HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

NFL To Allow COVID-19 Opt-Outs In 2021

June 23rd, 2021 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL and NFLPA have come to an agreement regarding COVID-19 opt-outs, but players will have less time to make a decision than they did last year.

Players must inform their respective teams by 3pm CT July 2 if they intend to opt out of the 2021 season, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The payout structure for opt-outs has changed as well. Players deemed high risks for developing complications from the coronavirus will still receive $350K, Pelissero adds, but those classified as non-high-risk opt-outs will not be paid. Last year, non-high-risk players received a $150K stipend. Players had until August 6 to opt out in 2020.

[RELATED: NFL, NFLPA Agree To 2021 COVID Protocols]

Rookies are not eligible for these opt-outs, according to Pelissero (on Twitter). Players cannot opt back in, as several college cogs did last year. Last year, 68 players opted out and saw their contracts toll to 2021. It would be shocking if this year’s total approached that.

Despite effective vaccines having emerged, the league and the union have been discussing the opt-out issue for months. Many players who opted out last year, however, have since been cut. On that note, it will be interesting to see if any opt-outs take place this year. Teams are likely to be less understanding about players making those decisions.

Circumstances have changed considerably since the 2020 opt-outs commenced. Vaccines have led to a sharp decline in virus cases and are now widely available. The NFL has mandated team employees be vaccinated, but players are not mandated to do so. Every team has at least 90% of its Tier 1/Tier 2 staff vaccinated. Some teams have indicated their staff is fully vaccinated.

The league’s virus protocols for the 2021 season are largely unchanged for unvaccinated players. This has led to multiple players, headlined by Bills wideout Cole Beasley, speaking out against the vaccine and this year’s agreed-upon protocols. As of last week, over half the league’s players have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but even as the protocols ease COVID-era restrictions immensely for vaccinated players, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue for the NFL. Next week’s opt-out date figures to add another complication, though it would be surprising if opt-out decisions affected the league to the degree they did last year.

Falcons Make Front Office Changes

June 23rd, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons have made some changes to their staff, but new GM Terry Fontenot will also keep some big names from the previous regime on the payroll going forward.

Former GMs Phil Emery and Ruston Webster will remain with the Falcons, with the team shifting the pair from scouting roles to spots as senior personnel executives. Emery, the Bears’ GM from 2012-14, and Webster, the Titans’ GM from 2012-15, joined Thomas Dimitroff‘s staff in 2016 as scouts. Emery has worked in the NFL since 1998; Webster’s tenure in the league dates back to 1988.

Additionally, the Falcons are promoting Michael Ross and Tokunbo Abanikanda from area scouts to the national level. Ross has been with the Falcons since Dimitroff’s second year, rising up from the entry level to his current national scout post. Abanikanda, a 10-year Falcons staffer, has done the same since joining the team. Emery and Webster worked as national scouts during Dimitroff’s final five seasons.

Fontenot will also keep other Dimitroff-era staffers, though some will see their roles reduced. Former Chiefs assistant GM Joel Collier will move from national scout to area scout, while Shepley Heard will go from director of pro personnel down to area scout. Heard has been with the Falcons since 2005. Additionally, Benjamin Martinez will follow Fontenot over from New Orleans. A 12-year Saints staffer who worked as a video assistant for the past four years, Martinez will join the Falcons as a BLESTO scout. BLESTO scouts often do advance work on future draft classes.

Latest On Packers’ Quarterback Situation

June 23rd, 2021 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the months-old Packers-Aaron Rodgers stalemate looking set to drag into training camp, the team is in a holding pattern at quarterback. The longer this goes, the more relevant Jordan Love‘s readiness becomes.

Coming into the offseason, the Packers’ confidence appeared low in the 2020 first-round pick being prepared to make starts this season. That view seems to have changed, to some degree. Love made progress after handling a busy workload this offseason, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, with the second-year passer making particular strides with his footwork.

The Utah State alum took approximately 90% of the reps in the Packers’ offseason team drills, per Breer. GM Brian Gutekunst indicated the Packers planned to flood their highly drafted backup with work this year, after the COVID-19 pandemic nixed the 2020 offseason program and Love spent the season as Green Bay’s third-string quarterback.

The Packers’ signings of Blake Bortles, Kurt Benkert and Jacob Dolegala do not appear to have affected Love’s reps this offseason. The younger additions stand to serve as training camp arms — in the likely event Rodgers does not show next month — while Bortles would make sense as insurance if Love will not be ready to go in Week 1. For his part, Love expectedly expressed confidence he would be ready to make a Week 1 start.

It goes without saying the Packers want Rodgers to be their starter this season. That happening after Love went through a QB1 offseason would be a bonus for the Packers, for short- and long-term purposes, but nothing has emerged indicating Rodgers will suit up for the team again. If this scenario were to take place, with Rodgers starting every game for the 2021 Green Bay edition, Love would become the first Round 1 quarterback since Rodgers to spend his first two full NFL seasons on the bench. Beyond Rodgers, Brady Quinn‘s three starts from 2007-08 serve as the current basement for a first-round QB through two years in that span.

