CFL Likely To Cancel 2020 Season
As of this writing, the NFL is planning to forge ahead with its 2020 season, as scheduled. North of the border, in the CFL, it’s not quite as likely.
[RELATED: NFL Lays Out Plan For Reopening Facilities]
“Our best-case scenario for this year is a drastically truncated season,” commissioner Randy Ambrosie told Canada’s House of Commons (via The Associated Press). “And our most likely scenario is no season at all…Ours is a big brand but not a wealthy business. Unlike large U.S.-based leagues, our biggest source of revenue is not TV — it’s ticket sales.”
Ambrosie explained that the government’s measures to protect the public against COVID 19 “have made it impossible” for the CFL to operate. The NFL and professional sports leagues all across North America are faced with similar obstacles, though they’re better equipped to handle them from a financial standpoint. In 2019, Ambrosie says the CFL lost $20MM. The NFL, meanwhile, took in roughly $16 billion in revenue with profits skyrocketing past their operating costs. Much of that money, as Ambrosie said, comes from lucrative TV deals.
With that in mind, the CFL isn’t necessarily a canary in the coal mine for the NFL. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NFL has to test players early and often in order to play games, but that’s a feasible expense for Roger Goodell & Co., thanks to the TV money.
Jets Searching For Backup QB
After failing to land Andy Dalton, the Jets are still on the lookout for a veteran backup quarterback. There aren’t many experienced options left and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears that Matt Moore – viewed by many as a logical candidate – is probably not in the cards. 
[RELATED: Jets Wanted Andy Dalton]
Moore overlapped with Gase in Miami, where he started in 17 games. However, 12 of those starts came in the 2011 season. Outside of that, the 35-year-old (36 in August) has never made more than five games in any of his NFL seasons. Despite his lack of starting experience, he’s been an in-demand backup in the past – the Panthers and Chiefs have also leaned on him as a QB2.
With Dalton off the market, Moore off the table, and Cam Newton out of their price range, there aren’t a ton of great QBs in the bargain bin. David Fales could be an option, Cimini notes, since he played under Gase with three different teams. There’s also Joe Flacco to consider, if he’s healthy.
Other available QBs include Blake Bortles, Drew Stanton, and Trevor Siemian, who saw last year’s Jets season end in Week 2. The Jets desperately need a quality backstop for Sam Darnold, but they might have to wait until the summer, or maybe even the end of the summer, to pick up vets dropped by other teams.
Latest On Logan Ryan
Last week, free agent cornerback Logan Ryan bid farewell to the Titans. But, before that, he says they rejected his pitch: A new one-year pact to match last year’s salary of $9.5MM.
“I was willing to come back and work with the team on a one-year deal to earn the right for an extension or to go back to free agency next year,” Ryan told the McCourty twins on their podcast (transcript via ESPN.com). “I just wanted my salary that I made last year. You play well in a contract year, you’re going to get paid. I wanted to keep that thing going, but they weren’t really interested in that.”
“It’s just a business. Tennessee really never offered me a contract. They never really talked extension or free agency. They never really tried to bring me back.”
Meanwhile, Ryan is waiting for business to pick up. The 29-year-old started all 16 games for the Titans last year as their top slot man and helped them reach the AFC title game. He also set new career watermarks in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four).
However, his market has been slow to develop, and his price tag probably has something to do with it. Teams, he says, are “taking their time.” Ryan says he’s received multi-year offers from teams, though he’s still waiting for the right fit.
The Jets and Giants still have needs at cornerback and would make some sense for Ryan. The Titans, meanwhile, are going in a different direction – they selected LSU product Kristian Fulton in the second round and even gave him No. 26, Ryan’s old number.
Dr. Fauci: COVID-19 Will “Make Decision” For NFL
If the NFL goes ahead with its 2020 season, they’ll have to take drastic measures to keep players safe. In an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave his thoughts on how the league might approach the coming campaign in the social distancing era. 
[RELATED: NFL Lays Out Plan For Reopening Facilities]
“If you really want to be in a situation where you want to be absolutely certain, you’d test all the players before the game. And you say, Those who are infected: Sorry, you’re sidelined,” Fauci said. “Those who are free: Get in there and play.”
