2020 July - Pro Football Rumors

Antonio Brown Interested In Seahawks Deal

July 2nd, 2020 at 6:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Russell Wilson has lobbied for the Seahawks to sign Antonio Brown, and the free agent wide receiver would not mind resuming his career in Seattle.

The duo worked out together this week, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports Brown would love to play for the Seahawks (video link). Additionally, the Seahawks have engaged in internal discussions about signing Brown, per Garafolo. They are now the team most closely connected to the former perennial All-Pro.

Other teams are interested as well, per Garafolo, though it is not certain who those franchises are at this point. The team that signs Brown would need to prepare for a suspension. The NFL’s investigation into the wide receiver’s off-field issues is ongoing.

The Seahawks signed Phillip Dorsett this offseason, and he would seemingly enter camp with a good chance of winning the team’s No. 3 wideout job behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. A Brown signing would shake up the Seahawks’ passing attack. The former Steelers superstar earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in four straight seasons and scored 15 touchdowns in 2018, the year his All-Pro streak ceased. Brown’s actions since Week 17 of the 2018 season have made him one of the most volatile players in modern NFL history, with the soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver burning bridges at will.

Other than the three teams that employed Brown last year, the Saints were the other known suitor. They worked Brown out late last season, but even that produced controversy. Tom Brady‘s interest in having Brown play with him in Tampa Bay is well known, but the Buccaneers are not believed to be interested. Brown has been quieter on social media in recent months, and it is starting to look like he will be given a chance to return to the league at some point this season.

COVID-19 Latest: Camp, Rosters, Fans

July 2nd, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Updates on the NFL-coronavirus front keep emerging. Here is the latest on where the league stands in its effort to proceed amid the pandemic:

The NFL is expected to lower its roster limit from the 90-man number before training camp, but some are concerned about camps beginning on time. Some in the league are questioning if camps can begin July 28 because of the issues COVID-19 is causing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes. Record case numbers have struck NFL states Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, with numerous other states also dealing with extensive difficulties nearly four months after the pandemic effectively shut down American sports. College football teams have seen rampant positive tests. The country’s present coronavirus state not improving rapidly would make NFL camps difficult.
As for what might happen if every team must cut players before camp, Mike Jones of USA Today notes a possibility exists of teams still rostering 90 players — which some in the NFLPA would prefer — but only taking a certain number to camp. This would seemingly create a reserve squad in the event higher-profile players test positive for COVID-19.
The NFL is not planning a universal attendance policy, and the league is considering asking fans to sign liability waivers to protect the league from COVID-19-generated lawsuits, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reports (subscription required). The people who attended President Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Okla., last month were required to sign liability waivers.
Numerous changes to the NFL’s calendar have occurred this year, and the league is operating under the impression it will not have locked-in protocols this season. “I absolutely expect that our protocols will change and will evolve as we go through the regular season based upon some of this new knowledge,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said, via the Associated Press. “That’s the nature of medical practice: that we’re always looking to improve based upon emerging knowledge and emerging data and those things will change.” The NFL has already issued a number of social-distancing directives, and the adjustments to its standard operating procedure indicate fans should be prepared for more changes.

FedEx Requests Redskins Change Name

July 2nd, 2020 at 5:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

FedEx has requested the Redskins change their team name. The franchise plays its home games at FedEx Field, and FedEx CEO Fred Smith is part of the team’s ownership group.

“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,” the company said in a statement.

This has long been an issue the Redskins have encountered, and owner Daniel Snyder has continued to come out against changing the team’s name — despite frequent calls to do so. Snyder said in 2013 the team will “never” change its name. The franchise has been in existence since 1932, when it entered the NFL as the Boston Braves. They became known as the Boston Redskins a year later, moving to Washington in 1937.

FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo have received dozens of letters from investment firms and shareholders — worth a combined $620 billion — with the purpose of the Redskins changing their controversial name, according to AdWeek.

While the Redskins play home games in Landover, Md., the Washington Post recently reported that Eleanor Holmes Norton — Washington D.C.’s nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives — said the name needed to be changed if the franchise wanted to build a stadium in the district. The Redskins played in the district (at RFK Stadium) until 1996. The Redskins’ lease with FedEx Field expires in 2027, ESPN.com notes.

Postponing 2021 Draft Not On Table?

July 2nd, 2020 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Numerous positive COVID-19 tests among college football players have created doubt about the viability of the 2020 college football season. Several schools shut down football workouts. The Division I-FBS slate beginning on time is very much in doubt.

This uncertainty has caused some in the college football power structure to discuss a key matter with the NFL. Certain college football officials approached the NFL about the feasibility of moving the 2021 draft back, in the event the college football season must be delayed until spring, Dan Wolken of USA Today tweets. The NFL’s early-July stance on this matter, per Wolken: “No thanks.”

