Former NFL offensive lineman Max Tuerk died on Sunday at the age of 26, per an announcement from USC’s athletics department. Tuerk, a third-round draft pick of the Chargers in 2016, was 26 years old. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Tuerk made his name at USC, where he lined up at guard, tackle, and center and totaled 38 starts. Heading into his senior year, Tuerk looked the part of an early draft pick, but a knee injury capped his senior season at just five games. In the draft, the Chargers saw Tuerk as a potential steal, a versatile blocker who could bolster every part of the front five.
Unfortunately, suspensions and injuries plagued Tuerk’s pro career. The Chargers stashed him on the taxi squad in 2017, until he was plucked by Arizona. He played in just one game for the Cardinals before he was released outright in the offseason.
We here at PFR would like to express our condolences to Tuerk’s family and friends.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott To Sign His One-Year Tender: Dak Prescott is set to sign his one-year tender, which will pay him upwards of $31MM for the coming year. Now, the two sides will work to hash out a long-term arrangement. They’ve got until July 15 to ink a deal, one that would likely make him the richest player in the NFL.
Josh Gordon Applies For Reinstatement:Josh Gordon formally requested reinstatement from the league office. The 29-year-old has been working out in Seattle with his fingers crossed and it’s safe to say that teams will reach out to him if he’s cleared to play. Of course, it’s not a given that he’ll be allowed to retake the field, given his track record with Roger Goodell.
49ers Sign Kyle Shanahan To Extension: The Niners’ head coach inked yet another six-year deal. With the new arrangement, Kyle Shanahan is now tied to SF through the 2025 season.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is “fine” and resting at home following a strange incident on Friday night, a source tells ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. As first reported by Mike Kaye of NJ.com, Goedert was sucker punched at a South Dakota restaurant.
A video posted on Sunday seems to corroborate that version of events (Twitter link). In the security footage, Goedert appears to be asking one patron to move away from him. Then, a second man walks into the frame and punches Goedert in the face. The suspected sucker puncher was arrested over the weekend.
Goedert was knocked out cold, but, thankfully, escaped any life-threatening injury. And, if the video pretty much tells the whole story, the tight end will not be in danger of league discipline.
Goedert, 25, broke out with 58 catches, 607 yards, and five touchdowns. The Eagles are counting on him to keep up the good work and give defenses fits in 2020 as he supports star Zach Ertz. And, if Goedert delivers, he’ll have an opportunity to secure a major payday – he’ll be extension-eligible after the season.
Roughly ten NFL teams have had at least one player test positive for COVID-19, a source tells ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. So far, we know that the Cowboys, Texans, Rams, Broncos, 49ers, and Buccaneers have had players diagnosed with the coronavirus. There are more clubs with positive cases on the roster and fear is mounting for all 32 teams.
In recent days, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and Broncos safety Kareem Jackson have tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier this year, Broncos defenderVon Miller and Saints head coachSean Payton also contracted it. Those are just the big names – a number of players and coaches have come down with COVID-19, and many of them tested positive during this second wave.
The NFL still expects to go forward with the 2020 season, though they are far less optimistic about having fans at games than they were just a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the league is reexamining its COVID-19 procedures and safeguards. For example, the league may move practice squads from 12 to 16 players to keep rosters afloat. However, the league office is opposed to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s suggested “bubble” strategy, which would call for maximum isolation and all games hosted at a single site.
Dak Prescott will sign his exclusive franchise tender by Monday, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). With that, the Cowboys quarterback will be slated to play out 2020 on a one-year, $31.4MM deal. After that, the two sides will have just a few weeks to hammer out a multi-year deal.
Prescott is aiming for a deal that would pay him more than $35MM/year, enough to top Russell Wilson. That’s not exactly chump change for the Cowboys, but they’d rather lock up the QB than risk his asking price skyrocketing next year. If Prescott’s full 2020 played out like his 2019 first half, he’d be in line for untold riches next year. At that point, the Cowboys would have to give him an absolute fortune or tag him with a 20% raise over this year’s tag, for ~$37.7MM. Even in the tag scenario, it’s unlikely that Prescott would cooperate.
Under the more commonly used non-exclusive tag, other teams would have had a shot to sign Prescott to an offer sheet. Instead, the Cowboys opted for the slightly more expensive exclusive tag. Ultimately, it was a ~$5MM difference between the two.
Last year, Prescott threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the two-time Pro Bowler won’t turn 27 until the end of July.
The Bengals have discussed an extension with A.J. Green, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Per the terms of the franchise tag, the two sides have until July 15 to hammer out a deal. If they can’t come to terms, the wide receiver will play out 2020 on a one-year, $17.971MM deal.