Key Dates For 2022 NFL Offseason

June 23rd, 2021 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL and NFL Players Association have scheduled most of their key dates for the 2022 offseason. Here’s the breakdown, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link):

  • Franchise and Transition Tag Period: February 22 — March 8, 2022
  • Start Of 2022 League Year and Free Agency: March 16, 2022 (4pm ET)
  • 2022 NFL Draft: April 28-30, 2022
  • Offseason Workouts: April 4 (for teams with new head coaches); April 18 (for all other teams)
  • Restricted Free Agency Signing Period Ends: April 22, 2022
  • Last Day To Match RFA Offer Sheets: April 27, 2022

The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada as a mulligan for the pandemic-altered draft of 2020. On the whole, these dates are in line with the NFL’s usual calendar, save for 2020.

The 2022 salary cap is expected to fall around $208MM, up from this year’s $182.5MM figure. As it stands, the free agent class is slated to include Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson, and Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Of course, for Adams and other stars, there’s still lots of time for an extension to keep them from the open market.

Latest On Browns, Baker Mayfield

June 23rd, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have Baker Mayfield under contract through 2022, thanks to his fifth-year option. Now that the quarterback is firmly in extension territory, agent Jack Mills believes that a long-term arrangement is just around the corner. 

“I think something will be done this summer,” Mills said (via Tony Grossi of WKNR). “As far as trying to get a deal done, I don’t know if it’ll get done. It’s something that would be pretty much in the team’s control.”

Mayfield’s fully-guaranteed $18.858MM salary for ’22 is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s less than 14 other quarterbacks are making in average annual value. For his part, Mayfield says he isn’t sweating it.

“I’m in no rush because I’m just trying to win games,” the QB said earlier this month. “Like I said, it’ll handle itself. I’m sure [agents] Tom and Jack Mills are handling that. I don’t try and feed too much into that because it’s like wasting my time and energy and thought process on things I’m not in control of right now.”

After the Browns declined to pursue Aaron Rodgers this offseason, it’s safe to say that they’ll move fast to get Mayfield locked up for years to come.

Packers, Davante Adams “Beginning” Talks

June 23rd, 2021 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Davante Adams has had preliminary discussions with the Packers about his contract (via Paulina Dedja of FOX News). For now, Adams is set to enter the final year of his deal — a now under-market four-year, $58MM pact.

As expected, Adams reported to the team’s mandatory minicamp earlier this month. However, the All-Pro wideout did not participate in any of the on-field work. In essence, Adams avoided the possibility of ~$300K in fines while still sending a message to Packers brass. Now, his camp will continue to push for a new deal, though Adams says he has the Aaron Rodgers situation on his mind, in addition to money.

“That’ll play into it, but there’s been talks, just really just talks, but we haven’t really done anything or talked about anything that’s worth mentioning,” Adams said. “It’s kind of just been the beginning stage of talking, and we’ll figure out what happens. Hopefully, something gets figured out, but I’m just there to play ball either way. That stuff will take care of itself eventually.”

Adams, 28, has become one of the NFL’s premier wideouts since signing his extension in December 2017. The Packers did well to lock Adams down before he had compiled a 1,000-yard season — he now has multiple 1,000-yard campaigns, plus a 997-yard 2019, when he played just 12 games. Last year, Adams led the NFL with 98.1 receiving yards per contest and 18 total receiving TDs. Excluding Allen Robinson‘s franchise tag, Adams ranks as the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid receiver.

If Adams and the club can’t reach agreement between now and March of 2022, the Packers could still cuff him via the franchise tag. That wouldn’t be the preferred outcome for either party — the Packers haven’t used it since 2010, when they tagged defensive lineman Ryan Pickett.

Charges Dismissed For Derrius Guice

June 23rd, 2021 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The domestic violence charges against former Washington running back Derrius Guice have been dismissed, as Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post writes. Guice, 23, was facing potential time in prison.

Guice and the woman involved in the matter reached a resolution out of court, which helped bring the legal side of things to a close. The former LSU star was arrested for domestic violence charges in August of 2020, stemming from three alleged incidents. Soon after, the Washington Football Team release him. He remains a free agent and could sign with any club, though league discipline is still in play.

Guice was viewed by many as the second-best running back in the 2018 draft class behind Saquon Barkley, but rumored off-field issues caused him to fall to Washington at No. 59 overall. He missed his his entire rookie campaign after a summer ACL tear. Then, complications from surgery caused his rehab to drag. Last year, a knee injury put him back on IR and he appeared in just five games. On the field, he performed well in his limited snaps, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

This Date In Transactions History: Marc Bulger Joins The Ravens

June 23rd, 2021 at 8:49am CST by Ben Levine

Prepared to take Sam Bradford with the first-overall pick, the Rams released long-time quarterback Marc Bulger in 2010. And, eleven years ago today, the Pro Bowler found his next home. On June 23, 2010, Bulger signed a one-year, $3.8MM deal with the Ravens, potentially worth up to $5.8MM via incentives.

