Check out:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ml?eref=sircrc

NFL owners discussed playing spring preseason games as part of a possible expansion of the regular-season schedule.

.... Goodell said that prevailing feeling was that if the schedule is expanded, it should go to 18 games, not 17.

Should the expanded regular season get approved, one or two preseason games would be eliminated.
I would love to see 9 home games and just one mandatory exhibition. And Spring exhibition games or scrimmages (hopefully not full priced & mandatory) - icing on the cake, breaking that long period between the Super Bowl and training camp.

Not discussed was the international game in a 17-game schedule -- perhaps that has fallen off the table?