2020 February - Pro Football Rumors

NFL To Players: New CBA Means $100MM More In 2020

February 21st, 2020 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL and NFLPA have made significant progress on talks this week and a new collective bargaining agreement feels imminent. Meanwhile, owners say that the latest variation of the deal – which includes entails lots and lots of complex changes – would grant another $100MM in player costs for 2020.

The owners issued that statement on Friday morning in an effort to get the union’s sign-off as soon as possible and before the start of the league year in March. Even though the NFLPA is warming up to it, they could decide they’re better off waiting for something better.

The new CBA may include an additional game on the regular season schedule and an expanded playoff field that would see seven teams from each conference make the cut. Other expected changes include two extra active roster spots per team, two additional practice squad spots per team, changes to training camp practices, and a close cousin of the NBA’s mid-level exception which would give teams extra money to spend on veterans without impacting the cap.

And, per the union’s fact sheet, the new CBA will have a reduction in both on-field and team fines, as Michael David Smith of PFT notes.

Extra Points: AB, Castonzo, Cowboys, Browns

February 20th, 2020 at 9:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Antonio Brown will soon be battling the Raiders off the field. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the wideout’s grievance against the organization will be heard by an arbitrator in May. Brown filed a grievance over lost wages, including more than $30MM in guaranteed money.

Meanwhile, his grievance against the Patriots has yet to be scheduled, according to Fowler. Brown would be looking to recoup some of his $9MM signing bonus.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Colts offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo is set to hit free agency, and GM Chris Ballard is confident that the 31-year-old can still contribute for several years. The executive recently said during a radio appearance that the left tackle has three or four years left in the tank (via Albert Breer of SI.com).
Keith O’Quinn won’t continue as the Cowboys special teams coach, but he’ll stick around with the organization. The veteran coach has accepted the role of director of advance scouting (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). O’Quinn has been with the Cowboys for 13 years, including the past 10 on the coaching staff. He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as Cowboys’ ST coach, but he was replaced by John Fassel after Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach.
The Browns announced today that Jeremy Garrett has been hired as the assistant defensive line coach. He’ll work alongside DL coach Chris Kiffin, who was actually a graduate assistant at Ole Miss back when Garrett was a player. “I think we have both grown as coaches,” Garrett told Andrew Gribble of the team’s website. “I bet night and day he has grown from when he was a GA and coached me, and I have grown from when I was a player and starting off my coaching career. So I think we are both at a point that we have grown a ton and we are looking forward to continuing that growth together.”

Lions Release Damon Harrison

February 20th, 2020 at 7:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Snacks’ tenure in Detroit has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Lions are releasing defensive tackle Damon Harrison. The move will clear up more than $6MM in cap space.

The veteran was traded to Detroit midway through the 2018 season, and he actually became the first defensive lineman to appear in 17 games during an NFL regular season. He signed a one-year, $11MM extension with the organization last offseason, and the intent was that he’d remain in Detroit through the 2021 campaign.

Snacks finished the season having compiled 49 tackles and two sacks. However, the Lions disappointed, and the 31-year-old revealed after the season that he was considering retirement.

The 2012 undrafted free agent out of William Penn spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jets before inking a five-year deal with the Giants. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2016.

The Lions defensive tackles corps could look a whole lot different next season. As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein tweets, A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels could skip town, leading the reporter to wonder if Derrick Brown or Javon Kinlaw could make sense in the draft.

Latest On CBA Proposal

February 20th, 2020 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, owners approved the latest variation of the collective bargaining agreement, and reporters have gotten their hands on some of the proposal’s major details:

There will be two extra roster spots added to the active roster and two extra spots added to the practice squad. As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com observes, this would add 128 players to the union. Somewhat related, the league will also have an ” extra offensive lineman” rule that would be somewhat similar to the previous “third quarterback rule.” Essentially, if an offensive lineman is knocked out of a game, a reserve lineman could play (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter).
Going off of that, teams will have an extra $1.25MM to spend on up to two players with four-plus years of experience. This chunk of change won’t count towards the salary cap, making it the NFL’s pseudo-version of the NBA’s mid-level exception (as Pelissero notes). Minimum salaries will also be increased, meaning those fringe players will have additional chances to earn.
Roger Goodell will have diminished authority over discipline. The league will implement “a neutral decision-maker for most Commissioner Discipline cases.” As Pelissero tweets, the commissioner will have authority “over integrity of the game matters” (like Deflategate). Personal conduct matters will now be handled by the arbitrator. Further, there will be reduced penalties for THC, and there will be no “game suspensions strictly for positive tests.”
Fifth-year options will now be fully guaranteed and tied to performance (as opposed to draft position), tweets NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Specifically, when a team picks up the option, the fifth-year salary will be fully-guaranteed prior to the first rounder’s fourth season, and the value will be directly tied to performance. There will also be performance escalators for second- through seventh-rounders.
There are a variety of changes to training camp practices, with a 2.5-hour limit on “padded/full speed practices” (via NFL.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter). There’s also limits to time spent at a team’s facility during a single workday and limits of only 16 days in pads.

