HEADLINES

Month: March 2020

Drew Brees Not Expected To Demand “Top Dollar”

March 12th, 2020 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Drew Brees has already announced that not only will he play in 2020, but he won’t suit up for any team other than the Saints. Additionally, while Brees could certainly push for a hefty contract (even without interest from competing teams), he’s not expected to demand “top dollar” from New Orleans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Now 41 years old, Brees earned $25MM annually under the terms of his most recent two-year deal with the Saints. Per Rapoport, Brees is expected to target that same level of salary on his new pact, despite the fact that he could almost surely command $30MM+ from New Orleans.

As of late February, Brees hadn’t discussed a fresh deal with the Saints, but he had been expected to re-sign before the start of the new league year. That would be beneficial to New Orleans, who used void years — which could be tacked on the Saints’ salary cap as dead money — on Brees’ latest pact.

However, that timeline could get complicated. Brees won’t sign a new deal until a new CBA has been ratified, which could come as early as Saturday. Free agency had been set to open next Wednesday, but that may be postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Regardless, Brees is fully expected back in New Orleans for the 2020 campaign. And by accepting less money than he’s worth on the open market, Brees could help the perpetually cap-strapped Saints add more talent around him.

NFL Could Postpone Free Agency

March 12th, 2020 at 5:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While reports earlier today indicated the NFL has no plans to alter the start of free agency due to COVID-19, that could change soon. The league may announce on Sunday the delay of the free agent period, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The NFLPA is scheduled to vote on the proposed collective bargaining agreement by Saturday night, so the league would wait until voting has closed in order to stop further delays to that negotiation process. Currently, the deadline to apply the franchise or transition tag is Monday at 11:59am ET, followed immediately by the opening of the legal tampering period at 12:00pm ET.

Free agency, then, is set to officially open next Wednesday at 4pm ET. While many other sports leagues have suspended their seasons, the NFL has as of yet made no such move to delay the beginning of its offseason. However, with coronavirus threats ramping up every day, the league may decide to change its plans.

As Florio notes, free agents likely wouldn’t be allowed (or willing) to take the ceremonial trip to their new destination in order to sign a contract and hold a press conference. Additionally, from a fairly superficial standpoint, it’s unclear how much publicity would be given to transactions, especially as more serious COVID-19 issues arise each day.

XFL Cancels Remainder Of 2020 Season

March 12th, 2020 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The XFL is reportedly suspending play due to the outbreak of COVID-19, sources tell Pro Football Talk. XFL players were notified as such within the past hour, per Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).

The league has since confirmed that it will not play any more games in the 2020 season, but is confident it will return for the 2021 campaign. The XFL, which has played half of a 10-week schedule, was scheduled to field a title game on April 26.

In closing its doors, the XFL is following the lead of other major sports organizations around the country and the world. The NBA, NHL, and MLS have all halted their seasons for the time being, MLB is suspending spring training, and the NCAA has canceled March Madness.

NFL clubs, meanwhile, have begun closing their facilities and canceling predraft preparations, but thus far, the league hasn’t given any indication that it will delay the start of free agency, which is set to begin next week. The NFL has scrapped its upcoming spring meetings, but some teams are frustrated with the lack of communication from the league offices regarding coronavirus protocol.

Bills Extend G Quinton Spain

March 12th, 2020 at 5:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have extended guard Quinton Spain on a three-year, $15MM deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Spain would have reached the open market next week, but he likely would have been viewed as a second-tier option behind other guards such as Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. Instead, the 28-year-old will take immediate financial security in order to commit to three more years in Buffalo.

A former undrafted free agent, Spain spent the first four years and 48 starts of his career with the Titans before signing a one-year, $2.05MM pact with the Bills last offseason. In 2019, Spain started all 16 games for the first time in his NFL tenure, grading as the league’s No. 59 guard among 80 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus.

Buffalo made its offensive line a priority last offseason, adding free agents Mitch Morse, Ty Nsekhe, and Spencer Long and second-round draft pick Cody Ford in addition to Spain. Those reinforcements helped the Bills’ running game, as Buffalo improved from 30th in Football Outsiders‘ 2018 run-blocking metrics to 16th last season.