Coronavirus cases are rising in most states, with college football hotbeds like Florida and Texas being hit particularly hard in recent weeks. College football powers Clemson and LSU saw dozens of positive tests when players returned for non-mandatory workouts. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he would not allow college and high school football to take place in the state if case numbers continue to climb.

Power 5 conferences have yet to place a deadline on making changes to the 2020 season, but the commissioners of these leagues hope to have a universal plan — rather than individual conferences making decisions. The Pac-12 has discussed moving the season to the spring, commissioner Larry Scott said (via Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News).

“I still want to be cautiously optimistic,” Scott said, “but if there’s no change in society’s response and behavior, which results in a quick flattening of the curve and a decrease in the spread of the virus, that would lead to a much more pessimistic view about our campuses being able to open and our ability to play college sports.”

Next year’s draft is scheduled to begin April 29 in Cleveland. Major college football taking place in the spring would throw the evaluation process off axis, and it would seem likely the NFL would consider changing its draft date if the college game postponed its schedule several months. The NFL used to hold its draft before the college season ended, but that practice stopped in the 1960s. The draft process has obviously transformed since, making the scenario of a draft occurring before college players’ seasons conclude less realistic.

NFL Expected To Reduce Camp Rosters

July 2nd, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another key step in the NFL’s preparations for training camp is expected to take place soon. The current line of thinking points to the league reducing offseason rosters from their 90-player limit, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Adam Schefter report (via Twitter).

It is not certain how many roster spots will be eliminated, but Schefter notes “no one” expects teams to report to camp with 90-man rosters. The prospect of trimming offseason rosters to 75 or 80 players surfaced in NFLPA circles recently.

Teams can carry up to 90 players on their rosters through the preseason. They must cut down to 53 shortly after. Franchises formerly were required to make cuts down to 75 midway through the preseason and then further reduce their rosters before regular-season play. But a 90-to-53 cut represents the current setup. That is unlikely to be the case this year.

This will make matters more difficult for UDFAs. The virtual offseason already prevented rookies from onsite development, and teams may well be forced to waive players ahead of training camp. Naturally, the first cuts would be the less coveted free agents teams signed following the draft or players retained via reserve/futures contracts after last season’s conclusion.

However, this CBA increased practice squads from 10 to 12 players. And it looks like taxi squads will be further expanded because of the coronavirus. A recent report indicated 16-man P-squads were being considered, but Schefter notes that number could climb as high as 20. This would create more opportunities for players who would otherwise become camp cuts.

Reduced camp rosters will help amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NFL and NFLPA remain in discussions about how football will proceed during this historically unusual period. The NFL this week canceled the supplemental draft, and it became known the league wants to pare the preseason slate down to two games. The NFLPA may well be against playing any preseason contests. A reduced preseason would lessen the need for 90-player rosters, and with social-distancing guidelines released — with more directives likely coming soon — teams having fewer players would make adhering to these protocols easier.

Browns Sign Jordan Elliott

July 2nd, 2020 at 2:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns have signed third-round draft pick Jordan Elliott, the team announced. Elliott is the fourth member of the club’s 2020 draft class to sign his rookie deal.

This season, Elliott will attempt to crack Cleveland’s interior DL rotation behind Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson. But Ogunjobi is eligible for unrestricted free agency next year, and Richardson is set to carry a cap hit of nearly $14MM with a minimal dead cap charge in 2021, so Elliott could be in line for a bigger role soon if he performs well.

Elliott started his collegiate career at Texas before transferring to Missouri. He became a full-time starter in 2019, recording 44 tackles and 2.5 sacks en route to All-SEC first team honors. He should be stout against the run right away, and while he has the potential to make an impact as an interior pass rusher, he will need more development in that regard.

Per the terms of his slot, Elliott will take home a four-year pact worth about $4.5MM, with a signing bonus just shy of $900K.

Here’s the rundown of where things stand with Cleveland’s seven-man class, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:

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

AFC Notes: Simmons, Newton, Ravens

July 2nd, 2020 at 2:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Broncos safety Justin Simmons has still not signed his franchise tender, and like most players seeking new contracts, Simmons’ negotiations have been impacted in a big way by the pandemic. As a result, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post believes Simmons is more likely to play out the 2020 campaign on his $12.7MM tender than land a multi-year pact. The one caveat to that would be if Simmons is willing to give Denver a hometown discount, but there have been no real indications that he is willing to do so.

However, O’Halloran does not expect the process to be an ugly one, and he fully believes Simmons will sign his tender and report to camp if there is no new deal in place by the July 15 deadline.

