The NFL imposed no additional restrictions on Tom Brady this week

For those who would insist that Tom Brady has no conflict of interest between his job with Fox, which covers all the teams, and his position as an owner of one of them, the NFL acknowledged the problem by placing restrictions on his activities for Fox.

This week, with Brady calling a game with two assistant coaches he’s interviewed for the Raiders’ head coaching vacancy and the conflict of interest in the centerthe league has not changed the existing rules.

“There have been no additional restrictions this week,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email Friday. “Tom will continue to adhere to broadcast guidelines and also the anti-tampering and Rooney Rule policies.”

The broadcast guidelines prohibit Brady from attending practices, participating in production meetings and entering team facilities. They do, however, allow Brady to speak with players and coaches on the field and/or before the game.

There is a way to thread the needle that allows Brady, if he wants, to repeatedly speak with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and/or Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn by phone in the days leading up to the game. And while Brady wasn’t and isn’t allowed to talk to them about the Raiders’ head coaching job (when in doubt, destroy the phone), Brady had the ability to get a front-row seat to how they went about coming up with a game plan for a high-stakes playoff game.

That gives him an advantage that no other team has ever had in a leadership search. He gets the chance to evaluate in real time the process of two candidates for the Raiders’ head coaching job to prepare for a single-elimination game. What better way to get the overall feel of whether Johnson and/or Glenn will step up or step down when the pressure mounts?

Think of it this way. If you were looking to hire someone to come and work for your company, wouldn’t you love to have a chance to see the way the candidate does their current job? To have access to them while they do it?

Owners have overlooked or ignored the advantage the Raiders have thanks to Brady’s dual roles. They might feel differently if/when the Raiders slide from the category of “team not to worry about” to “team to be taken seriously.”