NFL, NFLPA Agree To Certain Game-Day Protocols?
3:21pm: Hold the phone. A source tells Pelissero that the union has not yet agreed to the protocols (Twitter link). “Still a work in progress,” the source said.
1:28pm: The NFL and NFLPA are in agreement on a number of game-day protocols that are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, those protocols were issued to all teams last night.
Included in the 11-page document is the ban of on-field fan seating, the ban of media from the locker room, and a provision requiring both teams to travel to the stadium via bus. As Pelissero reports in a separate tweet, teams will not be permitted to have post-game interactions within six feet of each other, so no handshakes and no jersey exchanges.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that players and coaches will not be required to wear masks, though everyone else in the bench area will be so required (Twitter link). While on the bench, all personnel will be required to stay six feet apart to the extent possible (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe), anyone with bench access will be screened before entering the stadium, and anyone who has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher or who has been exposed to the virus will not be allowed inside (Twitter link via Rapoport).
This comes on the heels of yesterday’s agreement on a club facility protocol for training camp. So while there is still much to be hashed out between the league and the union, they have at least been able to check some items off of their extensive list.
But that doesn’t mean all players are thrilled. Outspoken 49ers CB Richard Sherman took to Twitter to point out the irony of allowing players to participate in a full contact sport while disallowing jersey exchanges, and Texans QB Deshaun Watson took a similar position (Twitter links). Still, the union agreed to the protocol, and plenty of players were concerned about how masks would impact their ability to breathe during games, so the agreement will at least appeal to those players.
As Pelissero details, the protocols will be in effect for any preseason games as well as regular season contests (Twitter link). Volin believes the agreement means that there will definitely be two preseason games, but that sounds like speculation at this point (Twitter link).
Big Ten Announces Conference Only Schedule
The Big Ten is the first Power 5 conference to announce an alteration to its football schedule in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reports that the Big Ten is expected to announce a conference-only schedule for the fall, adding that the Pac-12 is expected to follow suit.
At first glance, that doesn’t seem like a devastating blow. While certain marquee matchups like Oregon-Ohio State and Wisconsin-Notre Dame will no longer be in the cards, it’s at least somewhat encouraging that the conference is still trying to move forward with attempts to play in the fall. Indeed, following the Ivy League’s announcement that it would postpone its season to the spring, many believed that other conferences would follow suit.
Of course, the nation’s infection rate is not going down like it was expected to, and today’s announcement simply feels like the first of many changes to come. The remaining P5 conferences are expected to make a tentative decision on their schedules by early August.
As of now, the NFL has no plans to postpone the draft to accommodate college teams that might be playing in the spring, but if more conferences follow the Ivy League’s lead, that might change. Given the massive revenue losses that colleges would experience without a football season, they will continue trying to do everything in their power to play, whether that’s in the fall or the spring.
It is worth noting that the games the Big Ten and other P5 schools play against smaller programs are significant sources of income for the smaller schools, so this will be a tough pill for them to swallow.
Jets Sign La’Mical Perine
The Jets have agreed to terms with fourth-round draft choice La’Mical Perine, the team announced. The former Florida running back is the fourth member of the club’s nine-man rookie class to sign his first professional contract.
Perine is presently staring up at two big names ahead of him on the Jets’ RB depth chart, which is topped by Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore. But Bell could be a trade candidate if New York is a trade deadline seller, and even if he makes it through the season, it’s far from a sure thing that he’ll be back with Gang Green in 2021. Gore, meanwhile, is on the tail end of a Hall of Fame career and may retire at the end of the 2020 campaign.
So Perine will do battle with players like Kenneth Dixon and Josh Adams in an effort to secure a spot in the current RB rotation while showcasing his talents for a larger role down the line. His college numbers aren’t especially flashy, but a 5.0 yards-per-carry average over a four-year stint against SEC defenses isn’t too shabby, and he displayed some receiving ability in his senior season, catching 40 passes for 262 yards and five TDs.
