2020 July - Pro Football Rumors

No Extension Talks Between Bears, Allen Robinson

July 16th, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Rory Parks

Add Bears receiver Allen Robinson to the list of extension candidates who seem unlikely to get a new deal in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a recent interview on ESPN 1000’s Carmen and Jurko show (h/t Cam Ellis of NBC Sports Chicago), Robinson said that the Bears have not discussed a new contract with his agent.

“We haven’t heard nothing,” Robinson said. “I think just as far as me and my agent, from [the] conversations that we’ve had, we’re not necessarily anticipating hearing anything at this point.”

Robinson indicated towards the end of last season that he would be interested in an extension with the Bears, but in May, we learned that the two sides were not close to an accord. Now, although Ellis indicates the team did have some internal discussions about a Robinson re-up in February, it’s unclear whether negotiations with Robinson’s camp were ever initiated.

Robinson, 27 in August, has one year to go on his three-year, $42MM deal. When Robinson inked his contract, it was near the top of the pecking order for the position. Since then, WR salaries have advanced past the $20MM/year mark. Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Adam Thielen, Jarvis Landry, and Stefon Diggs went on to leapfrog Robinson. He won’t top the likes of Jones or Thomas, of course, but he has a strong case to make for a decent pay bump.

The Bears are projected to hold more than $40MM in cap room next year, but that’s predicated on the cap projection staying as-is. Right now, that seems pretty unlikely.

League To Create COVID-19 Classification

July 16th, 2020 at 2:39pm CST by Rory Parks

After much discussion on the topic, the league and union have agreed to a modification of IR rules. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, players who test positive for COVID-19 will be placed on a new COVID-19 list.

Once a player has been placed on the list, his roster spot may be taken by a player who has tested negative. Players on the COVID-19 list will be eligible to practice after three weeks, though he must be returned to the active roster within three weeks after that. If he is not able to return to the active roster, he will be placed on season-ending injured reserve or released with an injury settlement.

Critically, players who find themselves on the COVID-19 list will receive their normal salaries. That seems like an obvious point, but given the history of negotiations between the union and the league, one can never take anything for granted.

Team owners are expected to hold a virtual meeting tomorrow to discuss, among other things, whether training camp can start on time. Player opt-outs and testing protocols are also likely to be on the agenda, but it’s encouraging that this important step has already been taken.

Redskins Hire Attorney To Review Organizational Culture

July 16th, 2020 at 2:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Much has been made of the Redskins’ impending name change over the past several weeks, but it sounds as if the organization has bigger fish to fry at the moment. Twitter has been buzzing with rumors of a potentially explosive report that the Washington Post is preparing to publish, and while we are still awaiting that story, we felt we should pass along some context.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that the Post is drafting a story that will feature (presumably negative) aspects of the Redskins’ organizational culture (Twitter link). In response, the club has hired DC-based attorney Beth Wilkinson to conduct a thorough review of its protocols (Twitter link). Schefter’s tweet says that Wilkinson will be reviewing “past” culture, which suggests that the team has since addressed any problems that may have existed.

But there are troubling signs. For instance, Schefter also reports that minority shareholders have hired an investment bank to facilitate a sale of their stake in the team (Twitter link), and this all comes on the heels of the departures of two front office execs. In addition to those firings, radio play-by-play announcer Larry Michael has left the organization.

Per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), at least two minority owners have been trying to sell their interest in the team for months, so that may not be at all related to any organization issues that the Post will be covering. And the team is said to be frustrated by the rampant speculation that stories about the story have engendered. Nonetheless, the report will certainly be worth a read, as will the ensuing damage control from the team’s side of things.

Jaguars Sign C.J. Henderson

July 16th, 2020 at 1:02pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars have signed first-round draft choice C.J. Henderson, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). Per the terms of his slot, the former Florida corner will take home a four-year, $20.5MM contract (fully-guaranteed), and Rapoport notes that the deal does not include offsets.

While Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah was the most-heralded member of this year’s CB class, Henderson had plenty of fans in NFL front offices. One GM said back in April that he believed a dozen or more of the league’s 32 teams had Henderson ranked higher than Okudah, and the Falcons were trying to trade up from their No. 16 slot to land Henderson.

But the Jags snapped him up with the No. 9 overall pick (Okudah went to the Lions at No. 3). Cornerback was a major need for Jacksonville, as the team traded A.J. Bouye in March after dealing Jalen Ramsey to the Rams in advance of last year’s deadline. The Jags did add several more corners in the draft and signed veteran Rashaan Melvin, but Henderson will open his professional career as a CB1.

He certainly appears ready for the challenge. The 6-1 defender led the Gators with 11 pass breakups in 2019, doing so despite missing three early-season games due to a sprained ankle. He also picked off six passes between his freshman and sophomore seasons, returning two of them for TDs. His length and technique suggest he can be a strong cover corner in the NFL, though he will need to clean up the occasional mental lapse and improve his tackling abilities.

