With Bills, Rams, Browns Rumored to Be for Sale, Could We See LA Franchise Soon?

Los Angeles will house an NFL team again.

The money that can be made in the nation's second biggest television market will make it happen. The question is, will a current team be uprooted and moved to Hollywood, or will the NFL expand its league to 33 teams and begin an expansion franchise in Lakers-town?

Yesterday's news of Philadelphia Eagles team president Joe Banner stepping down from his position shed some light on the possible answers to the those questions. 

Howard Eskin, a sports radio personality in Philly and Eagles sideline reporter, sent this tweet that got a lot of traction on Twitter yesterday:

"

Hear Ex #Eagles Pres Joe Banner interested in putting group together to buy Buff Bills. Also hear Cleveland Browns and St Louis may b 4 sale

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) June 7, 2012"

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com talked with Banner on PFT Live Thursday afternoon and stated the following in a recent column: 

"

Banner said that he has a goal of being part of a group that purchases an NFL team. The problem is, few if any teams are for sale.  One will be, in time. The family of 93-year-old Bills owner Ralph Wilson are expected, following his passing, to sell the team.

"

Florio later touched on Eskin's report and astutely stated if the Browns, Rams or Bills are for indeed for sale, it would be bigger news that Banner's interest in them. 

However, Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. will be 94 years old in October, so the Bills could hit the market before franchises in St. Louis or Cleveland. 

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, via ProFootballTalk.com added more specificity to Banner's intentions: 

Paolantonio said that Banner is “open to L.A. I don’t want to single them out, but that’s something I think I can do—set up a franchise, help build a stadium, hire a coach, hire good people to build a a winning organization.”

Maybe all these teams are for sale, or maybe none of them are (the Browns have denied the initial report), but this news should be a wake-up call for all teams struggling financially and playing in out-of-date stadiums in smaller markets that Los Angeles is in the front of the minds of major ownership/investment groups. 

Will we see a team in L.A. in two years? Probably not. Banner's interest doesn't guarantee anything. 

But by throwing his hat into the ring of the handful of groups that would like to try again in Los Angeles, Banner increases the chances we'll see a team there in the next decade. 

Follow @ChrisTrapasso