Per Marchand, the NFL has had "preliminary discussions" with its broadcast partners about the possibility of moving games. The NFL already schedules Saturday games, but only after the college football regular season concludes in December.
It will only consider the move fully, per Marchand, if college football is delayed or canceled because of COVID-19.
The NFL's schedule is expected to be released on May 9, but the schedule itself may be altered amid the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, the Sports Business Journal reported that the NFL has also put together a contingency plan for a schedule that has a regular season starting in mid-October, a season with no bye weeks and a Feb. 28 Super Bowl. Goodell told Good Morning America that the league will be ready to "make alternatives" if needed.
“The discussion that ADs are having about fall sports being canceled is a very real possibility,” Ramogi Huma, the president of the National College Players Association told Sports Illustrated. “It’s extremely hard to imagine any football in the fall on any level.”
“We’re doing all sorts of modeling on what the football season may look like, from a delayed start to no fans to pushing the entire season into the winter or spring,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said to Sports Illustrated. “We could end up throwing it all away, and that would be great, but we can’t afford to wait until the last minute to think about it. We’re trying to think of any way to keep the season alive, because of the economic engine it is for so many other sports. This year, it could be an economic engine on steroids.”
Alabama Crimson Tide star Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Betting boards are now populated with several NFL regular season betting props. That includes a prop option that features how many passing yards Tagovailoa will post during his rookie season. The over/under number is set at 3,200 passing yards with (-120) juice on both sides.
After the Cincinnati Bengals selected Joe Burrow first overall, Tagovailoa was the second quarterback taken. As the backup to Jalen Hurts, Tagovailoa saw limited playing time during his freshman season in Alabama. His star rose after he replaced Hurts to open the second half of the 2018 National Championship game versus Georgia. Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes and the Tide rolled to a 26-23 OT win over the Bulldogs.
Tagovailoa won the starting role as a sophomore and set school records with 3,966 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. He guided Alabama to a 14-0 record before the Tide lost 44-16 to Clemson in the 2019 National Championship. On pace to set additional records as a junior, Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury that ended his season. Overall, he recorded 7,442 passing yards, 87 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, plus 340 rushing yards and nine more scores, over 32 games.
What Does History Tell Us About Rookie Quarterbacks?
During the last 10 NFL seasons, 14 rookie quarterbacks have posted 3,200 or more passing yards. Kyler Murray (3,722) and Gardner Minshew (3,271) in 2019, plus Baker Mayfield (3,725) in 2018, were the only rookies to exceed that mark during the last two seasons. Murray played all 16 games for the Cardinals while Minshew and Mayfield played 14 games for the Jaguars and Browns, respectively. Tagovailoa isn’t a lock to start over Ryan Fitzpatrick for Miami in 2020.
Related Tagovailoa Betting Props to Ponder
There are several props surrounding Tagovailoa that give bettors some insight into how his season will play out. William Hill has posted his touchdown over/under total at 20 with (-118) juice on both sides. Fitzpatrick (20), backup Josh Rosen (1) and punter Matt Haack (1) combined for 22 passing touchdowns for Miami last season. SI betting analyst Corey Parson doesn’t see Tagovailoa starting Week 1 for the Dolphins and is betting on UNDER 20 touchdowns.
Bodog bookmakers have Tagovailoa as a longshot to be the Dolphins Week 1 starter. YES (+185) is the underdog while NO (-280) is the favorite. Several factors make “NO” an attractive option, including Miami not wanting to rush their future franchise quarterback into action. Heading into his 15th NFL season, Fitzpatrick understands his playing career is winding down. A Harvard graduate, and the father of seven kids, Fitzpatrick will be a solid mentor for Tagovailoa.
On a comparable prop option, FanDuel has fellow rookie quarterback Burrow’s over/under set at 3,800 passing yards. Burrow projects as the Bengals’ Week 1 starter and will need to average 238 passing yards over 16 games to exceed that total. Using 238 passing yards per game as a rookie barometer, Tagovailoa would need 14 games to exceed 3,200 passing yards. I don’t see Tagovailoa playing 14 games and the yards-per-game number rises with each game he misses.
Dolphins’ 2020 Offense
Once Tagovailoa hits the field he will have a decent cast around him on offense. DeVante Parker posted career highs with 72 receptions, 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Prior to a Week 9 ACL injury, Preston Williams had 428 receiving yards and three scores as a rookie. Tight end Mike Gesicki showed progress with 570 yards and five touchdowns last season. Running backs Jordan Howard and Matt Breida are modest pass-catching threats out of the backfield.
