HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Arizona Gov.: Sports Can Resume On Saturday May 16

May 12th, 2020 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Major sports leagues will be permitted to resume play in Arizona, effective this Saturday, Governor Doug Ducey announced (Twitter link via Anne Ryman of the Arizona Republic). In the short-term, this may bode well for baseball in 2020. If all goes well in Arizona, the NFL could lean heavily on the state as it gears up for its own 2020 season. 

[RELATED: COVID-19’s Financial Impact On NFL]

“We have had discussions with leaders of some of these leagues and they all know they are welcome to operate, play and perform in the state of Arizona,” Ducey declared (via 98.7FM).

Earlier today, we learned that several NFL teams are exploring out-of-state options for training camp. The Rams, Chargers, 49ers, and Cowboys all have their camps in California; they’re probably all mulling new plans after Los Angeles County announced that stay-at-home orders will extend for at least another three months.

As our own Sam Robinson noted earlier today, clubs have more players on hand than ever during training camp. With 90-man rosters to go along with dozens of coaches, execs, and other personnel, teams in hotspot states may have a tough time moving ahead as planned in August. Meanwhile, “Arizona has hospital capacity, and Arizona is prepared” to deal with the impact of a gradual re-opening, Ducey says (Twitter link).

Raiders To Sign Prince Amukamara

May 12th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are set to sign cornerback Prince Amukamara, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The financial terms are not yet known, but Garafolo hears that everything is in place for a deal. 

The former first-round pick has been looking for work since he was cut by the Bears in February. His career began with the Giants, where he spent the first five seasons of his career. After that, he spent a year with the Jaguars before signing yet another one-year pact – this time with the Bears – in 2017. In 2018, they gave him a three-year, $27MM re-up, but he did not get to see the last year of that deal.

Amukamara was a key player in the Bears’ secondary as he started alongside Kyle Fuller. Now, he’ll spend his age-31 season and ninth pro year in Las Vegas.

Last year, Amukamara graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 41 corner in the NFL – he fared better in 2018, when the Bears had the league’s best D. For his career, Amukamara has started in 99 of his 113 games – he’s more or less been first-string for every campaign except his rookie year. With the Raiders, he’ll fight for his place alongside Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette, slot/safety Lamarcus Joyner, Amik Robertson, Isaiah Johnson, and Nevin Lawson.

If the Amukamara deal should fall though for some reason, look for Las Vegas to pivot to Dre Kirkpatrick. The longtime Bengal, whom Cincinnati released at the end of March, is a fallback option for the Raiders, per NFL insider Adam Caplan (via Twitter). It sounds as if the Raiders will not pursue Kirkpatrick if the Amukamara deal is finalized, but Las Vegas could probably stand to add another veteran CB to its depth chart.

Giants Interested In Markus Golden

May 12th, 2020 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants have thus far opted against adding a high-profile edge rusher. For several weeks, they have not been viewed as likely to re-sign Markus Golden. Joe Judge said the team’s top 2019 pass rusher remains on the radar.

The first-year Giants HC said the team is interested in Golden, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, and engaged in discussions with him after the team placed the seldom-used UFA tender on him (Twitter link).

New York’s UFA tender will only tether Golden to the team if no one else signs him by July 22. Golden finished last season with a Giants-most 10 sacks, reviving his stock after an ACL tear tanked it during his Cardinals tenure. In 15 games from 2017-18, Golden recorded just 2.5 sacks. The former second-round pick, however, has two double-digit sack seasons now.

As of now, the Giants’ top edge rushers are former Packers backup Kyler Fackrell and recent third-round picks Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines. The Giants surprised most by avoiding high-profile edge defenders in free agency and not drafting one until Day 3. While Carter and Ximines combined for nine sacks last season, the Giants ranked 22nd in sacks last season (36) even with Golden on the team.

In early April, Golden’s asking price was too high for the Giants’ liking. The 29-year-old defender may or may not have reduced it. The chances Golden returns to New York appear to have increased.

Jaguars To Cut DL Carl Davis

May 12th, 2020 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a month after re-signing Carl Davis, the Jaguars plan to cut him. The Jags will part ways with the veteran defensive lineman, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Davis signed a one-year, $1.1MM deal with the Jags in early April. However, the five-year veteran will not be available until Week 5. The NFL handed him a four-game suspension in February for violating its performance-enhancing drug policy.

