Finding right fit for Los Angeles still eludes NFL

Los Angeles remains the promised land for the NFL — when the right stadium development site and franchise-relocation proposal come along.

At the owners meetings last week, Commissioner Roger Goodell told USA TODAY Sports, "There are millions of fans who want a team there."

But short of a surprise turn, a club coming to the country's second-biggest city is not imminent.

"We've been very open that if we had the right opportunity to be back in Los Angeles with the right formula, meaning a stadium, most importantly, we would love to do that,'' Goodell said. "But it has to be successful.

"We are going to do it right, if we are going to do it. There are different proposals out there and different opportunities. But not one that we are focused on and can say that we have the right solution yet."

It's been almost 20 years since the Raiders and Rams left Los Angeles after the 1994 season.

Shouldn't a team be placed in L.A. before London?

"An owner has to agree he wants to move to L.A.," New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said. "It would be serving the fans out there. It would be a great place to have Super Bowls."

St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke purchased a 60-acre parcel recently between Hollywood Park and the Forum. Nonetheless, that space is not deemed large enough for stadium parking and road infrastructure.

While San Diego Chargers executive president/chairman Dean Spanos said he believes Los Angeles would be "a great opportunity for some team and the league," he told USA TODAY Sports that his sole focus is a new stadium in San Diego.

Spanos hopes new Mayor Kevin Faulconer can broker a deal.

"As it's been for the last 12 years, we've been working on our stadium situation in San Diego," Spanos said.

"In the last 10 years we've had seven different mayors. Kevin Faulconer knows the Chargers are important to San Diego. And there is a way to have a good private/public partnership."

The Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium lease runs through 2020, although they do have a yearly opt-out clause.

The Oakland Raiders could move when their lease of the O.Co Coliseum ends after the 2014 season.

"We have a phenomenal fan base," Raiders owner Mark Davis said. "But that's the thing, it's 'Raiders Nation.' We're global with our fans. We just have to have a place they're proud of."

So Los Angeles is in play?

"Right now, I'm trying to get something done in Oakland," Davis said. "But Los Angeles is something that I've definitely thought about ... There's other places as well."

While the NFL says it will take it slow to ensure a successful re-entry into the Los Angeles market, a line seems to be forming.

"You have to look at leases that are legally able to be terminated with local stadium problems, that's the Rams, Raiders and Chargers," said Marc Ganis, a league consultant and president of Chicago-based SportsCorp.

Ganis quashed speculation of the Buffalo Bills joining the mix following the death of owner Ralph Wilson, who extended a 10-year lease for the stadium bearing his name in December 2012.

There is no opt-out clause for six more years while the team remains in Wilson's estate until its expected eventual sale.

"Anybody who expects that would be wrong,'' Ganis said.

CANDIDATES TO MOVE

Whether it's Los Angeles or another destination, USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis identifies six teams most likely to look for new digs.

Bills: The death of owner Ralph Wilson means this franchise will be sold at some point. The club has tried to expand its regional fan base in Canada, but tepid support in "home" games staged in Toronto caused the Bills to scrap their annual Canadian game for the 2014 season.

Carolina Panthers: Charlotte has ponied up nearly $100 million to upgrade Bank of America Stadium, and the team has agreed to remain in the city through the end of the decade. But owner Jerry Richardson, 77, has already stipulated the Panthers will be sold within two years of his death due to tax implications.

Jacksonville Jaguars: They're often mentioned in the same breath with relocation. But EverBank Field is getting a $63 million facelift that includes massive new video boards, and owner Shad Khan faces a nine-figure buyout to break his lease before 2030. Even if he wants to leave, the Jaguars — who are in the midst of a four-year stretch of playing some home games in London — might be more likely to make a trans-Atlantic move than a cross-country one.

Raiders: They spent 13 seasons in L.A. (1982-94) and won one Super Bowl there before returning to Oakland. But after agreeing to a one-year extension, the Raiders' lease at outdated O.Co Coliseum, which they share with baseball's A's, ends after the 2014 season.

Rams: The city declined to pick up the Rams' $700 million proposal to overhaul the Edward Jones Dome and elevate it into the NFL's top quartile of stadiums as the team's lease stipulates it must be. That means the Rams could be a free agent franchise next year.

Chargers: They were born the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960 before moving south one year later. But the Bolts have been renewing their lease at antiquated Qualcomm Stadium, which has been yanked from the Super Bowl rotation, on an annual basis since 2007. The club has been frustrated amid failed efforts to build a new venue over the past decade. But ownership still hopes to ultimately move to downtown San Diego near the Padres' beautiful Petco Park.