NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Win / win trade. Jags lucky to get a 5th for 34 year old guy on a one year $15M contract. Ravens get a guy with gas left in the tank but now have to find a way to mitigate that one year salary. I'm predicting the 5th is conditional on Campbell being on the opening day roster. Preserves a little bit of leverage for the Ravens.

 

I want to get into the details of this CBA when I have some time to actually go over it. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews from the early takes.

 

Free agency will proceed as planned

After much discussion and debate, the NFL will start its new league year as planned. A source with knowledge of the situation has informed PFT that the new league year, and thus free agency, officially starts on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Which means that as a practical matter free agency starts Monday at noon ET, when the negotiating window opens.

Some had believed that the league would delay free agency, due to the bad optics of players signing multi-million-dollar deals during deeply troubled times. With team facilities closed, it won’t be easy to do the usual press conferences and physicals that accompany signings.

Indeed, if a national quarantine is imposed by Wednesday (which isn’t out of the question at this point), those physicals will be delayed, indefinitely.

But the decision was made to proceed, possibly in part because there’s a chance things aren’t going to get any better two or four or six or even eight weeks from now.

 

Browns, TE Austin Hooper agree to terms on deal

Let the record show that in 2020, the Browns made the first free-agent splash.

Cleveland has agreed to terms with tight end Austin Hooper, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Michael Silver reported.

The deal will make Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, per Rapoport, likely meaning he'll break $10 million per season and could end up closer to $11 million.
Hooper's signing is interesting for a couple of reasons. The tight end rose from a second option at the position to a primary weapon in Atlanta, increasing his catch, receiving yard and receiving touchdown totals in each of his last three seasons. He heads to Cleveland to play for a coach in Kevin Stefanski who wants to use two tight ends of differing skills in his offense, as Minnesota did with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. in 2019.

The Browns have plenty of cap space to work with, yet this signing forces us to question David Njoku's future with the team. Njoku missed all but four games last season due to a broken wrist and concussion suffered in Week 2, but his statistics over his first two seasons are similar to Hooper's. Are the two different enough to coexist? Or might the Browns trade Njoku?

The former first-round pick's fifth-year option will have to be picked up or declined during this offseason, a decision that could come at any time. Njoku also still needs to prove he can become a capable blocker and a reliable pass-catcher, not just a player with tremendous red-zone potential thanks to his jump ball-winning ability. He'll definitely have some competition in Cleveland soon enough.

 

Holy shit balls...

 

4th and Hopkins for a 2nd and David Johnson.

 

The Texans can be considered a team to watch early in the draft when it comes to selecting WRs.

 

I am surprised they got rid of Hopkins. I guess they figured they need a RB and believe in Johnson. Hopkins still had 2 years. They really trust the guys they have to step up. I can see it but man that's a big piece to lose.

 

Cardinals get: WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 4th-round pick.
Texans get: RB David Johnson, a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.


The 4th wasn't free, it was just getting the Cardinals a pick back this year in lieu of the same pick next year.

 

There were rumblings that Nuk would be on the block all the way back to the beginning of this season, but I can’t remember what the reasoning was.

I heard a rumor today that the bigger part of the Hooper signing for the Browns is that it will immediately put Beckham on the market.

Might end up being a big week for some big name receivers.

 

As usual Eagles twitter is flipping over how they can't make some of these trades over the past week. I don't think anyone but Arizona could make this trade. David Johnson is a unique piece along with an early 2nd.

 

That, and I think the Eagles are locked in on their current approach to acquiring talent.

And they probably should be, considering what they’ve done.

I think the question for Philly may be more around coaching and on field approach than anything front office related.

 

Falcons moves are purely because the cap is coming in lower than anticipated.

They have decided not to resign backup WR / core special teams player Justin Hardy, have already released swing tackle Ty Sambrailo (who was just extended before the new cap figure came in), and are parting ways with Trufant and Freeman.

Resigning Hardy might actually be a possibility if he doesn't sign elsewhere first. Ditto for backup DB/LB and core special teamer Kemal Ishmael and backup RB / return man Kenjon Barner. Any of them are replaceable cheaper, but if it turns out they don't land elsewhere on "real" contracts with teams that value them at their primary positions, they might sign contracts that qualify for the veteran minimum benefit - if that is even still part of the CBA under the new deal.

 

I think the biggest reason was actually from the front office and they finally admitted their shortcoming. They rarely looked outside for new talent and always kept bringing back the same people on the back end of the roster. Missing out on opportunities to find better talent elsewhere.

 

We could likely have an extended discussion on this, but to keep it on the shorter side...

I marginally agree, but disagree a bit more, lol.

 

I agree there needs to be a change in coaching philosophy. I don't like how the games are approached. Doug does a fine job adjusting late in the game but you shouldn't have to adjust so much at that time. Don't put your team in that position. They need to read the trends and defences (speaking offense) better earlier.