The former Ravens third-round pick caught on with the Jaguars last season, playing in two games. Davis has not suited up for more than five games in a season since 2017, when he started nine with the Ravens. The Iowa product has since spent time with the Browns, Colts and Jags.

Although the Jaguars traded Calais Campbell to the Ravens and have seen Yannick Ngakoue attempt to force a tag-and-trade scenario, they devoted key draft resources to the group by using a first-round pick on LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson in Round 1 selecting Davon Hamilton in Round 3.

Dolphins Still Interested In Logan Ryan?

May 12th, 2020 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The team with two cornerbacks signed for more than $15MM per year may still have interest in adding another veteran. The Dolphins are still in the mix for Logan Ryan, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).

Ryan and the Dolphins have engaged in recent discussions, per Garafolo, even if the Jets may now be a better bet to land the ex-Patriots and Titans defender. Ryan has said he will not return to the Titans. The Dolphins were high on Ryan in March, but no deal commenced. The 29-year-old cornerback has remained in free agency for nearly two months.

A report earlier Tuesday indicated the Jets are expected to land Ryan, who still wants $10MM per year. That may be unrealistic at this point in the offseason, but the Jets have a far bigger need at corner than the Dolphins.

Miami extended Xavien Howard on a $15.1MM-AAV deal last year and in March made Byron Jones the NFL’s first $16MM-per-year cornerback. In terms of per-year salary, Jones and Howard are the NFL’s second- and third-highest-paid corners. If that wasn’t enough, the Dolphins drafted Noah Igbinoghene in the first round.

Brian Flores, however, was on New England’s staff throughout Ryan’s Patriots tenure. The Dolphins have already added ex-Pats Eric Rowe, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Ted Karras since Flores’ arrival. Ryan could be seen as a slot stopgap while Igbinoghene develops. The Dolphins are still among the leaders in cap space, holding $23.4MM.

New York released the ineffective Trumaine Johnson but signed Pierre Desir shortly after his Colts release. The Jets also brought back slot corner Brian Poole but drafted just one corner — Virginia’s Bryce Hall, in Round 5 — this year. Ryan would fit in as a veteran to play alongside Desir and Poole potentially.

Latest On COVID-19’s Financial Impact On NFL

May 12th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The COVID-19 pandemic radically altered the NFL draft and its offseason, and questions about the viability of the training camp and the regular season are beginning to surface. Major financial fallout would grip the league in the event its regular season is altered and/or features no fans.

If the 2020 regular season occurs entirely without fans in stadiums, the NFL will stand to lose approximately $2.3 billion, Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com notes. This would put not just the 2021 salary cap at risk of plummeting, it could set the NFL on course for cap reductions over a multiyear span.

For the time being, the NFL and team execs agreed to raise each team’s debt limit from $350MM to $500MM, Wickersham reports. The NFL most recently raised franchises’ debt limit just two years ago, when the figure jumped from $250MM to $350MM. Owners are set to vote on the new debt limit raise May 19.

Just after the pandemic hit, the NFL was still prepared to negotiate new TV deals. Armed with a new CBA that included two extra playoff games per season and an 18-week regular season beginning as soon as 2021, the league was expected to secure windfall agreements from networks. A cap spike that would push the NFL’s salary ceiling past $260MM by 2023 was in play. Now, the prospect of the cap falling from this year’s $198MM place is firmly in play. This would play a significant role in teams’ contract situations.

Increased advertising serves way to make up for big losses. Various staffers agree the league must open up new ad avenues, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes. Teams are currently not allowed to place ads within 40 feet of each field’s surface; the goal posts reach 35 feet from ground level. But with the coronavirus creating unprecedented uncertainty for the NFL, it will likely explore other ways to generate revenue — in the event fans cannot attend games.

Several Teams Exploring Out-Of-State Training Camps

May 12th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Only two teams left their home state for training camp last year. That number may increase dramatically in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted several teams to discuss moving their camp sites out of state, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.

