From the sounds of things, we may finally have a frontrunner or two for a potential NFL move to Los Angeles. It's a combination that wasn't initially suggested as a possibility but has gained more momentum in recent weeks and will almost assuredly result in the Rams again residing in Los Angeles. For now-St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been developing a stadium initiative in Inglewood, Calif., while the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders have been working toward their own project in Carson. Despite the seeming dividing lines, it seems the likeliest possibility at this point is for Kroenke's Inglewood plan to get the go-ahead from the league and the Chargers and owner Dean Spanos to then join them in that stadium, leaving the Raiders and owner Mark Davis to fend for themselves, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Per Cole, there is fear that Davis and the Raiders simply don't have enough money to make relocation work. It also raises the question, according to Cole, of whether or not the Raiders are facing a potential sale sometime in the near future.
HNGN passed along a report late last month that Kroenke's Inglewood plan likely had a leg up of sorts on the competition thanks to the addition of a facility for the NFL Network in the blueprints for his massive new sports structure. The Rams are now so likely to move that the league is reportedly even considering what teams to move to St. Louis after the Rams' expected departure - Jacksonville has apparently been "bandied about" as a potential candidate.
Despite the fact that St. Louis has made progress on a new downtown stadium - the St. Louis Post-Dispatch released plans recently detailing the various facets of the possible new riverfront football stadium - Kroenke seems hell bent on moving the franchise to Los Angeles. Based on the reception from longtime L.A. Rams fans, who flocked to the team's joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., earlier this offseason, it's likely the league feels just as strongly about their move.
Still, if the Raiders are possibly to be sold, a move to Los Angeles would probably only serve to make the team more appealing to potential buyers, so it's another factor to consider for the league as they determine what to do.
As for the Chargers, their joint venture with the Raiders in Carson has made much headway in recent weeks but still seems to remain fair behind Kroenke. Carmen Policy, the spokesperson hired by the Raiders and Chargers to help advance their plan, has been adamant that both teams are determined to make the jump, and a report from Michelle Moons of Breitbart.com from mid-August suggests that Spanos is "determined" to see relocation through.
