Sources: NFL to mull coach-moves rule

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There was no rule preventing Josh McDaniels from going from the St. Louis Rams to the New England Patriots in a matter of days this postseason, but there soon could be.

The NFL will look at that situation in the offseason and determine whether there needs to be a rule blocking coaches from making same-season moves from one franchise to another, league sources told ESPN Saturday.

A few clubs lodged complaints about how McDaniels, the offensive coordinator in St. Louis, was able to go from the last-place Rams to the first-place Patriots staff in a matter of days.

A league spokesman noted that the competition committee always discusses matters generated by clubs. Another league source noted that the NFL Coaches Association had pushed for the change that enables most coaches whose contracts expire to become available the second Tuesday after the assistant's season finale. The league source noted, however, "I'm not sure we ever contemplated the McDaniels scenario, and it will have to be discussed within the competition committee."

The Patriots announced Jan. 8 that McDaniels had been hired as an offensive assistant coach for the rest of this season, with a deal in place to make him the team's offensive coordinator for the 2012 season.

McDaniels will replace Bill O'Brien, the new head coach at Penn State. O'Brien will work as the Patriots' offensive coordinator for the remainder of this season.

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