Many teams’ explorations about leaving their home states for camp have progressed, per Breer. A number of states’ coronavirus-induced restrictions preventing necessary conditions to hold a training camp are at the root of this, with teams stationed in the northeast and on the West Coast likely being the ones preparing contingency plans.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said (via Colleen Shalby of the Los Angeles Times) the county’s stay-at-home orders were certain to extend for another three months. While the Rams and Chargers’ facilities respectively reside in Ventura and Orange County, having adjacent L.A. County set to increase its lockdown does not paint a promising picture the neighboring counties will be open fully in time for camps. The Rams and Bolts’ under-construction stadium (SoFi Stadium), however, is located in L.A. County.

The Rams, Chargers, 49ers and Cowboys hold camp in California, with the latter’s camp site being in Oxnard (Ventura County). The Chargers’ Costa Mesa facility is located in Orange County. States like New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington could also be classified as locales that may make holding a camp untenable by late July, Breer adds. Altogether, that would force more than a fourth of the league to consider holding camp in another state.

Teams carry 90-man rosters in training camp. Couple those with the dozens of coaches per franchise, along with dozens of additional personnel per squad, and many teams may well run into trouble if they attempt to hold training camp in their respective home states come July. All teams are currently going through virtual offseasons, but some play in states with looser restrictions.

As of now, the NFL prevents any team from gathering at its facility until all 50 states’ lockdown measures have ceased. But the league, in announcing a potential change to this policy last week, may be preparing to allow teams to gather at their respective headquarters fairly soon. This would leave several teams — those in states with stricter guidelines — in limbo. This could be where training camp relocations come in.

Latest On Jason Peters’ Market

May 12th, 2020 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to a possible return to the Eagles for what would be a 12th season in Philadelphia, Jason Peters remains a free agent. And he either is attempting to convince teams he can be an option for longer than one season or he believes he will legitimately play into his 40s.

The decorated left tackle has said that he feels great and views playing past 40 as realistic, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (video link). While the Eagles and Peters appear to be in a holding pattern for now, Garafolo adds other teams have engaged in discussions with the 38-year-old blocker.

Teams like the Broncos and Chargers make sense for a stopgap left tackle. Neither drafted one, and the Bolts now have a new quarterback investment — in No. 6 overall pick Justin Herbert — and a glaring vacancy at left tackle after trading Russell Okung to the Panthers for Trai Turner. The Broncos, Bolts, Browns and Jets could be suitors, per James Palmer of NFL.com, but nothing concrete has emerged on Peters beyond a potential Eagles return. The Browns and Jets drafted tackles in Round 1, and each is expected to start in Week 1.

Denver did not pick up Garett Bolles‘ fifth-year option but was also not in the mix for Trent Williams, Palmer adds. As of now, the Broncos’ plan is for Bolles and swing man Elijah Wilkinson — who started at right tackle for most of 2019 due to Ja’Wuan James‘ injury issues — to battle for the left tackle spot. The Broncos carry just more than $17MM in cap space; the Chargers hold $22MM-plus. Both teams were active in March, adding several new starters, and the Broncos loaded up on offensive playmakers in the draft. Each AFC West squad, though, has a big question at left tackle.

As for Peters’ plans of playing past 40, that would certainly be a rare occurrence for his position. Hall of Fame right tackle Jackie Slater and Ray Brown, who primarily played guard in his 20-year career, are the only tackles in NFL history to suit up for age-40 seasons. Andrew Whitworth, however, just re-signed a multiyear deal with the Rams. He will turn 39 later this year.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/20

May 12th, 2020 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s later-round signings here:

  • The Colts announced the signing of offensive lineman Danny Pinter, a fifth-round choice who became the first pick on Indy’s board for a completed deal. Pinter, a 6’4″, 306-pound lineman out of Ball State, saw time at both right tackle and tight end during his time in college. As a pro, he figures to spend most of his time on the interior. “I love Danny, I’m not going to lie to y’all,’’ general manager Chris Ballard said after the draft (via Mike Chappell of FOX 59). “Actually we were trying to move up to get him. I probably won’t ever give y’all this much insight, but for like 30 minutes we were trying to move up and just couldn’t get up to get him.’’
  • The Dolphins, meanwhile, have third-round safety Brandon Jones officially in the fold. Per the terms of his slot, the No. 70 overall choice will receive a four-year deal worth $4.87MM, including a $1.1MM signing bonus.
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