NFL To Vote On Changes To IR Rules
League owners will vote next week on two major proposed changes to injured reserve rules, per Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). The first would allow up to three players who have been placed on IR to return later in the season (currently, only two IR’d players are permitted to return). The second would make players who are placed on IR prior to final roster cutdowns eligible to return.
The first of those proposed changes is fairly self-explanatory, though it wasn’t that long ago that a player who was put on injured reserve was automatically ruled out for the rest of the season. In 2012, clubs were permitted to return one player from IR during the season, but they had to designate a specific player as a return candidate. In 2016, the rules were modified so that teams did not have to slap a “DTR” label on a specific player and could instead return any IR’d player they wanted. And in 2017, the league began allowing teams to bring back two players from injured reserve.
Throughout those changes, however, one thing has remained constant: in order to be eligible to return from IR, a player had to make his team’s final 53-man preseason roster. So we frequently saw situations like that of Kurt Coleman last year, who was cut by the Bills prior to final cutdowns just so that Buffalo could carry tight end Jason Croom on the 53-man and then place him on IR (thereby making him eligible to return later in the season). Buffalo re-signed Coleman the next day.
That type of borderline senseless roster maneuvering may soon be a thing of the past. Still, a player on IR will not be permitted to practice until six weeks after landing on injured reserve and cannot return to game action until his team has played eight games after he was put on IR.
Latest On College Football’s Plans
Some important news on the college football front. Per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the NCAA Division I Council has voted to approve voluntary athletic activities in football, as well as men’s and women’s college basketball (Twitter link).
Those activities can begin on June 1 and can run through June 30. This is the first step in attempting to forge ahead with a college football season, which will obviously play a major role in the 2021 NFL draft (the NFL has already said that it will not open up this summer’s supplemental draft to collegiate players who are facing the prospect of a shortened or canceled season).
Of course, some states remain in full lockdown mode, and others are in various stages of reopening, which will presumably impact these voluntary activities. The NFL has expressed optimism that COVID-19 testing will be widespread by August, which may allow the league to largely proceed as it otherwise would. College football, which is itself a massively lucrative industry, is clearly hoping for the same.
After all, according to a report from Syracuse University, only the athletic departments of Georgia and Texas A&M could be self-sustaining without college football ticket sales (Twitter link via Mark Passwaters of Rivals.com). So expect the NCAA to continue doing everything in its power to make sure games are played in front of fans in 2020.
NCAA president Mark Emmert recently said that there would be no college football if college campuses are not open (story via Zach Braziller of the New York Post). But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opined, the definition of “open campus” is likely to be a malleable one so that football can be played even if traditional classes aren’t in session.
Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes Have Not Begun Negotiations
At some point, the Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes are going to agree to a long-term extension that will make Mahomes the highest-paid player in NFL history. But while we heard back in February that the two sides could finalize something after the draft, negotiations have not yet gotten underway.
In a Facebook Live event with Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan yesterday, Kansas City chairman and CEO Clark Hunt spoke about contract discussions with the face of his franchise (story via Jelani Scott of NFL.com).
“The negotiations are something we’ll be getting into this summer,” Hunt said. “But what he has said and what we’ve said, both sides is, he wants to be a Kansas City Chief for life, and that’s our mentality as well. We want him to play his entire career in Kansas City, and that’s what we’re going to be shooting for.”
Hunt had indicated before this year’s Super Bowl that a Mahomes extension would not necessarily get done prior to the end of the 2020 season, but it appears that his timeline has been accelerated (it’s amazing what a Lombardi Trophy can do for someone’s goodwill). At the same time, it also makes sense from the team’s perspective to make sure that there will be a 2020 season before paying a player — even a player like Mahomes — tens of millions of dollars in upfront cash. Perhaps that’s why negotiations have been pushed back to the summer.
Mahomes was hampered a bit by a knee injury in 2019, so his regular season performance was not quite as otherworldly as it was in his MVP romp in 2018. But he was brilliant in the Chiefs’ title run, which culminated in Super Bowl MVP honors.