And, for absolute certainty, the NFL would have to test hundreds of athletes daily – possibly multiple times per day. Even with social distancing measures and limited practices, players would likely be in close proximity to each other throughout the week.
“If I test today, and I’m negative, you don’t know if I got exposed tomorrow,” Fauci said. “There’s no guarantee that you’re going to get exposed and be positive the next day. To give you an example, you’re probably reading in the newspapers that there’s an infection in the White House. I was exposed to that person. So I immediately got tested. I am negative. So, I’m negative yesterday. I don’t know if I’m going to be negative Monday. Understand? It’s almost an impossible situation.”
Then, there’s the obvious risk of in-game transmission. The virus isn’t known to transmit via sweat, Fauci said, but breathing means viral shedding, and heavy breathing in close quarters has the potential to be dangerous.
“To be 100 percent sure, you’ve got to test every day,” Fauci said. “But that’s not practical and that’s never going to happen. But you can diminish dramatically by testing everybody Saturday night, Sunday morning, and say OK, only negative players play.”
At the same time, Fauci stressed that he cannot predict the fate of the 2020 NFL season. “The virus will make the decision for us,” the infectious disease expert said, stressing that he is sharing his educated opinion, rather than a surefire forecast. In my uneducated opinion, I believe that the potential safety measures will be balanced with public relations concerns. If testing is not widely available by September, the NFL will have a hard time justifying tens of thousands of tests for athletes and key personnel. And, without rapid and constant testing, football won’t be feasible.
This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals Sign Josh Rosen
Two years ago, the Cardinals inked their quarterback of the future. At least, they hoped they were getting their quarterback of the future when they signed No. 10 overall pick Josh Rosen. 
[RELATED: No. 1 Pick Joe Burrow On His Contract]
The Cardinals’ quarterback search was an open secret, one that dragged for years. In 2017, they tried and failed to trade up for Patrick Mahomes – who went No. 10 overall to the Chiefs – leading them to settle for Haason Reddick at No. 13. This time around, they didn’t want to walk out of the 2018 draft with “what-ifs,” so they traded up from No. 15 to the No. 10 pick for Rosen, a promising young passer out of UCLA. .
Most evaluators viewed Rosen as the most polished and most NFL-ready passer in the entire class. There was a lot to like, especially after Rosen threw for 59 touchdowns over the course of three college seasons and saved his best for last. As a junior, Rosen turned in the best TD/INT ratio of his career (26/10) and his best completion rate (62.5%).
Rosen’s talent was apparent – he didn’t have a cannon for an arm, but his technique and footwork were virtually flawless. He was also an all around bright kid, though some evaluators wondered if he was too brainy for his own good. Curiously, his own head coach was among the nay-sayers.
“Because of fit, I would take Sam Darnold if I were the Cleveland Browns,” said Jim Mora, advocating for another QB over his own pupil. “I think that blue collar, gritty attitude, I think his teammates will love him, I think the city will love him. He’ll say the right things. He will come in and he will represent well. I think he kind of represents what Cleveland is. And if I was one of the New York teams, I would take Josh *snap* just like that. I think they will both be great in the pros.”
Later on, Mora backtracked, but only slightly.
“He needs to be challenged intellectually so he doesn’t get bored,” Mora said a few weeks before the draft. “He’s a millennial. He wants to know why. Millennials, once they know why, they’re good. Josh has a lot of interests in life. If you can hold his concentration level and focus only on football for a few years, he will set the world on fire. He has so much ability, and he’s a really good kid.”
Ultimately, the Browns chose the brash confidence of Baker Mayfield over the “gritty attitude” of Sam Darnold. So far, both QBs have greatly outperformed Rosen at the pro level (though, nothing like the No. 32 overall pick, Lamar Jackson).
Rosen went 3-10 as the Cardinals’ starter as a rookie, completing just 55.2% of his throws with 11 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. A deeper look at Rosen’s rookie stats and metrics don’t do him any favors, either. Rosen completed 55% of his throws and averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt. He also finished with a league-worst 26.1 Total QBR and Football Outsiders listed him as the league’s worst full-time quarterback.
