HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Dolphins Training Camp Delay In Play

July 13th, 2020 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The coronavirus continues to spread at record rates in several states, and Florida’s 15,300 cases Sunday set a national single-day record. As a result, Dolphins training camp is in jeopardy.

Dolphins reps have informed players “everything is up in the air” regarding training camp, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins, like most teams, are scheduled to have veterans report to camp July 28. Rookies are set to report at an earlier date, but the team can see a delay coming, per Beasley.

The NFL and NFLPA continue to negotiate protocols for training camps, and a Monday or Tuesday resolution was believed to be in play. But states are starting to take measures to react to COVID-19’s midsummer surge. The NFL’s July 28 camp start date remains in place, but one team having to postpone its report window because of the virus would create a ripple effect the league would need to address.

Teams are not currently permitted to hold camps away from their respective facilities, but with Broward county — site of the Dolphins’ headquarters — being hit hard by the virus, the Dolphins are one of the teams whose plans may be forced to change.

No Talks Scheduled Between Dak, Cowboys

July 13th, 2020 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have until 3pm CT Wednesday to finalize an extension with Dak Prescott. Signs continue to indicate that will not happen.

As of Monday afternoon, no talks between the Cowboys and their fifth-year quarterback are scheduled, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. Deadlines drive action, and the Cowboys have a history of final-minute tag deals. They extended Dez Bryant minutes before the 2015 deadline. But based on the recent consensus and the financial uncertainty COVID-19 has created, Prescott playing 2020 on the tag continues to be the likelier scenario. More urgency was expected leading up to the deadline, Archer adds.

Prescott, whose last known negotiations with the Cowboys occurred in March (per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), is attached to the $31.4MM exclusive tag. Not much extension optimism has surfaced among this year’s group of tagged performers. None of the 15 players to receive the franchise or transition tag this year have signed an extension.

The NFL and NFLPA remain in talks on how to navigate the 2021 salary cap, which would stand to plummet considerably — due to a season with limited or no attendance — if the sides do not come up with a solution. This has slowed teams’ negotiations.

Should the Cowboys and Prescott not agree to terms, he will join Kirk Cousins as the only quarterbacks to play on the tag in the past 15 seasons. Cousins’ stalemates with Washington led to two tags and free agency. Prescott would be set to earn $37.7MM on a 2021 tag and $54MM in 2022, should this already-lengthy saga reach that point.

Three Teams Interested In Jordan Reed

July 13th, 2020 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Jordan Reed has drawn interest from three teams as he looks to make his NFL return (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The identities of those clubs are not yet known, but it sounds like Reed could be on the cusp of landing his next deal. 

Reed has a troubling history with head trauma and he has only played in 13 games over the past three seasons. Since the start of his collegiate career, he’s suffered at least seven concussions. His latest one sidelined him for the entire 2019 campaign.

However, when he’s been healthy and on the field, he’s performed as one of the league’s most dangerous tight ends. Between 2013 and 2018, Reed tallied 329 receptions for 3,371 yards and 24 touchdowns for Washington. Reed has been available since February, when he was released from the two seasons left on his five-year, $47MM contract.

In March, we heard that the Seahawks had some interest in signing him, but they now seem pretty well set at tight end with Greg Olsen, Will Dissly, Luke Willson, and Jacob Hollister on the depth chart. They’ll also have rookie Colby Parkinson, whenever he’s ready to return from his Jones fracture.

A reminder of exactly how good Reed has been over the years: He’s in the Redskins’ all-time top-10 for touchdowns and receptions, despite all of the missed games.

Giants’ Leonard Williams To Play On Tag

July 13th, 2020 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

Giants defensive end Leonard Williams will play out the 2020 season on his one-year franchise tender, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The two sides technically have until Wednesday to hammer out a deal, but they’re both comfortable with playing things by ear. 

The Giants tagged Williams earlier this year with a one-year franchise tender. Previously classified as a defensive tackle, Williams was set to file a grievance to be tagged as a defensive end. This year, the DT tag pays $16.1MM while the defensive end tag is priced at $17.9MM. It’s possible that Williams has found middle ground with the G-Men with a deal that pays him ~$17MM for the upcoming year.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman was widely criticized for the acquisition of Williams and equally panned for his decision to tag him. The one-time No. 6 overall pick of the Jets has not met expectations in terms of sacks, but it’s worth noting that his 101 quarterback hits since 2015 rank 12th in the NFL. Williams registered zero sacks in seven Giants games last year, but Gettleman believes that he can turn the corner.