For his part, the 24-year-old sensation says he has no intentions of going anywhere. “I want to make sure I do [my next contract] the smart way and do it the right way, and so I don’t know exactly which way that is, yet,” Mahomes recently said. “I know that my people and the Chiefs’ people will talk about it, and will do it at the right time and for the betterment for the team. But I’m excited to be a Kansas City Chief for a very long time, and I know that’s going to be handled the right way because of the people the Kansas City Chiefs have in their organization
Patriots, S Patrick Chung Agree To Extension
The Patriots and safety Patrick Chung have agreed to an extension, as ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter). Chung had been signed through the 2021 season, and the extension will keep him under club control through 2023.
As part of the new deal, the 32-year-old will land a $3MM signing bonus and can earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes, however, New England’s primary motivation was to obtain some cap relief. The Pats squeezed out just $925K of cap room, but they were working with just $600K before. And it should be enough to get their top draft pick from this year’s class, Kyle Dugger, under contract.
The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he has spent all but one year of his career with New England, starting 112 of a possible 141 regular season games and collecting three Super Bowl rings. Though he has never made the Pro Bowl, he and fellow safety Devin McCourty have brought stability and cohesiveness to the back end of New England’s defense, and head coach Bill Belichick has often expressed his appreciation for Chung’s play. And Chung has said Belichick is the only coach he will ever play for.
Today’s move marks the fifth straight year in which the Pats have given Chung a pay raise, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe observes (Twitter link). But while the Patriots’ defense as a whole was rock solid in 2019, the advanced metrics indicated that Chung’s personal performance declined from his 2018 levels, and the Oregon product may cede some snaps to Dugger in 2020. As such, it’s far from certain that Chung makes it to 2021 with New England, let alone 2023, but after contemplating retirement — as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets — Chung will definitely be back in Foxborough this season.
In the piece linked above, Reiss passes along details of the extension. In addition to his signing bonus, Chung will earn a $1.1MM base salary in 2020 and will be able to earn up to $800K in per-game roster bonuses and a $100K workout bonus. In the subsequent three seasons, he stands to take home a base salary of $1.9MM with $400K in per-game roster bonuses, $200K in incentives, and a $100K annual workout bonus.
Chung was indicted for felony drug possession in August, but those charges were later dropped. He could still face discipline from the league, but there have been no reports on that front as of today’s date.
Top Remaining Free Agents
While most of the top free agents in this year’s cycle have long since signed with new clubs, there are plenty of potential difference-makers still available. Those players remain on the market for various reasons — price tag, injury concerns, etc. — but they all could be a key factor in the fortunes of whatever team they ultimately join. Let’s take a look at the best of who’s still out there:
- Jadeveon Clowney: If you think you’ve been reading a lot about Clowney over the past couple of months, you’re right. That’s what happens when a former No. 1 overall pick and a young dynamic talent is still up for grabs this late in the offseason. Clowney’s high asking price, originally said to be $20MM per year, certainly scared some teams off, as did his recent core muscle surgery. Some will also point to his relatively low sack totals as evidence that he is not the dynamic pass rushing force that he believes himself to be. But he undeniably has the chops to be a game-changer against the run and pass, and he is content to wait for the right situation to come along. Once teams have the opportunity to evaluate him themselves, his market should heat up rapidly.
- Cam Newton: Here’s another former No. 1 overall pick that we have written a great deal about recently. Like Clowney, the 2015 MVP may be signed by now if interested teams could have their own doctors examine him, and Newton is willing to be patient and wait for that to happen if waiting will allow him to secure a starting gig somewhere. But at this point, it looks like only an injury or major underpeformance will open the door for a QB1 role in 2020, so he may have to settle for a top backup job for now and hit the free agent market again in 2021. He is reportedly warming to that idea.
- Everson Griffen: Like Clowney, Griffen is a talented pass rusher, but unlike Clowney, Griffen has multiple double-digit sack campaigns under his belt. The 32-year-old posted eight QB takedowns in 2019, and it is a little surprising to see him unsigned this late in the process. A reunion with the Vikings may be in the cards, and the Seahawks are the only other club to be connected to Griffen at this point.
