HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Extra Points: XFL, Rules, CBA

April 13th, 2019 at 2:16pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The AAF is no more. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be anymore spring football, as the XFL is preparing to start up early next year. Vince McMahon’s reincarnation of the XFL will be the latest league that looks to supplement fans’ need for pro football. The original XFL debuted in 2001, and lasted just one season. To stand out this time around, they’ll be adding some new innovative rule changes. One of those is adding a three-point conversion, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Teams in the XFL will have the opportunity to go for one, two or three points after a touchdown. The one-point conversion will be from the two-yard line, the two-point conversion will be from the five-yard line, and the three-point conversion will be from the ten-yard line.

It’s an interesting new wrinkle, and means that any time the score is within nine points it’ll still be a one-possession game. While the demise of the AAF will serve as a warning for future spring leagues, the XFL has the potential to be different. McMahon has very deep pockets, and seems willing to spend a fortune to ensure the league succeeds. With his presence, it’s unlikely the league will have any of the immediate financial trouble that the AAF had.

Here’s more from around the football universe:

  • There’s been a lot of talk over the past year about the league’s CBA and the potential for a work stoppage. Owners are widely seen as having won the last round of negotiations, and players will be making much stronger demands this time around. Many believe the owners won’t be willing to meet those demands, which could cause another lockout. But the two sides apparently made some progress in their first round of negotiating meetings earlier this week, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Graziano writes that people involved in the negotiations “believe the owners would like to get a new deal in place prior to the start of the 2019 season.”
  • In a separate tweet, Graziano notes that the fact they’re making progress with this far to go is a positive sign. The current CBA runs through the 2020 season, so we’re still a ways out. “They’re engaging the players in talks with two seasons left, which “indicates a possibility (though not a certainty) that this could be done without a work stoppage,” Graziano writes. Players are likely to seek significant concessions on issues like the guarantees in contracts, and owners have been unwilling to budge in the past. Ultimately players were unwilling to forego any game checks last time around, and it’ll be very interesting to see how far they’re willing to go this time. For what it’s worth, a potential work stoppage could play right into the hands of a league like the XFL.
  • In case you missed it, Reuben Foster won’t be suspended by the league for his latest domestic violence incident, for which charges were dropped.

Eagles CB Jalen Mills Arrested

April 13th, 2019 at 12:53pm CST by Ben Levine

Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills was arrested last night in Washington D.C. following an altercation with Washington Wizards player Devin Robinson, reports Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press (via the Washington Post). The two athletes were charged with disorderly affray, which Fendrich describes as fighting in a public place.

According to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, the two engaged in a verbal altercation that escalated into a fight on the sidewalk. Robinson was transported to a hospital following the fight, and he was eventually released before being taken department’s 2nd District station. That will the same location where Mills was ultimately detained.

Mills joined the Eagles as a seventh-round pick back in 2016, and he started throughout the team’s 2017 Super Bowl run. This past season, Mills appeared in only eight games after suffering a foot injury. The 25-year-old finished the season 36 tackles and nine passes defended. Mills is projected to start the season as the team’s third cornerback behind Rasul Douglas and Ronald Darby.

Cowboys OT La’el Collins Underwent Surgery

April 13th, 2019 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys offensive tackle La’el Collins underwent surgery this offseason to repair a torn rotator cuff, reports Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The team is expected “to be cautious” with Collins through OTAs and minicamp, but he’s expected to be healthy for training camp in July.

The lineman joins a growing list of notable Cowboys players who underwent offseason surgery. After inking a lucrative new deal with the team, Demarcus Lawrence underwent surgery on a torn labrum. While the pass-rusher is focused on being ready for the start of the regular season, Hill cautions that the four-to-six month recovery time means he may not be back until October.

Starting cornerback Byron Jones also underwent hip surgery back in March. He’s expected to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Collins joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent back in 2015, and he’s emerged as a key piece on the team’s offensive line. He started all 32 regular season games over the past two seasons, including a 2018 campaign where he ranked 31st among 80 eligible offensive tackles (per Pro Football Focus). The 25-year-old is heading into the final year of his contract.

