2020 June - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Elliott, Eagles, Hyde

June 18th, 2020 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Elliott is not experiencing any complications after testing positive for COVID-19 (via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). Assuming Elliott stays healthy and largely symptom-free, that should bode well for the Cowboys‘ star running back in the long haul.

Earlier this week, Elliott was one of four players (two from the Cowboys, two from the Texans) to test positive for the coronavirus. Other players are being tested as a precaution, but no additional positive cases have emerged from either club. Furthermore, quarterback Dak Prescott did not test positive, despite hosting a widely-criticized birthday party earlier this year.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson admits that he missed out on his top running back target. “We had the opportunity to possibly grab a player and he slipped through our fingers,” Pederson told WIP (via NJ.com). The Birds were connected to a few veteran RBs this summer, including Carlos Hyde, LeSean McCoy, and Devonta Freeman. Of that group, only Hyde has been signed (by the Seahawks) so Hyde is presumably the player he’s referencing. Freeman still seems to be on their radar, though teams have been warded off by his asking price. They’re open to Shady, too, but, at last check, they have not made him an offer.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are working with the playmakers they already have in-house, including rookie wide receiver Jalen Reagor. They’re planning to groom the former TCU speedster in the mold of fellow deep threat DeSean Jackson, as Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com writes. “He’s going to come in and he’s going to learn one position and he is going to learn from DeSean Jackson, and learn everything he can,” Pederson said. “Obviously the playbook is extensive and we just have to see what he’s taken from the offseason to training camp, and then once we see his potential and his growth, then we can use him in multiple spots.”
Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan only has one year to go on his deal, but he’s hoping to stay for the duration of his career – however long that might be.
In case you missed it, Sam Robinson reflected on the retirement of Giants quarterback Phil Simms, which played out much differently than Eli Manning‘s sendoff.

Dr. Fauci: NFL Needs “Bubble” Format

June 18th, 2020 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NFL needs a “bubble” system in order to go ahead with its season. In other words: keeping players away from the public with constant COVID-19 testing and games played in a central location to limit travel.

“Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci told CNN (h/t ESPN.com). “If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year.”

That’s the plan for the NBA and MLS, but the NFL is not currently interested in a one-site setup. Instead, the league plans to rely on frequent testing and contract tracing. For now, they’re aiming to test players three times per week in advance of training camp. Depending on how the pandemic unfolds from here, and how the testing technology progresses, they may adjust the frequency of testing. But, as it stands, the NFL is not interested in consolidating its game locations.

Other changes are likely to come, however. For starters, the league is considering a 16-man practice squad. The NFL already bumped its taxi squad from ten to 12; a group of 16 standbys would give teams additional insurance against more positive player tests.

NFL May Expand Practice Squads To 16 Players

June 18th, 2020 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

Recently, the NFL expanded practice squads from ten players to 12. Now, the league may go from a dozen to 16, according to Judy Battista and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The NFLPA would have to sign off on the measure, but it would only make sense for the union to approve it. With four more spots per team, there would be as many as 128 more jobs for players around the league. Meanwhile, teams would have more roster flexibility in the event of positive COVID-19 tests.

Several players have tested positive for the coronavirus amidst the country’s burgeoning second wave. Players from the Texans and Cowboys – including star running back Ezekiel Elliott – tested positive earlier this week, and Broncos safety Kareem Jackson tested positive on Wednesday morning. Even though the NFL has protocols in place to limit the spread of the virus, the league understands that this is an inevitability. You can keep players apart from one another in the locker room, but there is no such thing as social distancing on the football field.

There has also been some talk of expanding the regular season roster. The new collective bargaining agreement already allows for teams to carry 55 players on game days with 48 active players, up from the previous 53-man/46-active roster setup. Further expansion – even a temporary one – would give teams additional insurance if COVID-19 forces players out of action.

This Date In Transactions History: Panthers Extend Michael Oher

June 17th, 2020 at 7:19pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2016, the Panthers agreed to a brand new three-year, $21.6MM deal with Michael Oher. Unfortunately, Oher never played a down under the new contract.

[Poll: Which First-Round WR Will Make The Biggest Impact In 2020?]

Oher, of “Blindside” fame, found his way to the Panthers after an up-and-down career with the Ravens and Titans. His first deal was a modest one – two years, $7MM – and he quickly proved to be a bargain. Oher played in 98.4% of the team’s snaps in 2015 as the starting left tackle. With Oher as Cam Newton‘s protector, the Panthers went all the way to Super Bowl 50 before losing to the Broncos.

With one year remaining on his contract, the Panthers wanted to lock Oher up long before he could reach the open market. Thanks to Oher’s personal progression and the progression of the tackle market, he netted more than $7MM per annum on his new deal from Dave Gettleman & Co.

