David Irving Hopes For NFL Return
In March of last year, the NFL handed David Irving an indefinite suspension for violations of the substance abuse policy. This week, the defensive lineman took to Instagram to announce that he is in the midst of the reinstatement process. 
In the video, Irving said that he’s encouraged by the NFL’s potential revamp of its policies against marijuana. There’s still a lot to be ironed out in the collective bargaining agreement talks, but it certainly seems like the final version will include reform for weed and other fines against players.
Soon after his ban, Irving announced his retirement from the NFL. The defensive lineman says that it came at the urging of former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.
“He told me I should just quit, smoke all the weed I want, the team didn’t need me,” Irving told Jori Epstein of USA Today. “I’m a distraction to the team. He views marijuana as a drug, whereas I view it as a medicine. It’s not a good situation.”
At the same time, Irving said that owner Jerry Jones was supportive of him and his efforts to change the NFL’s drug policies. Since his exit from football, Irving has been an advocate for cannabis and it’s pain-mitigating properties.
Irving tallied seven sacks in just eight games in 2017. In 2018, he was limited to just two games.
Falcons To Let Hooper, Campbell Test FA
The Falcons would like to re-sign two of their key players, but they won’t stop them from testing the open waters. Tight ends Austin Hooper and De’Vondre Campbell will be permitted to explore free agency, GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters on Tuesday morning (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Falcons To Pick Up Matt Schaub’s Option]
As of this writing, the Falcons have approximately $5MM in cap room. They can carve out more by shedding running back Devonta Freeman, safety Keanu Neal, offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo, defensive lineman Allen Bailey, and other veterans, but their cap situation will be tight regardless. Meanwhile, they have other areas to address, including the secondary.
Hooper took full advantage of his walk year, reeling in 75 catches, 787 yards, and six touchdowns in just 13 games. He’s a dynamic threat at the tight end position with two 70-catch seasons under his belt and it’s expected that he’ll be lavished with big money offers when the bell rings in March. Hooper is still just 25 (he turns 26 in November) and retaining him would require a top-of-the-market deal.
At one point in January, the Falcons and Campbell were discussing an extension. But, over the last few weeks, those talks between Dimitroff and agent Drew Rosenhaus have slowed down. Last year, Campbell led the Falcons in tackles for the second straight year and turned in a perfect attendance record for the third straight season. As a young and elite run-stopper, Campbell may have also priced himself out of Atlanta.
Bears Still Mulling Mitchell Trubisky’s Option
The Bears have until May to decide on whether to trigger Mitchell Trubisky‘s option for the 2021 season. They’ll wait until then to make the call, according to GM Ryan Pace (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune).
The fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only. In 2019, it seemed like Trubisky was dealing with nothing but injuries. Throughout the year, he was plagued with hip, shoulder, and other trouble and he recently went under the knife to fix the torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
The typical recovery time for the labrum surgery is around two months. Trubisky’s surgery took place sometime in January, so the Bears should have some read on his status before the fifth-year option date.
In 2018, Trubisky posted a 95.4 quarterback rating and threw for 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl nod. Last year, however, was a pretty big step back – he had just 17 TDs against ten INTs and the Bears’ talented D couldn’t make up for the offense’s shortcomings. The Bears went 8-7 in Trubisky’s 15 starts and finished .500 on the season, leaving them short of the postseason.
Trubisky has shown promise since being selected No. 2 overall in 2017 and good quarterbacks are hard to find; the expectation remains that they’ll pick up his option. Still, it’s not a sure thing. In the past, the Bears have made these fifth-year option calls well in advance of the deadline, so their delay is telling. The Bears, at minimum, will explore their options during the early stages of free agency and possibly dig into some of this year’s top passers in the April draft.
Joe Burrow: “I’ll Play For Whoever Drafts Me”
The Joe Burrow/Bengals controversy, it seems, has been put to rest. At the combine on Tuesday, the LSU quarterback told reporters that he’ll play for “whoever drafts” him.
“Yeah. I’m not going to not play. I’m a ball player,” Burrow said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). “Whoever picks me, I’m going to show up.”
Burrow has been the apple of the Bengals’ eye from the get-go. Still, questions have lingered about his desire to play for the Bengals, who have long been mired in a slump and held back by internal discord. Under new head coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals completely flopped – they went 0-11 to start the year and finished out with 2-14. Of course, that’ll often be the case for any team with the top pick, but the Bengals didn’t have many bright spots and haven’t looked the part of a contender in a long time.