Bulger, a 2000 sixth-round pick out of West Virginia, bounced around the NFL during his rookie season, spending time with the Saints and Falcons. He eventually landed on the Rams practice squad, although he was inactive for his entire rookie campaign. He got his first chance to start during the 2002 season following injuries to Kurt Warner and Jamie Martin. Bulger led the team to a 6-0 record to wrap up the year, and he ultimately earned the full-time starting gig in 2003.

Bulger would go on to earn a pair of Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Rams, including a 2006 campaign when he completed 62.9% of his passes for 4,301 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The Rams inked him to a six-year, $62.5MM extension following that standout campaign, but Bulger’s product dropped soon after. Between 2007 and 2008, Bulger threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and he missed half of the 2009 season due to injury.

Some say Bulger requested his release in 2010, but the Rams had plenty of their own reasons to move on. They had already signed A.J. Feeley to be Bradford’s backup, and releasing Bulger saved the team $8.5MM.

After all of that, Bulger spent nearly three months in free agency limbo. He came to Baltimore to backstop third-year pro Joe Flacco, but he didn’t see the field in 2010. Bulger drew some interest in the spring of 2011, but he ultimately decided to hang up his cleats.

It was an unceremonious ending to a pretty underrated career. Bulger currently sits second on the Rams’ list of all-time passing yard leaders and third in touchdowns. While his tenure in Baltimore was forgettable, Rams fans will remember Bulger’s contribution for years to come.

Trade Candidates: Patriots RB Sony Michel, WR N’Keal Harry

June 22nd, 2021 at 9:53pm CST by Ben Levine

While Bill Belichick has earned praise for his successful late-round picks, many of his championship rosters have been predicated on early-round draft selections. However, a pair of recent first-round picks have disappointed during their tenures in New England, and the young duo could find themselves playing elsewhere come the start of the 2021 season.

Erik Scalavino of the Patriots website recently discussed the trade availability of edge rusher Chase Winovich (something we looked at yesterday), and the writer believes that running back Sony Michel and wideout N’Keal Harry could also be on the trade block:

“[Winovich] and a handful of other Patriots (Sony Michel, N’Keal Harry?) could be potential trade prospects come August or early September. As always, what their value would be is impossible to predict, but summertime trades often involve player-for-player swaps between teams needed to strengthen certain positions. Something to keep in mind.”

Let’s start with New England’s 2018 first-rounder (No. 31 overall). Michel actually looked like he was well worth his draft stock during his rookie year. He collected 981 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in 13 regular season games, and he added another six scores during the Patriots’ run to a championship. Michel’s counting stats went up a bit in 2019 thanks to him appearing in three more games, but his yards per carry dropped from 4.5 (2018) to 3.7 (2019). Michel spent much of the 2020 campaign on the IR and COVID list, finishing with a career-low 563 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

Still, Michel has showed plenty of promise (especially when it matters most), and he’s still only 26 years old. Why would the Patriots shop the young running back? For starters, the former first-rounder is an impending free agent after the Patriots declined to pick up his fifth-year contract. Further, the Patriots haven’t shown any trust in the running back’s ability to catch the ball (26 receptions in 38 games), and it’s clear Michel will never be a three-down back. Considering those two factors, it seems unlikely that Michel will be playing in New England beyond 2021. Finally, New England has plenty of depth at the position; 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris is projected to be the starter, James White will be back in his pass-catching role, and the team also added Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round of this year’s draft.

Harry’s spot on the trade block makes a lot more sense. Since being selected with the 32nd pick in the 2019 draft, the Arizona State product has struggled to show much during his limited opportunities. Harry couldn’t find a groove with Tom Brady during his rookie season, finishing with only 105 receiving yards. With much less receiving depth in 2020, Harry only saw a slight uptick in numbers, finishing with 309 yards from scrimmage. The Patriots have done some work improving their pass-catching corps this offseason, including the additions of veterans Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. This will only slide Harry further down the depth chart.

We haven’t done a whole lot to inspire confidence in either of these young players…so why would rival squads be interested? Well, both players are still on their rookie contracts, making them relatively inexpensive, (potentially) high-upside reclamation projects. Further, while the Patriots have a bit of a roster crunch at each position, there’s no real urgency nor financial advantage to cut the players. If a rival team is interested in Michel and/or Harry, they’ll likely have to acquire the player(s) via trade. New England obviously won’t come close to recouping their first-round investment, but the team could net a late-round pick.

One thing is certain: 2021 will surely be a make-or-break year for both Michel and Harry. The big question is if that crucial season will take place in New England or elsewhere.

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