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No CBA Talks Yet Between NFL, Union

June 19th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL and the NFLPA are more than halfway through the latest rendition of the collective bargaining agreement which was signed in 2013. It’s probably still early to sweat things, but union president Eric Winston tells PFT that there have been no talks yet between the two sides on an extension of the deal.

“We’re still trying to figure out how and when that’s going to happen,” Winston said.

So far, Winston says the two sides are “talking about talks” with “nothing substantive,” and that verbiage may indicate some frustration on the part of the NFLPA. Part of the holdup can be explained by the open-ended future of the league’s broadcasting agreements. The NFL’s current TV deals go through the 2022 season, after the CBA expires in 2021. Neither side knows how much money will be coming in on the next deal, making it hard to come to an agreement beforehand.

Recently, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah indicated that the union will talk directly to the TV networks about things may change for the 2023 season and beyond. That conversation could give the union some much-needed insight on what’s ahead and may even help to spur talks.

East Rumors: Jets, Pats, Switzer

May 28th, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently expounded on last week’s discussion of the Jets‘ QB battle, and while he does not believe the team’s insistence that it will be an open competition is a charade, he does reaffirm his (and everyone’s) belief that Josh McCown is the heavy favorite to open the season under center. But in his latest post, Cimini goes into a little more detail as to how he believes the next few months will play out. He believes that, by the end of minicamp in mid-June, McCown will be the clear-cut front-runner and Christian Hackenberg will be the No. 2. When training camp opens, head coach Todd Bowles will remove Bryce Petty from the starting competition, as it’s hard enough to have a competition among two quarterbacks, much less three. Cimini also believes Hackenberg will get plenty of action in the team’s first two preseason games, but that Bowles, with his job on the line, will ultimately give the job to McCown, though Hackenberg will get the nod at some point this year.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • The Jets picked up tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins after he was waived by the Buccaneers last September, and while he posted only 10 catches in seven games for New York last season, the team believes the light has finally come on for the former second-round pick. As Cimini writes, ASJ has dropped 25 pounds, he was a diligent participant in the offseason conditioning program, and his performance has caught everyone’s eye at OTAs. Now that the Jets have an offensive coordinator who utilizes the tight end as a pass catcher, ASJ is a dark horse candidate for a breakout season, especially as he enters his contract year.
  • Mike Reiss’ of ESPN.com reports that Andrew Hawkins‘ one-year deal with the Patriots is a minimum salary benefit pact, meaning his base salary will be $900K, his bonus won’t exceed $80K, and his salary cap charge won’t be more than $695K. Reiss says that Hawkins passed up more lucrative opportunities with other clubs because New England was his top choice.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe applauds the Patriots‘ recent decision to add a healthy incentive package to Rob Gronkowski‘s current contract even though they had no need to do so, as he believes it’s simply smart business to keep Gronk healthy and motivated. Volin does wonder, though, whether the incentives will compel Gronkowski to push himself more than he otherwise would throughout the regular season, thereby reducing his effectiveness when the playoffs roll around.
  • Ryan Switzer, whom the Cowboys selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, took first-team reps as the slot receiver during the first week of OTAs, as Cole Beasley was held out due to hamstring soreness. But as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Cowboys have big plans for Switzer even when Beasley returns, and they are working on packages for both to be on the field at the same time. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said of Switzer, “He’s a classic slot receiver. He has a similar game [to Beasley], but he has his own things. We would really like those two guys to be able to complement each other and run real similar route trees. He complements Beasley and also gives us some big-time needed depth at that position.”

NFL To Allow Two Players To Return From IR

May 23rd, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

NFL owners have passed a resolution allowing two players to return off of the Injured Reserve list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Previously, the league only allowed teams to activate one player from IR.

The Redskins have been pushing this change for years now and the league has finally come around to their proposal. The IR-DTR (Injured Reserve-Designated To Return) rule has gone through multiple changes over the years, giving team’s additional flexibility with each tweak. Initially, teams had to declare their one IR-DTR player in advance and could not move the tag to another player after that point. Then, teams were allowed to consider all IR players for return without calling it first, but the rule still limited teams to just one returning player. Now, two players may come back midseason if they are healthy enough to do so.

Other regulations pertaining to the IR-DTR rules are presumably still in place. As it stands, IR-DTR players may return to practice only after six weeks spent on IR and return to game action after eight weeks on IR.

In related news, the NFL has passed a rule change moving overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, according to a league official who spoke with Rapoport (Twitter link).

NFL Eliminates 75-Man Cutdown

May 23rd, 2017 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Fans everywhere are rejoicing over the league’s Tuesday morning decision to allow players more leeway in their touchdown celebrations. Meanwhile, a vote that is garnering less attention on Twitter is cause for NFL coaches to celebrate. The league will be doing away with the 75-man cutdown, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets.