The new deal was set to start in 2017, but things did not go according to plan. After just three games in the 2016 season, a concussion shut Oher down for the season. Then, in the offseason, things took a strange turn. Oher was alleged to have fought an Uber driver in the spring and later posted a picture to Instagram with what appeared to be bottles of prescription medication to deal with brain injuries. The now deleted photo was captioned, “All for the brain, [shaking my head].”

In July of that year, the Panthers released Oher with a failed physical designation. The move saved them just $1.69MM against the cap but allowed Oher to collect injury compensation. With that, Oher’s contract was over before it even began.

Colin Kaepernick NFL Return Gaining Steam?

June 17th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Colin Kaepernick has not played since the 2016 season, the quarterback has remained a fixture in NFL news cycles for most of his free agency stay. And momentum appears to be growing for the former 49ers passer to receive another opportunity.

In discussing Kaepernick with some NFL head coaches, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates there is “far, far more interest” in the 32-year-old passer now than there probably has been since he became a free agent in March 2017 (video link). While a few hurdles would remain — particularly in this coronavirus-marred offseason — Rapoport adds that teams’ interest in Kaepernick for a backup job is “very real.”

It has been well-documented the former Super Bowl starter has received only one opportunity to visit a team; that came with the Seahawks in 2017. Pete Carroll said he now regrets not signing him at that point but added that his team is content at quarterback now. Although a handful of teams stayed in Atlanta for the NFL-organized workout Kaepernick rearranged at the 11th hour last fall, no franchise has brought in the polarizing free agent since the Seahawks did so in during the summer of 2017.

Kaepernick had drifted off the NFL radar to a degree after his workout last year, but the worldwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality over the past three weeks have reignited the push for the player that started the NFL protests on this front to receive another chance. Roger Goodell called for Kaepernick to be given another opportunity this week.

It will take a team to make that happen, and much like Cam Newton, Kaepernick would likely have to wait until free agents are allowed to visit teams to have the chance to sign anywhere. That window may not open until late July, when training camps begin. That said, recent Jets signee Joe Flacco is not expected to be recovered from neck surgery until at least September. Newton would rank higher on quarterback-needy teams’ pecking orders than Kaepernick, but the former MVP profiles more as a starter — potentially if a team’s QB1 suffers an injury. Kaepernick interest appears to be contingent on a backup gig.

One of the teams connected to Newton this offseason discussed Kaepernick on Wednesday. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said (via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com) Kaepernick would fit his system but added that such an opportunity would likely be contingent on an emergency-type situation (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Andrew Siciliano). Lynn said he has not spoken with Kaepernick.

While ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes (via Twitter) the Chargers have come up around the league as a potential Kaepernick fit, joining the Titans in that regard, Lynn said he was happy with the three quarterbacks he has. The Bolts — they of a Tyrod Taylor–Justin Herbert–Easton Stick QB depth chart — having passed on Newton earlier this year provides a pretty good indication they are content at quarterback for the time being.

Kareem Jackson Tests Positive For COVID-19

June 17th, 2020 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two days after Ezekiel Elliott and at least three other members of the Cowboys and Texans tested positive for COVID-19, a second Broncos player has done so. Safety Kareem Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Jackson’s diagnosis follows Von Miller‘s. The latter tested positive in April. Jackson, 32, was tested Wednesday morning, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

The 10-year NFL veteran began experiencing chills this week, Klis adds. Jackson is not in serious condition and is expected to make a full recovery, Schefter notes. But as the NFL and NFLPA continue to formulate a plan for how the league’s first COVID-19-era training camps will look, players continue to test positive.

Jackson was part of a Denver protest against systemic racism two weeks ago — one featuring several of his Broncos teammates — but the second-year Broncos defender told Klis his doctor informed him that based on the timing of his symptoms he likely contracted the virus this past weekend (Twitter link). Jackson traveled from Denver in recent days, Klis adds.

Miller, Elliott, Jackson and Sean Payton are thus far the most notable NFL figures to test positive for the virus that has infected more than two million Americans and killed more than 119,000. A three-tests-per-week policy has surfaced as a potential course of action this season, but how the league will navigate this virus as its 32 teams — rostering nearly 3,000 players — report to camp has become the obvious central storyline this year.

The Broncos signed Jackson to a three-year, $33MM deal last March and moved the longtime Texans cornerback to safety. He and Justin Simmons emerged as one of the NFL’s best safety tandems last season.

Xavien Howard Will Not Face Suspension

June 17th, 2020 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins have extensive resources devoted to the cornerback position, having added impact free agent Byron Jones and used a first-round pick on Noah Igbinoghene. The team will be able to pair those two with its top holdover corner throughout the season.

Xavien Howard, who saw a domestic battery charge dropped this offseason, will not be suspended, Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post reports. The five-year veteran defender was arrested in December for an alleged incident involving his fiancee.

