2020 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Big Ten Announces Conference Only Schedule

July 9th, 2020 at 3:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Big Ten is the first Power 5 conference to announce an alteration to its football schedule in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reports that the Big Ten is expected to announce a conference-only schedule for the fall, adding that the Pac-12 is expected to follow suit.

At first glance, that doesn’t seem like a devastating blow. While certain marquee matchups like Oregon-Ohio State and Wisconsin-Notre Dame will no longer be in the cards, it’s at least somewhat encouraging that the conference is still trying to move forward with attempts to play in the fall. Indeed, following the Ivy League’s announcement that it would postpone its season to the spring, many believed that other conferences would follow suit.

Of course, the nation’s infection rate is not going down like it was expected to, and today’s announcement simply feels like the first of many changes to come. The remaining P5 conferences are expected to make a tentative decision on their schedules by early August.

As of now, the NFL has no plans to postpone the draft to accommodate college teams that might be playing in the spring, but if more conferences follow the Ivy League’s lead, that might change. Given the massive revenue losses that colleges would experience without a football season, they will continue trying to do everything in their power to play, whether that’s in the fall or the spring.

It is worth noting that the games the Big Ten and other P5 schools play against smaller programs are significant sources of income for the smaller schools, so this will be a tough pill for them to swallow.

Jets Sign La’Mical Perine

July 9th, 2020 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets have agreed to terms with fourth-round draft choice La’Mical Perine, the team announced. The former Florida running back is the fourth member of the club’s nine-man rookie class to sign his first professional contract.

Perine is presently staring up at two big names ahead of him on the Jets’ RB depth chart, which is topped by Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore. But Bell could be a trade candidate if New York is a trade deadline seller, and even if he makes it through the season, it’s far from a sure thing that he’ll be back with Gang Green in 2021. Gore, meanwhile, is on the tail end of a Hall of Fame career and may retire at the end of the 2020 campaign.

So Perine will do battle with players like Kenneth Dixon and Josh Adams in an effort to secure a spot in the current RB rotation while showcasing his talents for a larger role down the line. His college numbers aren’t especially flashy, but a 5.0 yards-per-carry average over a four-year stint against SEC defenses isn’t too shabby, and he displayed some receiving ability in his senior season, catching 40 passes for 262 yards and five TDs.

Per the terms of his draft slot, Perine will earn $4MM over the life of his four-year deal, which includes a $745K signing bonus. Here’s the full rundown of the Jets’ draft class as it presently stands, via PFR’s tracker:

1-11: Mekhi Becton, T (Louisville)
2-59: Denzel Mims, WR (Baylor): Signed
3-68: Ashtyn Davis, S (California)
3-79: Jabari Zuniga, DE (Florida)
4-120: Lamical Perine, RB (Florida): Signed
4-125: James Morgan, QB (Florida International)
4-129: Cameron Clark, OT (Charlotte): Signed
5-158: Bryce Hall, CB (Virginia): Signed
6-191: Braden Mann, P (Texas A&M)

Dolphins Have Not Discussed Extension For RB Matt Breida

July 9th, 2020 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins acquired running back Matt Breida from the 49ers in exchange for the No. 153 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Breida is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 season. However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team has not discussed an extension with Breida.

Of course, extensions are hard to come by right now in light of the uncertainty created by COVID-19, and even under better circumstances, the Dolphins may not be too keen on a multi-year commitment. Breida, a 2017 UDFA, has yet to total more than 153 carries in a season, has battled injuries throughout the early part of his career, and will enter the 2020 campaign in a timeshare with free agent acquisition Jordan Howard.

On the flip-side, Breida has looked good in his relatively limited action to date. He boasts a career 5.0 yards-per-carry average — a mark that he exceeded in both of the past two seasons — excellent speed, and is a useful receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers tendered him at the second-round level prior to trading him, and there is reason to believe that he can be a productive starter in the NFL.

But one wonders if Breida would be open to an extension anyway. After all, he is a more explosive back than Howard — whose career has trended downwards since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 — and Breida could start seeing the lion’s share of the carries as the 2020 season wears on. If that happens, he will be well-positioned for a significant new deal from the Dolphins or some other club next year, while an extension now would probably be more modest in scope.

Breida joins Raekwon McMillan and Davon Godchaux as the Dolphins’ top impending unrestricted free agents, but it sounds like the ‘Fins are more receptive to an extension for their two young defenders than for Breida.

Lions Sign Jason Huntley

July 9th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Rory Parks

As it turns out, the Lions signed two 2020 draftees yesterday. In addition to getting fifth-round wide receiver Quintez Cephus under contract, the club inked its other fifth-round choice, New Mexico State running back Jason Huntley. Huntley posted a picture of himself signing his rookie deal on Instagram.

Huntley may struggle for playing time early in his Lions tenure, as Detroit is also rostering Kerryon Johnson and used a second-round choice this season on talented Georgia back D’Andre Swift, whom some considered to be the best RB in the class. On the other hand, Johnson has dealt with injuries over the first two years of his pro career, and another ailment could push Huntley up the depth chart. In the meantime, he will be competing with the likes of Ty Johnson and Bo Scarbrough for reps as the club’s RB3. He could also push Jamal Agnew for the kickoff returner job.