The Giants are comfortable with waiting until next year to revisit talks and the same goes for Williams. If Williams can up his sack totals across a full and productive season with the Giants, he could be in for much greater riches next March.

Lions, Jeff Okudah Agree To Deal

July 13th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah has agreed to terms with the Lions on his rookie deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Per the terms of his slot, the cornerback will earn just over $33.5MM over the course of his four-year deal with a $21.9MM signing bonus. 

The Lions’ affection for Okudah was hardly a secret in the build up to the draft. After all, the Ohio State product filled the team’s greatest need, after they shipped Darius Slay to the Eagles. There were other draft crushes on the board, like Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons, but they couldn’t let Okudah pass them by.

“I would put Okudah down as the safest [defensive player in this draft],” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said before the draft. “I know exactly what position he plays, I’ve seen him play that position against elite competition and I’ve seen him play at a very high, consistent level. To me, Okudah is the safest.”

There aren’t many knocks on Okudah, and the experts say that his ceiling is sky high. In the long run, he has the tools to become one of the league’s better cornerbacks. He also figures to shore up the Lions’ D right out of the gate, with support from Desmond Trufant, Justin Coleman, and Darryl Roberts.

Here’s the full rundown of the Lions’ draft, via PFR’s tracker:

1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State): Signed
2-35: D’Andre Swift, RB (Georgia): Signed
3-67: Julian Okwara, OLB (Notre Dame): Signed
3-75: Jonah Jackson, G (Ohio State): Signed
4-121: Logan Stenberg, OL (Kentucky): Signed
5-166: Quintez Cephus, WR (Wisconsin): Signed
5-172: Jason Huntley, RB (New Mexico State): Signed
6-197: John Penisini, DT (Utah): Signed
7-235: Jason Cornell, DE (Ohio State)

Devonta Freeman, Agent Part Ways

July 13th, 2020 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

Devonta Freeman is without a team and without an agent. Agent Kristin Campbell has informed the running back that she’s terminating their business relationship, according to NFL.com’s Michael Silver (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Devonta Freeman Won’t Consider Retirement]

Campbell’s decision comes in the midst of Freeman’s protracted free agency stint. Earlier this year, Freeman turned down a one-year, $3MM offer from the Seahawks. We can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that Campbell wanted Freeman to take that deal.

It’s not clear what the longtime Falcons star is looking for. The Seahawks would have presented Freeman an opportunity to reclaim his status as one of the league’s better backs while playing in a talent-laden offense. Freeman’s last deal was set to pay him about $8MM this year; there’s no chance that he’ll hit that number in base pay.

The Buccaneers and Eagles profile as logical landing spots for Freeman, but we haven’t heard much on either front lately. The Bucs are currently set to enter the year with Ronald Jones as their top back with a pair of rookies – Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais – as his primary backups. The Eagles have a young group led by Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, and a veteran like Freeman could help them round out the backfield.

There’s no way he’ll come close to that salary in base pay, but it stands to reason that he could find middle ground with the Bucs. The Bucs have upgraded much of their roster around Tom Brady, but RB remains a problem area. As of this writing, they’re set to roll out the promising yet inconsistent Ronald Jones as their top rusher with support from rookies.

Washington Redskins To Change Name

July 13th, 2020 at 9:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Redskins will no longer be the Redskins. On Monday morning, the team announced that they will be taking on a new nickname and a new logo.

“On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name. That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward.

Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the [current] name and logo upon completion of this review. Dan Snyder and Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise that inspires our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.”

The team has not set a timetable for the rebrand, so it’s not immediately clear whether there will be a new name in place for the start of the 2020 season. However, given the mounting pressure against the team – including pressure from FedEx, the team’s stadium sponsor – it seems likely that they will make the change between now and September.

5 Key Stories: 7/5/20 – 7/12/20

July 12th, 2020 at 6:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chiefs give out record contract: Patrick Mahomes stunned the NFL world by signing a 10-year, $450MM extension. The Chiefs quarterback raised the league’s per-year salary bar by $10MM, but it took him agreeing to a through-2031 commitment to do so. Mahomes’ deal can net him up to $503MM. Not everyone was on board with the 24-year-old superstar’s decision to tie himself to a team for so long. The contract trails other well-paid QBs’ pacts in fully guaranteed money but includes a number of player-friendly roster bonuses. Andy Reid also motivated to work with his top pupil for the duration of the contract.