Previously, teams were mandated to trim their rosters from 90 to 75 in late August or early September. Days later, the final cut would be made from 75 to a 53-man roster. Now, there will be only one cut as teams go from 90 to 53.

This decision will give coaches additional time to evaluate players as they try to put together the best Week 1 roster. The vote probably also sits well with the NFLPA. For at least a few extra days, roughly 480 players that would have been released otherwise will be under NFL employment.

Prior to today’s ruling, teams would have had to get down to a 75-man roster by August 30. Now, teams only have to worry about the 53-man date on September 3.

NFL Likely To Allow For Second IR-DTR Spot

May 17th, 2017 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

At a league meeting next week, NFL owners will vote on proposal to allow for a second player to come off of the injured reserve during the season. That proposal is likely to be approved, Judy Battista of NFL.com tweets.

The league first introduced the “short-term” IR in 2012. That rule allowed for a team to designate one player for return after eight weeks had passed. Teams appreciated the flexibility, but once the IR-DTR designation was applied to one player, teams were not able to make a chance and instead use it on a different player. Later, the league modified the IR-DTR rules so that teams did not have to declare their returning player ahead of time, but they were still only allowed to activate one player.

Now, teams will be able to bring two players off of IR midseason, though they’ll presumably have to give the same advanced notice. The current IR-DTR rules stipulate that a player must stay out of practice for six weeks and cannot play for eight weeks before being brought back to the 53-man roster.

Extra Points: Broncos, Barron, Vikings

May 13th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos running back depth chart is currently crowded with intriguing names (including Jamaal Charles, C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, and rookie De’Angelo Henderson), and head coach Vance Joseph expects to rely on a running back-by-committee approach.

“Every position on our football team is going to be competitive,” Joseph said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “The running back position, you need two or three guys who are going to carry the load. It’s no longer a one-guy position. I’m excited to have Jamaal, C.J., Book, even De’Angelo in the mix there. It’s a good group, it’s going to be competitive and that’s the way it should be.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…

  • Previous defensive coordinators have used Mark Barron all around the field, but Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said he’ll solely be using the veteran at linebacker. “He’s really instinctive,” Phillips said (via ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez). “He’s got great speed, and we can utilize his coverage ability at linebacker. It gives you more options as far as things you want to do defensively. If you get a guy like that who can cover people, then we’re going to utilize that.”
  • Former Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong will not be joining the Vikings, the player tweeted on Thursday night (via Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com). The 23-year-old participated in the team’s minicamp last week as a running back and safety. Armstrong later said that Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray told him he’d be back for OTAs, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
  • Free agent defensive end Bobby Richardson will be attending the Titans‘ rookie minicamp, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Richardson broke onto the scene as an undrafted rookie in 2015, playing in 15 games (11 starts) for the Saints while compiling 40 tackles and one interception. He’s bounced around since that time, spending time with the Redskins, Chiefs, and Broncos.

An Introduction To Pro Football Rumors

May 5th, 2017 at 2:54pm CST by Tim Dierkes

After the frenzy of free agency and the NFL Draft, Pro Football Rumors’ following across social media platforms has skyrocketed. Some readers might not be familiar with PFR, so we wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about who we are and what we do.

ProFootballRumors.com is a clearinghouse for relevant, legitimate NFL rumors. Since opening for business in 2014, we have followed the mold and best practices of MLB Trade Rumors, our sister site for baseball. Our family also includes NBA site Hoops Rumors and NHL site Pro Hockey Rumors. To get access to all four sites on your mobile device, click here to get the app for iOS and Android.

PFR is managed by editor and lead writer Zach Links. Zach is a longtime journalist who spent years covering New York’s professional teams with top outlets before transitioning to the national scene with the Trade Rumors family of sites. Zach and his staff know all 32 NFL teams inside and out and they’re committed to making PFR readers the most well-informed football fans on the web.

Using news from only the game’s most trusted reporters, PFR keeps readers abreast of every rumor and event pertaining to roster movement. In addition to being the most accurate source out there for football news, we’re also the fastest. The instant a team considers a free agent or a trade is discussed, you’ll find a full, informative article here on PFR explaining what the transaction will mean and how it could impact all parties involved. Every day, there’s a writer on call from sunrise to midnight, so there’s nothing that gets by us.

But that’s not all. PFR is much more than an NFL news aggregator and our fans have come to appreciate our original analysis in equal measure. Just this week, we ran down eight teams that could get in on free agent running back LeGarrette Blount and also broke down the fifth-year option decisions made for every first-round pick from the 2014 draft. There’s truly no offseason at PFR and we ensure that the site is a must-read, no matter what time of year.

By following PFR on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, you’ll get your football news delivered to you faster and better than ever before. Our commitment to excellence has allowed us to count top NFL reporters such as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Field Yates of ESPN, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Ed Werder, and dozens more among our 330K+ Twitter followers.

So, to those who are just joining us – welcome aboard! We look forward to providing you with NFL news every day, 365 days a year.