Jets Host LB Josh Allen, TE Noah Fant

April 13th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Ben Levine

With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, the Jets are ramping up their draft efforts. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the team is hosting Kentucky pass-rusher Josh Allen today. The team also had Iowa tight end Noah Fant in for a visit yesterday.

The interest in Allen isn’t much of a surprise, as the Jets were listed among the five teams that the linebacker would be visiting (along with the 49ers, Raiders, Giants and Lions). There were even some whispers during the defender’s pro day that he would ultimately be selected third-overall by the Jets. Allen clearly benefited from staying in school for his season year, registering 17 sacks this past season. He also finished the 2018 campaign with 56 tackles, five forced fumbles, and 21.5 tackles for loss.

Assuming Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa are off the board by the Jets’ third-overall pick, you could make an argument that Allen would be the best player available. The edge defender has generally been ranked alongside Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in mock drafts and prospect rankings.

The interest in Fant is a bit surprising. While the tight end is generally considered to be one of the best prospects at his position (along with teammate T.J. Hockenson), there’s little chance the organization selects him with the third pick. Plus, while Fant’s draft stock is varied, it’s expected that if he’s not selected in the first round, he’d be an early-second-rounder. The Jets sent their second-rounder to the Colts in last year’s blockbuster, although they are armed with a pair of third-rounders. In other words, the Jets could easily make a trade to move up in the draft.

Fant was a touchdown machine at Iowa, hauling in 18 touchdowns between the 2017 and 2018 season. In New York, he’d provide Sam Darnold with another red zone target, and he’d team up with All-Rookie member Chris Herndon to form a formidable tight end duo.

Eagles Restructure TE Zach Ertz’s Contract

April 13th, 2019 at 9:15am CST by Ben Levine

Zach Ertz has helped the Eagles clear up some cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles have restructured the tight end’s contract.

Specifically, the team converted $7.195MM of Ertz’s contract into a bonus, opening up $5.76MM in cap room. The move increases the Eagles’ cap space from around $21.7MM to around $27.5MM. It’s seemingly a win-win for both sides; Ertz wasn’t required to take a pay cut, and the Eagles received some financial flexibility. We’ve actually seen the organization do a similar maneuver with the tight end’s contract back in 2017 and 2018.

The 28-year-old Ertz had his most productive NFL season in 2018, hauling in 116 receptions for 1163 yards and eight touchdowns. The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career with Philly.

There are a variety of reasons why the Eagles could be looking to clear up cap space. The front office may be looking to add free agents after May 7th, when several notable veteran players are no longer tied to compensatory draft picks. The team could also be looking to sign some of their current players to extensions, including quarterback Carson Wentz. Most likely, the team is just looking for some extra financial flexibility in case the offseason takes an unexpected turn.

Contract Details: Gostkowski, Chung, Jets

April 13th, 2019 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

A look at the details on recent deals from around the NFL:

  • Stephen Gostkowski, K (Patriots): Two years, $8.5MM (original story). $4.25MM each year, with cap numbers of $3.05MM (2019) and $5.45MM (2020). Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
  • Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE (Patriots): One year. Worth $895K, only guarantee via $50K signing bonus. Veteran minimum salary of $805K with $40K in per-game roster bonuses. Cap number of $707K. Twitter link via Volin.
  • Patrick Chung, S (Patriots): One-year extension. New “three-year” contract worth $12.9MM, with $6MM in new money. $4MM signing bonus. New 2019 cap number increases to $4.48MM. Twitter link via Albert Breer of TheMMQB and ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
  • Ty Montgomery, WR/RB (Jets): One year. Minimum deal with $90K signing bonus/roster bonus. Twitter link via Manish Mehta of NYDN.

Draft Rumors: Raiders, Texans, Broncos, Falcons

April 12th, 2019 at 9:41pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders were busy in the 2018 NFL Draft and it looks like that could be the case again in 2019, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken writes.

Holding three first-round picks and four in the first 35 selections, the Raiders have more than enough ammo needed to move up for a player they like or trade down to stockpile picks. Both scenarios seem like possibilities according to general manager Mike Mayock.

