET followed by Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 24 at 10:00 AM ET.

The 10 Most Valuable Draft Picks will be announced during Round 1, when many of the Top 10 will be in attendance at Radio City Music Hall, the home of the 2010 NFL Draft. The order of the Top 10 will be revealed after the conclusion of the Second Round of the Draft on Friday night. Many of these players will be on hand for the announcement.

NFL.com editors narrowed down the first 74 Drafts to a list of the top 320 players, consisting of 10 players from each team. Fans begin the process of determining the Most Valuable Draft Pick by choosing between pairs of players randomly generated from the list of 320 greats. After selecting winners of 30 random matchups, fans will begin to build their own Top 10 list. Fans may continue to vote in order to make changes to their personal Top 10 list as well as the All-Time Top 10 announced at the Draft. Users then may share their lists and their head-to-head winners on Facebook.

NFL.com delivers comprehensive information on each of the 320 players, including the player’s draft information and career accomplishments to help the voters make educated selections in determining the Most Valuable Pick.

Below is a list of the 320 All-Time Most Valuable Draft Picks as chosen by NFL.com editors. Players are listed by the team that drafted them:

TEAM & PLAYERS

Arizona Cardinals: Anquan Boldin; Dan Dierdorf; Larry Fitzgerald; Roy Green; Tim McDonald; Jackie Smith; Charlie Trippi; Roger Wehrli; Aeneas Williams; Larry Wilson

Atlanta Falcons: Steve Bartkowski; Keith Brooking; Alge Crumpler; Brett Favre; Bill Fralic; Claude Humphrey; Mike Kenn; Deion Sanders; R.C. Thielemann; Jeff Van Note

Baltimore Ravens: Peter Boulware; Todd Heap; Jamal Lewis; Ray Lewis; Edwin Mulitalo; Jonathan Ogden; Ed Reed; Jamie Sharper; Terrell Suggs; Adalius Thomas

Buffalo Bills: Gary Anderson; Ruben Brown; Joe DeLamielleure; Jim Kelly; Reggie McKenzie; Andre Reed ; O.J. Simpson; Fred Smerlas; Bruce Smith; Thurman Thomas

Carolina Panthers: Jon Beason; Kerry Collins; Jordan Gross; Kris Jenkins; Mike Minter; Dan Morgan; Muhsin Muhammad; Julius Peppers; Mike Rucker; Steve Smith

Chicago Bears: Dick Butkus; Mike Ditka; Bill George; Stan Jones; Bobby Layne; Sid Luckman; Walter Payton; Gale Sayers; Mike Singletary; Brian Urlacher

Cincinnati Bengals: Ken Anderson; Willie Anderson; Bill Bergey; Boomer Esiason; Max Montoya; Anthony Munoz; Chad Ochocinco; Lemar Parrish; Ken Riley; Bob Trumpy

Cleveland Browns: Jim Brown; Willie Davis; Hanford Dixon; Gene Hickerson; Henry Jordan; Leroy Kelly; Ozzie Newsome; Dick Schafrath; Walt Sweeney; Paul Warfield

Dallas Cowboys: Troy Aikman; Larry Allen; Tony Dorsett; Bob Hayes; Michael Irvin; Bob Lilly; Emmitt Smith; Roger Staubach; Randy White; Darren Woodson

Denver Broncos: Lyle Alzado; Steve Atwater; Terrell Davis; Randy Gradishar; Tom Jackson; Karl Mecklenburg; Tom Nalen; Shannon Sharpe; Rick Upchurch; Louis Wright

Detroit Lions: Jerry Ball; Lem Barney; Lomas Brown; Jack Christiansen; Yale Lary; Alex Karras; Barry Sanders; Charlie Sanders; Joe Schmidt; Wayne H. Walker

Green Bay Packers: Herb Adderley; LeRoy Butler; Forrest Gregg; Paul Hornung; Jerry Kramer; James Lofton; Ray Nitschke; Jim Ringo; Darren Sharper; Bart Starr

Houston Texans: David Carr; Owen Daniels; Jabar Gaffney; Andre Johnson; Travis Johnson; Jerome Mathis; Chester Pitts; Dunta Robinson; DeMeco Ryans; Mario Williams