Huntley exploded in his final collegiate season, racking up 1,090 yards on 154 totes, good for a whopping 7.1 YPC average. He is also a capable receiver out of the backfield, with plenty of speed to burn.

With that, the Lions are just missing the bookends of their 2020 class. No. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah and seventh-round choice Jason Cornell are the only two of Detroit’s nine drafted rookies who have yet to sign. Here’s the full list, courtesy of PFR’s Tracker:

1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State)
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)

Breakdown Of Cam Newton’s Contract With Patriots

July 9th, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Rory Parks

Cam Newton was connected to the Patriots all offseason, and though New England long insisted it was comfortable going into the 2020 season with second-year pro Jarrett Stidham under center, the club ultimately could not resist adding the 2015 MVP on a modest one-year pact.

It has been reported that the deal has a base value of just $1.05MM ($550K guaranteed), with $6.45MM in available incentives that could push the total to $7.5MM. Of those incentives, we knew that $700K came in the form of per-game roster bonuses. Field Yates of ESPN.com passes along the full breakdown, via Twitter:

$43,750 per game in which Newton is active, up to $700K, as noted above;
13% of team snaps: $250K; 20%: $500K; 30%: $750K; 40%: $1MM; 50%: $1.25MM; 60%: $1.5MM (increases to $1.75MM if Patriots qualify for playoffs); 70%: $1.75MM ($2.25MM with playoffs); 80%: $2MM ($3MM with playoffs); 90%: $2.25MM ($3.75MM with playoffs);
Pro Bowl bonus: $500K;
All-Pro bonus: $500K;
$250K for each playoff win in which Newton plays at least 50% of the team’s snaps, up to a maximum of $1MM

So if Newton is healthy, a 2020 payout of about $4MM or so seems well within reach, and a healthy Newton will make the Pats a strong candidate to make the playoffs, so he could bump that number a bit higher with a postseason run. But it will take a lot of work to max out the contract’s value, and as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe observes (via Twitter), all of Newton’s incentives are tied to staying healthy and team performance. There are no individual stat incentives like those that appeared in Tom Brady’s contract in recent years.

Still, the Patriots are probably the best landing spot that Newton could have asked for to revive his career. The defense is strong, the division is winnable, and while the skill position talent could be better, it should be enough for Newton to work with. He can still be hit with the franchise tag in 2021 if he performs well, but a franchise tender would be a nice raise over what he’s getting this year, and a hefty multi-year extension would be in play as well.

Quinton Dunbar Hires Second Attorney

July 9th, 2020 at 8:24am CST by Rory Parks

It sounds like the charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar aren’t going away. Per Daniel Wallach of The Athletic (via Twitter), Dunbar has added the law firm of Michael D. Weinstein to his defense team.

Dunbar’s original defense attorney, Michael Grieco, remains on the case. Dunbar, of course, was charged alongside Giants CB Deandre Baker following an alleged armed robbery in Florida several months ago. Shortly thereafter, Dunbar surrendered to police, and at his bail review, Grieco presented five affidavits — four from alleged victims and one from a witness — recanting statements they had previously made to police. Both Grieco and Baker’s attorney have been very accommodating to media inquiries since entering their appearance and have adamantly maintained their clients’ innocence while expressing their optimism that the charges would soon be dropped.

Indeed, the fact that Dunbar was given a relatively light bond of $100K suggested to some that the state’s case was not particularly strong. But Dunbar’s decision to retain additional counsel could indicate otherwise.

Dunbar, whom the Seahawks acquired via trade with the Redskins back in March, ultimately rejoined the team for virtual offseason meetings. After a strong 2019 campaign in Washington, the soon-to-be 28-year-old was seeking a lucrative multi-year extension. It’s unclear if he would have gotten one from Seattle if not for this incident, but a solid 2020 season would have positioned him well for unrestricted free agency next year.

Now, however, his football career is in limbo, to say nothing of the impacts that four charges of armed robbery could have on his life.

Browns No Longer Pursuing Jadeveon Clowney?

July 8th, 2020 at 7:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that the Browns have reworked the contract of defensive end Olivier Vernon, Cleveland is likely out of the Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes, a source tells Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

The Browns are one of several teams known to have actually offered a contract to Clowney. Cleveland reportedly was willing to pay Clowney up to $15MM on a one-year deal, and also gave the veteran pass-rusher his best multi-year proposal.

Instead, the Browns will now retain Vernon and play him opposite Myles Garrett at defensive end. Cleveland isn’t interested in signing another veteran like Everson Griffen or Clay Matthews, so the club will likely roll with internal options such Adrian Clayborn and Chad Thomas in reserve.

With the Browns bowing out of a pursuit, Clowney’s market continues to dwindle. Once though to be assured of landing a hefty multi-year pact, Clowney will now almost assuredly have to accept a one-year offer.