Changes To NFL’s Comp Pick Formula

February 20th, 2020 at 4:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, the Eagles informed Nigel Bradham that they would not exercise his 2020 option. The next day, they released him outright.

The Eagles changed their plans due to a recent change in the compensatory pick formula, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Under the previous system, a player with a declined team option would count as a compensatory free agent for the club. This change, first reported by Over The Cap’s Brad Spielberger (via Twitter), was only just relayed to the Eagles this week.

The Broncos benefitted from the option trick in 2017, when they declined his team option and scored a third-round comp pick in 2018. It’s a seemingly minor revision to the rule, but it could nudge teams towards keeping players or, as was the case with the Eagles and Bradham, allowing those players to reach free agency before the start of the league year.

Redskins Release TE Jordan Reed

February 20th, 2020 at 3:27pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Jordan Reed‘s tenure with the Redskins has come to an end. ESPN’s John Keim reports that the veteran tight end has finally cleared the concussion protocol and will soon be released. The Redskins moved forward with the release, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The move is now official.

The move isn’t overly shocking. While Reed still has two years remaining on his five-year, $47MM contract, the organization can save $8.5MM against just $1.8MM in dead money by cutting him. It was important for Reed to pass the concussion protocol; if he didn’t, the Redskins would have been on the hook for the remainder of his contract (barring a settlement).

Reed suffered this latest concussion – his seventh documented concussion since the start of college – following a helmet-to-helmet hit during Washington’s third preseason game. This forced him to miss the entire 2019 campaign, and the tight end has only suited up for 13 games over the past three seasons.

When Reed saw the field, he was a force. Even with his long list of injuries, the offensive weapon still managed to haul in 329 passes for 3,371 yards and 24 touchdowns between 2013 and 2018. If this is indeed the end of Reed’s tenure with the organization, he’ll rank top-10 in Redskins history for touchdowns and receptions.

While Reed may be done in Washington, it sounds like he’s not ready to hang up his cleats. We learned earlier today that the 29-year-old “100 percent” wants to continue playing.

On the other side, Reed will join a growing list of players let go by the Redskins. The organization released cornerback Josh Norman and wideout Paul Richardson last week.

Owners Vote To Approve New CBA

February 20th, 2020 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A key development now shifts the focus to the players’ side. NFL ownership approved a proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The NFLPA has a conference call scheduled for Friday. While there are player reps who remain committed to voting no on this CBA measure, the owners expect to know one way or the other what set of rules teams will operate under by next week. This pertains to teams’ ability to use franchise and transition tags, which would be permitted if the 2011 CBA remains the law of the land by March 18.

Should the players not approve this measure by next week, however, owners voted to keep the 2011 CBA in place for the 2020 league year. Final-CBA-year rules would allow teams to use both their franchise and transition tags, and no post-June 1 cuts are permitted in the last year of a collective bargaining agreement. Teams want to expedite this process to know how they must proceed when the window for applying franchise and transition tags opens Feb. 25.

Players need 11 votes to block the proposal from moving to the next stage. If two-thirds of the player representatives say yes, however, the owners’ proposal goes to the entire union body. If a simple majority vote in favor of it at that point, the NFL will have a new CBA. Interestingly, ownership’s vote Thursday was not unanimous, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The proposal’s biggest changes include the move to a 17-game season at a point between 2021-23 and the expansion from 12 to 14 playoff teams, which would take effect in 2020. Owners have attempted to throw plenty of carrots the players’ way — from an increased revenue split to reduced offseason and training camp work to higher minimum salaries to nearly eliminating marijuana-based suspensions — but a faction of players remains against going to 17 games.

This is coming down to the wire. The NFLPA must elect a new president between March 7-10, and Eric Winston‘s replacement — especially if it’s Russell Okung — may be against 17 games. That may deal a major setback to this CBA from passing.