- Jason Peters: The only reason Peters isn’t signed yet is because of his age (38). He turned in a typically terrific season in 2019, and he has been connected to a number of clubs over the past couple of months. The problem is, many of those teams have filled their needs at the offensive tackle spots, so even though Peters has said that he is willing to play on the left or the right side, his options are now more limited. The Chargers could still be in play, and another year with the Eagles may also be a reality.
- Logan Ryan: Unlike several of the players ahead of him on this list, Ryan doesn’t have any notable health concerns, but his asking price — he’s seeking around $10MM per year — could be depressing his market. He turned in a productive 2019 season with the Titans and has the versatility to move around the defensive backfield, which has apparently led to multi-year offers. Given the need for quality corners in today’s game, Ryan will likely land a lucrative deal soon, it just may not be as lucrative as he wants. The Jets and Dolphins are involved in the bidding.
- Markus Golden: Golden enjoyed what appeared to be a breakout season with the Cardinals in 2016, posting 12.5 sacks in just his second year in the league. But injuries limited the edge rusher over the 2017-18 seasons, and he had to settle for a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants in 2019. He perhaps thought that he proved it, recording 10 sacks for Big Blue, but those 10 sacks came from just 26 total pressures, which is probably an unsustainable conversion rate. So far, only the Giants — who put the rarely-used UFA tender on Golden — have been publicly connected to him.
- Devonta Freeman: We haven’t heard a peep about the two-time Pro Bowl running back since the Falcons released him in March. The fact that Atlanta replaced him with Todd Gurley and his frightening injury concerns isn’t a good sign, and Freeman’s 3.6 YPC average in 2019 certainly isn’t helping matters either. Freeman’s own injury problems limited him to two games in 2018, so he is now two years removed from his last effective season. It’s nonetheless a bit of a surprise that there have been no rumors of interest in his services.
- Delanie Walker: The best tight end left on the market, Walker has battled injuries over the past two seasons and will turn 36 in August, so it makes sense that we haven’t heard too much about him lately. But while he may not be a TE1 anymore, he could still be a useful weapon in the passing game, and he also has a history of being a strong blocker. The Colts, Packers, and Redskins were said to be interested in him in March, and those teams continue to look like good fits even after the draft. The Ravens, who rely heavily on TEs and who traded Hayden Hurst to the Falcons this offseason, also make some sense.
- Eric Reid: The 28-year-old safety turned in what appeared to be a strong year in 2019, starting all 16 games for the Panthers and posting a career-best 130 tackles. The problem is, he may have had so many tackle opportunities because he allowed over 77% of throws in his vicinity to be completed. Still, he is an experienced and generally solid back-end defender, and the Texans — who employ his brother, Justin Reid — seem like a logical fit.
- Darqueze Dennard: Dennard, a former first-round pick of the Bengals, thought he had a deal with the Jaguars in March. But Jacksonville backed out of the deal, and while there was no word on why that happened, it could be that health concerns made the Jags skittish. Dennard missed the first few weeks of the 2019 season due to a knee procedure, but he did play every game from Week 10 forward and graded out well in terms of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He has been Cincinnati’s primary slot corner over the past several seasons, but there has been no reported interest in him since the failed Jaguars pact.
Contract Details: Colvin, Saints, Thompson
Details on a couple of recent NFL deals (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates unless otherwise specified):
- Aaron Colvin, CB (Redskins): One year. Veteran salary benefit. $910K base salary, $137.5K signing bonus.
- Ty Montgomery, RB (Saints): One year. Veteran salary benefit. $910K base salary, $137.5K signing bonus.
- Patrick Omameh, OL (Saints): One year. Veteran salary benefit. $1.05MM base salary, $137.5K signing bonus.
- Chris Thompson, RB (Jaguars): One year. $1.05MM base salary. $250K signing bonus, $100K available in roster bonuses.
