We’ll keep track of today’s later round draft signings here:
We’ll keep track of today’s draft signings here:
Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar surrendered to police, hours after his alleged accomplice Deandre Baker did the same on Saturday. Dunbar’s attorney Michael Grieco shared the news on Instagram and, just like Baker’s attorney, he vehemently denied the accusations against his client.
“As I write this an innocent man sits in jail, facing charges that hold no water,” Grieco wrote. “His career and reputation have been put in jeopardy as a result of an overzealous [Miramar, Florida police department] that was so excited about arresting a pro football player that they tweeted out their celebration and even tagged his employer in their virtual touchdown dance…When this case gets dropped ,I wonder if the Miramar cops will be tweeting out their apology too.”
Dunbar is facing four felony counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Regardless of the legal outcome, he could be in for a world of trouble with Roger Goodell & Co.
Here’s more from the NFC:
Things move fast in today’s NFL and the old adage of “coaches are hired to be fired” has seemingly never been more true. For the most part, teams change their coaches like they change their underwear. 
A head coach can take his team to the Super Bowl, or win the Super Bowl, or win multiple Super Bowls, but they’re never immune to scrutiny. Just ask Tom Coughlin, who captured his second ring with the Giants after the 2011 season, only to receive his pink slip after the 2015 campaign.
There are also exceptions. Just look at Bill Belichick, who just wrapped up his 20th season at the helm in New England. You’ll also see a few others on this list, but, for the most part, most of today’s NFL head coaches are relatively new to their respective clubs. And, history dictates that many of them will be elsewhere when we check in on this list in 2022.
Over one-third (12) of the NFL’s head coaches have coached no more than one season with their respective teams. Meanwhile, less than half (15) have been with their current clubs for more than three years. It seems like just yesterday that the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury, right? It sort of was – Kingsbury signed on with the Cardinals in January of 2019. Today, he’s practically a veteran.
Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with their respective start dates:
The Lions checked in with Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa before the draft, fueling some speculation about Matthew Stafford‘s future. Meanwhile, the Staffords have put their Detroit-area home up for sale. This week, the quarterback and his wife shot down any talk of a job-related relocation. 
[RELATED: Lions To Play In Empty Stadium?]
“I pay less attention to (the trade rumors) than my wife does,” Stafford said Thursday (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “But it’s something that doesn’t bother me. Listen, I’m here, I want to be here. I love being a Detroit Lion, I love leading this team.”
The Stafford family put their five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home on the market. The lakefront home features an infinity swimming pool and an indoor basketball court partially fashioned with the Pistons’ original hardwood floor at the Pontiac Silverdome. In case you’re interested in this little fixer-upper of a summer shack, the asking price is $6.5MM. And, don’t worry, the Staffords aren’t looking to leave Michigan.
“No speculation is needed. We’re about to have our fourth child and I personally do not want to live on a lake or have a pool with four children [under the age of 4],” Kelly Stafford said on Instagram (h/t Rothstein). “So that is the reason that it is on the market.”
The Lions front office has also repeatedly shot down the possibility of moving on from Stafford. Yes, he’s 32 and, yes, he did miss half of the 2019 season, but he enjoyed a 136-game streak of consecutive starts before the back problems surfaced. And, in his eight starts, he threw for nearly 2,500 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions while ranking No. 8 in ESPN’s Total QB Rating.
This year, he’s set to be on the Lions’ payroll for $21.3MM. After that, his cap number moves to $33MM in 2021. They may have liked Herbert, Tagovailoa, and some of the other QBs in this year’s draft class, but Stafford is the quarterback who gives them the best chance to win in 2020. For his part, Stafford says the speculation doesn’t bother him very much.
“I really don’t pay too much attention to ’em,” Stafford said of the talk. “I pay less attention to them than my wife does. But it’s something that doesn’t bother me. I’m here. I want to be here. I love being a Detroit Lion. I love leading this team. So all that kind of stuff is just kind of out there to be out there. It’s a slow news month at that point, and I’m just happy to be where I am and ready to deal with this offseason the way it is and try to make the best of the season that I hope happens.”
The NFL is going full steam ahead in its efforts to play the 2020 regular season as it otherwise would, but the optimism generated by a recent report indicating the league may be able to (mostly) proceed as normal has been tempered in recent days. For instance, the CFL’s statement that it is likely to cancel its season and reports of NFL teams exploring out-of-state options for training camp feel like harbingers of things to come rather than blips in the radar.
And as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a radio interview yesterday that she does not expect to see Ford Field, the Lions’ home stadium, full of fans in the fall. The league has said that if it plays the 2020 season, it plans to do so in front of capacity crowds, but obviously that will be dependent on each state.