The Jags now have over half of their 12-man rookie class under contract. Here’s the full list, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:

1-9: C.J. Henderson, CB (Florida): Signed
1-20: K’Lavon Chaisson, DE (LSU)
2-42: Laviska Shenault, WR (Colorado): Signed
3-73: Davon Hamilton, DT (Ohio State): Signed
4-116: Ben Bartch, OT (St. John’s (MN)): Signed
4-137: Josiah Scott, CB (Michigan State)
4-140: Shaquille Quarterman, ILB (Miami): Signed
5-157: Daniel Thomas, S (Auburn)
5-165: Collin Johnson, WR (Texas): Signed
6-189: Jake Luton, QB (Oregon State)
6-206: Tyler Davis, TE (Georgia Tech): Signed
7-223: Chris Claybrooks, CB (Memphis)

Dak Prescott Wanted To Take Cowboys’ Final Offer?

July 16th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Rory Parks

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will play out the 2020 season on his franchise tender, and reports from yesterday suggested that, despite some some 11th-hour communicating, player and team did not make much progress towards an extension. This was after weeks had gone by without any contract talks at all.

But Jane Slater of the NFL Network says Dallas’ final offer was very much to Prescott’s liking (Twitter link). That offer included an average annual value of $33MM-$35MM, though that is a pretty sizable gap in the context of these negotiations, given that the Cowboys’ best-known prior offer featured an AAV just north of $33MM while Prescott’s camp was pushing for a $35MM+ AAV. However, Dallas’ latest proposal reportedly featured $110MM in guarantees, with a $50MM signing bonus and $70MM over the first two years.

According to Slater, Prescott wanted to get that deal done, but it was simply too close to the 3pm CT deadline to make it happen. And that’s notable, because as Joel Corry of CBS Sports writes, the contract would have been for five years, and the team’s preferred five-year term versus Prescott’s hope for a four-year pact has long been a sticking point between the two sides.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, though, isn’t buying it. Robinson says Prescott and the Cowboys have never been closer to an extension than they were late last summer, and that multiple sources confirmed as much. There was never a middle ground on years, average salary, or guarantees, which means that the two sides will largely be starting from square one when they reconvene next offseason.

And assuming Prescott plays well in 2020, he will almost certainly be tagged again, as it would be surprising for his camp and Dallas to come to terms prior to the franchise tag deadline in March. That tag is projected to have a value just shy of $38MM, which would be a tough pill for Dallas to swallow.

72 Players Have Tested Positive For COVID-19

July 16th, 2020 at 10:57am CST by Rory Parks

According to the NFLPA’s website, 72 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 10. If all teams were currently maintaining a full roster of 90 players, that would represent about 2.5% of the league’s workforce. But not every club has a full roster, so the percentage is actually slightly higher.

It’s a given that a significant number of players will test positive, but it does underscore the need for the union and the league to quickly come to terms on establishing certain safety protocols that have not yet been agreed to, like the frequency of tests. And as testing is not yet mandatory, it stands to reason that the current number of positive cases is not necessarily indicative of the prevalence of the virus.

As Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network writes, the NFLPA and player agents had a conference call yesterday to discuss preparations and procedures, but another important conversation will take place tomorrow. Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reports that team owners will have a virtual meeting on Friday, and one high-level source believes the question of whether training camp really can start on time will be raised. Indeed, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the union is wondering whether camps in areas that have been hit hardest by the virus should open — the NFLPA’s website includes a map showing the number of cases in cities that are home to NFL clubs — and players are also expressing more and more concern as the scheduled start of camp draws near.

In addition to the training camp issue, owners will presumably talk about player pay and protocols. The league is hoping the union will offer some sort of relief due to decreased revenues, but the owners’ proposal of holding 35% of player’s salaries in escrow was a non-starter. The two sides also remain divided on the issue of preseason games. The league wants to play two exhibition contests, but the union is holding firm on its stance that the preseason should be canceled entirely.

Mychal Kendricks Medically Cleared

July 16th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Mychal Kendricks has been medically cleared to resume playing, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s good news for the free agent linebacker, though he still has other hurdles to clear.

Kendricks tore his ACL late last season in the Seahawks’ thriller against the 49ers. It was a tough blow – up until that fateful game, Kendricks had started in all 14 of his games while racking up 71 tackles, three sacks, four passes defensed, and an interception.

Now, he’s healthy, but he’s also in legal limbo. Kendricks pleaded guilty to insider trading in September 2018, and his sentencing date has been postponed numerous times. His timeline will likely hinge on the pandemic, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when Kendricks will appear before the judge.

