Extra Points: XFL, Rules, CBA
The AAF is no more. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be anymore spring football, as the XFL is preparing to start up early next year. Vince McMahon’s reincarnation of the XFL will be the latest league that looks to supplement fans’ need for pro football. The original XFL debuted in 2001, and lasted just one season. To stand out this time around, they’ll be adding some new innovative rule changes. One of those is adding a three-point conversion, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Teams in the XFL will have the opportunity to go for one, two or three points after a touchdown. The one-point conversion will be from the two-yard line, the two-point conversion will be from the five-yard line, and the three-point conversion will be from the ten-yard line.
It’s an interesting new wrinkle, and means that any time the score is within nine points it’ll still be a one-possession game. While the demise of the AAF will serve as a warning for future spring leagues, the XFL has the potential to be different. McMahon has very deep pockets, and seems willing to spend a fortune to ensure the league succeeds. With his presence, it’s unlikely the league will have any of the immediate financial trouble that the AAF had.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- There’s been a lot of talk over the past year about the league’s CBA and the potential for a work stoppage. Owners are widely seen as having won the last round of negotiations, and players will be making much stronger demands this time around. Many believe the owners won’t be willing to meet those demands, which could cause another lockout. But the two sides apparently made some progress in their first round of negotiating meetings earlier this week, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Graziano writes that people involved in the negotiations “believe the owners would like to get a new deal in place prior to the start of the 2019 season.”
- In a separate tweet, Graziano notes that the fact they’re making progress with this far to go is a positive sign. The current CBA runs through the 2020 season, so we’re still a ways out. “They’re engaging the players in talks with two seasons left, which “indicates a possibility (though not a certainty) that this could be done without a work stoppage,” Graziano writes. Players are likely to seek significant concessions on issues like the guarantees in contracts, and owners have been unwilling to budge in the past. Ultimately players were unwilling to forego any game checks last time around, and it’ll be very interesting to see how far they’re willing to go this time. For what it’s worth, a potential work stoppage could play right into the hands of a league like the XFL.
- In case you missed it, Reuben Foster won’t be suspended by the league for his latest domestic violence incident, for which charges were dropped.
Extra Points: Grant, Ravens, 49ers, AAF
Receiver Ryan Grant was involved in one of the more bizarre situations of last offseason. The former Redskins receiver looked like he was about to cash in big time, and signed a four-year, $29MM contract with $14.5MM guaranteed with the Ravens. But soon after, the Ravens slapped him with a failed physical designation and voided the contract, making him a free agent again. He ended up settling for a one-year, $5MM deal with the Colts. Now he’s on to a new team, signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Raiders earlier this week. In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Grant dished on what happened with Baltimore and finally explained all the details.
Grant said the Ravens just got cold feet and that the injury that made him fail the physical wasn’t anything serious, just a “mild ankle sprain,” as he put it. Even though he lost out on a significant amount of money, Grant isn’t bitter about it and said he’s genuinely happy to be in Oakland. “I feel like, had I signed with the Ravens, they probably would have, you know, did some other shady stuff to get me traded or released or something like this. So I’m thankful that they did what they did,” Grant explained. “I’m happy where I am now. Super excited to be a part of the Raiders organization. It’s the spirit and the culture of the team. And it just feels like I’ve been drafted all over again. I’m just so ecstatic,” he continued.
Here’s more from around the league:
- With Jimmy Garoppolo set to return from his ACL tear next season, the 49ers suddenly have a surplus at quarterback. Both C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens are on the roster, and both have at the very least looked like above average backups during their time on the field. Beathard is a 2017 third round pick from Iowa who has started games in both of his first two seasons, and Mullens is a 2017 UDFA from Southern Miss who impressed when he was suddenly thrust into the starting role last season. Both are on cheap rookie deals, and there’s been a lot of speculation San Francisco could look to trade one of them. However, Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports thinks the 49ers will end up keeping all three signal-callers next season. Maioccio also writes it’s “difficult to believe that either has significant trade value around the NFL,” which is a fair point. Both Beathard and Garoppolo have suffered numerous injuries during their brief careers, so it makes sense why they’d want the depth.
- Tom Dundon, the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and the lead investor in the AAF, made the call to shutdown the upstart league largely because they were unable to negotiate an agreement with the NFLPA. Dundon wanted practice squad and other bottom of the roster players to be allowed to play in the AAF, but a deal couldn’t be struck in time. Dundon has sought to cast blame for the league’s demise on the NFLPA, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com argues the union doesn’t deserve any of the blame. Florio casts Dundon’s case as a “flawed argument,” and breaks down why practice squad players wouldn’t have suddenly saved the league. Dundon essentially came in out of nowhere and tried to strong-arm the union, so it’s hard to disagree with Florio here.