5 Key NFL Stories: 5/10/20 – 5/17/20
A look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:
Giants’ DeAndre Baker, Seahawks’ Quinton Dunbar Arrested For Armed Robbery: Baker and Dunbar, two high-profile cornerbacks, were allegedly involved in a disturbing incident at an illegal dice game on the evening of May 13. According to the arrest warrants, Baker held participants at gunpoint while Dunbar looted them. Further, Baker allegedly directed a third man to shoot someone who entered the party in the midst of the robbery, though no shots were fired. Both players surrendered to police over the weekend and have been released on bond. They are both facing four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, and Baker is facing an additional four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Bills’ Ed Oliver Arrested On Gun, DWI Charges: The crime blotter was not kind to the NFL this week. In addition to the Baker and Dunbar allegations — and the felony charges that Redskins WR Cody Latimer is facing — Oliver, the No. 9 overall pick of the 2019 draft, was arrested on Saturday night. A Houston citizen observed Oliver driving dangerously, which prompted police to pull him over. When they did so, they noticed an open beer container and a pistol, and Oliver failed a field sobriety test. The Buffalo D-lineman, who turned in a promising rookie campaign and who looked primed for a 2020 breakout, will forfeit his remaining $6.8MM in guarantees if he is suspended under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Team Facilities Allowed To Reopen: The league took a small but important step in its efforts to return to normalcy in the wake of COVID-19. Teams are permitted to reopen their facilities on Tuesday, May 19, provided that the state those facilities are in is not imposing lockdown measures. Players undergoing medical treatment are permitted to be at team sites, but otherwise, no players or coaches are allowed to be at facilities at this time. That will probably remain the case until all states have relaxed restrictions or until teams find alternate solutions. Certain clubs are already exploring out-of-state options for training camp, and states like Florida and Arizona may end up playing a key role in that regard. Despite some promising developments, the league is preparing for a major financial hit and perhaps a decrease in the 2021 salary cap.
Changes To The Rooney Rule May Be Forthcoming: In its efforts to promote fairness in the hiring process for minority coaches and executives, the league is considering drastic changes to the Rooney Rule. Part of those changes would see certain draft incentives for teams that hire minorities for prominent coaching/front office positions, and even teams that lose a minority coach or exec to another club would stand to receive a compensatory draft pick. Additionally, the proposed changes would scrap a team’s rights to block its assistant coaches from taking interviews for other coordinator jobs between the end of the regular season and March 1. A vote on the proposal, which many regard as a well-meaning but ultimately short-sighted gambit, will take place soon.
Aaron Rodgers Discusses His Future: After the Packers made the surprising decision to trade up for Utah State QB Jordan Love in the first round of this year’s draft, most fans and pundits knew that Rodgers would not be happy that the team — which advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2019 — invested so heavily in his potential replacement instead of a weapon that would aid in a 2020 Super Bowl run. And Rodgers concedes that he was not thrilled about the decision, and he also noted that it may not be feasible for him to finish his career with the Packers. From a salary cap perspective, it makes the most sense for Green Bay to move on from the two-time MVP after the 2021 season if Love is ready, but the timeline is always subject to change.
Colts To Bring Back Philip Rivers In 2021?
The Colts gave QB Philip Rivers a one-year, $25MM deal this offseason in the hopes that Rivers’ familiarity with Indy’s offensive system and a strong O-line will allow the 38-year-old to recapture some of his former magic. And if he does, look for the team to bring Rivers back in 2021.
[RELATED: Latest On Contract Talks Between Colts, T.Y. Hilton]
Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters, including Mike Chappell of CBS 4, that he fully anticipates a multi-year relationship with Rivers (Twitter link). That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Reich championed the Rivers signing and has repeatedly said that he has no concerns about the eight-time Pro Bowler’s abilities at this point in his career. Plus, Rivers himself has stated that he wants to play for two more seasons, so if he performs well in 2020, it stands to reason that both sides would want to run it back the following year.
On the other hand, the Colts have also said that they still see 2019 starter and current QB2 Jacoby Brissett as a potential long-term answer, but if the team re-signs Rivers in 2021, Brissett — who is entering the last year of his current deal — will almost certainly seek greener pastures elsewhere. Indianapolis also selected Washington QB Jacob Eason in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and he could take over as Rivers’ backup next season if Brissett leaves.
