2020 February - Pro Football Rumors

Meeting Between NFLPA & League Underway

February 25th, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Marc Delucchi

A meeting between the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) representatives and owners has begun in Indianapolis, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post. The owners recently approved a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which would add a seventh team to the playoffs in each conference and a seventeenth game to the regular season in exchange for a 1.5 percent increase in the player’s share of revenues. It remains uncertain whether the team reps will hold a vote on the proposal tonight, per Mike Jones of USA Today.

Normally negotiations only take place between ownership and the NFLPA’s executive committee. However, the executive committee was unable to come to a consensus on the owner’s proposal, reportedly voting 6-5 against recommending the proposal to team reps. Since the executive committee was so split on the owner’s proposal, team reps decided to hold a meeting of their own with ownership before making any voting decisions.

While public perception seemed to view the ownership proposal as an unfair deal for players, it appears owners made many strategic concessions directly aimed to appeal to the “middle-class” of players who are unlikely to receive a large free-agent contract and instead will make most of their earnings through rookie deals and minimum contracts. The proposal includes expanding rosters from 53 to 55 players, raising minimum salaries, and increasing the performance bonus pool, all of which would help players on the lower end of the pay scale.

With that said, expanding the regular season to seventeen games comes with obvious risks for players (and would severely limit their leverage in future negotiations). Furthermore, the proposed CBA limits game checks in the new game to $250,000, which would mean players with annual salaries greater than $4MM would not receive their normal pay.

49ers team representative (and cornerback) Richard Sherman has been very outspoken in opposition to an expanded schedule and is expected to be one of many team representatives to pushback against any schedule expansion.

Panthers To Decline Jarius Wright’s Option

February 25th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers will decline Jarius Wright‘s option for 2020, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move will save the club $3MM against the cap.

Had Wright’s option been exercised, he would have been in line for $1MM in guaranteed pay. Instead, he’ll look for work elsewhere after a so-so year. Wright, 31 in November, had just 28 grabs for 296 yards with no touchdowns in 2019. It was a drop-off from his 2018 season – his first with Carolina – when he had 43 catches for 447 yards and one score.

Wright spent his first six seasons with the Vikings and put together a solid stretch from 2013-15, recording at least 430 receiving yards in each of those seasons. But, once Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen emerged, he slipped in the pecking order.

In other Panthers news, the club is reportedly planning to keep Cam Newton as its starting quarterback in 2020. They’ll also evaluate their options when it comes to cornerback James Bradberry, but the pending free agent will be chased by a number of clubs and a reunion with Ron Rivera could be in the cards.

Broncos Ready To Tag Justin Simmons

February 25th, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here. On Tuesday, Broncos GM John Elway said that he’ll use the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons if he can’t reach a long-term pact with safety Justin Simmons (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).

Simmons has already said that he’s expecting to be tagged, though he’s optimistic about the one-year cuff leading to a multi-year agreement. As our own Sam Robinson noted earlier this week, Elway has used the tag four times during his tenure in order to keep kicker Matt Prater (2012), tackle Ryan Clady (2013), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (2015), and edge rusher Von Miller (2016). Every time, the Broncos were able to follow up and hammer out a longer contract.

The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged Simmons as the second-best safety in the NFL last year. He’s still only 26 and he has a case to be paid as one of the top players at his position.

Last year, Simmons registered a career-high four interceptions to go along with 15 passes defensed and 93 total tackles. For his part, Simmons wants to stay put.

Chiefs To Talk With Sammy Watkins

February 25th, 2020 at 12:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs want Sammy Watkins back in 2020, but not at his current rate. On Tuesday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirmed that he’ll sit down with Watkins’ agents this week to discuss a new deal that would fit the team’s budget.

“We’ll sit down and talk about the landscape of where we are and what would make sense to us and how we can make this work and we’ll get feedback from them in regards to what they’re looking for and hopefully we can bridge a gap and make something happen,’’ Veach said. (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher).

Watkins is slated to earn $14MM in 2020, a figure that doesn’t make much sense given his current place in the Chiefs’ offensive hierarchy. Still, Watkins’ presence alongside Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and other weapons gives opposing defenses extra cause for concern, and the veteran came through in some crucial moments for the Super Bowl champs last year.