Indianapolis Colts: Raymond Berry; Mike Curtis; Ray Donaldson; Marshall Faulk; Dwight Freeney; Marvin Harrison; John Mackey; Peyton Manning; Lenny Moore; Jim Parker

Jacksonville Jaguars: Tony Boselli; Fernando Bryant; Donovin Darius; Kevin Hardy; John Henderson; Rashean Mathis; Brad Meester; Marcus Stroud; Fred Taylor; Renaldo Wynn

Kansas City Chiefs: Jared Allen; Bobby Bell; Tony Gonzalez; Willie Lanier; Albert Lewis; Will Shields; Neil Smith; Otis Taylor; Derrick Thomas; Jim Tyrer

Miami Dolphins: Dick Anderson; Larry Csonka; Leon Gray; Bob Griese; Sam Madison; Dan Marino; Jake Scott; Dwight Stephenson; Jason Taylor; Zach Thomas

Minnesota Vikings: Joey Browner; Chris Doleman; Carl Eller; Steve Jordan; Randall McDaniel; Randy Moss; Alan Page; Fran Tarkenton; Kevin Williams; Ron Yary

New England Patriots: Tom Brady; Nick Buoniconti; John Hannah; Mike Haynes; Lee Roy Jordan; Ty Law; Curtis Martin; Lawyer Milloy; Richard Seymour; Andre Tippett

New Orleans Saints: Morten Andersen; Wes Chandler; John Gilliam; Rickey Jackson; Archie Manning; Chuck Muncie; Lorenzo Neal; Willie Roaf; Pat Swilling; Dave Waymer

New York Giants: Harry Carson; George Connor; Art Donovan; Frank Gifford; Sam Huff; Don Maynard; Phil Simms; Michael Strahan; Lawrence Taylor; Brad Van Pelt

New York Jets: Joe Fields; Mark Gastineau; Craig Hentrich; Keyshawn Johnson; Joe Klecko; Mo Lewis; Joe Namath; Marvin Powell; John Riggins; Wesley Walker

Oakland Raiders: Marcus Allen; Lance Alworth; Fred Biletnikoff; Cliff Branch; Dave Casper; La’Roi Glover; Shane Lechler; Howie Long; Art Shell; Gene Upshaw

Philadelphia Eagles: Eric Allen; Maxie Baughan; Bob Brown; Chuck Bednarik; Brian Dawkins; Sonny Jurgensen; Tommy McDonald; Pete Pihos; Clyde Simmons; Steve Van Buren

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mel Blount; Terry Bradshaw; Dermontti Dawson; Joe Greene; L.C. Greenwood; Jack Ham; Franco Harris; Jack Lambert; Mike Webster; Rod Woodson

St. Louis Rams: Jerome Bettis; Nolan Cromwell; Eric Dickerson; Kevin Greene; Harold Jackson;

Deacon Jones; Jackie Slater; Norm Van Brocklin; Bob Waterfield; Jack Youngblood

San Diego Chargers Drew Brees; Fred Dean; Dan Fouts; John Hadl; Rodney Harrison; John Jefferson; Gary Johnson; Junior Seau; LaDainian Tomlinson; Kellen Winslow

San Francisco 49ers: Charles Haley; Jimmy Johnson; Ronnie Lott; Hugh McElhenny; Joe Montana; Leo Nomellini; Terrell Owens; Jerry Rice; Gene A. Washington; Dave Wilcox

Seattle Seahawks: Sam Adams; Shaun Alexander; Kenny Easley; Ahman Green; Steve Hutchinson; Walter Jones; Cortez Kennedy; Kevin Mawae; Lofa Tatupu; Fredd Young

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Alstott; Ronde Barber; Derrick Brooks; Mark Carrier; Warrick Dunn; John Lynch; Tony Mayberry; Warren Sapp; Lee Roy Selmon; Vinny Testaverde

Tennessee Titans: Robert Brazile; Earl Campbell; Ray Childress; Eddie George; Albert Haynesworth; Ken Houston; Charlie Joiner; Derrick Mason; Bruce Matthews; Mike Munchak

Washington Redskins: Champ Bailey; Sammy Baugh; Larry Brown; Darrell Green; Russ Grimm; Chris Hanburger; Paul Krause; Art Monk; Jerry Smith; Charley Taylor

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