Bottom Line: How much playing time Tagovailoa receives is the biggest factor on this prop betting option. A shortened training camp, Miami giving Tagovailoa more injury rehab time, plus Fitzpatrick playing the final year of his contract all point to backing the UNDER. Bettors thinking Tagovailoa plays in at least 14 games should bet OVER. Miami sits at No. 27 in a recent SI power-ranking poll and rushing Tagovailoa into action won’t move the needle much higher.
a signal to Rodgers that his time is coming to an end in Green Bay? Even if this is true, Love is at least one to two years away from being ready to start. Thus, drafting Love makes some minor sense in dynasty formats, but he will have practically no value in redraft leagues unless Rodgers gets traded or is injured.
WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
I am a big Tee Higgins fan. I think he has excellent speed and good hands and can make an impact as a receiver in the NFL. The problem is that he was drafted by the Bengals, who have a logjam in front of him. As of right now, A.J. Green is the WR1, and Tyler Boyd is the WR2 for Cincinnati. John Ross is currently the WR3, but he has dealt with injuries for his entire career. This leaves Higgins as the de facto WR4 until the Bengals can clear a spot for him in their lineup. I expect that this will happen in 2021. For 2020, though, I would only draft Higgins if I owned Green and/or Boyd. One of my favorite things to do is to handcuff my wide receivers with their backups, especially if they have a high upside.
TE Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
One of the biggest head-scratching free agent signings of this past off-season was the Chicago Bears signing tight end Jimmy Graham to a two-year, $16 million contract. Graham is way past his prime, but the Bears seem intent on using him as their primary receiving tight end. Cole Kmet was drafted in the second round of this year's draft, and the team has already said that it intends to use him as the primary blocking tight end in their offense. I can’t imagine how Kmet has more than two receptions per game if that many. It looks like he won’t get the chance to show what he can do on offense until Graham is no longer with the team.
Chase Claypool, WR/TE Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a knack for drafting wide receivers. From Antonio Brown to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Diontae Johnson, the Steelers always seem to identify a player who will be a good fit into their offense. This year the Steelers took Notre Dame's Chase Claypool in the second round. Claypool is a massive target at 6'4" and 240 lbs., and there is talk that he might be moved to tight end. For Claypool to have fantasy value in 2020, he is going to need to make that switch. The Steelers are incredibly deep at the receiver position, and the only way that Claypool might see the field is as a backup to starting tight end Vance McDonald. I don't want to dismiss Claypool entirely, as I think he is a talented prospect, who might end up competing with James Washington as the Steelers WR3, but I think fantasy owners need to wait and see more in practice before they go investing a draft pick on him.
QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Much like the Packers, the Eagles shocked the NFL world by drafting quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round. The Eagles already have franchise quarterback Carson Wentz as their starter, which made Eagle fans wonder why the team needed to "waste" a second-round selection on Hurts. I think the word waste is a bit drastic here. Wentz has had a checkered injury history thus far in his short career, and Nate Sudfeld was not going to win the Eagles any championships as a backup. Drafting Hurts not only solidifies the quarterback position, but it also allows the team to use Hurts in a variety of packages, much like the Saints use Taysom Hill. What this means for fantasy owners is that Hurts' value is tied to Wentz, and sadly he has little stand-alone value of his own—for now. However, if given a chance to start, I predict significant success in Hurts’ future.
Herbert hasn't competed for a starting role since his freshman season at Oregon, but he's about to go up against veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor for the job.
"Competition's great for everyone. He's going to push me and I'm going to push him," Herbert said in an interview with The MMQB's Albert Breer. "He's had a lot of success and I'm going to do everything I can to learn from him, do whatever I can to help him. At the end of the day, it's all about the team and we're both professionals now. I'm really excited to learn from him."
The Chargers selected Herbert with the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft last Thursday after an impressive senior season at Oregon. He tallied 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Ducks to a Pac-12 title.
Los Angeles parted ways with longtime starting quarterback Philip Rivers at the end of last season after finishing 5-11. Rivers, who had been the team's starter since 2006, signed with the Colts as a free agent this spring. Tyrod is expected to start for the Chargers, at least at the beginning of the season, after he joined the franchise on a two-year deal in 2019.
Taylor told Breer he hasn't yet spoken to Taylor, though he has talked to several other Chargers teammates.
Analysis from Jason B. Hirschorn of ChargerReport: In the time since the Chargers drafted him No. 6 overall, Justin Herbert has expressed a full understanding of the situation that awaits him in Los Angeles. While the team believes he has the tools to play early in his career, the expectation remains that veteran Tyrod Taylor will end up with the starting job in Week 1.
Herbert will have the chance to compete for that job, but during training camp the team will focus on getting him acclimated to the more nuanced offense head coach Anthony Lynn and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen plan to implement this season. Once Herbert gets a handle on the scheme, he probably won't have to wait long before he takes over behind center.
Favre has some experience being a legendary Packers QB and then leaving after the team drafted his eventual replacement, of course. And he believes Rodgers has "every right to be disappointed" about Green Bay's decision to select quarterback Jordan Love in the NFL draft.