Extra Points: AAF, Dundon, Lock, Broncos
The AAF decided to cease operations almost a week ago now, and we still don’t have much clarity on exactly why. All we know right now is that Tom Dundon, the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes who became the controlling owner of the AAF with his massive investment after the first couple weeks of the season, made the decision on his own. Dundon reportedly made the call to shut things down over the objections of co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian. At the time, we heard that many within the league suspected Dundon had just bought a majority stake in the league in order to obtain the technology behind the AAF’s gambling app.
That isn’t the case, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Dundon “doesn’t own that technology, and his investment in the AAF doesn’t give him the ability to abscond with it,” Florio writes. While the gambling app theory appears to be a bust, it’s still a mystery as to why Dundon would invest tens of millions of dollars into the league, and then unilaterally decide to shut it all down just weeks later. One source attempted to explain to Florio that Dundon made the investment just to “kick the tires.” “Once he realized how expensive it was to own and operate a sports league, he initially tried to cut costs. But that resulted in a cutting of functionality,” he added. If that’s true that raises a whole new round of questions, as it’s hard to understand how Dundon couldn’t have realized how expensive it is to operate a league before actually making the investment. Dundon presumably had access to all of the league’s financial information prior to pulling the trigger.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- Speaking of the AAF, the league finally broke its silence yesterday. In a statement posted to Twitter, the league apologized for the abruptness of the decision. It read in part: “We understand the difficulty that this decision has caused for many people and for that we are very sorry. This is not the way we wanted it to end, but we are also committed to working on solutions for all outstanding issues to the best of our ability. Due to ongoing legal processes, we are unable to comment further or share details about the decision. We are grateful to our players, who delivered quality football and may now exercise their NFL-out clauses in our contract. We encourage them to continue pursuing their dreams and wish them the best.” The league has caught a lot of flak in recent days for how they handled the closure. Many players were left more or less stranded and forced to pay their own way home, and some were left with charges from hotel rooms and other expenses.
- Drew Lock could be headed to the AFC West soon. He’s been heavily linked to John Elway and the Broncos with the tenth pick, and Lock will meet with Denver today, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). According to Pelissero, Lock will then head to Los Angeles and meet with the Chargers tomorrow. The Chargers sniffed around the top quarterbacks in last year’s class and are doing the same thing with this class, even though Philip Rivers just had his best season in years. If you believe the current reporting, the Chargers would likely have to trade up in the draft if they wanted to get Luck. Denver is slated to roll with Joe Flacco in 2019, but the Broncos are widely expected to draft a young quarterback who can be the future.
- In case you missed it the other pro football spring league, the XFL, could be looking to target high profile college players for their upstart league, as they aren’t bound by the NFL’s draft eligibility rules.
Extra Points: Kraft, Texans, Panthers
Lawyers for Patriots owner Robert Kraft are making a last-ditch effort to save their client. Kraft is refusing to plead guilty and admit he did anything wrong legally, and the government seems to be using the threat of releasing video footage to try and get him to cooperate. Kraft’s legal team has filed a motion to suppress the video evidence prosecutors have and get it thrown out, according to Travis Andersen and John R. Ellement of The Boston Globe. Kraft’s lawyers are apparently claiming that law enforcement officials used a “fake bomb threat” in order to get inside the spa and install hidden cameras.
It’ll be very interesting to see how the situation plays out legally, as it will likely effect what type of punishment Kraft faces from the league. Kraft released a statement apologizing to fans last month, but isn’t willing to admit guilt legally. It’s likely that he’s maneuvering to try and avoid being suspended by the NFL or facing other harsh punishment, and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to pull it off. Obviously, the public release of any video evidence would be highly embarrassing to Kraft and the Patriots, so it’s not shocking he’s fighting it vigorously.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Speaking of the Patriots, a former coach of theirs has found a new home. Jack Easterby, the former Team Development Director/Character Coach of the Patriots, has been hired by the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Easterby will get the title of Executive Vice President of Team Development in Houston. Texans head coach Bill O’Brien is a former Patriots assistant coach and there’s a lot of crossover between the two organizations, so this move isn’t too surprising. Easterby had been with the Patriots for the past six seasons.