“There is reason to feel some confidence here,” Whitmer said. “But we also have to measure (peoples’) expectations and say life’s going to be different. We’re not going to be filling stadiums in the fall.”
It’s unclear whether that means Whitmer is amenable to playing with partially full or empty stadiums, and as Birkett notes, the governor was interrupted before she could finish her thought. A follow-up email from her deputy press secretary did not do much to clarify matters.
“Medical experts have made it clear that COVID-19 spreads when people are in close contact with one another, and without a vaccine, our best strategy in combating the virus is to practice social distancing,” the email read. “In regards to stadiums, our administration will continue to make informed decisions on re-engagement based upon data and medical expertise.”
Even if the NFL season is delayed, it does not sound as if Whitmer is prepared to green-light capacity crowds.
“Certainly as governor I want to give people the confidence that our plan will be met on days certain,” she said. “But the fact of the matter is, COVID-19 is a novel virus and that means it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before. We’re learning a tremendous amount. Every week that goes by, we’ve learned so much more about this disease and what it’s going to take to keep us safe and to avoid that second wave.”
Whitmer’s stance is likely to be echoed by leaders across the country, which means that if the 2020 season does get off the ground, there will be games played without fans, and teams in more restricted states may need to play in states like Arizona, which authorized the resumption of play for major sports leagues effective May 16.
The Lions, meanwhile, issued a generic statement on the matter last week:
“The Detroit Lions are following the NFL’s lead in preparing to play a full 2020 season in front of fans. Given the evolving circumstances surrounding COVID-19, contingencies are needed and will be in place. We are evaluating all facets of the game day experience, and will do what is required to maintain a safe and healthy environment at Ford Field where our fans can feel comfortable.”
Even after turning down Jarrad Davis‘ fifth-year option, the young linebacker remains in the team’s plans, head coach Matt Patricia says (via the team website). With the option declined, Davis is currently set to reach free agency after the 2020 season.
[RELATED: These 2017 First-Rounders Had Their Options Declined]
“I would say this, there is no doubt that JD is one of our strongest leaders on defense,” Patricia said of the former No. 21 overall pick. “He’s a great player, someone we continue to build around. He and I just talked moreso about, ‘this is a short term conversation, as far as whatever this contract situation is, and for me it’s about long term.’ JD is a cornerstone of what we’re trying to do and he’s in those big-picture plans of where we’re trying to go.”
Even though Patricia sees the potential, the Lions weren’t comfortable with extending Davis for another year at $10MM, guaranteed for injury. The young ‘backer has shown flashes, but he’s lacked consistency. In 2018, he registered 100 tackles and six sacks. Last year, he lost a big chunk of his year to injuries and finished out with just 63 stops and two sacks.
Heading into the option deadline, no one was quite sure which way the Lions would go. Davis has shown to be effective on the blitz, but his tackling in open space and coverage has left much to be desired. If Davis can put it all together this year, however, the Lions could revisit long-term discussions. Davis could also be a trade candidate, given their uncertainty about him, but it sounds like he’ll stay put for this year, if we’re taking Patricia’s comments at face value.
It sounds like Jarrad Davis will be hitting free agency sooner than expected. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions won’t be picking up the linebacker’s fifth-year option. Davis will now become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Detroit selected the Florida product with the 21st-overall pick in the 2017 draft, making him the second linebacker off the board (Haason Reddick). Davis has been relatively productive during his three seasons in Detroit, compiling 259 tackles, 10 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 41 games (41 starts).
That includes a 2019 campaign where he compiled a career-high three forced fumbles to go along with two sacks and 63 tackles. However, Davis was limited to only 11 games thanks to an ankle injury, and before landing on the IR, Pro Football Focus listed him as the lowest-rated linebacker in the NFL. The Lions front office apparently agreed with that assessment, leading to them declining his fifth-year option.
The Lions have been busy revamping their linebacker depth chart this offseason, bringing in Jamie Collins Sr., Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee. Detroit also selected Notre Dame linebacker Julian Okwara in the third round of last week’s draft.
This week, the Lions added seven more rookies to their incoming class:
[RELATED: Lions Deny Backing Out Of Trade With Texans]
Heading into the draft, Bryant was pegged as an early Day 3 type of prospect by most analysts. When teams passed on him due to medical concerns – including his history of knee injuries – the Lions swooped him up with $60K in guaranteed cash. Bryant will fight for his place on the tight end depth chart, somewhere behind T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James.
Dinson, meanwhile, fetched an $80K guarantee between his $30K signing bonus and $50K base guarantee (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). He’s also a worthwhile name to watch. The Auburn product has experience at both nickel and safety with four interceptions over the course of his collegiate career.
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers