It wasn’t the phone call you’ve heard about, the one that comes during the NFL draft. But it was music to Chris Bramell’s ear nonetheless.

It came from the Cincinnati Bengals, and they were extending an invitation to their May 12 to 14 minicamp to the Saint Francis quarterback.

“What I wanted was an opportunity, and I think that’s what I’m getting right now,” said the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bramell, who threw for 2,236 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 609 yards and 14 scores in leading the Cougars to their second straight NAIA national title game last fall.

At least 10 NFL teams contacted Bramell in the run-up to the draft, but it was no surprise that the Bengals were the team that finally opened the door to him. Cincinnati had been by far the most persistent in staying in touch, he said.

“When it was all said and done, they were the ones who expressed the most interest,” Bramell said. “We knew the draft was a gamble, a long shot. We weren’t relying on it. We just saw it as a possibility, and if it happened, that would be great.

“But in the end, what I wanted was just a chance. So this is sort of what I wanted.”

The NFL Competition Committee hopes to offer the quarterback more protection in a new rule that could be adopted next week, thanks in part to the urging of the Bengals after the hit Carson Palmer took from Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen.

“It’s not the driving force, but it’s a force,” said Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay, co-chairman of the committee, in a Wednesday conference call. “We look at tape of every major injury no matter the position and we’re looking at ways to make the quarterback safer.”

The Bengals have a voice but not a vote on the committee in head coach Marvin Lewis, a non-voting member who represents the coaches’ sub-committee. Lewis didn’t get the roughing the quarterback call he sought after von Oelhoffen smashed into the side of Palmer’s left knee on his first pass of the Wild Card game, and the NFL didn’t fine von Oelhoffen because his path to the quarterback wasn’t unabated.

That may change now if the rule passes muster in front of the owners next week at the league’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

“The proposal puts the onus on the defensive player,” McKay said. “Whenever there is an opportunity to avoid, he must take that opportunity to avoid.

“We know that the quarterback is back there in a defenseless position."

Many Bengals said after the game that while they believe it wasn’t a dirty play, they also think von Oelhoffen could have avoided the hit. McKay said the Bengals raised the issue not just because of the Palmer play.

“They wanted us to look at updating some of the older language,” McKay said. “Marvin has been great about it. He has sat in our meetings and has made his suggestions ... and we’re looking at modifying the rule.”

Since the quarterback safety issue is one of a handful of rules that the committee looks like it’s going to recommend to ownership, it has an excellent chance of getting three-fourths of the 32 votes necessary to pass. Once the new rules are adopted, McKay and co-chair Jeff Fisher plan to comment on the specific wording.