Per the terms of his draft slot, Perine will earn $4MM over the life of his four-year deal, which includes a $745K signing bonus. Here’s the full rundown of the Jets’ draft class as it presently stands, via PFR’s tracker:
1-11: Mekhi Becton, T (Louisville)
2-59: Denzel Mims, WR (Baylor): Signed
3-68: Ashtyn Davis, S (California)
3-79: Jabari Zuniga, DE (Florida)
4-120: Lamical Perine, RB (Florida): Signed
4-125: James Morgan, QB (Florida International)
4-129: Cameron Clark, OT (Charlotte): Signed
5-158: Bryce Hall, CB (Virginia): Signed
6-191: Braden Mann, P (Texas A&M)
Dolphins Have Not Discussed Extension For RB Matt Breida
The Dolphins acquired running back Matt Breida from the 49ers in exchange for the No. 153 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Breida is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 season. However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team has not discussed an extension with Breida.
Of course, extensions are hard to come by right now in light of the uncertainty created by COVID-19, and even under better circumstances, the Dolphins may not be too keen on a multi-year commitment. Breida, a 2017 UDFA, has yet to total more than 153 carries in a season, has battled injuries throughout the early part of his career, and will enter the 2020 campaign in a timeshare with free agent acquisition Jordan Howard.
On the flip-side, Breida has looked good in his relatively limited action to date. He boasts a career 5.0 yards-per-carry average — a mark that he exceeded in both of the past two seasons — excellent speed, and is a useful receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers tendered him at the second-round level prior to trading him, and there is reason to believe that he can be a productive starter in the NFL.
But one wonders if Breida would be open to an extension anyway. After all, he is a more explosive back than Howard — whose career has trended downwards since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 — and Breida could start seeing the lion’s share of the carries as the 2020 season wears on. If that happens, he will be well-positioned for a significant new deal from the Dolphins or some other club next year, while an extension now would probably be more modest in scope.
Breida joins Raekwon McMillan and Davon Godchaux as the Dolphins’ top impending unrestricted free agents, but it sounds like the ‘Fins are more receptive to an extension for their two young defenders than for Breida.
Lions Sign Jason Huntley
As it turns out, the Lions signed two 2020 draftees yesterday. In addition to getting fifth-round wide receiver Quintez Cephus under contract, the club inked its other fifth-round choice, New Mexico State running back Jason Huntley. Huntley posted a picture of himself signing his rookie deal on Instagram.
Huntley may struggle for playing time early in his Lions tenure, as Detroit is also rostering Kerryon Johnson and used a second-round choice this season on talented Georgia back D’Andre Swift, whom some considered to be the best RB in the class. On the other hand, Johnson has dealt with injuries over the first two years of his pro career, and another ailment could push Huntley up the depth chart. In the meantime, he will be competing with the likes of Ty Johnson and Bo Scarbrough for reps as the club’s RB3. He could also push Jamal Agnew for the kickoff returner job.
Huntley exploded in his final collegiate season, racking up 1,090 yards on 154 totes, good for a whopping 7.1 YPC average. He is also a capable receiver out of the backfield, with plenty of speed to burn.
With that, the Lions are just missing the bookends of their 2020 class. No. 3 overall pick Jeffrey Okudah and seventh-round choice Jason Cornell are the only two of Detroit’s nine drafted rookies who have yet to sign. Here’s the full list, courtesy of PFR’s Tracker:
1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State)
2-35: D’Andre Swift, RB (Georgia): Signed
3-67: Julian Okwara, OLB (Notre Dame): Signed
3-75: Jonah Jackson, G (Ohio State): Signed
4-121: Logan Stenberg, OL (Kentucky): Signed
5-166: Quintez Cephus, WR (Wisconsin): Signed
5-172: Jason Huntley, RB (New Mexico State): Signed
6-197: John Penisini, DT (Utah): Signed
7-235: Jason Cornell, DE (Ohio State)
Breakdown Of Cam Newton’s Contract With Patriots
Cam Newton was connected to the Patriots all offseason, and though New England long insisted it was comfortable going into the 2020 season with second-year pro Jarrett Stidham under center, the club ultimately could not resist adding the 2015 MVP on a modest one-year pact.
