NFL Cancels Hall Of Fame Game
The Hall of Fame Game has been canceled, per a Thursday morning announcement from the NFL. The league’s annual preseason kickoff was slated to take place on August 6 between the Steelers and Cowboys.
COVID-19 cases have risen all across the country and a number of players have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks. Not long ago, the league was optimistic about having fans in attendance for games and moving forward with its existing preseason and regular season schedule. Now, everything appears to be in flux.
As of this writing, the rest of the NFL’s exhibition period remains in tact. However, that could change quickly. On Thursday, the league will have a virtual huddle-up to discuss the fate of upcoming training camps and other in-person offseason activities.
Before this, teams were planning to hold training camp on July 28, which is the scheduled start date for most of the league. They were also hoping to have a pre-camp conditioning period. At minimum, it seems likely that the preseason will be shortened from its usual four-game slate to two games.
On the plus side, Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that a COVID-19 vaccine could be developed sometime before the end of the calendar year.
East Notes: Cowboys, Prescott, Patriots, Sanu
Dak Prescott is discussing a long-term deal with the Cowboys, but the patient approach could also pay off for the quarterback. As Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, Kirk Cousins is in great shape after playing on back-to-back franchise tags with his former club. From 2018-2022, Cousins’ $150MM cash value ranks second overall in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers ($150.95MM). Meanwhile, he tops the chart with his guarantees ($150MM, 100% locked in).
That fact isn’t lost on Prescott, who has rejected offers from the Cowboys in the past. His camp is currently seeking a four-year deal that would make him the league’s highest-paid player on an annual basis with upwards of $35MM per year. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are pushing for a five-year pact.
Here’s more from the East divisions (and, by that, we mean some Pats items):
- Mohamed Sanu is “way ahead” of the curve as he returns from ankle surgery, trainer Hilton Alexander tells Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “I would tell you he’s probably faster, quicker, leaner and in better shape now than prior to the surgery,” Alexander said. “I would say he’s way ahead of any doctor’s knowledge or prediction where he would have been at this point. Way ahead of the curve.” With a healthy Sanu – plus Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, and a solid supporting cast – the Pats can stand pat at WR.
- If the NFL salary cap is reduced next year due to a revenue decrease, it could work to the Patriots‘ advantage. As Tom Curran of NBC Sports explains, the Pats currently have $124MM committed to 55 players in 2021. If the cap falls from $198MM, most teams will be left scrambling to shed expensive contracts. The Patriots, on the other hand, would be in good shape and able to scoop up those available vets.
- Jamal Adams wants out, but it remains to be seen whether the Jets will trade him. In a recent poll, PFR readers were split on whether Adams will stay or go.
49ers Sign Jauan Jennings
The 49ers have inked seventh-round pick Jauan Jennings, per a club announcement. Per the terms of his slot, the wide receiver is set to earn ~$3.4MM on his four-year deal. Of course, as the No. 217 overall pick, it’s not a certainty that he’ll make the roster. 
[RELATED: 49ers’ Deebo Samuel Suffers Broken Foot]
Jennings was the second wide receiver selected in April, long after first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk. Jennings didn’t come into the draft with the same sort of fanfare, but he was an accomplished player in his own right. In his final year at Tennessee, the 6’3″ receiver finished out with 59 receptions for 969 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jennings has shown that he can break tackles with his big frame, but his lack of speed impacted his stock somewhat. Still, you don’t need to beat every defender if you’re able to plow through some of them. Jennings will look to impress coaches with his power as he pushes to make a group that could be without Deebo Samuel for a little while.
Here’s the full rundown of the Niners’ class, via PFR’s tracker:
1-14: Javon Kinlaw, DT (South Carolina)
1-25: Brandon Aiyuk, WR (Arizona State)
5-153: Colton McKivitz, T (West Virginia): Signed
6-190: Charlie Woerner, TE (Georgia)
7-217: Jauan Jennings, WR (Tennessee): Signed
Lions Sign Jonah Jackson
It’s a done deal. On Wednesday, the Lions announced the signing of third-round guard Jonah Jackson. 
Jackson began his college career at Rutgers before transferring to Ohio State. As a Buckeye, he put himself on the NFL radar and was named first-team All-Big Ten. Jackson’s work on the interior helped Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins put up insane numbers in 2019.