Recently, Watkins stopped short of saying that he’d take a pay cut to stay, but he seems open to one. Frankly, it’s the only way that he’ll be able to remain in KC – his salary comes with a $21MM cap hit and there’s no conceivable way that the Chiefs can make that work as they get set to defend their throne.

Watkins has posted least 40 receptions, 500 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He’s also been clutch in the playoffs – he’s averaged 92.8 receiving yards across his five postseason contests with the Chiefs.

At one point, Watkins hinted at the possibility of taking a year off from football and returning in 2021. That no longer seems like the plan for him, but he suggested recently that he could skip a portion of OTAs to spend more time with his family.

Lions: Everything On Table For Darius Slay

February 25th, 2020 at 12:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have had “good conversations” with Darius Slay‘s camp, but their saga is far from settled. When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Lions GM Bob Quinn explained that all scenarios are being considered when it comes to the cornerback.

“[We’re] trying to explore a trade. That’s not saying we are definitely trading him,” Quinn said (Twitter link via Chris Burke of The Athletic). “We’re very much in the information-gathering phase of this.”

Quinn noted that a trade isn’t an automatic if a contract extension can’t be reached. Slay still has one more year to go on his four-year, $48MM deal, so the Lions could simply allow him to play out 2020. Still, Slay is slated to earn just $10MM in 2020 and it doesn’t seem like he’d be a happy camper under those terms. Given his performance, Slay is probably looking for something around the $15MM/year mark.

If the Lions aren’t willing to pay that price, many other teams will be. And, in recent days, several players from rival teams have taken to social media to try and court the Pro Bowler. That includes Rams standout Jalen Ramsey (Twitter link), who is daydreaming about forming one of the NFL’s most intimidating secondary duos. Meanwhile, Slay is taking a laissez-faire approach to all of the rumors.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Slay told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein recently. “I’m here to play ball.”

“It’s a business so it should be looked at as a business aspect of it. If it was up to me, I would love to be here my whole career,” Slay continued. “But one thing about a lot of stuff that comes, first is my family so I’ll do what’s best for my family, for them first and put my family in great position to never have to want for nothing. So that’s my goal, and if that’s being here, I’m here. If it ain’t, then I ain’t.”

Jets Want To Keep Jamal Adams “For Life”

February 25th, 2020 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Throughout the season, the conflict between the Jets and star safety Jamal Adams played out on the pages of New York tabloids. For his part, GM Joe Douglas hopes that drama is in the “rear-view mirror.” And, with that in mind, he believes a long-term deal could be on the horizon.

“The plan is for Jamal [Adams] to be a Jet for life,” Douglas told reporters on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).

Douglas reiterated that there have been preliminary discussions with the Pro Bowler’s camp, but he didn’t offer up much detail beyond that. Adams has been lobbying for a new deal for a long time and he’s open to staying with Gang Green. Still, he wants to be paid appropriately, which would mean a substantial raise from his rookie deal. Per the terms of his rookie deal, Adams is set to earn just $3.5MM in 2020.

Both sides are keeping mum on details, but it’s safe to say that Adams’ camp has Eddie Jackson‘s four-year, $58.4MM deal in mind. That pact, which includes $33MM guaranteed, is the richest deal for any safety in the NFL on a per-year basis. Landon Collins‘ six-year, $84MM contract is the highest overall sum for any safety in the league, but guaranteed dollars and AAV are the true measures of a contract’s value. Besides, Adams won’t turn 25 until October and the salary cap is set to skyrocket even further, so a four-year deal or something similar would make sense for him.

The Jets shopped Adams before last year’s trade deadline, even after he told the team that he wanted to stay put. This rankled the Jets’ defensive superstar and led many to label him as a trade candidate this offseason. Until a new deal is signed to make him a “Jet for life” (or, something close to it), the speculation will continue.

Vikings GM Shoots Down Stefon Diggs Trade Talk

February 25th, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

Stefon Diggs is staying put. At least, that’s what Vikings GM Rick Spielman told reporters on Tuesday morning at the NFL’s draft combine.

“There is no reason to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking,” the GM said (Twitter link via Nick Shook of NFL.com).