CBA Notes: Thursday

February 20th, 2020 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday night brought the most substantial development in months on the CBA front. The NFL’s six-team playoff structure — used since 1990 — will shift to a 14-team format, should a new CBA be finalized. Here is the latest on that process, which is gaining traction in advance of a critical stretch.

This is not yet a done deal. NFLPA reps will participate in a key conference call Friday, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes there is a fairly sizable faction that remains committed to voting no on the owners’ latest proposal (video link) because of the increase to a 17-game season and its impact on future generations of players. Only 11 of the 32 player reps must vote no to prevent the proposal from reaching the next stage.
The projected $200MM salary cap for 2020 will likely remain, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets the new CBA will begin to generate bigger cap spikes in 2021.
Negotiations have created a gray area that could affect teams with multiple high-end free agents — like the Cowboys or Titans. A new CBA being agreed to by March 18 will prevent teams from using both their franchise and transition tags — which they are permitted to do in the final year of a CBA. But with the window for tags to be applied closing March 10, teams would seemingly have the opportunity to use both tags before a new CBA is agreed upon. However, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links) teams would be prevented from using both tags this year if a deal is agreed to by March 18. This would create a strange setup where teams retroactively lose the option to use both tags, but it sounds like certain players’ free agency statuses — like Amari Cooper and Derrick Henry — will hinge on a CBA being finalized by March 18.
Training camps will include less hitting under the owners’ latest proposal. As part of the many concessions the owners are making in hopes of enticing the players to agree to 17 games, there will be a five-day period to start training camp where no contact is permitted, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). There will also be limitations on how much hitting teams can have on consecutive camp days, per Rapoport. The 2011 CBA ended two-a-day practices; this one will move the needle further in a safety-based direction.
The latest proposal will push the players’ side of the revenue split from 47% to 48%, with the 48% share being the minimum for each year the 16-game format remains in place, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Once the schedule moves to 17 games — at a point from 2021-23 — the players’ share spikes to 48.5%. This will mean roughly $5 billion more going to the workforce.

Chargers, Russell Okung To Part Ways?

February 20th, 2020 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

It doesn’t sound like Russell Okung will return for another season with the Chargers. The left tackle is “skeptical” of the Chargers’ direction and his future with the team, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson tweets.

Okung, who has never been one to pull punches, has one year to go on the four-year, $53MM deal he signed in 2017. He’s currently set to count for $16.7MM against the cap. Releasing him would save more than $13MM of that sum with just $3.5MM left.

Okung, 33 in October, made the Pro Bowl in his first year with L.A. Unfortunately, blood clots in his lungs landed him on the NFI list to start the 2019 season and a groin injury sidelined him near the end. In total, he was limited to just six games.

The Chargers’ offensive line struggled mightily on the whole, so Okung isn’t the only party questioning the partnership. Currently, the Chargers have just over $50MM in available cap room – dropping Okung would give them about $64MM to work with, allowing them to land a big-time tackle on the open market and, potentially, their next starting quarterback.

Internally, the Chargers don’t have a shoe-in candidate to take over for Okung, though Trey Pipkins and Sam Tevi could be part of the solution.

Latest On Redskins’ Quinton Dunbar

February 20th, 2020 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Quinton Dunbar and the Redskins are still at odds. Sources close to the cornerback tell ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) that his camp has asked to “discuss a reasonable contract restructure,” but the team has refused to engage in talks. With that, Dunbar “remains resolute” in his demand to be cut or traded.

Of course, what constitutes a “reasonable” proposal comes down to a matter of perspective. It’s possible that Dunbar’s team is coming in strong after he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 overall ranked cornerback. For reference, Redskins cornerbacks Fabian Moreau and Josh Norman placed around No. 100 on the list.

Dunbar enjoyed a breakout year in 2019 and he has been looking to parlay that performance into a long-term deal. The Redskins, so far, have been unwilling to give him the security that he seeks.

Last year, Dunbar was in preliminary talks with the Bruce Allen-led front office, but that came to a halt after new head coach Ron Rivera came into the picture.

As it stands, Dunbar has one year left on his three-year, $10.5MM deal. At the time of signing, Dunbar was mostly a reserve. Now that he’s proven to be a quality starting cornerback, he’s vastly underpaid.

After parting ways with Josh Norman earlier this month, Rivera could be poised to completely overhaul his cornerback group.