With ABC’s upfront presentation only 10 days away, the network is expected to make a decision on its drama pilot The Rookie : North in the coming week. The Rookie spinoff remains in strong contention as evidenced by the fact that ABC only passed on its other pilot , comedy pilot Do You Want Kids? , earlier this week. (Broadcast networks often make pass calls first before they proceed with pickups.) As Deadline has reported , it has come down to The Rookie: North , starring Jay Ellis , and freshman series R.J. Decker, starring Scott Speedman. It could be one or the other, with The Rookie: North having a slight edge, or both with reduced orders (and other returning series possibly getting an episode order haircut) to make the budget work. A big selling point for The Rookie: North is the crossover possibilities with the mothership The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion , which has been renewed for a ninth season . Crossovers continue to do well as marketing stunts that drive up viewership.…