That caught the attention of the Lions, who moved up ten spots in the third round to nab Jackson at No. 75 overall. In exchange, the Lions gave fifth- and sixth-round picks (Nos. 148 and 182) while also receiving a lesser a sixth-round choice (No. 197). Per the terms of his slot, Jackson will earn roughly $4.7MM over the course of his four-year deal. The pact includes a $1MM signing bonus.
With Jackson in the fold, the Lions now have four of their 2020 rooks signed. Here’s the full rundown of their class, via PFR’s 2020 NFL Draft Tracker:
1-3: Jeffrey Okudah, CB (Ohio State)
2-35: D’Andre Swift, RB (Georgia)
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)
5-172: Jason Huntley, RB (New Mexico State)
6-197: John Penisini, DT (Utah): Signed
7-235: Jason Cornell, DE (Ohio State)
49ers Notes: Garoppolo, Brady, Trent Williams
Before Tom Brady shocked the world and joined up with the Bucs, there was buzz about TB taking his talents to SF. For his part, Jimmy Garoppolo says he wasn’t caught off guard by the speculation.
“The one thing I can say about the whole situation was Kyle and John were very honest with me the whole time,” the quarterback said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). “That’s their job — to put the best team together possible and you’ve got to respect that. So as long as the honesty and truthfulness is there, I respect those guys, I love those guys. And it’s going to be a fun year this year.”
It was an odd spot for Jimmy G to be in, especially since he had just capped his first full season as an NFL starter with a Super Bowl appearance. Still, he says he wasn’t sweating the Brady talk.
“It’s the NFL,” he said. “There’s competition. Everyone’s trying to put the best team together they can. And that’s just the reality of it.”
More from SF:
- 49ers GM John Lynch says he considered trading for Trent Williams midway through last season while tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey were sidelined. If they acquired the left tackle, they would have kicked him inside later on in the year. “We had made a call about it in the last season when Joe and McGlinchey were hurt, thinking, wow, this could be an option,” Lynch said (h/t 49ers Web Zone). “When those guys come back, maybe we play him at guard.” Ultimately, the deal didn’t materialize in 2019. Instead, the Niners landed Williams in April, allowing him to stay at left tackle post-Staley retirement.
- The 49ers hired ex-Jaguars assistant LB coach Mike Rutenberg to serve as a pass game specialist. The former colleague of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will help fill in the gap following Joe Woods’ departure to Cleveland.
- Earlier this week, we learned that the 49ers have forfeited their right to apply the franchise tag to Williams. Initially, Williams wanted his new team to furnish him with a lucrative multi-year deal. Instead, he compromised with the Niners, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency next year with half of his 2020 salary guaranteed.
Latest On Giants’ DeAndre Baker
Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker is facing serious jail time for his alleged role in an armed robbery, but his lawyer continues to insist that the charges against him will be dismissed. This week, attorney Patrick Patel told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that he has “at least two witnesses that will testify to Baker’s innocence.“
[RELATED: Baker, Dunbar Accused Of Armed Robbery]
Authorities say Baker and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar teamed up to rob partiers at gunpoint in May. The police report out of Miramar, Florida claims that Baker had the weapon while Dunbar did the looting. Some witnesses said that Baker also directed a third man to shoot someone (ultimately, no one at the scene was shot). Together, cops say the cornerbacks made off with ~$7K in cash, a $25K Hublot watch, an $18K Rolex, and an Audemars Piguet.
Baker is facing a total of eight charges – four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, plus four counts of aggravated assault. Each of the four armed robbery charges carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Patel says the accusations against his client – a 2019 first-round pick – are without merit. Ditto for Dunbar’s lawyer. Both defense attorneys have been adamant in their pre-trial defense and very accommodating to media inquiries over the last six weeks.
The Giants have kept Baker out of their virtual offseason activities and they may ask him to stay at home once they resume on-field workouts. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have allowed Dunbar to log on for their Zoom chats.
Ravens To Keep All 4 Top RBs
The Ravens have an uncommonly deep group of running backs. That’s a “good problem,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman says, an indication that they won’t trade from their surplus of talent. 
“I love good problems,” Roman said (video via team website). “I think I’ve learned over the years, if you got good problems, bring ’em this way. And I say that unabashedly. Talented, hardworking players that love football, bring ’em on….We’ll find ways to make it work, for sure. To have that kind of backfield is a blessing.”
