NFL 2020 - Off-Season Player News & General Discussion

Feb 25, 2013
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Surely this cant be true....

[Schatz] This is kind of wild: Right now there's only one quarterback in the NFL with an average salary per year between $8 mil and $21 mil: Andy Dalton at $16 mil. That's it. There's no middle class at all.
The Dalton Line lives on...
 
Sep 6, 2005
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ESPN's Jordan Raanan reports the Jaguars are seeking a "first-round pick and more" for unsigned franchise player Yannick Ngakoue.

With three weeks to go until the draft, Ngakoue's trade market appears to be heating up. At this point, Ngakoue appears all but certain to be shipped out. He has so far been linked to the Eagles, Seahawks, Packers and Jets, but none of those connections have seemed particularly strong.

Source: ESPN

Apr 2, 2020, 3:51 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Appearing on ESPN's NFL Live, contract-year Texans LT Laremy Tunsil confirmed he wants to become the league's highest-paid lineman.

“I’m not going to talk numbers, as I’m going to keep that between me and the club," Tunsil began. "I am looking to be the highest-paid lineman, of course. I worked my butt off to be in that position and hopefully we can make that happen.” The current highest paid is Eagles RT Lane Johnson at $18 million per year. The Houston Chronicle reported in February that the Texans were open to the possibility. Coach/GM/everything Bill O'Brien gave up the farm for Tunsil, and the ex-Dolphin responded with a monster 2019. He is still only 25 years old. This is going to happen.

Source: Field Yates on Twitter

Apr 2, 2020, 2:50 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Iowa State coaches and some staffers have agreed to take a one-year, temporary pay reduction in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Iowa State is unlikely to be the last school that does this, as programs will have to address the revenue lost in the cancellation of the NCAA tournament and the entire spring sports schedule. The school's coaches taking the temporary pay reduction will save the school approximately $3 million according to AD Jamie Pollard, and all incentives/bonuses have been suspended as well. According to the athletic director, Iowa State has a budget shortfall of $5 million that it is working to address with these measures.

Source: Iowa State Athletics

Apr 2, 2020, 11:06 AM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Titans RB Derrick Henry signed his $10.2 million franchise tender.

ESPN's Adam Schefter added that, "Two sides are still committed to working for a long-term extension before July 15." Either way, Henry is locked in as the Titans' bell-cow RB for 2020. The idea that Henry is game-script dependent isn't exactly true; he had at least 16 touches in every game last season. Still, his ceiling could actually be higher moving forward if the Titans don't find a viable replacement for scat back Dion Lewis. Henry won't be confused with Christian McCaffrey or Austin Ekeler as far as receiving ability is concerned, but he's still averaged a healthy 10.1 yards per reception during his four-year career. More targets could be on the way in 2020.

Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Apr 2, 2020, 9:06 AM ET
 
ESPN's Jordan Raanan reports the Jaguars are seeking a "first-round pick and more" for unsigned franchise player Yannick Ngakoue.

With three weeks to go until the draft, Ngakoue's trade market appears to be heating up. At this point, Ngakoue appears all but certain to be shipped out. He has so far been linked to the Eagles, Seahawks, Packers and Jets, but none of those connections have seemed particularly strong.

Source: ESPN

Apr 2, 2020, 3:51 PM ET

Id say tell the Jags they are dreaming given YN has said he has no intentions of playing for them ever again and he'll put a price on his own head to scare away some potential trade partners, but they got two firsts for Ramsey so what do I know.
 