This offseason, Burrow has been working out with former Bengal Jordan Palmer, the younger brother of longtime franchise face Carson Palmer. The elder Palmer has been critical of the organization in the past and occasional quotes from Burrow led many to believe that he had been warded off of the Bengals.
“You want to go No. 1. But you also want to go to a great organization that is committed to winning. Committed to winning Super Bowls,” Burrow said earlier this winter.
Burrow may still have concerns about the direction of the franchise, but he doesn’t sound inclined to pull an Eli Manning, even though he has the same agent.
Panthers Plan To Keep Cam Newton
The Panthers plan to move forward with Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Things can change in the coming months, RapSheet cautions, but that’s the Panthers’ mindset at this time. 
There’s been lots of talk about a potential trade of the one-time MVP, but it’ll be months before Newton’s surgically-repaired foot is game-ready, and that hurts his potential trade value. The expectation is that the QB will be able to pass his physical by March, however.
The Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild after dismissing longtime head coach Ron Rivera and parting ways with tight end Greg Olsen. The new regime likes Newton though – Rapoport hears that Rhule & Co. have been encouraged by Newton’s approach to rehab and his decision to stay in the Charlotte area throughout the process. With so much changing on both sides of the ball, Rhule likes the idea of keeping his signal caller in place.
Newton missed all but two games last season, but he’d represent a solid value if he’s healthy. He’s set to earn just $18.6MM in base salary this season, which would make him a manageable bridge option for a younger QB in 2021. This year, the Panthers hold the No. 7 pick, where they’d likely see at least two QBs taken ahead of them. Moving up is an option, of course, but it’d be costly, and the Panthers will have many more needs to address in the lower reaches of the draft.
If the Panthers wind up with a top pick in 2021, they could be in range for prospects like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
Latest On Cowboys, Dak Prescott
There Cowboys have not met or negotiated with Dak Prescott‘s agent since the start of the 2019 season, Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of The Athletic). There could be some conversation with Prescott’s rep Todd France at the combine, but nothing has been scheduled just yet.
[RELATED: Jason Witten Committed To Playing In 2020]
When those talks were active, the Cowboys were reportedly willing to go to $33MM/year on a long-term deal. That was probably in the right ballpark, but Prescott’s camp aimed higher as he got off to a blazing start in 2019. The QB could have been targeting the $35MM average annual value of Russell Wilson‘s deal. Even though the Cowboys slumped in the second half, Prescott’s camp may still look to use that contract as a reference point.
Technically speaking, Prescott is scheduled to become a free agent in less than a month. Realistically, there’s no scenario in which the Cowboys will allow him to explore the open market. If a long-term deal doesn’t materialize, the Cowboys are expected to use the ~$27MM franchise tag to cuff him for the 2020 season. After that, the Cowboys can negotiate a long-term deal with Prescott up until the mid-summer deadline. And, if July comes and goes without a new agreement, the two sides can revisit talks after the 2020 campaign.
Jones pretty much confirmed that plan when he spoke with reporters on Monday.
“Absolutely not,” Jones said when asked if there’s any chance of parting ways with Prescott (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). “I mean, Dak’s our quarterback. He’s our quarterback for the future and we have nothing but the greatest respect for him. He’s a competitor. He’s won a lot of football games for us. Obviously, he, like us, we all want to take that next step and get into a championship game and get to the big game and ultimately win a championship. So there’s no thoughts like that.”
Prescott, a two-time Pro Bowler, threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019. For his career, he’s got 40-24 in 64 starts with a 65.8% completion rate and 97 TDs against 36 INTs.
NFL Reinstates Vontaze Burfict
Last month, the NFL “quietly” reinstated Vontaze Burfict from suspension, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) reports. Burfict was barred from playing in the last 12 games of the Raiders’ season, but he’s been given the greenlight to play in 2020. 
Burfict has racked up an inordinate number of suspensions and fines throughout his career for safety violations. His most recent – a Week 4 leveling of Colts tight end Jack Doyle – brought down the hammer.
Burfict’s reputation allowed Jon Gruden & Co. to add him on the cheap – a one-year, $1.15MM deal. Now, he’ll hit the free agent market after working to clean up his playing style, Pelissero hears. Burfict’s new agent, Peter Schaffer, says he’s spent months viewing game tape and talking with coaches to make the adjustment. Schaffer says his client is serious about getting back on the field and, this time around, doing things the right way.