Green’s situation is complicated to say the least. For years, he’s been the face of the franchise, and he’s performed as one of the league’s very best receivers across multiple seasons. After Green missed all of last year, it might be tough for the two sides to come to terms. If they can’t get something done over the next few weeks, Graziano wonders aloud if Green could be traded later this summer. It would be a shock to see the Bengals part with Green, but we’ve seen similar situations play out before in the NFL.
“Everything’s been positive with A.J.,” head coach Zac Taylor said recently when asked about Green’s status. “He’s fully healthy and is working hard. He’s been in Atlanta. It’s all been positive in that regard.”
That’s good news for the here and now, but Green wants the security of a long-term deal. The 31-year-old (32 in July) won’t hold out, but he won’t be happy without a new pact either.
“I have no problem with the franchise (tag). I don’t like it, but I’m not a guy that’s going to sit out the whole year,” Green said in December. “But at the end of the day, that shows me they’re not committed to me. That’s fine. They have a business they have to run. As the player I have my own business, so if you do that I have to protect myself.”
“If you’re not committed to me long-term, I understand. There are no hard feelings. You have a business to run. All great businesses face difficult decisions. I understand that. For me, I have to make a big decision as well.”
Jamal Adams wants out. Last week, after taking a couple of shots at the Jets via social media, the star safety formally requested a trade. For now, the Jets are holding the line, but Adams feels that he can force their hand.
Contractually speaking, the Jets hold all the cards. Adams is under contract through 2021 thanks to his fifth-year option and the Jets aren’t exactly rushing to give him an early extension. Then, after 2021, the Jets could theoretically use the franchise tag to keep him away from the open market, perhaps even twice to delay his free agency for several more years.
Interestingly, Adams is reportedly willing to table his extension demand for certain teams. The 24-year-old (25 in October) says he’d be willing to play for the Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys, Ravens, Eagles, Texans, Seahawks, or Buccaneers. At least a few of those eight teams could trade for Adams and wait until next year before getting into talks.
“[Adams] was a big reason I was excited about coming here,” Jets GM Joe Douglas said earlier this year. “I feel this guy is a core player. The main goal that I’m trying to do right now is to surround him with like-minded players, because we know Jamal is a dog.”
The Jets clearly want to smooth things out, but it’s fair to wonder whether this situation is beyond repair. In the past, the Jets have rebutted trade offers from the Ravens and Cowboys by setting a sky-high asking price, but they’re working with significantly less leverage now that Adams has gone public with his complaints.
Will the Jets trade Adams? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.
The Texans happily handed Benardrick McKinneya new $50MM deal in 2018. He continued to deliver solid work against the run, but he’ll need to step up his coverage skills in 2020.
Even as the positive tests for COVID-19 continue to pile up, the NFL remains “highly optimistic” about the 2020 season going ahead as planned, Mike Florio of PFT hears. However, the league is less optimistic about having fans in attendance.
A few weeks ago, the NFL said it was planning as though stadiums would be filled to full capacity. As the cases continue to rise around the country, the league doubts that fans will be able to attend, in any fashion. Of course, their views on the matter can change between now and September, based on the fluidity of the virus and government protocols. Meanwhile, the players’ union’s top medical official has advised players to halt all group workouts with teammates (Twitter link).
“Please be advised that it is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts,” wrote Dr. Thom Mayer. “Our goal is to have all players and your families as healthy as possible in the coming months.
“We are working on the best mitigation procedures at team facilities for both training camps and the upcoming season, and believe that it is in the best interest of all players that we advise against any voluntary joint practices before training camp commences.”
Since debuting in 2013, Matt Barkley has just seven starts to his credit. Although he’s largely unproven, Bills head coach Sean McDermott says he’s “very confident” in the quarterback “for a lot of reasons,” as Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writes.
Some have wondered whether Barkley is a reliable safety net for Josh Allen, in the event that the Buffalo starter gets injured or contracts COVID-19. Injuries and illnesses aside, there are plenty of question marks about Allen as well. The former first-rounder won ten games for the Bills last year and took them to the playoffs, but his career 56.3% completion rate leaves a lot to be desired.
Barkley, meanwhile, has gone 2-5 in his starts. For his career, he has a 58.8% success rate on throws with ten touchdowns against 21 interceptions. His last start came in 2018, a solid showing and victory over the Jets. Last year, he popped in for two games and lobbed three INTs with zero TDs.
In addition to Barkley, the Bills also have Jake Fromm on hand. The fifth-round pick out of Georgia was once viewed as a high-caliber prospect, but his performance slipped over time and tanked his stock. Fromm completed just 60.8% of his passes in 2019, which doesn’t inspire much confidence either. Davis Webb, the former Giants third-rounder who has never appeared in a game, is also on the offseason roster.