Midway through the year, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy got the heave-ho. After the season, head coach Steve Wilks was sent packing. Ditto for Rosen – just one year after the Cardinals selected him, they drafted his replacement in Kyler Murray. All three men would probably point to the Cardinals’ abysmal offensive line as a major factor, but that didn’t save any of their jobs.
Rosen hoped for a fresh start after he was traded to the Dolphins, but he floundered in his three starts and finished the year with one touchdown vs. five picks. Now, with Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick firmly entrenched on the roster, Rosen is once again in NFL limbo.
No. 1 Pick Joe Burrow Has Yet To Sign Bengals Deal
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has yet to put pen to paper on his rookie contract. In an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast, the No. 1 overall pick indicated that the deal might not be inked anytime soon.
[RELATED: Panthers Sign Derrick Brown]
“We’re just waiting to see what happens over the next three months because we really don’t know,” Burrow said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby).
Most of this year’s 250+ rookies have yet to sign their deals, so Burrow’s situation is not unique. However, it could be indicative of a much larger issue. Some executives and agents have wondered whether it’ll take longer for top draft picks to sign this year, since teams are facing potentially enormous revenue losses.
Those league officials believe that the deals will be completed, eventually, but cash flow could be a concern for clubs. A season without fans would mean zero gate attendance revenue, a shortened season would mean significantly less dollars coming in, and a cancelled season would be disastrous, from a financial standpoint. With that in mind, teams may be looking to hold on to the allocated signing bonus money a little bit longer.
In the case of Burrow, the LSU product is due a ~$24MM bonus. After that, the bonus figures decrease pick-by-pick, in accordance with each player’s slot. New Redskins edge rusher Chase Young (No. 2 overall) is set to collect a $22.7MM bonus and Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah (N0. 3) is in line for $21.9MM. The figure decreases the further you move down the board, though every player from Nos. 1-11 is ticketed for an eight-figure lump sum bonus.
Meanwhile, like all of us, Burrow is eager for football – and life in general – to resume normalcy:
“Instead of talking, we can get back on the field. Hopefully soon.”
Ravens Sign 20 UDFAs
The Ravens’ class of undrafted rookies keeps getting bigger and bigger. This week, the Ravens announced the signings of six more UDFAs, bringing their official grand total to eleven, though they’ve actually agreed to take on 19 in total. Here’s the full rundown:
- Evan Adams, OL (Syracuse)
- Jacob Breeland, TE (Oregon)
- Trystan Colon-Castillo, C (Missouri)
- Aaron Crawford, DT (UNC)
- John Daka, DE (JMU)
- Daishawn Dixon, OL (San Diego State)
- Khalil Dorsey, DE (NAU)
- Jeff Hector, DB (Redlands)
- Tyler Huntley, QB (Utah)
- Dom Maggio, P (Wake Forest)
- Jaylon Moore, WR (UTM)
- Sean Pollard, OL (Clemson)
- Bronson Rechsteiner, FB (Kennesaw State)
- Chauncey Rivers, RB (Mississippi State)
- Ty’Son Williams, RB (BYU)
- Kristian Welch, LB (Iowa)
- Nigel Warrior, S (Tennessee)
- Eli Wolf, TE (Georgia)
- Marcus Willoughby, DE (Elon)
- Nick Vogel, K (UAB)
Huntley, a 6’1″ quarterback out of Utah, played against Lamar Jackson as a high schooler in Florida. With the Utes, Huntley started 33 games in total and finished 2019 with a 19/4 TD/INT ratio.
Rechsteiner, a hard-nosed fullback, is a natural bruiser – he’s the son of former WCW/WWF wrestler Rick Steiner and the nephew of Scott Steiner, a.k.a. Big Poppa Pump. At Division III Kennesaw State, he averaged 8.1 yards per carry. With the Ravens, he’ll face an uphill battle in making the roster with Patrick Ricard already occupying the position.
There are also a few notable guarantees in this UDFA class, including Wolf, who received $65K between his $50K base salary and $15K signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Bengals Won’t Look To Sign Veteran QB
The Bengals aren’t looking to sign another veteran quarterback to play behind No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, head coach Zac Taylor says. “We’re set,” Taylor said. (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). 
