National Football League owners will vote on a number of amendments next week that could radically alter the Rooney Rule, reports Jim Trotter of the NFL Network.

Among the proposals would see teams improve their draft stock should they hire minority candidates as head coaches or executives.

The Rooney Rule (named after late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney) was instituted in 2003 as a means to ensure minority candidates were given equal opportunity to interview for top personnel jobs. Under the rule, each team with a head coaching or GM vacancy must interview at least one minority candidate for the position.

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell agreed earlier this year that the rule was not having the desired effect in increasing the ranks of minority coaches and executives. Only three of the last 20 vacancies have been filled by a person of colour.

"Clearly we are not where we want to be on this level," Goodell said during Super Bowl week. "It's clear we need to change. We have already begun discussing those changes, what stages we can take next to determine better outcomes."

One proposal to be voted upon would loosen tampering rules that permit clubs to block coaches from interviewing for coordinator positions at other clubs. The other major proposal would see better draft slots given to clubs that hire minorities for GM and head coaching roles.

Should a team hire a minority head coach, then in the draft prior to that coach's second season with the club, the team would move up six slots from its allotted place in the third round. A team would move up 10 slots in the same scenario for hiring a minority as its GM. If a club were to fill both head coaching and GM vacancies at the same time with minority candidates, then it would move up 16 draft places under the same scenario, potentially turning the pick into a second-round selection. If a team keeps its minority head coach or GM for at least three seasons, then in the draft preceding the coach or GM's third season with the club, it would move up five draft places in the fourth round.

Currently, just two of the league's 32 GMs are persons of colour - the Miami Dolphins' Chris Grier and Ron Rivera of Washington.

Rivera, the Los Angeles Chargers' Anthony Lynn, Brian Flores of the Dolphins and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers are the league's only minority head coaches.

These proposals and others could be voted on as soon as a virtual meeting held on Tuesday.