It has been reported that the deal has a base value of just $1.05MM ($550K guaranteed), with $6.45MM in available incentives that could push the total to $7.5MM. Of those incentives, we knew that $700K came in the form of per-game roster bonuses. Field Yates of ESPN.com passes along the full breakdown, via Twitter:
- $43,750 per game in which Newton is active, up to $700K, as noted above;
- 13% of team snaps: $250K; 20%: $500K; 30%: $750K; 40%: $1MM; 50%: $1.25MM; 60%: $1.5MM (increases to $1.75MM if Patriots qualify for playoffs); 70%: $1.75MM ($2.25MM with playoffs); 80%: $2MM ($3MM with playoffs); 90%: $2.25MM ($3.75MM with playoffs);
- Pro Bowl bonus: $500K;
- All-Pro bonus: $500K;
- $250K for each playoff win in which Newton plays at least 50% of the team’s snaps, up to a maximum of $1MM
So if Newton is healthy, a 2020 payout of about $4MM or so seems well within reach, and a healthy Newton will make the Pats a strong candidate to make the playoffs, so he could bump that number a bit higher with a postseason run. But it will take a lot of work to max out the contract’s value, and as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe observes (via Twitter), all of Newton’s incentives are tied to staying healthy and team performance. There are no individual stat incentives like those that appeared in Tom Brady’s contract in recent years.
Still, the Patriots are probably the best landing spot that Newton could have asked for to revive his career. The defense is strong, the division is winnable, and while the skill position talent could be better, it should be enough for Newton to work with. He can still be hit with the franchise tag in 2021 if he performs well, but a franchise tender would be a nice raise over what he’s getting this year, and a hefty multi-year extension would be in play as well.
Quinton Dunbar Hires Second Attorney
It sounds like the charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar aren’t going away. Per Daniel Wallach of The Athletic (via Twitter), Dunbar has added the law firm of Michael D. Weinstein to his defense team.
Dunbar’s original defense attorney, Michael Grieco, remains on the case. Dunbar, of course, was charged alongside Giants CB Deandre Baker following an alleged armed robbery in Florida several months ago. Shortly thereafter, Dunbar surrendered to police, and at his bail review, Grieco presented five affidavits — four from alleged victims and one from a witness — recanting statements they had previously made to police. Both Grieco and Baker’s attorney have been very accommodating to media inquiries since entering their appearance and have adamantly maintained their clients’ innocence while expressing their optimism that the charges would soon be dropped.
Indeed, the fact that Dunbar was given a relatively light bond of $100K suggested to some that the state’s case was not particularly strong. But Dunbar’s decision to retain additional counsel could indicate otherwise.
Dunbar, whom the Seahawks acquired via trade with the Redskins back in March, ultimately rejoined the team for virtual offseason meetings. After a strong 2019 campaign in Washington, the soon-to-be 28-year-old was seeking a lucrative multi-year extension. It’s unclear if he would have gotten one from Seattle if not for this incident, but a solid 2020 season would have positioned him well for unrestricted free agency next year.
Now, however, his football career is in limbo, to say nothing of the impacts that four charges of armed robbery could have on his life.
Latest On Titans, Derrick Henry
The Titans and star running back Derrick Henry have been negotiating a long-term pact for at least the past six weeks or so, but as Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com writes, no extension is imminent. If the two sides cannot agree to terms by July 15, Henry will play out the 2020 season on his $10.278MM franchise tender.
[RELATED: Titans Monitoring Two Big-Name Vets]
Henry has already signed the tender, so there won’t be a holdout if nothing gets done by the deadline. But teams have been generally hesitant to authorize large extensions in the uncertain financial climate created by COVID-19, and running backs sometimes have difficulty securing big paydays even under normal circumstances.
On the other hand, Henry is not a normal running back. Thanks to relatively light usage over his first three years in the league, he should have plenty of tread left on his tires, and he is coming off a remarkable campaign in which he led the league in rushing and quite literally carried the Titans to a surprise appearance in the AFC Championship Game. He piled up 1,540 yards and 16 TDs on 303 carries, and he added another 206 yards and two TDs through the air. As such, he is surely shooting for a deal worth at least $15MM per year, with at least $30MM guaranteed at signing.