“Regardless of the scenario, we have to be ready to pick at four and be excited about a player,” Mayock said Thursday in a predraft news conference. “Right now, we might move up, and we might move back. Who knows? We won’t know until draft night. But if we’re ‘stuck’ at four, we have to be ready to go, and that’s a hell of a lot easier than worrying about all the permutations (of which players might be available) at 24, 27 and 35.”

In that same news conference, the first-year general manager noted that his preference would be to trade down and gather more picks to address the team’s deficiencies, NBC Sports’ Scott Bair writes.

Whether they move up or down, the Raiders will undoubtedly be one of the team’s to watch when the NFL Draft kicks off on April 25.

Here’s more draft news from around the league:

  • Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown had a private workout with the Texans, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Texans is just one of the handful of teams the slot receiver plans to visit, with the Packers, Colts, Patriots, Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Bills also on the list, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer (Twitter link). Houston already has a deep receiver corps with DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee, but the latter two have been repeatedly hampered with injuries.
  • The Broncos do not appear interested in Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen if he’s made available, Palmer tweets. He notes that things like asking price can change, but Denver appears more set with going with the newly acquired Joe Flacco or taking a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
  • The Falcons will be focusing on the line in the upcoming draft, ESPN’s Vaughn McClure writes. Owner Arthur Blank said as much, commenting they need to get younger on the offensive line and that defensive line is an area of need. Atlanta owns the 14th pick and have shown heavy interest in Oklahoma lineman Cody Ford. –

Patrick Chung To Sign Extension With Patriots

April 12th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by Micah Powell

Veteran safety Patrick Chung has agreed to terms on a one-year extension with the Patriots, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. This deal will keep the veteran safety in New England through the 2021 campaign. 

Chung signed a similar extension with the team during the 2018 offseason, keeping him with the team through the 2020 campaign. The safety has spent nine of his 10 seasons with the Patriots, appearing in five Super Bowls with the team.

The 31-year-old will keep a level of stability on a Patriots defense that has undergone several changes since they won the Super Bowl in February. Gone are several coaches, including defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who took the head coaching gig with the Dolphins shortly after the victory over the Rams. In fact, the team doesn’t have a defensive coordinator at the moment after Greg Schiano unexpectedly decided to not take the job.

In Super Bowl LIII, Chung suffered a broken arm in the third quarter of the team’s 13-3 victory over the Rams. A few days later, he underwent surgery to repair the injury. He was also set to undergo another procedure this offseason, one on his shoulder. The pair of procedures are expected to keep him out through Organized Team Activities, but he should be good to go for training camp.

In 2018, the longtime Patriots safety played in 15 games and started 14, registering one interception and 84 tackles. Still operating at a high level, he rated as the No. 30 safety according to Pro Football Focus, with an above-average grade of 72.7.

 

 

 

Latest On Reuben Foster

April 12th, 2019 at 7:55pm CST by Micah Powell

On Friday, it was announced former 49ers and current Redskins linebacker Reuben Foster would not be suspended in connection with his recent domestic violence accusation. 

Foster has spoken multiple times and met with Roger Goodell, and the NFL has viewed the video from the hotel of the alleged incident, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The video was provided to the NFL by law enforcement and the NFL decided that the Personal Conduct Policy was not violated in the incident.

Following up the league’s statement, the former first-round pick issued his own statement through the team:

“I appreciate the support I have received from the league, my team, and my union to help me succeed,” Foster said in a statement from the team. “I want to thank Commissioner [Roger] Goodell for the time that he has spent with me and for his understanding of me as a person. I accept the NFL’s decision and want to say that I am truly sorry for my past actions and the people who may have been hurt by them. Going forward, I will follow the plan outlined for me and work hard to earn back the trust of my teammates, the NFL, NFL fans, and the community. I know that my success is all up to me, and I am committed to not letting you down.”

Redskins team president Bruce Allen also issued a statement, JP Finlay tweets:

“We have been very clear with Reuben that his past does not have to determine his future — but the responsibility is squarely on him to change.”

 

 

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