The Ravens bolstered their backfield in April by selecting Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins in the second round. He’ll join Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Mark Ingram, who delivered his third 1,000-yard season in 2019. The 30-year-old averaged 4.5 yards per carry across eight seasons with the Saints, he took things to a new level last year offense, setting a new career watermark with 5.0 ypc. This year, he’ll look to continue the upward trend while teaching the younger Dobbins the finer points of pass blocking.
Other RB-needy teams will have to look elsewhere for help, perhaps by getting in touch with Devonta Freeman, who remains available after rejecting a one-year, $3MM deal from the Seahawks.
Raiders’ Nick O’Leary Hopes To Return In 2021
In May, the Raiders placed Nick O’Leary on the reserve list, officially ruling him out for the 2020 season. Now we know why – the tight end had surgery to correct a serious blockage on the right side of his heart (via Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post). 
[RELATED: Will Raiders’ Ruggs Be This Year’s Top Rookie WR?]
Fortunately, there was no residual damage to O’Leary’s heart. The 27-year-old is expected to make a full recovery and, when he does, he hopes to resume his football career.
“I feel good,” the 6’3″, 252-pound athlete said. “I feel better than I did before. I’ve got to be on blood thinners for six months to a year. That’s really the only reason now why I can’t play football. If I (got cut), they said that would be the biggest problem, wouldn’t be able to stop the bleeding.”
O’Leary, 28 in August, split last year between the Jaguars and Dolphins. After entering the league as a fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2015, he enjoyed a five-year career as a reliable role player and a pass-blocker. For his career, O’Leary has hauled in 53 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns.
Lions Owner Martha Firestone Ford Steps Down
Martha Firestone Ford has stepped down as the principal owner and chairman of the Lions, per a club announcement. Her daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, will move up the ladder to take on both roles.
“Martha Ford has led the Lions with skill and grace for the past six seasons,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I have appreciated her business insights, her love of the game, her deep commitment to the NFL, and her personal kindness. We are pleased that the Ford family will continue to own and operate this historic franchise. Sheila Hamp has become increasingly involved in team and league affairs over the past several years and we look forward to working with her and the rest of the club’s executive team.”
Martha Firestone Ford took over as Detroit’s principal owner and chairman in 2014 when her husband William Clay Ford passed away. Per the team’s succession plan, her daughter – previously a vice chairman – is now at the helm.
“My mother has inspired all of us since taking on leadership of the Lions over six years ago,” Hamp said. “She has been a tireless leader to our family, our team and our community. Her smart decisions have given me a solid foundation to take the team forward. On behalf of the family and the team, I want to thank her for her countless contributions. I look forward to leading the Lions to excellence on and off the field.”
49ers Can’t Franchise Tag Trent Williams
Earlier this month, Trent Williams inked his revised deal with the 49ers. Williams agreed to table his previous demand for an extension in exchange for some current year perks, including a ~50% guarantee on his remaining salary. Also, as part of the reworked contract, the Niners waived their right to franchise tag the left tackle next year, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
[RELATED: 49ers Guarantee Half Of Trent Williams’ Salary]
Even though Williams is set for unrestricted free agency next year, the two sides remain aligned on the goal of a multi-year deal, Yates hears. It’s not quite clear what that would cost for the 49ers. At one point in time, Williams was rumored to be seeking something around $20MM annually, though Williams’ agent Vince Taylor has denied those claims in March. However, the rep indicated that something in the neighborhood of $16MM would work for his client.
“If we could get to a point where we could talk about those numbers, that would not be a holdup for us,” Taylor said, back when Williams was in D.C.. “The contract has never been the holdup. The Redskins prior to the Combine put Trent on the trade market. They had him on [the trade block] maybe 10 days, and even through the Combine, which is the biggest business platform for teams looking to wheel and deal.”
Ultimately, Williams’ willingness to compromise with the 49ers proved that his contract wasn’t his top priority. The soon-to-be 32-year-old probably could have secured a long-term extension somewhere in the league. Instead, he agreed to join the Niners as he pursues a Super Bowl ring.
Williams, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ best tackle in the NFL in 2016. Since then, he’s missed a total of 29 possible games.