Reports of drama with Diggs raged throughout the 2019 season. The wide receiver indicated that he wasn’t happy with his role early on in the year and even after he walked back some of his comments, many still believed that he wanted out. At this juncture, it sounds like the Vikings are committed to smoothing things out with the ultra-talented offensive weapon.

Diggs, entering his age-27 season, is signed through 2023 thanks to his five-year, $72MM re-up. He didn’t always get as many looks as he wanted last year as the Vikings put a greater emphasis on the run. This year, it’s possible that they’ll look to Diggs more often with Gary Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator.

Last year, Diggs caught 63 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted just 94 times – down from his 149 targets in 2018 – but he was more efficient than ever as he averaged 17.9 yards per catch.

Colts’ Anthony Castonzo To Continue Playing

February 25th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

Anthony Castonzo isn’t going anywhere. The left tackle has been mulling retirement, but GM Chris Ballard told reporters on Tuesday that he’ll return in 2020 (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates).

Now, the two sides will have to has out a new contract. Ballard says they’re discussing a new deal for the pending free agent in order to keep one of the league’s best offensive lines in tact.

Castonzo is coming off of a four-year, $43.8MM deal. But, even has he mulled retirement, he was not considering the possibility of playing for another team. For the 31-year-old (32 in May), it was the Colts or nothin’. He’s going with the former, and a lucrative new contract should be just around the corner.

The 2011 first-round pick has never made the Pro Bowl, but he’s started in all 132 of his games with consistently strong play. Last year, the Boston College product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked tackle in the entire NFL. His 81.3 overall score was even stronger than his 2017 and 2018 showings, proving that he still has plenty of football left in the tank.

With Castonzo (likely) in the fold, the Colts can apply their ample cap room towards other areas on their to-do list. That list, of course, starts with figuring out their quarterback situation.

David Irving Hopes For NFL Return

February 25th, 2020 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

In March of last year, the NFL handed David Irving an indefinite suspension for violations of the substance abuse policy. This week, the defensive lineman took to Instagram to announce that he is in the midst of the reinstatement process.

In the video, Irving said that he’s encouraged by the NFL’s potential revamp of its policies against marijuana. There’s still a lot to be ironed out in the collective bargaining agreement talks, but it certainly seems like the final version will include reform for weed and other fines against players.

Soon after his ban, Irving announced his retirement from the NFL. The defensive lineman says that it came at the urging of former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.

“He told me I should just quit, smoke all the weed I want, the team didn’t need me,” Irving told Jori Epstein of USA Today. “I’m a distraction to the team. He views marijuana as a drug, whereas I view it as a medicine. It’s not a good situation.”

At the same time, Irving said that owner Jerry Jones was supportive of him and his efforts to change the NFL’s drug policies. Since his exit from football, Irving has been an advocate for cannabis and it’s pain-mitigating properties.

Irving tallied seven sacks in just eight games in 2017. In 2018, he was limited to just two games.

Falcons To Let Hooper, Campbell Test FA

February 25th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons would like to re-sign two of their key players, but they won’t stop them from testing the open waters. Tight ends Austin Hooper and De’Vondre Campbell will be permitted to explore free agency, GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters on Tuesday morning (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

As of this writing, the Falcons have approximately $5MM in cap room. They can carve out more by shedding running back Devonta Freeman, safety Keanu Neal, offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo, defensive lineman Allen Bailey, and other veterans, but their cap situation will be tight regardless. Meanwhile, they have other areas to address, including the secondary.

Hooper took full advantage of his walk year, reeling in 75 catches, 787 yards, and six touchdowns in just 13 games. He’s a dynamic threat at the tight end position with two 70-catch seasons under his belt and it’s expected that he’ll be lavished with big money offers when the bell rings in March. Hooper is still just 25 (he turns 26 in November) and retaining him would require a top-of-the-market deal.

At one point in January, the Falcons and Campbell were discussing an extension. But, over the last few weeks, those talks between Dimitroff and agent Drew Rosenhaus have slowed down. Last year, Campbell led the Falcons in tackles for the second straight year and turned in a perfect attendance record for the third straight season. As a young and elite run-stopper, Campbell may have also priced himself out of Atlanta.