Let’s take a quick trip around the AFC:

Much has been made of the minimal guarantee and base salary that 2015 MVP Cam Newton stands to earn under his new one-year pact with the Patriots. 49ers CB Richard Sherman took to Twitter to express his outrage over the deal, calling it “disgusting” that a player like Newton would have to settle for such chump change (and ignoring the myriad injury concerns that led to the contract). But Newton himself, in his first public comments about the financial details (via Instagram), said simply “[t]his is not about money for me. It’s about respect.” A productive season in Foxborough would lead to Newton’s market rebounding in a big way in 2021, though the Pats may be inclined to use the franchise tag on him if that happens.
The Ravens lost future Hall-of-Fame RG Marshal Yanda to retirement this offseason, and though the club has a number of young players who could replace him, the pandemic will likely give veterans a leg up over less experienced talents. As such, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic expects D.J. Fluker to win the starting right guard gig, while 2019 left guard Bradley Bozeman is the clear favorite to reprise his role in 2020.
In the same piece linked above, Zrebiec notes that the Ravens, who recently cut veteran LB Jake Ryan, did so because both sides realized that Ryan — who has only played in two games since 2017 — still wasn’t healthy and wouldn’t have enough time to get healthy and learn the team’s defense.
In case you missed it, Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue may be prepared to sit out the entire 2020 season if he does not get traded.

Yannick Ngakoue Prepared To Sit Out 2020 Season?

July 2nd, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Rory Parks

As you probably know by now, Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville. He is not inclined to sign his $17.788MM franchise tender, and while he wants a new contract with an average annual value in excess of $20MM, he does not want to sign such a contract with the Jags.

We heard yesterday that the 25-year-old is still pushing for a trade, but given the amount of draft capital Jacksonville has asked for in the past — in addition to the fact that an acquiring team would have to pony up a $100MM+ payday, a tough sell in this COVID-19 climate — a trade does not seem especially likely at this point. However, a burying of the hatchet between player and team seems equally unlikely, and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network is hearing that Ngakoue could sit out the entire 2020 season (video link).

A key point here is that Ngakoue just finished his rookie contract and has yet to sign a second professional deal. Although the new CBA is harsher than its predecessor with respect to holdouts, those stricter provisions only apply to players who hold out after having signed a contract as a veteran. So while a full-year absence would toll Ngakoue’s service time, it seems he can hold out through training camp and a chunk of the regular season without worrying about mandatory fines and losing an accrued season.

A young pass rusher like Ngakoue is a hot commodity in today’s NFL, but as it stands right now, if he wants to play this season and earn a paycheck, he will have to do so with the Jags. Of course, an injury and/or more clarity with respect to the 2021 salary cap could make a rival club more inclined to discuss a trade, and it sounds like Ngakoue is willing to wait.

NFLPA Pushing To Cancel Preseason?

July 2nd, 2020 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

NFL owners are looking to shorten the preseason from four games to two. Meanwhile, some of the NFLPA’s leaders are wondering whether there should be any exhibition games played at all, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com hears (Twitter link).

Those opposed to preseason games argue that it’s an unnecessary risk. The games, after all, don’t count towards the standings. The league, meanwhile, believes that they can mitigate some of that risk and give extra lead time to teams by cutting the preseason in half.

Per the terms of the CBA, this isn’t a matter that’s up for negotiation. The NFL has the right to schedule up to four preseason games per year, making them the sole party in charge of the exhibition slate’s length. Still, because this is a matter of public safety, the NFLPA figures to have some pull. The two sides will chat on Thursday and Friday. After that, we should have a clearer picture of what’s to come.

For now, the league is planning to start training camps on July 28th. The NFL is hoping to bring rookies in for COVID-19 testing on July 19, Mike Florio of PFT hears, with conditioning starting on July 21. After that, the league is proposing conditioning and testing for veterans in the days that follow.

Jets, Demaryius Thomas In Talks

July 2nd, 2020 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are “still talking” with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. Thomas, 32, has said that he wants to continue playing, even though he’s not the player he used to be.

Thomas, 32, could potentially help to mentor some of the Jets’ younger players, including rookie Denzel Mims. Beyond Mims, Breshad Perriman, and Jamison Crowder the Jets are looking pretty thin at wide receiver. DT would offer experience behind that trio, where Braxton Berrios and Vyncint Smith currently sit.

Thomas tallied more than 9,000 yards across nine seasons with the Broncos. Now, he’s on the back nine of his career. After his time with the Texans, Thomas hooked on with the Patriots. Before the 2019 season started, the Patriots pulled off a rare intra-divisional trade, sending Thomas to the Jets for a sixth-round pick. The four-time Pro Bowler had 36 catches for 433 yards and one touchdown for Gang Green.

If Thomas returns to the Jets, or hooks on with another club, he’ll have an opportunity to crack 10,000 career receiving yards. Currently, Thomas has 9,763.