Of course, this may all be a moot point. There is understandably plenty of concern about how Rivers will play this year given his difficult 2019 campaign, and though playing behind a terrific O-line will help, not all of Rivers’ struggles last season can be attributed to the Chargers’ comparatively weak offensive front. If Rivers looks more like the 2019 version of himself than the 2018 edition, then Brissett and Eason could both become starting options, and the Colts could also look for a first-round signal-caller.
Reich, however, does not expect that to happen and fully believes Rivers’ end-of-career stint in Indianapolis will cover at least two seasons.
Chargers HC: We Took “A Look” At Cam Newton
The Chargers have been mentioned as one of the likeliest landing spots for quarterback Cam Newton ever since the Panthers released the former MVP. Even after Los Angeles added Justin Herbert in this year’s draft, Newton was still considered a possibility given that he — if healthy — would represent an upgrade over presumptive starting signal-caller Tyrod Taylor.
And the Chargers themselves did give the matter some thought. In a recent interview with Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio (story via Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports), Los Angeles head coach Anthony Lynn conceded that the Bolts considered signing Newton.
“Absolutely, Cam is a tremendous quarterback,” Lynn said. “He’s been MVP of this league, he’s led his team to the Super Bowl and he’s healthy now from what I hear. Cam is going to be on somebody’s roster and he’s going to help somebody win a few games, but yeah, we did take a look at that, sure.”
Lynn previously indicated that he was interested in Newton, but this marks the first time that he explicitly said so. When asked why the Chargers passed on the three-time Pro Bowler, Lynn reiterated his feelings towards his current QBs.
“I feel really good about the quarterback room that I have,” he said. “With Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick — those are guys that a lot of people don’t talk about, but [Stick] was a Division I AA — he won like three national championships. He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a professional and I think he has a bright future in this league one day.”
When factoring Herbert into the mix, it certainly seems as if Newton is no longer a candidate for the Chargers, barring injury. The same can be said for the Patriots, another club viewed as a potential suitor. So Newton, who has said that he is willing to be patient, will need to wait for an injury to, or an extremely disappointing performance from, a current starting quarterback if he wants a QB1 role in 2020. However, he may be warming to the idea of a backup role, which would give him a chance to re-establish himself and perhaps become the best free agent QB available in 2021.
DeAndre Baker, Quinton Dunbar Released On Bond
Shortly after surrendering to police, Giants CB DeAndre Baker and Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar have posted bond and have been released from jail, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Baker was granted a $200K bond ($25K for each of the eight charges he is facing), and Dunbar was granted a $100K bond ($25K for each of his four charges).
Both players have been ordered to remain in Florida at this time, though Broward County Judge Michael Davis also said that the matter would be given further consideration when Baker and Dunbar need to leave the state for work (i.e., when the league is no longer operating virtually). The Giants have told Baker to stay away from team meetings — he had been participating in most of the club’s virtual offseason program — so that he can focus on his legal issues.
The fact that the players received fairly “light” bonds relative to their income suggests to some, like New York-based criminal defense attorney David Touger, that the prosecution’s case is not particularly strong (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). “The prosecution does not seem to have gone at Baker or his co-defendant very hard,” Touger said. “If they had a strong case one could assume that they would have really fought hard for remand and no bail.”
But according to Fowler, the state did indeed request remand, the judge just did not grant it (perhaps due to Baker’s and Dunbar’s lack of criminal history). Dunbar’s attorney presented five affidavits — four from alleged victims and one from a witness — recanting statements they had previously made to police. The state found it suspicious that those recantations came just 36 hours after the statements were made and pertained specifically to Dunbar, though Baker’s attorney proffered that he has some affidavits of his own and is not playing all his cards at the moment. He did share one affidavit from a mutual friend of Dunbar and Baker who said that Baker did not take any property from him and did not point a gun at anyone.
Obviously, this matter is still in its early stages. Even the best-case scenario for Baker and Dunbar probably includes a suspension of some kind, especially since the disturbing allegations stem from an illegal dice gambling game.