The Raiders and Titans have both made offers to Clowney and could still sign the former No. 1 overall selection, and a return to the Seahawks isn’t out of the question, although Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported the Seahawks won’t offer the $15-16MM they once were proposing.

Lions Sign Fifth-Round WR Quintez Cephus

July 8th, 2020 at 7:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have agreed to terms with fifth-round wide receiver Quintez Cephus, according to his agents at SportsTrust Advisors (Twitter link).

Cephus, who caught 59 passes for 901 yards and seven touchdowns during his final year at Wisconsin, will likely need to contribute on special teams during his rookie campaign. Detroit boasts a wide receiver depth chart that’s already at least four-deep with Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, and Geronimo Allison, while ace returner Jamal Agnew is making the change to full-time pass-catcher.

Cephus was expelled from Wisconsin during an ongoing investigation into assault charges filed by two women in the spring of 2018. He not only denied the accusations, but sued the university, arguing he was expelled with no due process. Cephus was ultimately acquitted and dropped the lawsuit against Wisconsin, and the school reinstated him as both a student and an athlete for 2019.

With Cephus under contract, the Lions now have six of their nine 2020 draft picks signed. Here’s the full list:

1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State)
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)
6-197: John Penisini, DT (Utah): Signed
7-235: Jason Cornell, DE (Ohio State)

Latest On Patrick Mahomes’ Record Extension

July 8th, 2020 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs have their quarterback signed to an unprecedented contract, with the 10-year, $450MM deal — which could be worth up to $503MM — tying him to the team through the 2031 season. Mahomes is the only current NFLer signed beyond 2026. Here is the latest on the deal:

Although Patrick Mahomes‘ contract contains just $63MM fully guaranteed — fifth among quarterbacks, and more than $30MM behind Matt Ryan‘s record number — that number will bump up to $106MM by March, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. By March 2022, that number spikes to $141MM. By March 2023, it rises to $180MM (Twitter links via ex-GM Mike Tannenbaum and veteran NFL reporter Jason Cole).
Beginning in 2022, Mahomes has incentives tied to MVPs and AFC titles. Although those are quite difficult to come by, the 24-year-old superstar already has two such accomplishments. Every Mahomes MVP or Super Bowl appearance will trigger a $1.25MM bonus, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That totals $25MM and vaults the contract to the $503MM figure.
Mahomes’ camp gave in a bit on signing bonus money but secured massive roster bonus payouts, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The “guarantee mechanisms” will generate roster bonuses north of $30MM from 2023-28. This structure peaks with a monster $49MM bonus payout in 2027, according to OverTheCap. As for cap hits, Mahomes’ numbers do not become gigantic until 2022. This year, Mahomes will count barely $5MM toward the Chiefs’ cap; in 2021, that number jumps to $24.8MM. After a $31MM hit in 2022, the quarterback will count at least $39MM toward Kansas City’s cap in the deal’s final nine seasons. This peaks with two $50MM-plus cap years in 2030-31, though the sides could naturally be expected to have a new deal in place by then.
Citing the shocking number of years Mahomes gave up to get to a $45MM-AAV number, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes the quarterback would have done better by waiting and securing a shorter-term deal. “It’s like he had no leverage,” an NFL source indicated to Florio regarding Mahomes’ deal. Mahomes will have security amid an uncertain financial time for the NFL, which could see its projected growth fail to materialize for a while. But if Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson opt for extensions that allow them the chance to re-sign while still in their 20s, both can be expected to surpass Mahomes’ $45MM number midway through the Chief’s deal.
Watson and Jackson can be expected to top $40MM per year, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic writes (subscription required), adding that Dak Prescott‘s agent (Todd France) will argue his client should be paid $40MM annually. The Cowboys are not believed to have offered their franchise-tagged quarterback more than $33MM per year. The Texans, however, were linked to a $40MM-plus-AAV Watson deal before Mahomes signed.

Ivy League Postpones Football Season

July 8th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The rumored scenario of the Ivy League moving its football season to the spring could be in the works. The academically renowned coalition announced Wednesday it is postponing its fall sports calendar.

“With the information available to us today regarding the continued spread of the virus, we simply do not believe we can create and maintain an environment for intercollegiate athletic competition that meets our requirements for safety and acceptable levels of risk, consistent with the policies that each of our schools is adopting as part of its reopening plans this fall,” the league’s statement read.

Not too many Ivy Leaguers move on to NFL careers, but this decision could have ripple effects for Division I-FBS conferences. The Power 5 programs are not expected to make a final decision on the viability of fall football amid the COVID-19 pandemic for a few weeks, but the Pac-12 has already discussed the prospect of playing in the spring.

This would certainly be a seismic change for the sport, but upon facing massive revenue losses, schools will opt for spring football before cancelling seasons. Should Division I-FBS conferences postpone their seasons until the spring, in hopes the coronavirus will be under control in the country by then, it will affect the NFL. Top prospects will have little offseason time to recover in advance of the 2021 NFL season, and the NFL draft may commence before the college campaign ends. Currently, the NFL is against moving its draft to accommodate college teams playing football in the spring.

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