But who is actually the greater all-time Packers signal caller: Favre or Rodgers? Well, there's a clear case for each.
Aaron Rodgers: Before Patrick Mahomes, Rodgers was the Family Feud answer for most talented QB. His ability to throw from different arm angles and on the move is special. And it's not like he hasn't gotten results, winning a Super Bowl and a couple MVPs. Rodgers also protects the ball far better than his predecessor, with an interception rate less than half of the one posted by the ol' gunslinger. So when it comes to escapability, accuracy, safety and Hail Mary throws, it's Aaron.
Brett Favre: Favre took a lot of risks, many unnecessary, he is the all-time leader in interceptions after all (by a good margin). But he also saw plenty of rewards. Like Rodgers, he has a Super Bowl and bests him by one Most Valuable Player trophy taking, three consecutively. He never gave up on a play and had the arm strength and ingenuity to make something out of nothing. Then there's durability. Favre played all 16 games in 17 straight seasons.
There was a time because of how he was fawned over and lauded that I thought Brett Favre was overrated. But now I think it may have gone a bit in the other direction. And if you look at overall accomplishments, whether it be yards, touchdowns or just having fun out there ... Aaron Rodgers may still have some work to do to catch him. Whether that be in Green Bay or elsewhere.
The move comes as no surprise after Mahomes rallied Kansas City in a fourth-quarter comeback to win Super Bowl LIV in February. For two years, Mahomes has been the centerpiece of the team's offensive explosion. He's produced highlight reels full of no-look passes and darts to streaking wide receivers downfield. During 2018–his first full season as a starter–Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes and was named NFL MVP.
Last season, Mahomes briefly battled a dislocated right kneecap but only missed two games with the injury. He finished 2019 throwing for 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions and earned his second Pro Bowl nod.
With the team exercising his 2021 option, Mahomes's rookie contract expands to $41 million over five years. The Chiefs drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick in 2017 out of Texas Tech.
Like Thomas, Ruggs was the first in a long run at his position taken in this year’s draft. The Raiders seem largely unconcerned with the opinions of the football world at large. Each of Mike Mayock’s first two drafts with the club have elicited surprise selections that seemed to buck conventional thinking.
Ruggs may not have been as surprising as Damon Arnette, but he was almost certainly not the consensus top wideout in the class (Ruggs was a distant third on his team in receiving this past year, 37 catches behind Jerry Jeudy, who went a few picks later to the Broncos). A simplistic analysis might also suggest that, because Ruggs’s speed (and what that speed does to coverages) is his greatest asset, it adds to the boom-or-bust feel that this pick carries.
He's the only player on this list who will likely not play a down this season, unless the Packers are blowing out an opponent or an unfortunate injury has taken place. By no fault of his own, Love has likely been wedged into a very serious discussion about the future of the quarterback position in Green Bay and whether the time was right to consider replacing one of the most purely talented throwers of his generation.
In a lot of these cases, that means the younger player is often subjected to boundless naval gazing from the outside world and relentless nitpicking in close quarters. Will his comparable stats be charted in training camp? How many times can a person be asked about and judged on his answer to a question about eventually replacing one of the most important players in franchise history?
Love said on draft night that he spoke to Rodgers, which appears like a fortuitous start to their time together. How long will that last, though, and when will we get an accurate picture of how scorned Aaron Rodgers actually feels?
It’s difficult to be any first-round pick who is so obviously a 1-for-1 replacement of a departed talent. With Stefon Diggs getting his wish and landing elsewhere, Jefferson comes in to try and replicate Diggs’s role in a great receiver tandem with Adam Thielen. In Minnesota, this might be especially difficult given the low margin for error there.
Assuming the team keeps a similar vibe offensively without coordinator Kevin Stefanski (now the head coach in Cleveland), their most popular personnel groupings on both first and second down were looks with two tight end and two wide receivers, meaning that Jefferson will be expected to click right away if he wants to see the field.
The Vikings obviously deserve credit for the way they were able to identify and develop Thielen, an undrafted free agent, and Diggs, a fifth-round selection. However, their recent history also includes notable first-round swings and misses at the position, in 2016 with Laquon Treadwell and 2013 with Cordarrelle Patterson (an All-Pro returner, but a guy who never amassed 500 receiving yards in a season). The depth of this year’s class and the steady presence of Kirk Cousins should ease some of those concerns, though there is still going to be a significant amount of legwork put in to readying Jefferson for Week 1.
Simmons was so exceptional in college. Thankfully for us, he also had a defensive coordinator in Brent Venables who embraced the modern “positionless football” philosophy that elevated Simmons to the top of the first round. However, recent comments from Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph indicate that we might see Simmons as more of a static player at the next level.