College football making major changes: Certainly showing the kind of trouble that could be ahead for the NFL, college football saw seismic decisions take place this week. The Ivy League began the tide turn, announcing it would postpone its fall sports. Then, the bigger dominoes fell. Two of the Power 5 conferences — the Big Ten and Pac-12 — announced they will only play conference games this season. While no official word has come from the ACC, Big 12 and SEC, the COVID-19 pandemic has the NCAA landscape in an a chaotic state.

NFL continues to navigate coronavirus crisis: NFL training camps are still scheduled to begin by July 28, but the league and the NFLPA have key issues to sort out at the 11th hour. The sides have not agreed on preseason length, testing frequency or an opt-out policy, but a key meeting looms Monday. Protocols for positive tests are in place, but clarity on how positive tests will affect teams’ rosters remains elusive. Rosters will likely decrease soon, with the NFLPA proposing an 80-man maximum for camp. Practice squads are likely to expand, however. On the financial side, the league and the union have not agreed on how to handle the expected loss of billions. They exchanged proposals this week, with both sides preferring the 2021 cap does not decline.

Inaction on franchise tag front: Due largely to the uncertainty the pandemic has created for the NFL’s financial future, no franchise- or transition-tagged players have been extended. And news is not great here. Dak Prescott‘s two-offseason saga appears unlikely to produce a long-term deal by Wednesday’s deadline. A.J. Green, Brandon Scherff and Hunter Henry are not believed to be close on terms with their respective teams. Neither are edge rushers Shaquil Barrett and Bud Dupree, but both 3-4 outside linebackers are playing the grievance game in hopes of being tagged as defensive ends. The Chiefs and Chris Jones are negotiating again, at least.

More steam for Washington name change: It appears Washington’s “Redskins” moniker is on its last legs. The franchise is not planning to play as the Redskins for another season, with owner Daniel Snyder now intent on changing the name. The franchise plans to keep the same color scheme, but a new identity could come to pass this week.

PFR Originals: 7/5/20 – 7/12/20

July 12th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s a look back at some of our faves from the past week:

  • The franchise tag deadline is three days away. Due largely to the financial uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the league, no extensions for franchise- or transition-tagged players have transpired. Our Ben Levine looked at where all 15 negotiations stand. There does not seem to be a lot of promise for extensions, but the next few days should feature frequent action because of the unusually high number of tagged performers.
  • Four years ago, the Vikings made Harrison Smith the NFL’s highest-paid safety. While that per-year value record has been surpassed many times over, with fellow Viking Anthony Harris‘ franchise tag now being worth more than Smith’s $10.25MM AAV, Smith remains the centerpiece of Minnesota’s secondary. In PFR’s latest “This Date in Transactions History” installment, Zach Links took a look at what that deal meant for the Vikings and the safety position.

Browns Sign Round 3 LB Jacob Phillips

July 12th, 2020 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns now have both their third-round picks under contract. They reached with the No. 97 overall pick — linebacker Jacob Phillips — on Sunday, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link).

Cleveland exited the 2018 season with two high-priced linebackers and a proven starter, but the team has fully transitioned at linebacker entering the 2020 campaign. After the Browns released Jamie Collins last year, they cut the now-injury-prone Christian Kirksey earlier this year. They then let Joe Schobert sign with the Jaguars in free agency. Younger cogs have taken their places.

Phillips joins 2019 draftees Sione Takitaki (a third-rounder) and Mack Wilson (Round 5) on the Browns’ defensive second level, where ex-Giants starter B.J. Goodson also resides. Most of the Browns’ expenses on defense have gone up front, with younger players populating Cleveland’s linebacker and secondary sections of the depth chart.

One of 14 LSU draftees — a total that matched a record for one school — Phillips joined first-round Ravens pick Patrick Queen as a Tigers linebacker starter. Phillips outproduced Queen in tackles in both 2018 and ’19, totaling 200 stops between his sophomore and junior seasons. Phillips declared for the draft early.

Here is how the Browns’ draft class looks as of mid-July. Only one player, a fellow LSU draftee, remains unsigned.

Load More Posts