Bills Restructure Tyler Kroft’s Deal

March 12th, 2020 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have restructured Tyler Kroft‘s contract, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Under the new deal, Kroft is set to earn $4MM in 2020, with $3.4MM of that sum being guaranteed. In exchange, the last year of his contract was wiped out.

If Kroft stays healthy and plays well, he’ll now have a chance to cash in as a free agent in 2021. In that scenario, he’d also stand to benefit from a new collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to increase the players’ share of revenue.

Kroft came to the Bills last offseason on a three-year deal worth $18.75MM. The tight end missed a big chunk of his last Bengals season thanks to a foot injury and, unfortunately, injured it again as he prepared for his first year with the Bills.

This year, Kroft will aim to get back towards his 42/404/7 stat line from 2017. The Bills won’t necessarily bank on that, though. Before the restructuring, the Bills made a play for veteran tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen ultimately opted to sign with the Seahawks, but it was a sign that the Bills are willing to spend in order to fortify the position.

In 2019, rookie Dawson Knox featured as the Bills’ top TE.

Former Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel Comes Out Of Retirement

March 12th, 2020 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Kyle Emanuel is ready to get back in the game. Last year, the former Chargers linebacker retired at the age of 27, but he has decided that he wants to return to the NFL, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Emanuel walked away for a multitude of reasons, at a time when he had multiple contract offers as a free agent:

“There is no specific reason why I came to this decision, but as I contemplated it this offseason, something told me it was time to walk away,” Emanuel wrote last April. “Although it wasn’t the sole reason, the injuries have started to pile up and I had to take my long-term health into consideration. I have no idea what will come next, which is scary and exciting at the same time, but I can’t wait to get started on whatever it is.”

Across four seasons with the Chargers, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. In 2018, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery. The Raiders were among the clubs to express interest in him prior to his retirement.

Titans Release Cameron Wake

March 12th, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have released outside linebacker Cameron Wake, per a club announcement. In the same press release, the Titans also made official the release of running back Dion Lewis. 

Wake, who turned 38 in January, has previously said that he plans to continue playing in 2020.

“I don’t have any plans of giving it up,” Wake said late last year. “As long as there is a mutual desire from myself and the organization obviously as well, I’d look forward (to playing here again). It is not even a ‘like’ it here – I love it here. In the past I knew of guys who had passed through this organization, and now having come here myself, it’s an understatement to say how much I enjoy it. I’ve kind of had the appetizer version of what it is.”

“This place checks all the boxes for me,” Wake continued. “I am blessed to have been given the opportunity and I appreciate every minute of it. And I look forward to whatever the future brings.”

Last year, Wake missed the final stretch of the season with a back injury. Many expected the Titans to drop him this offseason, a move that saves the club $5.6MM against the cap. Combined with the Lewis release, the Titans have saved $9.6MM in total.

NFL Cancels Spring Meetings

March 12th, 2020 at 2:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has cancelled its annual spring meeting, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). It was slated to take place in Palm Beach, Florida from March 29-April 1.

Instead, the league wil discuss potential rule changes and other orders of business on May 19. This is likely the first of several key league events to be 86’d for the coming days.

Earlier today, a team source told Ben Fischer of SBJ that he was frustrated with the league’s lack of communication regarding coronavirus plans. The NFL is now starting to take action, though the latest word is that free agency and similar key dates in the NFL offseason will go on as planned. As of this writing, the league has not put a stop to scheduled workouts and travel, though individual teams including the Jets, Giants, and Redskins have.

Seahawks To Meet With Jordan Reed

March 12th, 2020 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Jordan Reed will visit the Seahawks today, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The tight end has suffered at least seven concussions since the start of his collegiate career and the latest one sidelined him for the entire 2019 season. 

When healthy, Reed is one of the most explosive tight ends in the game. But, at this juncture, it’s not clear what he can offer, or whether playing football would even be advisable. Despite the question marks, Reed says he wants to return to the NFL.

The Redskins released Reed in February, cutting off the last two years on his five-year, $47MM contract. By dropping him, the Redskins saved $8.5MM against $1.8MM in dead money.

Between 2013 and 2018, Reed tallied 329 receptions for 3,371 yards and 24 touchdowns. He left the Redskins with top-10 placement in franchise history for both TDs and catches, despite all of the missed games.

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