NFL - NEWS & NOTES

kinda like the NFC NORTH throw out the W/L records cause teams in the NFC NORTH can't stand or like each other

 

Oh yes, they have beat the Browns more than any other divisional foe in the past 4 seasons but if they win this year it’ll be against the Steelers. Makes sense. The Browns are still the Browns until they have multiple competitive years. They do it again this year, they get more respect and credibility. Credit where credit is due, Browns embarrassed the Steelers in the playoffs. Browns need to prove they can have a winning record 2 years in a row.. Pretty sure it hasn’t happened since their return to the league. Ben doesn’t have to be great for the Steelers to win, if the running game improves and the defense doesn’t take a huge step back, Ben just has to be good.

Browns have been crowned the AFC North champions the last 2 or 3 off seasons. Haven’t finished above third. Odds are good that changes this season, but also possible it doesn’t.

 

I'm not making you defend you're opinion. I'm defending myself against the accusation that what I posted was misleading.

The fact is, the Bengals have been bad to really bad for the last 5 seasons and they still managed to win multiple division games. Even in their 2-14 season they won one.

Obviously they could go 0-6. Anything is possible. I just think it's more likely they win a game or two. Only time will tell.

 

Steelers sign Melvin Ingram. That's a really big deal. OLB was their thinnest position. Ingram provides quality depth and can give the starters the rest they need. Hopefully one of the young guys can give them another 200-300 snaps.

 

Justin Fields visits Chicago gunshot survivor who wouldn’t die before seeing him play



Last month a Chicago resident named Scott Morrow was walking down the street when he suddenly felt a sharp pain and collapsed to the ground. He had been shot in the back and was now in a fight for his life, but as he rode in an ambulance to a nearby hospital, he was inspired by the thought of Justin Fields.

A lifelong Bears fan, Morrow thinks Fields has what it takes to be the best quarterback Morrow has ever cheered for, and he wants to live long enough for it to happen.

“Within a couple moments, I thought well, I’m 41, pretty much all of Chicago has gone our whole lives without even having great prospects for a franchise quarterback, I can’t die before seeing Justin Fields take the field,” Morrow said on 670 The Score. “I don’t plan to die before he’s a Hall of Famer.”

When Fields heard about that, he decided to pay Morrow a visit while he recuperates. Morrow documented it on Twitter.

“Just met Bears rookie QB and future Hall of Famer @justnfields (as well as his lovely parents)! I can’t believe they came out to to visit a little ol’ gunshot victim,” Morrow wrote.

Morrow’s GoFundMe page says that he still has a long road to recovery, after having his spleen and one kidney removed, as well as damage to his stomach, pancreas and abdomen.

PFT

 

NFL knows it must reconsider accountability for hiding and faking injuries



The NFL publicly has had nothing to say about the news that quarterback Tom Brady played the entire 2020 season with a torn MCL in his knee without the Buccaneers ever disclosing the injury. Privately, the NFL recognizes the potential problems that can arise from teams violating the injury report.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the league realizes that it must reconsider the degree of accountability when it comes to the hiding and/or faking of injuries. Last year, the league had a handful of situations involving failure to report injuries, and at least two situations where the league identified the faking of an injury during games.

The league has approached these matters with less and less transparency, refraining from making it known to the world that its teams lie and cheat when it comes to injuries. Put simply, the league doesn’t want those who may regulate (or prosecute) responsible persons to realize how widespread the problem is. The league nevertheless knows that it must insist on greater compliance in order to prevent future problems with politicians or prosecutors, and that could result (sooner or later) in the league-imposed penalties increasing for violations — along with a more aggressive effort by the league to enforce infractions.

Flipping widespread violations to uniform compliance will require a dramatic shift in the culture of secrecy that prompts teams to keep opponents in the dark when it comes to the true health or lack thereof of its players. The Buccaneers understandably hid Brady’s knee injury to keep defensive players from “testing” the knee. One hit, intentional or accidental (or “accidental”), could have ended the season for Brady and, in turn, for the team.

Thus, it won’t be easy to get teams to embrace the importance of transparency and accuracy regarding injury information. It’s nevertheless critical to do so. Without compliance, inside information exists. Gamblers will try to find it. Persons who have it could be contacted and potentially corrupted for it. Those relationships could grow, and what began as an effort to obtain inside information regarding the health of a given player could expand. Eventually, depending on the role of the person involved, efforts could be undertaken to shave points or rig a prop bet.