In Howard and Jones, the Dolphins have two of the three highest-paid corners in the league. The former has spent his entire career in Miami. Howard has not played since last October. The Dolphins shelved him on IR in October after he sustained a knee injury. Howard, however, did not suffer a ligament tear.

Howard was a Pro Bowler in 2018, having led the NFL with seven interceptions. Months later, the Dolphins made him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback with a five-year, $76.5MM extension.

NFL: No Plans For Bubble Setup

June 17th, 2020 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

This week continues to bring news on the NFL’s plans for training camps and the regular season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The league and the NFLPA remain in talks on the official setup, but some of the NFL’s stances emerged Wednesday.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway: the NFL has no plans to formulate a bubble scenario that would compare to how the NBA will return. NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said a bubble setup is impractical, noting instead that the league will rely on frequent testing and contract tracing, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Testing strategies will likely change over the course of the season, as the technology progresses, Sills adds (Twitter link). Thrice-per-week testing has surfaced as a target during the lead-up to training camp.

The NFL nixed off-site training camps this year and eliminated international games from its 2020 schedule. But no rumors have surfaced regarding plans for the league to remove games from home stadiums. The prospect of holding games at central locations surfaced several weeks ago but was deemed a non-starter.

While it could be argued the NFL has a steeper climb toward a return compared to the NBA because of its near-3,000-player (during camp) workforce, and the nature of football itself, several offseason months have passed since the coronavirus made its way into the United States. The league reversing course on a bubble scenario now would be unrealistic.

NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent added that the discussions between the league and the union have included roster sizes, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Vincent fielded a question pertaining to the practicality of 90-man rosters — allowed throughout the preseason — but possible expansion of 53-man regular-season rosters would seemingly make sense in this virus-changed world. The new CBA does allow for teams to carry 55 players on game days, with 48 being active (up from 46). But those changes were agreed to before COVID-19 entered the equation.

Graham Gano’s Recovery Progressing Well

June 17th, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Panthers kicker Graham Gano is progressing well in his recovery from knee surgery, special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn tells Alaina Getzenberg of the Charlotte Observer. Gano was placed on IR towards the end of the 2018 season with a fractured femur, and though he was on the field during the early stages of training camp in 2019, he was unable to shake the injury and ultimately went under the knife.

Joey Slye took over kicking duties in Gano’s absence last year, hitting 78.1% of his field goal attempts, not a particularly strong mark. He also missed four PATs.

Gano, meanwhile, was tremendous in his last full season in 2017, sinking 29 of his 30 field goal tries for a league-leading 96.7% conversion rate (with his only miss coming from 50-yard territory). That performance earned him the first Pro Bowl bid of his career, and it also helped him secure a four-year, $17MM contract from Carolina the following offseason. His AAV of $4.25MM positions him as the fifth-highest-paid kicker in the game.

Because injured players have been allowed to be in team facilities even during the pandemic, Gano has been able to do some kicking work in familiar surroundings. Head athletic trainer Kevin King reported that Gano looks good, and it sounds as if he and Slye will be battling it out this summer.

“The (kicking) battle as far as that’s concerned, I mean, in reality, we’re in a very, very blessed situation, because we got two very capable kickers with really talented legs,” Blackburn said. “There’s plenty of teams around the NFL right now that would be very excited to have the competition that we have going. But at the biggest part right now, I haven’t seen (Gano) kick or anything, we’re just working on this offseason program and we’re just trying to finish this strong.”

DeAndre Hopkins Leaves CAA

June 17th, 2020 at 11:56am CST by Rory Parks

Newly-minted Cardinals wideout DeAndre Hopkins is changing agents. Per Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal, Hopkins is leaving Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and he will be eligible to sign with a new agent on Sunday (Twitter link).

The move is particularly notable because of Hopkins’ contract status. The star receiver, who went to the desert in a shocking trade between the Cardinals and Texans earlier this offseason, still has three years remaining on his current deal, but he has been negotiating a new pact with Arizona. He has indicated that he is not demanding a new contract, but the Cardinals are amenable to giving him one if the price is right.

Apparently, Hopkins was less than thrilled about how negotiations were going between CAA and the Cardinals. CAA is easily the top player agency in professional sports and counts Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford among its most notable NFL clients, but its reputation wasn’t enough to get the job done.

Recent rumors have suggested that Hopkins’ next deal could make him the highest-paid non-QB in the league. However, given that he remains under club control through 2022, and considering the league-wide concern in giving out massive extensions in the current financial climate, that could be a tough sell. We will see if his new agency — assuming he does not choose to represent himself — can make more headway in that regard.

Hopkins joins an Arizona offense that has the potential to be explosive in 2020. The three-time First Team All-Pro has averaged over 90 catches per season for roughly 1,230 yards and eight TDs over his first seven years in the league.