“It’s a lateral, it’s a speed game, it’s a three-wide-receiver game. Some of the things he did at Clemson, it’s going to be realistic, some of it won’t be,” Joseph told reporters. Perhaps some of this is just the getting-to-know-you phase (and would Joseph actually detail how he was going to use Simmons on a post-draft conference call?) but the gamble with Simmons was always going to be finding a coach who was interested in keeping pace with all of his athletic tools. If Simmons becomes a more conventional player, where does the blame fall?
This is an obvious choice, but Burrow faces the most unprecedented offseason in modern NFL history before taking the reins of a woebegone franchise. This isn’t a small task. Unlike other quarterbacks who have come before him, he seems uniquely up to the challenge. The question is whether or not the Bengals are in lockstep. The weight placed on a No. 1 pick is always absurd and unfair. So much of a player’s development is dependent on outside factors and nearly all of the avenues by which to improve those factors will be condensed or eliminated altogether this spring and summer.
Add in the fact that the division around the Bengals took a quantum leap forward this offseason—the Steelers will get Ben Roethlisberger back and added a legitimate second receiving threat behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Ravens restocked their linebacking corps with a pair of blue-chip players and the Browns finally fortified their porous offensive line—and the climb for Burrow only looks steeper from here.
As we’ve detailed in the past, receiver development is difficult in the NFL as it is. This has changed a bit over the last two years as NFL and collegiate offenses have come to more of a middle ground, but Reagor comes into a situation where he’s going to be forced to be spectacular right away. The Eagles’ aging, injury-prone receiving corps dragged down the offense late in the season and was difficult to replenish in one offseason, despite a solid draft and trade for Marquise Goodwin.
Reagor was in the slot 14% of the time at TCU last year and ran 13 different route concepts. The diversification of his responsibilities will broaden in Philadelphia.
NFL went through with the draft, which all things considered went rather seamlessly. And with the focus of so many eyeballs solely on the commish, it allowed for Goodell to display his basement, wardrobe, mood and for the first time maybe ever show a little personality. Sit up Roger, you're on television!
Even if it could be said Goodell's vibe might be described as just a bit bumbling. However, overall he came across way more endearing than he ever has before. And please, someone get the man more M & M’s.
And now it has been revealed he volunteered to forgo his salary during the current crisis. Which hopefully will go toward helping NFL employees rather than team owners. I won’t be over the top calling this nobility, as it must be nice to be able to afford to do so, still saying no to paychecks that can total up to $40 million annually isn’t nothing.
For as massively popular as the NFL is, Goodell hasn’t been. I also wouldn’t call the league’s overall reputation great. This doesn’t make any legitimate issues simply go away but it is worth recognizing that Goodell has done perhaps his best work of late. And emerged as way more likable because of it. He’s earned that money he won’t get paid. Cue the boos.
Dalton started 133 games for the Bengals from 2011-19, going 70–61–2. The TCU product is Cincinnati's all-time leader in touchdown passes.
The Bengals were largely respectable with Dalton, reaching the postseason in four straight years from 2011-15. But after a four-year playoff drought, Cincinnati opted to go in a new direction this offseason.
“I can read license plates. I can read street signs,” Winston told reporters. “I think the precision in the vision is the biggest difference.”
Winston said his vision was imperfect before, but it wasn’t that bad. Still, he’s seeing significant improvements since the surgery.
“No blurriness, and I think that’s huge,” Winston said. “Depth perception has increased tremendously and those are the big things. I didn’t have bad eyes, I just had astigmatism. I had certain things that they had to fix to increase the precision and the sharpness of my vision.”
Incredibly, Winston hasn’t really done much to address his vision in the past.
“He can’t read the scoreboard, but he can see the guys in front of him, so he’s fine,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said last year. That’s because Winston doesn’t wear contacts, although Arians said he’d sometimes wear goggles in practice.
Anyone who watched Winston last year would have thought he was half-blind. He threw a league-high 30 interceptions, tied for the seventh-most in an NFL season and the most since Brett Favre’s 29 in 2005.
But Winston’s eyes can’t be blamed for all those picks (and he hasn’t said that, either, though some media members are wondering how the surgery might improve his game). He’s been dealing with sub-par vision since he was at Florida State, where he threw 10 interceptions in his first season and 18 in his last. Even in the NFL, his reputation may be as a turnover machine but his interception totals in his first four seasons were 15, 18, 11 and 14. That’s a still a lot of picks—especially 14 in just nine starts in 2018—but it’s not 30.
Thirty interceptions is an insane number. It’s possible improved vision would help that number come down a bit, although it’s not going to magically fix him. Maybe the combination of better eyes and learning behind Drew Brees will help Jameis become a quality starter. Or maybe he’ll just be able to see cornerbacks grinning when he throws up a duck.
Herbert put together an impressive senior season with Oregon, tallying 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Ducks to a Pac-12 title. He capped off his collegiate career by rushing for three touchdowns in Oregon's 28–27 victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
The Chargers went 5-11 in 2019 and are replacing longtime starting quarterback Philip Rivers, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. Rivers had been the team's starter since 2006.
At 11, Herbert also wrote that "Loosing" was his biggest pet peeve. He'll look to improve the Chargers, next season and beyond.
The main reason Daniel Snyder invested in Young is because of his incredible ability to sack the quarterback. The 6-foot-5, 264-pound pass rusher was the prized addition in Ron Rivera’s first draft with Washington. The former leader of the Carolina Panthers has switched the 3-13 team of 2019 from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 front-seven alignment. With his defensive mindset it's fair to conclude that Young will be designed to make game-changing plays on a weekly basis in his rookie campaign.
It is with that notion in mind that oddsmakers have also made the once-in-a-generation talent the clear favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Years honors. As Sports Illustrated’s Jaime Eisner highlighted, “Nick Bosa took home the award with nine sacks last season, while his brother Joey Bosa won the prize in 2016 with 10.5 sacks. Aaron Donald had nine sacks when he won DROY in 2014.”
I am willing to bet on arguably the best overall prospect in this year’s draft class to fall in line with the aforementioned “big three” and surpass this projection by oddsmakers.
"Lynn's comments echo those he made before the draft affirming Taylor's place as the front-runner for the starting job, at least in Week 1. The veteran signal-caller spent several seasons as the starter for the Buffalo Bills during a period in which Lynn served as an offensive assistant and later an interim head coach. For the myriad physical gifts and upside that Herbert possesses, Taylor offers a plug-and-play option to begin the season."
I'm not the type of sports bettor who will lay -370 on a future prop like this, but that's the smart money and it shows in the price. If you are sprinkled on the +235 for Herbert to start Week 1, you are basically banking on a Taylor injury during training camp.
Cruz explained his thinking—and issued his regrets—on E's 'Pop of the Morning' on Wednesday.
“It was right after a game, and we were just about to go into the playoffs, and although we had the day off, we went to Miami, we had a good time, it was New Year’s Day, we came back the next day, didn’t break any rules,” Cruz said. "This photo will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
The playoff loss in Green Bay marked Cruz's last game in the NFL. He retired with 303 catches and 25 touchdowns, as well as a Super Bowl ring with New York in 2011.
Favre said he was "very surprised" about the Packers' decision to select Utah State QB Jordan Love No. 26 overall in the 2020 NFL draft last Thursday, noting that the team's decision not to draft "any weapons that can help immediately" sends a "disrespect message" to the team's current quarterback.
"He has every right to feel disrespected, if he is," Favre said of Rodgers.
The former Packers great said he had talked recently with Rodgers.
"Let's just say [Rodgers is] surprised that they went in that direction," Favre explained.
"It's not his job to mentor Jordan Love...It's not the head guy's job to mentor the next guy. That guy's ultimately there to take your spot."
"Yeah, I was able to talk with him earlier," Love said. "You know, really good guy. [He was] just congratulating me, and I was just letting him know that I was excited to be able to work with him."
Favre was 35 when the Packers drafted Rodgers. Rodgers is currently 36.
"Playing quarterback in the National Football League is probably the hardest position in all of sports," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the selection. "I think whenever you have the ability to take a player, whether it's in the first round, second round, third round, that you think has a chance to play, you have to consider it. It really wasn't about this year. This was not something we set out to do. It just happened that a guy that we liked fell to us, and we thought it was the best decision."
according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. However, his rehab following knee surgery has been slowed amid the coronavirus pandemic and the kicker is not confident he may heal in time for the start of the season.
The 47-year-old Vinatieri is coming off arguably his worst season in the NFL. He made just 17 of his 25 field goal attempts on the Colts in 2019. He was placed on injured reserve midway through the season after battling a left knee injury. His injuries required surgery on his meniscus and patellar tendon.
He is currently a free agent.
Vinatieri has been on four Super Bowl-winning teams and established himself as the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history, having made 29 game-winning kicks. He has piled up an all-time record 2,673 points and has been part of 231 regular-season victories, most in league history.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin is currently signed by the Colts, having taken over for Vinatieri after a rough 2019. Indianapolis also added former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship as an undrafted free agent this weekend.
Cam Newton is a free agent looking for a team to call his own for the 2020 season. The FanDuel sportsbook has a prop bet on which team Cam Newton will start for Week 1 of the NFL season. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the favorite (+200), and rightfully so. Gardner Minshew showed flashes last season, but "Minshew Magic" was short-lived.
Although, if I'm Newton, why would I go to Jacksonville when they are likely to tank this season to land Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the 2021 draft.
The New England Patriots have the second-best odds at +220. The idea of Newton in New England is very intriguing although the Pats say they aren't interested. It makes sense for a former MVP to team up with Bill Belichick to make a run in the AFC. It has a storybook feel to it, but if you notice veteran players are looking to leave New England, plus I think second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be the guy. Also, he should play reasonably well; Belichick will make sure to keep things simple for him.
If I'm going to place a wager like this, I'm going to shop around for the best odds. Some sportsbooks have Washington at +150 to land Newton, while FanDuel has them at +500. I'm not sure what they know, but I think D.C. is the perfect fit for Newton. His former head coach Ron Rivera is now in Washington (he says they aren't interested), and second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins is not ready to be an NFL starter yet, he could learn a lot about the game from Newton. I think he will be in burgundy and gold come Week 1 of the NFL season.
Per Fischer, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell additionally "asked last month" for his salary to be cut to $0. ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed Fischer's reporting, noting that a league spokesperson said Goodell's $0 salary began earlier this month. As a point of reference, the NFL's commissioner signed a five-year, $200 million extension in 2017.
The SBJ also reported that the salary cuts are tiered based on title and that no league employee earning less than $100 will be impacted. Furloughs, per the SBJ, are for staff who cannot do their jobs remotely.
Earlier this week, the SBJ also reported that the NFL has put together a contingency plan for a schedule that has a regular season starting in mid-October, a season with no bye weeks and a Feb. 28 Super Bowl. Goodell told Good Morning America that the league will be ready to "make alternatives" if needed.
There are more than three million confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, causing at least 210,000 deaths. There are more than one million confirmed cases in the United States.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry put his confidence behind Odell Beckham Jr. after a previous report stated the organization discussed trading him.
On April 15, WFAN's Marc Malusis reported that the Browns were in discussions to send Beckham to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a second and fifth-round pick in 2021. Berry put the speculation to rest in an appearance on Good Morning Football on Wednesday.
"With all due respect to the question, I think this is actually a topic, at least from our perspective, there really hasn't been a ton of ambiguity," Berry said of trading Beckham. "We've been clear from the beginning that we view Odell as a fantastic player. We're a better team with him on the field. We see him as a long-term member of the organization. We really like how he's acclimated and adjusted with the new staff. So the rumors, that's not something that we can control, but we're happy to have him as a part of our organization."
In his first season with the Browns, Beckham totaled four touchdowns and 1,035 yards on 71 receptions in 16 games played. After the team fell short of the postseason, Beckham underwent core-muscle surgery in January and is expected to make a full recovery.
Akers rarely goes down on first contact (a trait that all great NFL running backs possess), and he was one of the most effective screen pass receivers in college football. He also shows great patience and vision and sees running lanes before they open.
With Akers in the fold, the Rams have three players who can run the football. Rams general manager Les Snead said in the off-season that he wants to use Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown with a third person (Akers) as part of a committee. I can guarantee you that Akers is the best runner in this committee and will see most of the touches. I am expecting about 12 rushes and 4-5 receptions per game from Akers as a rookie.
The only downside is that he will most likely be removed at the goal-line, so his value is much lower in standard formats than in PPR leagues. Regardless, Sean McVay will have fun using Akers in multiple ways, and he should provide many terrific highlights for Rams fans.
WR Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders
The NFL has always had the reputation of being a copycat league. Whether it is the wildcat offense or the cover two zone defense, coaches have found a way to copy the best things that their opponents do. Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has copied the Kansas City Chiefs by picking Ruggs, giving him a player that he can use much like the Chiefs use Tyreek Hill.
Ruggs gives the Raiders the vertical dimension that their offense has lacked for the past few seasons. He is a solid route runner who can line up in various places on the field, causing havoc to opposing defenses. Look for Ruggs to make an immediate impact with the Raiders as they will use him in multiple ways. He will bring a ton of excitement to the Vegas strip and his fantasy owners.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
The Broncos might have been the luckiest team in this draft as Jeudy fell to them when they picked at No. 15. Most draft experts thought that Jeudy would have been gone by the time the Broncos picked, but it turned out that they ended up with him falling right to them.
Jeudy is a sensational receiver who will make an immediate impact in Denver. He not only has good size and length, but he is an adept route runner who creates separation with ease. Also, once he catches the ball, he can “take it to the house” due to his explosive speed. As the WR2 in Denver, Jeudy should see plenty of targets and will have significant fantasy production.
WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
In terms of playing time, perhaps no other drafted player walked into a situation as advantageous as Jefferson. The Vikings traded WR Stefon Diggs away this past offseason, creating a gaping hole at the wideout position opposite Adam Thielen. Enter Jefferson, who should be able to start in Week 1.
Jefferson is a polished receiver who knows how to work in the middle of the field. He is unquestionably tough and always seems to catch even the most difficult of passes. He should start in the slot and give Kirk Cousins a Cole Beasley-like type season with the possibility of more.
dealing off Williams, I’m not sure the cast around Haskins is going to be markedly better. But I do think coach Ron Rivera and coordinator Scott Turner will do their best to insulate Haskins, even while pushing him with the trade for Kyle Allen, who was with Rivera and Turner in Carolina.
And I think that stability will give Haskins a better chance, and I say that with all respect to Jay Gruden, Bill Callahan and Kevin O’Connell. The writing was on the wall for all those guys last year. Being at the beginning of something, rather than the end of something else, should benefit a lot of players in that place.
From Mike (@OfficalYoloSwag): Why didn't the Packers take a single impactful receiver in the 2020 draft?
Mike, I’m not picking on you in particular, but I always think it’s interesting when fans say they want their team to go best player available—and then are irate when a specific need isn’t addressed. And there’s a really simple way to look at this. As a team-building principle, most GMs look at free agency as a needs-based market and would say the draft shouldn’t be. In other words, if you don’t need, say, a linebacker, you’re not going to spend for one on the veteran market. But if a real good one’s sitting there for you in the draft, that’s different.
That, to some degree, can illustrate where Packers GM Brian Gutekunst was on Thursday. He told me, as the team saw it, with the draft moving into the mid-20s, with the exception of Utah State QB Jordan Love, the players they had with grades worthy of going 30th overall were all gone. That created a decision point. Get aggressive and go after Love, or hope he’d be there at 30, and if he wasn’t, aggressively try and deal out, with the risk you get stuck and overdraft someone there.
The Packers obviously chose in the moment to move up, giving up their fourth-rounder in the process. And after that, they did take two offensive skill players in Boston College RB A.J. Dillon and Cincinnati TE Josiah Deguara.
Now, I know everyone had receiver marked down as the Packers’ big need going in, and get why it’d be frustrating to see that left unaddressed coming out of the weekend. But, to me, this was really Gutekunst staying true to his board, and finding a potential Rodgers replacement, knowing he couldn’t count on being in position to get one again for a while. Maybe if Jalen Raegor or Brandon Aiyuk (two guys I’d connected to Green Bay the last couple weeks) were there, they’d be Packers now. That’s just not how it played out.
From Pranav Sriraman (@SWDTweets1): Who will succeed Drew Brees as the next franchise QB in NOLA? Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill?
Pranav, I’m not sure that the Saints know yet. The good news is, they’ve created options for themselves. They’ve got Hill under contract through 2021. They’ll get a chance to develop and evaluate Winston in-house for a year. Winston just turned 26. Hill turns 30 in August. One was the first overall pick just five years ago. The other has shown a lot of athletic potential the last couple years. And both get to work with Sean Payton and his staff.
That doesn’t mean either will be the long-term answer at quarterback. It might be someone else entirely. But it at least gives them a start on replacing Brees, should this be his final year. And keeps them from pigeon-holing themselves into a single offseason to find his successor. Doing that is how you wind up taking Christian Ponder 12th overall (ask Leslie Frazier about the effect that had on his career).
This, by the way, is also why I don’t mind the Packers moving aggressively to get Love. If your quarterback’s older and there’s a young guy available that you really like, better to get him and put him in the pipeline than to find yourself trying to talk yourself into a quarterback because you weren’t ready when your guy walked.
From Michael Christopher (@Bigdogz1318): Are you surprised jets took Becton over Wirfs, especially with the signing of Fant. Fant and Wirfs were similar athletically. What did you think of the rest of their draft? Braden Mann couple be special-teams game changer
Michael, only one thing surprised me about it—Mekhi Becton is way more boom-or-bust than Tristan Wirfs, and I know that GM Joe Douglas would love for his first pick to be a player he can point to, in what he’s looking for in guys. Becton’s tape was inconsistent, and there were questions about his ability to make weight, even over the last few months.
That said, what matters most is who the player becomes, and Becton absolutely has a chance to become a long-term answer at left tackle, and maybe even a top five player at the most important position on the offensive line, while there were questions about whether Wirfs was capable of playing the position at all (he was a right tackle in college, and some teams saw him as a guard).
Overall, all I can base the rest of the class on is where some of the guys were valued versus where they were taken, and it seems like the Jets did well in that department—you’re betting on the come on second-rounder Denzel Mims, Ashtyn Davis and Jabari Zuniga were good gets in the third round, and keep eye on fifth-rounder corner Bryce Hall, a really good player dinged because he’s been hurt and he’s not a burner.
I’ll leave the punter analysis to the experts.
From Al Gauthier (@508CaneFan): With summer training camp starting in less than 90 days, will they still be open to the public? How do you see the landscape of how the NFL markets fan friendly access while keeping players & fans safe?
Al, I honestly have no idea what our country will look like on June 1, let alone August 1. So I wish I had a better answer for you here, but I really don’t know if playing football on a practice field’s going to be feasible by then, so I’m really in the dark on whether or not it’s going alright to have crowds there to watch it. But I do think there’ll be some good test cases for the NFL to work off of.