Put simply, inside information becomes the potential gateway for gamblers to infiltrate the sport. It already may be happening. It possibly has been happening for years. As legalized sports betting spreads, however, a renewed urgency emerges to create a clear and potent firewall. That begins with eliminating inside information when it comes to injury, and thus making the pursuit of inside information fruitless.

Of course, other types of inside information will remain. That’s why the league must be concerned not only about minimizing inside information but also about protecting the inside information that exists. It’s one of the biggest current threats to the integrity of and public confidence in the game of professional football, because the legitimization of sports gambling puts public skin directly into the game — and that will invite public officials to take steps to ensure that the millions of dollars in hard-earned money now legally wagered on games won’t be undermined by shenanigans driven by certain gamblers and facilitated by certain players and/or coaches.

PFT

 

lolol

 

Brutal

 

just read that Cam Akers has a torn Achilles and is out for the season, could Todd Gurley being that he's a free agent could he sign with Rams? does he have any game left stranger things have happen in the NFL

 

49ers, Fred Warner agree to five-year contract extension



Fred Warner has secured his bag.

According to multiple reports, the All-Pro inside linebacker has agreed to terms with the 49ers on a five-year contract extension through 2026. The deal is worth $95 million with $40.5 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the league.

The 70th overall pick in the third round back in 2018, Warner was entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’s started every game for San Francisco since he was drafted, recording at least 118 total tackles in each of his first three years.

Warner was named to the Pro Bowl and received first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in 2020. He recorded 125 total tackles, five tackles for loss, seven QB hits, a sack, three passes defensed, and a pair of interceptions last year.

Warner is a critical piece for a 49ers defense that was ravaged by injuries a season ago. The unit finished No. 5 in yards allowed, which is part of why former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh landed as Jets head coach. Now with DeMeco Ryans as DC and Nick Bosa expected back from his torn ACL, Warner has a chance to once again thrive in 2021.

PFT

 

Report: Devin Bush is expected to be fully cleared for camp



Steelers linebacker Devin Bush said last month he was confident he would be “100 percent” for the start of training camp. It appears his timetable was accurate.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Bush is “expected to be cleared to fully practice right away.”

Bush appeared in five games for Pittsburgh before his season came to an abrupt end in a win over the Browns in October. Bush returned to limited individual work in organized team activities.

Bush had 109 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and four fumble recoveries during his rookie season in 2019.

PFT

 

Bet he has a big grin cause Fred Warner got PAID IMO these contracts are getting insane ( get your money while you can get it )

 

Report: Stephon Gilmore reports to training camp



Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore skipped the team’s entire offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp. He has shown up for training camp on time, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

All eyes were on Gilmore as the Patriots required quarterbacks and players who ended the 2020 season on an injury-related reserve list to report Thursday. Gilmore ended last season with a partially torn quadriceps that landed him on injured reserve.

He will start camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Gilmore is in a contract dispute with the team as he enters the final season of his contract. He is due to make $7 million in base salary in 2021 after the Patriots moved up $5 million of his contract to 2020.

Gilmore recently told reporter Josina Anderson he wants to be paid what he’s worth, and the sides reportedly have made little progress on a new deal.

So could the 2019 defensive player of the year be “holding in,” taking his time to recover from his injury until he has a new deal or a new team? That remains to be seen. But, by reporting, he has avoided additional fines for holding out.

PFT

 

In the event of a forfeit, players from both teams will lose game checks



The NFL has found a way essentially to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while still maintaining (with a straight face) it’s an individual decision. As expected, some NFL players have not reacted favorably to news of the league’s Thursday memo to teams.

The NFL informed its 32 clubs that it will not reschedule any regular-season games in 2021 for a COVID-19 breakout among non-vaccinated players or staff. It included the “f word” — forfeit — in its warning. (Teams will not have to forfeit if an outbreak of vaccinated players occurs.)

The league attached financial penalties to any forfeits arising from a COVID-19 spike among the unvaccinated: Players from both teams will lose their game checks that week, while the team with the outbreak will bear responsibility “for all additional expenses incurred by the opposing team” and any shortfall in the league’s revenue-sharing pool.

The league will consider the forfeiting team to have played 16 games for purposes of draft order and waiver priority.

The NFL postponed five games and moved 10 others to accommodate outbreaks last season.