Given his importance to the team, that doesn’t seem like much of a stretch, but it sounds as if there is still a large gap to bridge between player and team. Nonetheless, McCormick says both sides remain amenable to an extension and plan to continue talking right up to the deadline if necessary.
Eagles Sign Quez Watkins
The Eagles have signed the second member of their 2020 draft class. Quez Watkins, the No. 200 overall selection, has put pen to paper, the team announced.
Philadelphia’s WR corps was in desperate need of a talent infusion this offseason, and while the club did not make any major moves to acquire a veteran — all due apologies to Marquise Goodwin — it did triple dip at receiver in the draft. Watkins joins first-rounder Jalen Reagor and fifth-rounder John Hightower as rookie wideouts looking to make an impact right away.
The three wide receiver draftees and Goodwin all have one thing in common: they can fly. Watkins posted the third-fastest time at the combine in Indianapolis, and some believed he could go as early as the fourth round. The Southern Miss product needs to expand his route tree and improve his physicality, but if head coach Doug Pederson can scheme some touches for him, his game-breaking athleticism will be tough to defend.
And though Watkins is a sixth-round pick, he may not be buried on the depth chart. Alshon Jeffery could start the season on the PUP list, DeSean Jackson‘s status with the team just became rather tenuous, and second-year pro JJ Arcega-Whiteside had a disappointing rookie campaign. So there is a scenario in which Watkins could be a big factor this year, especially if he gets a shot as a kick returner.
Here’s a rundown of the Eagles’ class, via PFR’s Tracker:
1-21: Jalen Reagor, WR (TCU)
2-53: Jalen Hurts, QB (Oklahoma)
3-103: Davion Taylor, LB (Colorado)
4-127: K’Von Wallace, S (Clemson)
4-145: Jack Driscoll, G (Auburn)
5-168: John Hightower, WR (Boise State)
6-196: Shaun Bradley, LB (Temple)
6-200: Quez Watkins, WR (Southern Miss): Signed
6-210: Prince Tega Wanogho, T (Auburn): Signed
7-233: Casey Toohill, DE (Stanford)
Titans Monitoring Jadeveon Clowney, Stephen Gostkowski
The Browns may be out of the Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes, leaving the Seahawks and Raiders as the the arguable frontrunners for his services. But don’t count the Titans out just yet. In a Periscope/Facebook Live conversation with PaulKuharsky.com, GM Jon Robinson talked about what a useful asset Clowney would be to Tennessee’s front seven and how he would complement the talent already on the roster.
But Robinson also reiterated that he wants to have team doctors examine Clowney before he moves forward in his attempts to sign him. While Robinson acknowledged that the former No. 1 overall pick looks good from what he has seen on social media, there is obviously no substitute for an in-person evaluation.
“Anytime you are dealing with whatever the contract is going to command, you want to make sure that the player is healthy, that you are able to allow your doctors to see him, to look at it, to make sure everything is going to be good,” Robinson said.
Those comments are noteworthy in light of the fact that the Titans were previously reported to have made multiple offers to Clowney earlier this offseason. Assuming those reports were accurate, it seems as if Robinson may have been willing to bring Clowney in on a fairly low-risk deal without a medical examination, but if he is going to make a sizable commitment, he needs to be assured that Clowney is in good health.
Robinson also said that the team would consider taking a look at veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The longtime Patriots stalwart was released by New England in March on the heels of a 2019 season that was largely wiped out by a left hip injury. The Titans are currently rostering Greg Joseph, whom they signed off the Panthers’ taxi squad in December, and UDFA Tucker McCann. Robinson conceded that the PK job is Joseph’s to lose, but he would be amenable to bringing in Gostkowski to provide some worthy competition.
Gostkowski, 36, said in April that he has no plans to retire, but this is the first time we’ve heard his name since then. His 87.4% field goal percentage is the fifth-best of all time.