NASCAR plans to start back up in May, and golf and baseball are working off plans to begin in June. That means, by the time we get to the middle of the summer, there should be pretty good indicators of what the NFL should do. Will there be galleries at golf tournaments by then? Crowds at baseball games? Tailgates at NASCAR events? These, of course, will be the things to watch.
I feel fairly comfortable in saying the first place you see crowds will not be at an NFL practice. There’s not anywhere near enough to gain, for anyone involved, to take that sort of risk. But if others are welcoming people back into their events, then the league will have some real decisions to make.
From John Martin (@jmm6078): Hi Albert, did Belichick’s dog Nike, do a better job than some of the other GM’s, if so name them and were u shocked to see Carolina go all D? Cheers John, UK.
If Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche wash out, it’s because Nike, per ESPN’s cameras, was running the Patriots’ draft on Friday night, right?
On the Panthers, John, the only thing that surprises me about it is that the Panthers didn’t address the offensive line somewhere along the line. That said, they have two former top 50 picks at receiver, a top 10 pick with a rich new contract at tailback, and a quarterback they just gave a deal to at $21 million per year. Resources have been allocated to the offense in a very big way, so this was always going to be a defense-heavy draft.
And what I really like about it is that they picked a bunch of guys who fit Matt Rhule’s profile. That’s most apparent in Derrick Brown, the seventh pick and one of the safest bets of all the draft eligibles. Brown was a four-year star at Auburn, the ultimate program guy who went back to school in 2019 because he loved his experience in the SEC. He’s also the rare example of a player who made such a decision as a prospective top 15 prospect, invited all the attendant scrutiny, and improved his stock in the process.
Southern Illinois S/LB Jeremy Chinn and Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos are two more who bring solid football character, and on-field upside, to the table. So I like the class in the sense that there’s a pattern to the picks.
From Chris Welter (@weltdog83): Now that Rivera and K Smith have had the chance to work together through FA and the draft, do you see Rivera promoting Smith to GM? It seems they have developed a strong relationship during this time and work well together unlike previous combo of Gruden and B Allen.
Chris, I would’ve classified this a coin flip before the combine, and now it seems as if it’s probably more likely Washington goes forward with Kyle Smith as the top personnel guy in the building. That may not mean he gets the general manager title. But the sense I got is that, while Ron Rivera remains the top guy on the football side, Smith did a really nice job setting the table and has the new coach’s ear on scouting matters.
Washington also really felt like the draft fell nicely for them, beyond just getting Chase Young with the second pick— WR/RB Antonio Gibson, OT Saahdiq Charles and WR Antonio Gandy-Golden should all have a shot to be on-field contributors in Year 1.
Now, in my view, the one thing that could have shaken things up a little would’ve been if Panthers GM Marty Hurney wanted to come to D.C. to reunite with Rivera. But as of now, it seems like both Rivera and Hurney are OK with where they’re at, so I’d bet on the status quo. That was also before Rivera and Smith were able to build a relationship, which is an important piece to all of this too.
And it’s worth mentioning here too that I believe there would’ve been some movement in the scouting world this week if it were a normal year. It’s not. So I see less of that coming, especially at the top levels, where running a real search for new execs would be very tough.
From Johannes Schneider (@jocoolwu): Will there be NFL Global Games in 2020? Seems unlikely in these times to send multiple teams to other countries.
Johannes, I tend to think that it’s unlikely we’ll be in a place in the fall where we’re sending hundreds of people on planes overseas and to Mexico, and back, without significant concern. And this is one of those situations where—given that the league might not be able to have full (or any) crowds there, and the festival the NFL puts on around these games will be difficult to pull off—risk will almost certainly outweigh reward. So I’d guess the international slate gets called off for 2020.
The question is when they make a decision on that. As of right now, the Dolphins, Falcons and Jaguars (twice) are set to give up home games to play in the U.K., but their opponents haven’t been set yet, nor have teams been identified for the Mexico City game. So canceling these trips soon, before the schedule comes out, would affect just three teams. If they put a schedule out with international games on it, and call those games off after that, it’d affect nine teams. So the schedule release will create one decision point on this one.
From big blue for life!! (@sld150): Who is showing the most interest in Clowney? And when do you expect him to sign?
Big Blue, I continue to think his best option will be to return to Seattle, and play in a defense that fits him, on a one-year deal. Sticking with the Seahawks will give him a big stage, and the chance to showcase what he’s capable of in a rugged division. And if he stays healthy and produces, he can come back and try to cash in next March, when he’ll have just turned 28. Add to that the fact that the time to acclimate to a new team is cut down for everyone changing locales this offseason, and I think it’d be the right move for him.
As for when he’ll sign? With the draft done and acquisitions no longer counting against the comp-pick formula, really, there’s no milepost that’s critical between now and camp that would create urgency. Maybe the Seahawks having to make a decision on someone like Everson Griffen generates that. Otherwise, it’s anyone’s guess.
