Ben Roethlisberger Resumes Throwing
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has insisted he’s going to come back and play, and he took a big step in the right direction this week. Big Ben has resumed throwing footballs, as you can see in this video the team tweeted out. 
Pittsburgh’s leader underwent surgery for a season-ending elbow injury back in September. Roethlisberger had “a significant checkup on the elbow Friday in Los Angeles” according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com, and apparently that checkup went pretty well. There were some rumblings a couple of months ago that Roethlisberger might never play again, but the passer quickly issued a statement to shoot down those results.
Ever since then everything has been trending in the right direction, and all signs seem to point toward Roethlisberger taking the field in 2020. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin just expressed confidence in his availability, and GM Kevin Colbert made similar comments a couple of weeks ago. The Steelers had high hopes for last season, but they were quickly dashed when Roethlisberger went down with his injury.
The defense became one of the league’s best units which kept them afloat for a while, but ultimately shaky quarterback play from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges brought them down. There seems to have been hope within the organization that Rudolph would be the heir to Roethlisberger, but the Oklahoma State product certainly didn’t show anything last year to inspire much confidence. Even assuming Roethlisberger makes a full recovery he’s turning 38 next month, and the Steelers will likely have to address the position at some point in the near future.
NFL Pushes Back Franchise Tag Window + Latest On CBA
A significant development in the CBA negotiations was announced Saturday evening. The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to push back the franchise and transition tag windows, sources told Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The tag window was supposed to be from February 25th to March 10th, but it’ll now be from February 27th to March 12th.
In a follow-up tweet, Pelissero noted that if no new CBA is agreed upon by then, teams will be able to use both the franchise and transition tags instead of the usual one tag per team. As he points out that’s potentially good news for teams like the Cowboys, who have more than one impending free agent they want control over. The push moves the window to after the full NFLPA vote on the proposed CBA is expected, so teams will be able to know where things stand before deciding who to tag.
Momentum toward a new CBA took a significant blow yesterday, although the two sides agreed to meet at this week’s combine to further negotiate. This is a move designed to give the sides a little bit more time to talk as deadlines rapidly approach, and to see if the Tuesday summit at the combine moves things in the right direction. The decision has many implications, and Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com tweets that he thinks the union will now have to “indicate a pretty strong yes by the 26th” or else there won’t be new CBA rules this year.
It also gives teams like the Cowboys two extra days to negotiate long-term deals for players like Dak Prescott before they have to decide whether or not to use a tag. Interestingly, if progress is made on talks and it looks like there’s a deal to be reached, there is still a chance that the start of free agency is pushed back to accommodate the talks, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears (Twitter link). These next few days are going to be pivotal, and we should know a lot more soon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears:
- Re-signed: LB Devante Bond
Bond was drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth-round back in 2016, and spent his first few seasons in Tampa, starting a handful of games. He was slapped with a PED suspension in October, and signed with the Bears in December after it was lifted. He’s returning to Chicago on a one-year deal, presumably for the league minimum.
Extra Points: Harrison, Hurts, Dunn, Texans
Damon Harrison got cut by the Lions, but he’s not quite ready to call it a career. ‘Snacks’, as he’s affectionately known, had publicly contemplated retirement back in December. He won’t be returning to Detroit but Harrison doesn’t want to hang up his cleats and wants to continue playing, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Back in December Harrison revealed that injuries were taking their toll on him. “I got too much pride, man. I’ve been doing this too long. So if I can’t be the player that I’m used to being, I think my teammates deserve better, my family deserves better … I never cheated the game a day of my life, man,” an emotional Harrison said as he reportedly fought back tears.
“My mind’s still telling me I can do it,” he said, “but my body’s just not good.” Harrison is apparently feeling better now, and is ready to test the open market. His play fell off last year as he dealt with health issues, but just a couple years ago the defensive tackle was one of the best run stuffers in the league. 31 now, Harrison was a first-team All-Pro in 2016 with the Giants. He released a statement on Twitter thanking the Lions, and calling the split a mutual parting of ways. He won’t get a huge contract, but he’ll draw some interest in free agency.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Seemingly every year now there’s a minor controversy about a dual-threat quarterback being asked to work out at another position at the combine, and Oklahoma passer Jalen Hurts put that talk to rest early. The former Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist won’t work out for teams at any position other than quarterback, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. A threat with his legs as well as his arm, Hurts has been working out in Atlanta in preparation for the combine. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had him as a late third-round pick in his recent mock draft.
- Brandon Dunn got an extension from the Texans earlier this week, and now we have the details. It’s a three-year, $12MM deal with $4MM guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). He got a $1.5MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $2.5MM salary for 2020, with the next two years of the deal being non-guaranteed. A former UDFA from Louisville who struggled for playing time his first couple of years in the league, the defensive tackle has now started at least six games for the Texans in each of the past three seasons.
- In case you missed it, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy turned down a chance to become Colorado’s new head coach.
CBA Notes: Funding Rule, Marijuana, Fines
The momentum toward a new CBA took a blow on Friday, but all hope is not lost, as the two sides have agreed to meet at the combine next week. As we await more word on where exactly the players union stands, here’s the latest on what was in the most recent proposal:
- One issue that players didn’t get what they wanted on is the ‘funding rule,’ per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The players wanted the rule eliminated, but instead Graziano notes the proposal only “weaken[ed] the rule somewhat.” The rule requires teams to put any amount of guaranteed money in a contract over $2MM into escrow. As Graziano points out, it’s an outdated rule from many years ago designed to prevent teams from being unable to make payroll. As the players have argued for years now, that makes owners less willing to give players large guarantees, since they have to put all the money into a bank account up front. Especially for owners that are more cash-strapped than others, it’s a significant deterrent. Graziano writes that the proposal increases the “funding rule threshold to $15 million in the first year of the deal and $17 million in 2029, the final year of the deal.”
- There’s been talk for a while about the new deal relaxing marijuana restrictions, and we have the full details on what that would look like, courtesy of Mark Maske of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The THC testing window would be reduced from a huge four-month period to just two weeks at the start of training camp. Additionally, players would no longer be suspended solely for positive marijuana tests, the number of players tested would be reduced, and the thresholds for positive tests would be increased. In other words, marijuana use will virtually never be an issue again for NFL players.
- Another smaller benefit for the players is they won’t have to pay as much money in fines, Maske tweets. The proposal will apparently reduce the fines from both teams and the league for on-field infractions. That means players won’t be fined as much for things like unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/21/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers:
- Waived: TE Marcus Baugh
A 2018 UDFA out of Ohio State, Baugh is still waiting to make his NFL debut. He originally signed with the Raiders as a rookie.
Eagles Looking To Move Alshon Jeffery, Who Would Welcome trade
Alshon Jeffery and the Eagles could be headed for a parting of ways. Philadelphia is looking to move their star receiver, sources told Connor Hughes of The Athletic. 
Hughes adds that Jeffery “would welcome the change of scenery,” but the receiver’s rep quickly refuted that. Jeffery “loves being in the city of Philly and playing for the Eagles,” his agent Tory Dandy tweeted. As Hughes points out, Jeffery’s contract is currently a significant hurdle. If the Eagles hadn’t restructured his contract back in September they would’ve been able to get out of his deal fairly easily, but now they’d be looking at a $26MM cap hit if they wanted to cut him.
There was a lot of drama surrounding Jeffery and the team last year, as he was alleged to have been the source of critical comments about Carson Wentz that surfaced in the press. Sources confirmed to Hughes that Wentz and Jeffery “never saw eye-to-eye and their relationship was testy.” Thanks to the restructure, Jeffery is guaranteed a base salary of $11.5MM for 2020.
Hughes thinks the Eagles will pursue a trade, and that they will look to split some of the money owed to Jeffery. The South Carolina product just turned 30 and is coming off Lisfranc surgery that could sideline him for most of training camp, so Hughes understandably thinks it will be hard to find a trade partner. Many seem to expect that the Eagles will eat the $26MM and cut Jeffery if they have to.
If that happens and Jeffery becomes a free agent, Hughes writes that it “shouldn’t take long before the Jets make a call.” Because of offset language in his contract, any team will be able to sign Jeffery for the league minimum should he reach the open market. Hughes notes that he has plenty of ties to the Jets’ current regime, as New York’s GM Joe Douglas spent time with him in Philly and Adam Gase coached him in Chicago. We should know a lot more about Jeffery’s situation, and where he’ll be playing in 2020, soon.
Teams To Inquire About Trading For Derek Carr?
One of the most interesting storylines to monitor during the 2020 offseason is what the Raiders do at quarterback. There have been some rumors as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas that they might not be entirely sold on Derek Carr, and for the first time we have some real reporting that other teams think the Raiders might be inclined to move on.
There is a “growing sense” within the league that teams are preparing to inquire about trading for Carr, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic (Twitter link). However the Raiders are still looking at their available options before determining what to do with Carr, Vic Tafur of The Athletic cautions in a tweet. The last public comments from the Raiders on the situation came about a month ago, when GM Mike Mayock gave an interesting interview.
“As far as what the future holds, I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told you last year. About every position. And that is, my job is to evaluate every position and try and make us better. And if I can, I will, and if I can’t, I won’t. And that holds true at every position,” Mayock said of Carr at the time, very clearly hedging on his future with the team.
Of course, there have been reports that the Raiders plan to pursue Tom Brady. That’s still a bit of a long-shot though, and they might have to end up choosing between Carr and one of the second-tier available options. To that end, Tafur added in his tweet that he’s “not sure they see [Teddy] Bridgewater as an upgrade over Carr.”
It seems like things are still in flux, but that Carr playing elsewhere in 2020 is a very real possibility. Whatever happens, this offseason is shaping up to have the wildest game of musical chairs for quarterbacks in quite some time.
Dolphins Sign Michael Roberts
The Dolphins are adding some competition for Mike Gesicki. Miami is signing tight end Michael Roberts, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Roberts was apparently generating a lot of interest, as Garafolo reports he had four workouts this past week with more scheduled for later. Since he didn’t finish the 2019 season on any team’s roster, he was eligible to sign at any time and didn’t have to wait for the start of free agency. Roberts was drafted by the Lions in the fourth-round back in 2017, and he was traded to the Patriots last June. Unfortunately he failed his physical, and the trade was called off. Detroit then waived him, and he was claimed by Green Bay.
He never was really a Packer though, as they waived him nearly immediately with a failed physical as well. It was never clear exactly what the injury was, although Garafolo confirmed it was a shoulder issue that also cost him part of the 2018 season. He sat out all of last year, and is now reportedly healthy.
A Toledo product, he had a real role on offense with the Lions in 2018, catching three touchdowns in only eight games. As a rookie he was primarily used as a blocker, but he still played a lot. It’s a low-risk flyer for the Dolphins, who don’t have a ton at the position beyond Gesicki, who did show some promise down the stretch last year. Roberts is still only 25.
Extra Points: CBA, XFL, 49ers, Kittle
There apparently could be a CBA vote coming on Thursday, and we now know of an interesting new provision. The proposed CBA would change the way fifth-year options for first-round picks work, letting some top players cash in before they can get to free agency, sources told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “If a first-round pick makes it to the Pro Bowl twice in his first three seasons, the amount of the fifth-year option would spike to the franchise tag for his position,” Florio writes. The current system is a bit complicated, with players drafted in the top 10 getting the transition tag price for their position in their fifth years.
Players not drafted in the top 10 get even less. Obviously this would only apply to a narrow slice of players, but it would represent a big pay bump for some of the league’s elite players prior to hitting the open market. As Florio points out Jalen Ramsey, the fourth overall pick in 2016, is set to make $13.7MM in 2020, which is the transition tag price for cornerbacks. Under the new proposed system he would’ve been set to make $16.4MM due to hitting the Pro Bowl requirement. We just got another update on the proposed marijuana policy, and we should hear a lot more about the new CBA this week.
Here’s more from the football universe:
- The XFL has received a fair amount of buzz, and things certainly appear to be better set up than they were for the ill-fated AAF. One way for them to get even more buzz would be to land a big name amateur player, and the league is keeping that option on the table. “We do have the ability to sign a college freshman or sophomore. …. We haven’t dipped our toe in that pond, but we could in the future,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said during a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, via Andrew Perloff (Twitter link). The XFL has had a fairly successful launch, but given that they currently aren’t even offering six-figure salaries, it’s still a bit hard to envision a top college player willingly departing the NCAA ranks.
- We’ve heard that the 49ers plan to make an offseason extension for George Kittle a priority, and it probably can’t be overstated just how much Kittle is going to reset the market. The report from a couple of weeks ago was that Kittle’s floor would be around $13MM annually, and as former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry points out, the top of the market has been stuck at around $10MM annually for a while. Corry notes that Jimmy Graham became the first $10MM tight end all the way back in 2014, but that the market has been completely stagnant ever since. In Corry’s piece, which is well worth a read, he takes a look at how the salaries for the position are going to change big time around the league. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are about to be free agents, and several other big names are going to get new deals soon. It’ll be very interesting to see what number Kittle ends up getting.