The league not only is incentivizing the vaccine but mandating restrictions for those who choose not to get vaccinated. The protocols for the unvaccinated include a mandatory mask mandate at the facility, not being allowed to eat in the cafeteria with teammates and being forced to remain in the team hotel during any off time for road games.

The NFL’s latest memo threatens to create a chasm within locker rooms.

Fourteen teams have at least 85 percent of their players vaccinated and more than 78 percent of players in the league have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“These operating principles are designed to allow us to play a full season in a safe and responsible way, and address possible competitive or financial issues fairly,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in the memo, a copy of which PFT has obtained. “While there is no question that health conditions have improved from last year, we cannot be complacent or simply assume that we will be able to play without interruption — either due to COVID outbreaks among our clubs or outbreaks that occur within the larger community. These principles are intended to help inform decisions, recognizing that, as in 2020, we will need to remain flexible and adapt to possibly changing conditions.”

PFT

 

Amari Cooper (ankle), DeMarcus Lawrence (back) among Cowboys starting camp on PUP list

The Cowboys reported to camp earlier than any other team not named the Steelers this week, and they won't have a few key contributors available right away.

Dallas placed receiver Amari Cooper (ankle), defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (back), defensive tackle Trysten Hill (knee) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (back) on the physically unable to perform list to open training camp. Rookie defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (hamstring) and offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt (knee) are also starting camp on the PUP list, while receiver T.J. Vasher (knee) is on the active/non-football injury list.

Cooper appeared in all 16 games last season for Dallas, posting his second straight 1,100-plus-yard season for the Cowboys. He's missed just three games in his entire career, but has been expected to miss the start of camp since early July when coach Mike McCarthy addressed the ankle issue with reporters.

Cooper began experiencing irritation in his ankle in late June, which kept him from being able to run and required rest. His inability to participate is related to a concern that without being able to run, Cooper might not be in ideal shape and could risk reinjuring the ankle, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on July 9.

Lawrence has had back issues dating back to 2015, which required surgery in early 2016, but he hasn't missed a game in the last four seasons. Zuerlein has his own history of back issues, which landed him on injured reserve in 2017 while with the Los Angeles Rams. Zuerlein missed five games in the following season, but has appeared in every contest from 2019-2020.

NFL.com

 

New York Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp has died after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in California over the weekend. He was 58.

 

Michael Thomas is expected to miss start of regular season after June ankle surgery



Saints receiver Michael Thomas’ ankle issues from 2020 have extended into 2021.

According to multiple reports, Thomas is expected to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing ankle surgery in June. The recovery period could sideline Thomas for multiple weeks once the year begins in September. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport noted the timeline is recommended to be four months.

The surgery stemmed from the same injury Thomas battled throughout last season.

Thomas appeared in just seven games in 2020, making 40 receptions for 438 yards — a year after leading the league with 149 catches and 1,725 yards. He went on injured reserve but returned for the postseason, where he caught five passes for 73 yards with a touchdown in two games.

Per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, the Saints have interest in the free-agent market and should bring in a few receivers for tryouts in the coming days.

Thomas’ injury could affect New Orleans’ quarterback competition between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, who will now be throwing in camp without the team’s most prominent target.

PFT

 

Report: Packers, Davante Adams have broken off contract talks



Packers wide receiver Davante Adams is heading into the final year of his contract, and it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll be hitting free agency in 2022.

Adams and the Packers have broken off contract talks and don’t plan to resume them, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Last month Adams said he won’t hold out because he doesn’t want to get fined, so there’s no concern about whether he’ll get to work this year. But this could be his last year in Green Bay.

Adams and his Fresno State teammate Derek Carr have flirted with joining forces on the Raiders next year. We’re a long way from that happening, but Adams’ contract is a situation that bears monitoring, and may continue to bear monitoring into next year.

PFT

 

Ex-Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin signing one-year deal with Dolphins

Ex-Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin is signing a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. The fourth-year veteran visited with the club on Friday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.

Griffin, a fifth-round selection in 2018, appeared in 46 games for the Seahawks, registering one sack, six QB hits and 25 tackles while also adding a sack in the 2019 playoffs. The 26-year-old was released after three seasons.

Multiple teams have had interest in Griffin over the course of the 2021 offseason, but heading to Florida is an intriguing fit for the UCF alum. Griffin not only adds depth but brings competition to a young unit of pass rushers. Miami recently drafted Jaelan Phillips in the first round after the offseason release of Kyle Van Noy.

Dolphins training camp is set to begin July 27.

NFL.com