Sep 6, 2005
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ESPN's Paul Gutierrez reports Marcus Mariota is currently scheduled to be the highest-paid backup in the first year of a new contract at any position in 2020.
As in, there are higher paid backups but none specifically signed to be a backup. It speaks to the considerable warming of Derek Carr's seat following another efficient but low-wattage season. Mariota, of course, has often rivaled Carr when it comes to conservatism and a lack of big plays. Carr will start Week 1, and it should not be considered a foregone conclusion that Mariota will eventually replace him.
SOURCE: ESPN
Apr 2, 2020, 6:58 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Speaking Thursday, the NFL's chief medical officer said the league's return would depend on the availability of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus.
"As long as we're still in a place where when a single individual tests positive for the virus that you have to quarantine every single person who was in contact with them in any shape, form or fashion, then I don't think you can begin to think about reopening a team sport," were the words of Dr. Allen Sills. "Because we're going to have positive cases for a very long time." Sills was responding to comments from the NFL's general counsel that the league was still planning to play a full 16-game season. Sills' comments apply to every North American sport. It is going to be hard to get our sports back as long as testing remains so laborious and rationed. As bleak as things look now, a lot can change in a month or two. It is too early to turn out the lights on 2020 sports, especially the NFL.
SOURCE: NFL.com
Apr 2, 2020, 9:03 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Speaking Thursday, Rams COO Kevin Demoff did not guarantee the team's new SoFi Stadium will be ready for Week 1.

“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it." That's executive speak for "this is going to be super challenging." The building is currently scheduled to open July 25 with a Taylor Swift concert. For a variety of reasons, that seems super unlikely right now. Costs have spiraled completely out of control with owner Stan Kroenke's new cathedral, but there is nothing he can do about this latest curveball.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Apr 3, 2020, 12:53 AM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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IMG_20200403_191253.jpg
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Chiefs restructured Sammy Watkins' contract.
Initially set to sponge the largest cap hit ($21 million) among all wideouts in 2020, Watkins' restructured one-year deal doles out a $9 million base salary with a chance to reach $16 million in additional incentives. While this move fortuitously creates $5 million in savings for the organization, it also keeps the 26-year-old entrenched as the team's starting slot receiver for another year. Sophomore speedster Mecole Hardman's breakout will likely have to wait since this reshuffling ensures 10-of-11 starters (minus former LG Stefen Wisniewski) from the team's Super Bowl-winning offense return for one more run. Watkins' fantasy outlook remains a late-round dart based solely on his three-game postseason resurgence (14/288/1).
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SOURCE: Terez Paylor on Twitter
Apr 3, 2020, 7:58 AM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Bears GM Ryan Pace said there will be an "open competition" at quarterback between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky.
"When we walk out on the first day, whenever it is whether it’s OTAs or whether it’s training camp, Mitch will be going first in the huddle," Bears coach Matt Nagy reaffirmed. "But it's going to be equal with Foles. There will be equal reps with similar players and against similar players. It's going be extremely competitive." Pace also refused to comment on whether or not the team would pick up Trubisky's fifth-year option for 2021 — a topic both he and Nagy avoided in their season-ending wrap-up conferences, too. Foles is familiar with the entire lot of QBs coach John DeFilippo's (Jaguars, Eagles), OC Bill Razor's (Eagles), and Nagy's (Eagles, Chiefs) offensive schemes, making the 31-year-old veteran the odds-on favorite to win out in any competition and start for the Bears in Week 1.
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SOURCE: Chicago Bears on Twitter
Apr 3, 2020, 11:25 AM ET
 
If the Bears pass on Trubiskys option he will be the third player taken inside the top 11 picks of the NFL draft by Ryan Pace to flame out.

White and Floyd the others.

Sure, he says it's a QB competition, but it's a competition the front office is determined Trubiskys wins to save their own asses.
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Texans coach Bill O'Brien said that WR DeAndre Hopkins wanted a raise and the Texans didn't want to do it.
O'Brien added that they felt Arizona was the best deal and said it was in the best interest of the team. Sheesh. Nuk was reportedly asking for a new deal that would pay him in the range of $18-20 million per year. It's unclear why the Texans felt the need to move Hopkins so quickly, as Deshaun Watson's inevitably-massive contract will likely be controlling the team's cap space as soon as 2021. It seems (incredibly) unlikely that O'Brien gets anything close to resembling Hopkins' production out of David Johnson.
SOURCE: Patrick on Twitter
Apr 3, 2020, 4:21 PM ET
 
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