Pro Football Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writers

May 4th, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

We’re looking to add part-time contributors to the Pro Football Rumors Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NFL teams, with no discernible bias.
  • Knowledge of the salary cap and transaction-related concepts.
  • At least some college education.
  • Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both strongly preferred.
  • Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
  • Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
  • Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers or links to other relevant articles.
  • Ability to use an RSS feed reader. Ability to use Twitter. Both of these are crucial.
  • Strong weekend availability is crucial. You must frequently be available to work between 5-11 pm central time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
  • Flexibility. You must be available to work on short notice.

If you’re interested, email pfrapplications@gmail.com by May 14 (11:00pm central time) and take a couple of paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out. Many will apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.

Draft Fallout: Kizer, Abdullah, Butt, Jags

April 30th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Rory Parks

The Browns were the club most frequently connected to new Bears’ QB Mitch Trubisky prior to the draft, but Chicago made the surprising decision to trade up to the No. 2 overall pick and nab the former UNC signal-caller, and then Patrick Mahomes came off the board before Cleveland could nab him with the No. 12 overall selection. So the Browns dealt that pick and waited until the the second round to get a quarterback, selecting Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, whose stock slipped over the last few months but who certainly has first-round ability.

As Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes, the Browns are open to having Kizer start right away. Head coach Hue Jackson said, “If he can handle [starting], great. We are not going to say, ‘No, you can’t play,’ if he is ready to play.”

Now for more fallout from the 2017 draft:

  • The Lions did not select a running back in this year’s draft, and as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes, GM Bob Quinn stated afterwards that Ameer Abdullah, who missed almost all of 2016 with a foot injury, will be the team’s starting back going into 2017.
  • The Packers drafted three running backs over the past several days, but head coach Mike McCarthy said that converted wideout Ty Montgomery will “absolutely” be the team’s starting back (via Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal).
  • The Cardinals landed guard Dorian Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, even though his talent level should have made him a Day 2 selection. Johnson has a liver condition that made a number of clubs wary of making him a second- or third-round choice, and Johnson’s agent, Joe Panos, took exception to his client’s slide, saying, “I had GMs tell me they couldn’t risk a 2nd or 3rd on Dorian due to the recent discovery of a liver condition he’s had since birth, even though his heptalogist said his condition will in no way affect his ability to play. Teams couldn’t risk a high pick on him. Yet every year I see teams risk high picks on guys with serious character issues. Bad guys. They’ll take risks on those guys because his coaches ‘vouched’ for him. [A coach’s] word is gold. But Dorian’s heptalogist, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about?” (all links go to Twitter via ESPN’s Adam Caplan).
  • New Broncos tight end Jake Butt slipped to the top of the fifth round of this year’s draft due to an ACL injury he suffered in his final collegiate game (prior to the injury, he was projected to be picked at the top of the second round). But before the 2016 college season, Butt purchased a loss-of-value policy that partially compensated him for the money he lost due to his draft slide, as Darren Rovell of ESPN.com writes. Had Butt been selected at the top of the second round, he would have earned $4MM guaranteed, but as an early fifth-rounder, he is guaranteed only $380K. The insurance policy paid out roughly $900K (pre-tax), so the injury ended up costing Butt a little shy of $2.8MM. These loss-of-value policies have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Jaylon Smith are two of the more notable recent beneficiaries of such policies.
  • The Jaguars acquired Branden Albert earlier this offseason, but GM Dave Caldwell said second-round draft pick Cam Robinson will compete with Albert for the starting left tackle job (via Hays Carlyon of 1010XL). Albert has been absent from voluntary workouts as he seeks a new contract, though if he proves to be the best man for the job, Caldwell did indicate that Robinson could move, at least temporarily, to guard.
  • The Jaguars selected Oklahoma wideout Dede Westbrook in the fourth round yesterday despite his two domestic violence arrests that caused some teams to remove him from their boards completely. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB tweets, one AFC area scout said of Westbrook, “No thoughts. It is what it is. He’s a degenerate.”

Restricted Free Agent Deadline Passes

April 21st, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival clubs has come and gone. After 4pm ET/3pm CT, all of the league’s outstanding RFAs were left with no real choice but to sign tenders with their respective teams.

Redskins running back Chris Thompson was among the more notable names left in limbo, though he did not receive much in the way of interest and signed his one-year tender just prior to the deadline. Buccaneers defensive end Jacquies Smith did draw interest when he met with the Niners last month, but they ultimately did not present him with an offer sheet. With the deadline in the rear view mirror, the Bucs know for certain that he’ll be back in the fold. They’re eager to see what he can do after he missed most of the 2016 season with a torn ACL injury.

Although the RFA market isn’t typically full of excitement, we have had some major developments on that front in recent weeks. Bills running back Mike Gillislee appears to be on his way to the rival Patriots and Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who recently signed his tender, could still be dealt to the Saints.

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