After the draft, the Bengals parted ways with longtime starter Andy Dalton after months of fruitless attempts to trade him. For months, Dalton said that he was focused on playing as a QB1 in 2020. He eased up on that stance this spring, but it’s not clear whether he was willing to take enough of a pay cut in Cincinnati to make that work, or whether the Bengals even made him a realistic offer. Ultimately, Dalton found a vibrant market for his services once he was let go – the Patriots, Jaguars, and Jets all considered the veteran before he joined up with the Cowboys (while he backstops Dak Prescott, Dalton says he’ll be aiming to start in 2021).
For now, the Bengals have Ryan Finley and 2019 UDFA Jacob Dolegala as the backups behind Burrow. Finley, a fourth-round pick last year, posted a dismal 47.1% completion rate with an average of 5.4 yards per attempt in three starts. After that, the Bengals turned things back over to Dalton, who at least got to leave Cincinnati as a first-stringer in his final game.
Burrow – who completed 76.3% of his passes for an NCAA-record 60 touchdowns last year with only six interceptions – will be expected to carry the load in his first pro season.
Panthers Sign No. 7 Overall Pick Derrick Brown
Derrick Brown was the seventh rookie to come off the board this year and the first to sign his rookie deal. On Friday, the Panthers inked the Auburn defensive tackle to his rookie contract – a four-year, $23.62MM pact, in accordance with his draft slot. 
[RELATED: A Look Back At Christian McCaffrey’s Rookie Deal]
Everyone knew the Panthers were targeting defensive players in the draft, but it was still a surprise to see them go defense all throughout draft weekend. Brown was the first one up, placing a promising young talent alongside Kawann Short, a two-time Pro Bowler eager to get back to form after missing the bulk of the 2019 season.
While Short draws lots of attention, Brown will look to be a difference maker, particularly against the run. The Panthers weren’t the only team chasing him – at least a couple clubs inquired on trading into the Top 10 for his services and the Lions reportedly thought about him at No. 3, though they ultimately went with their longtime draft crush Jeff Okudah.
Brown might not have the upside of, say, Isaiah Simmons, a jack-of-all-trades defender with absolutely freakish athleticism, but he was regarded by evaluators as one of the safer picks near the top. With that high floor, he’ll look to justify GM Marty Hurney‘s big decision.
“We had them very close together, obviously,” Hurney said of Brown and Simmons after the draft (via ESPN.com). “We believed you start building from the front. Derrick not only helps [Short] and the rest of the line… he helps the linebackers. He’s a big, powerful player. He’s got a good first step. He’s a three-down player. He obviously helps against the run, but he really gets push up the middle. “
Saints Release Larry Warford
The Saints released guard Larry Warford on Friday in a move that cleared $7MM+ from the salary cap. As expected, the multiple-time Pro Bowler is already drawing interest from teams. The Texans are one club that’s already considering Larry Warford, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Same goes for the Bears, who would offer considerably more upside than new pickup Germain Ifedi.
[RELATED: Saints To Be Sanctioned for Tommy Stevens Pursuit?]
Warford, 29 in June, has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last three seasons. However, the Pro Bowl selection process for offensive linemen tends to be less than scientific, and Sean Payton was less than thrilled with his performance in 2019. The Saints made that crystal clear late last month when they drafted interior lineman Cesar Ruiz in the first round. Ditto for their re-signing of Andrus Peat on a five-year, $57.5MM deal in March. Ruiz will now battle with Erik McCoy – a center, by trade – for a starting guard spot on the line.
Before the release, Warford was set to play out the final season of the four-year, $34MM deal he inked as a free agent in 2017. Now released, Warford will count for $5.125MM in dead money against the cap, but they’ll save $7.75MM in cap dollars.
Warford scored that deal off of the strength of his play in Detroit. As a third-round pick of the Lions, he went on to start in all 57 of his games and he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 20th-best guard in his walk year.
The Texans could use a guy like Warford, who could supplant Zach Fulton as their top right guard.