NFL gets updates on L.A. stadium plans

The NFL gathered the last few days in Florida to conduct committee meetings, and as you can expect Los Angeles was a particular subject of interest.

Two NFL sources confirmed to the Los Angeles News Group that the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders jointly met with the league’s owner’s committee overseeing Los Angeles relocation, updating the committee on their shared Carson stadium project. In addition, the St. Louis Rams also updated the committee on the Inglewood stadium project.

According to one source with knowledge of the meetings, the committee was impressed with the progress the Chargers and Raiders have made thus far on their Carson plan. Although it stands a few steps behind the Inglewood project, the Chargers and Raiders anticipate drawing even with Inglewood by late May, early June, when they expect the Carson City Council to approve the proposal.

If so, the NFL will mull two approved stadium proposals in which three teams are officially attached.

That doesn’t mean three teams will be coming to Los Angeles, just that the NFL – and St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego – will have serious decisions to make in the coming months.

Not the least of which is whether all three cities can – or even want to – come up with stadium plans to keep their teams in their local markets.

While all three are fighting uphill battles to get stadium plans financed and approved, it seems St. Louis is making significant progress.

In a recent Q and A with INSIDESTL.COM, Dave Peacock, who co-chairs the task force in charge with putting a stadium plan together, expressed optimism with how things are coming together and said he is pleased with the dialogue being developed with the Rams recently.

The Rams have not spoken publicly about their true feelings, so we can only guess whether they have a preferred end-game in mind: Do they truly wish to be in Los Angeles or are they simply using Inglewood as leverage to get the best possible stadium deal in St. Louis?

In any event, based on the progress being made they could soon face a decision in which we finally find out what they are up to.