Technically speaking, Kendricks has the green light to join up with any team, and it stands to reason that he’ll draw some interest. His market value, however, figures to be depressed. Kendricks is coming off of a serious injury, nearing his 30th birthday in September, and hunting for work as owners and GMs fret over decreased revenue and cap room. And, of course, teams won’t be able to actually count on Kendricks’ availability for the 2020 season.

Browns Sign Round 2 S Grant Delpit

July 15th, 2020 at 5:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns wrapped up their draft class signings Wednesday, coming to terms with second-round pick Grant Delpit on his four-year deal.

Selected 44th overall, Delpit will be expected to compete for a starting safety job with the Browns. Cleveland allowed Damarious Randall to defect to the Raiders but brought in ex-Raider first-rounder Karl Joseph on a one-year deal. Delpit, however, becomes the team’s top long-term safety investment.

Viewed by most as a first-round pick going into his junior season at LSU, Delpit demonstrated the ability to lock down defenders in both man and zone coverage. While his stock slipped a bit, allowing Cleveland to take him with its second-round pick, Delpit was productive throughout a three-year career. He registered 199 tackles (17.5 for loss) and seven sacks.

The Browns attempted to install Jabrill Peppers as a long-term cornerstone of their defense, but the team traded the 2017 first-round pick to the Giants in the Odell Beckham Jr. deal. Delpit represents the team’s latest effort to bring a high-ceiling talent into the fold at the position.

As training camp approaches, here is another look at the Browns’ 2020 draft class:

1-10: Jedrick Wills, T (Alabama): Signed
2-44: Grant Delpit, S (LSU): Signed
3-88: Jordan Elliott, DL (Missouri): Signed
3-97: Jacob Phillips, LB (LSU): Signed
4-115: Harrison Bryant, TE (Florida Atlantic): Signed
5-160: Nick Harris, C (Washington): Signed
6-187: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR (Michigan): Signed

Cowboys Engaged In Last-Minute Talks With Dak Prescott

July 15th, 2020 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Cowboys and Dak Prescott had not discussed a deal in weeks going into Wednesday, the parties did some 11th-hour communicating.

The Cowboys sent “repeated texts” to Prescott on Wednesday, urging the franchise-tagged passer to call executive VP Stephen Jones, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Prescott did so after discussing the matter with agent Todd France, whom Werder indicates had a separate discussion with Jones.

These talks are not believed to have gone too far, however, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Prescott will be just the third quarterback to play a season on a franchise tag. He will follow Drew Brees (2005) and Kirk Cousins (2016 and ’17) in that regard.

Prescott’s camp has eyed a four-year deal worth more than $35MM annually. Jerry Jones wanted at least a five-year commitment, per usual for Cowboys cornerstone players, and a salary south of $35MM. The best known offer the Cowboys made was one that came in just north of $33MM per year.

Dallas failing to finalize an extension is in step with most of the teams that used their franchise tags this year. Only the Chiefs and Titans came to terms with franchise-tagged players before the deadline. But the Cowboys have succeeded in extending their top talent for years. Just over the past year and change, Dallas signed 2019 franchise player DeMarcus Lawrence months before the tag deadline and extended Ezekiel Elliott to end the running back’s lengthy holdout. Amari Cooper reached free agency, but the Cowboys brought him back soon after.

Prescott being the exception could have significant consequences. Should the Cowboys fail to reach an extension agreement with their quarterback next year, a tag would cost $37.7MM. That coming in a year in which the cap may decline or stay at $198MM will make matters tougher on Dallas than they were for Washington in 2017, when the cap made its usual climb. If this process follows the Cousins-Washington path, Prescott’s tag price would balloon to $54MM in 2022.

Latest On Cardinals, Kenyan Drake

July 15th, 2020 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the NFL collectively batted .143 in extensions for franchise-tagged players (2-for-14) this year, the one player to receive the transition tag this year has a bit more time.

The Cardinals have until July 22 to extend Kenyan Drake, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the sides are not believed to be close on terms. This continues the current trend on the extension front (Twitter link). Drake is not too concerned about an extension at the moment, tweeting that one will come in “due time.”

Cards GM Steve Keim said in April he had begun negotiating with Drake, who signed his transition tender days after the Cardinals applied it. Should the 26-year-old back not agree to an extension by next week, he will be tied to his $8.483MM salary this season.

Despite rostering David Johnson at the time, the Cardinals traded for Drake and saw the ex-Dolphins contributor produce immediately. Drake totaled 814 scrimmage yards in just eight Cards games. That number is not too far off Drake’s 2018 Dolphins season, when he amassed 1,012 scrimmage yards in 16 games while splitting work with Frank Gore. Drake averaged 5.2 yards per carry with the Cards last season, after gaining just 3.7 per tote in six Dolphins tilts.