- A lot of AAF players have been signing NFL contracts since the league folded. One player who could get some interest is running back Jhurell Pressley. But Pressley was hit with a setback as he seeks to get back to the NFL, as the league just suspended him two games for a “pending issue,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapsheet doesn’t specify what Pressley did, but says that the issue is why he hadn’t signed yet. Despite the suspension, Rapoport notes that Pressley has two workouts lined up for next week and could be signed soon now that his off-field matters have been resolved.
- Earlier today, the Jets claimed receiver/returner Quadree Henderson off waivers from the Giants. New York apparently had competition for Henderson’s services, as the Panthers also put in a claim for the return specialist, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Carolina didn’t have a consistent returner last year and instead rotated a string of players, so their interest makes a lot of sense. Henderson was one of the best returners in the nation during his college days at Pittsburgh, and has a good shot to earn the job in New York as the Jets just lost All-Pro returner Andre Roberts in free agency.
- The Packers cut inside linebacker Antonio Morrison last month, and now we have more clarity on why. A week before his release, Morrison was cited for interfering with a flight, according to Michael Cohen of The Athletic. Morrison, who was traded from the Colts to the Packers before last season, was removed from the flight for “exhibiting hostile behavior” toward a member of the crew, and fined by police. Morrison played in all 16 games for the Packers and started eight of them last season, so his sudden release was somewhat surprising. It’s unclear if the incident actually led to his release, but it’s notable. It was minor enough that he probably won’t face discipline from the league. We haven’t heard of any interest on the open market since his release. He received average marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their 74th-best linebacker.
NFL Workout Updates: 4/5/19
After the AAF ceased operations, they allowed their players to begin looking for NFL contracts. A handful of players were immediately swooped up, but many more are taking their time. Players are beginning to take visits and have workouts, and we’ve compiled the latest below:
Baltimore Ravens
- S Dexter McCoil
Jacksonville Jaguars
- QB Brandon Silvers (AAF)
Minnesota Vikings
- QB Brandon Silvers
New York Jets
- QB Brandon Silvers
Philadelphia Eagles
- QB Luis Perez (AAF)
Silvers will be busy this week, as he has three visits scheduled. Silvers started the AAF season as the third-string quarterback for the Memphis Express behind Christian Hackenberg and Zach Mettenberger. But after Hackenberg was benched and Mettenberger was injured, Silvers became the starter and played well. It looks as if the Troy alum will get a shot with an NFL team in training camp.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Lions
After surprisingly getting canned by the Packers midseason, Mike McCarthy had remained conspicuously quiet. Until now. If you haven’t read it yet, you should check out Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com‘s recent interview with McCarthy. McCarthy finally dished on everything related to his firing, and expressed his displeasure with how it was handled. McCarthy was apparently blindsided by the decision to fire him midseason, and said it “couldn’t have been handled any worse” by Green Bay’s management.
Notably published just one day before the explosive reports of dysfunction within the organization from Bleacher Report, McCarthy downplayed any tension between him and Aaron Rodgers. All McCarthy did to acknowledge a potential strain in their relationship was saying “to think you can be in a relationship that long and not have any frustrations, that’s unrealistic.” McCarthy also told Demovsky that he 100 percent plans to continue coaching in 2020. The longtime Packers coach was reportedly a candidate for the Jets and Browns openings, and it’s still unclear if he pulled himself out of the running or if he just wasn’t able to land a job.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- With Trevor Siemian bolting for the Jets, the Vikings are still trying to figure out their backup quarterback situation. They met with quarterback David Fales on Friday, per a team announcement. Fales spent last year as Miami’s number three quarterback behind Ryan Tannehill and Brock Osweiler. Minnesota also hosted former Rams backup Sean Mannion on a visit last week, but he left without a contract. Even though there was no agreement, Mannion is still “VERY much on the Vikings radar,” tweets Darren Wolfson of 5News Minneapolis. As of this writing, Kyle Sloter is the only other QB on the roster behind Kirk Cousins.
- When T.J. Lang opted to retire, he left a big hole on the right side of the Lions’ offensive line. But Detroit is apparently confident they’ll be able to replace him, according to recent comments head coach Matt Patricia made, via Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website. As Twentyman and Patricia broke down, the team has a number of options. They have Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins returning from last year, and they added Oday Aboushi this offseason. Patricia also said that second-year offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby could play some guard.