The linebacker’s ban marked the longest suspension in league history for an on-field incident. Myles Garrett was served with an “indefinite” suspension last year for his actions against the Steelers, but that amounted to a six-game suspension that was recently lifted.
Burfict’s controversial and dangerous style of play made him one of the league’s most feared players during his time with the Bengals. He was also frequently sidelined by suspensions. Burfict’s only complete 16-game seasons came in his first two years in the NFL. In Year Two, he earned a Pro Bowl nod as he led the league with 171 stops and tallied one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and three sacks.
At this stage, it’s not clear what kind of market Burfict will find. He’ll turn 30 in September and, despite his talent, teams will have to think long and hard about adding him to the mix.
“There were no mitigating circumstances on this play,” NFL VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan said in an open letter to Burfict after the 2019 incident. “Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game. Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures. However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designed to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk. Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision.”
Falcons To Pick Up Matt Schaub’s Option
The Falcons are expected to exercise Matt Schaub’s $2MM option for 2020, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). This doesn’t completely guarantee his place on the roster in September, but it’s an indication that they intend to keep the veteran as Matt Ryan‘s backup.
[RELATED: Falcons Move On From Vic Beasley]
Schaub, 39 in June, was thrust into action last year when Ryan suffered his ankle injury. In his first start since the 2015 season, Schaub completed 75% of his passes and threw for 460 yards. Still, the Falcons fell short, losing 27-20 to the Seahawks.
Schaub came back to where it all started in 2016 and signed a two year, $3.78MM extension to stay with the Falcons in 2019. He spent seven years as the Texans starter and collected two Pro Bowl nominations in some of his healthier seasons. Since 2014, he’s served as a backup for the Raiders, Ravens, and Falcons.
The veteran is now slated to come back for another year with a reasonable cap hit of $2.375MM. Meanwhile, the offseason could see the departure of mainstays like running back Devonta Freeman. Unfortunately for them, they’re tight against the cap as they look to overhaul their defense. A new deal for tight end Austin Hooper is on the to-do list, but it might not be feasible to give him a multi-year deal at the top of the market.
Latest On NFL’s CBA Talks
The path to a new collective bargaining agreement is almost as complex as the deal itself. Recently, there’s been some confusion surrounding the process on the NFLPA’s side.
In order for the CBA to advance to a union-wide vote, the NFLPA’s 32 player representatives will have to sign off with a majority vote, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. If it gets less than 50% approval from the reps, the NFLPA says it will not pass it along to the entire player body. If it garners two-thirds, the proposal will be forwarded with a formal recommendation for a yes vote.
This has been confirmed by the union in a memo sent to all NFL agents. The CBA bylaws do not mandate player rep approval before the general union vote, but the NFLPA says this will be the procedure and there’s no realistic way for players to challenge it right now.
If 17 player reps approve, players will get their turn at the ballot box, where they’ll have to weigh the perks of more revenue, less discipline, and other changes against the increased hazards that would come with a 17-game season. The union may be warming up to the latest iteration put forward by owners, but there’s nothing close to a consensus on their side – many remain staunchly opposed to the extra regular season game and a debate continues to rage internally. Players, historically, have folded when faced with the prospect of a labor stoppage, but many have said that they’re ready and willing to continue the stare-down in order to get what they want.
The NFL and NFLPA will discuss the many moving parts of the deal at this week’s draft combine.
Jaguars To Decline Jake Ryan’s Option
Marcell Dareus isn’t the only Jaguars defender who will have his option declined. The Jaguars will also decline the 2020 option for linebacker Jake Ryan, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Had his option been exercised, $1MM of Ryan’s $5.5MM base salary would have been guaranteed for the coming season. Instead, they’ll wipe that out, and carve out some badly needed cap room.
At the start of the offseason, the Jaguars had just over $1MM in available cap space. By shedding Dareus and Ryan, they’ve carved out a bit of flexibility as they look to keep Yannick Ngakoue and address needs on both sides of the ball.
These were not particularly tough calls, and more cap clearing moves are likely on the way. Tight end Geoff Swaim and oft-injured receiver Marqise Lee are also expected to be dropped. In total, those four moves would save them more than $34MM. They can find even more space by cutting or trading Calais Campbell to save $15MM, though they’d probably prefer to find middle ground with him by way of an extension.
Ryan, who turns 28 this week, missed all of the 2018 season thanks to an ACL tear and played in just two games last year. Before that, he started in 27 games for the Packers between 2015 and 2017.