- Speaking of the Lions and holes, they had a massive one at tight end last year after Eric Ebron left. They got virtually nothing from the position last year, so it won’t be surprising if they draft one early in this year’s draft. To that end, the team hosted Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. for a visit on Thursday, according to a tweet from Josh Norris of Rotoworld. Smith Jr. is most analyst’s third-rated tight end, and could go as high as the first round. He caught 44 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns for the Crimson Tide last season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/5/19
We’ve got a bunch of minor moves today, with a handful of players being signed from the recently defunct AAF:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Kitt O’Brien, C Parker Collins (both from AAF)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: P Kasey Redfern
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn (AAF)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Duke Thomas, DB Derron Smith
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Alex Barrett, S Jordan Richards
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C J.C. Hassenauer, DB Jack Tocho (both from AAF)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Damontre Moore (AAF)
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DE Andrew Ankrah (AAF)
Cowboys Extend DeMarcus Lawrence
The DeMarcus Lawrence contract drama is about to be over. We heard earlier today he was nearing a deal with the Cowboys, and now it’s more or less official.
Lawrence and the Cowboys have an agreement in place that will pay him more than $100MM over the course of a five-year extension, sources told Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that they’ve “agreed on basic parameters of a deal.” Garafolo posted in a follow-up tweet that Lawrence will indeed be getting more than $20MM annually. Rapoport soon noted in a tweet that it’ll be worth $105MM total.
Just a few days ago we heard talks were at an “impasse,” so things clearly progressed quickly. Last month, Lawrence reportedly upped his asking price to $22.5MM annually, and it sounds like he got close to it. Cowboys exec Stephen Jones had previously said that Lawrence’s desire to get paid like Aaron Donald and Von Miller was holding up negotiations, and he indicated that the Cowboys wouldn’t cave from their asking price.
Lawrence might not be getting as much as the top couple of guys, but he apparently is breaking a record. Lawrence “will get the most money in Year 1 for a defensive player ever,” Garafolo tweets. The previous record, Garafolo notes, was held by Khalil Mack, who got $31MM in the first year of his deal.
It also sounds like a huge portion of Lawrence’s contract will be guaranteed. Albert Breer of SI.com chimed in a with a tweet noting the deal “will set new benchmarks for defensive players in percentage of a multi-year deal fully guaranteed, and percentage in total guarantees.” Todd Archer of ESPN.com later tweeted that $65MM of the deal will be guaranteed.
Bears To Workout Pair Of AAF Kickers
Chicago is leaving no stone unturned in their search to replace Cody Parkey. Parkey, of course, struggled all of last season and missed the last-second kick in the playoffs that would’ve sent the Bears through to the second round.
The Bears signed former Tulsa kicker Redford Jones after a group tryout in January, but they aren’t going to just hand the job. Chicago is hosting a pair of kickers just released from their AAF contracts when the league folded, sources told Brad Briggs of The Chicago Tribune. Younghoe Koo and Nick Rose will be brought in for auditions Wednesday.
Briggs adds that it’s “believed they might bring in at least one additional kicker that day,” and Briggs floats fellow AAF alum Elliott Fry as a likely option. Both Koo and Rose have seen regular season action, and both have spent time with the Chargers. Koo entered the 2017 season as Los Angeles’ starting kicker, but was replaced after a few missed clutch kicks early in the season.
Koo is talented though, and he beat out Josh Lambo with the Chargers for a reason. If he can get things sorted out mentally he has the potential to be a serviceable kicker. Rose has spent time with the Redskins and Chargers, and is 11/14 on field goals in his career. Kicker is clearly a priority for the Bears in 2019.
Jets Claim WR/KR Quadree Henderson Off Waivers From Giants
The Jets are taking a player off hands of their in-state rivals. New York is claiming receiver/returner Quadree Henderson off waivers from the Giants, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Giants waived Henderson on Wednesday, and he wasn’t out of a job very long. Henderson played his college ball at Pittsburgh, and signed with the Steelers last offseason as an undrafted free agent. He was waived by the Steelers at final cuts, and eventually signed to the Giants’ practice squad. He bounced between the practice squad and active reserve before his season was ended in November by a shoulder injury.
In five games, Henderson returned nine punts for 68 yards, and returned five kicks for 112 yards. The Jets just lost their returner from last year, Andre Roberts, to the Bills, so this pickup makes some sense. Roberts was an All-Pro as a returner last year, so Henderson will have big shoes to fill if he ends up winning the job. Henderson led the FBS in return yards in 2016, so he’s clearly got some potential.