NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Not knocking him at all. I'll have to go back and look up the year, but there was at least one year in the mid-1990s when one network ran figure skating against the Super Bowl pregame show and another network had basketball. I don't remember what the other major network ran. When the Nielsen ratings were released, it turned out that for a block of about 2 hours during the pregame, the ratings winner that day was TBS with its Andy Griffith Show marathon. So it happens.

Given that it's a Raiders game, maybe the local TV stations can pre-empt it and show "Heidi" instead. I don't think so many people would mind this time around...

 

QB candidate #1 = didn't play 3 games, and played in a balanced run/pass offense rather than all out pass-happy offense. Started the other 14 games. Completed 66.7% of pass attempts. 7.6 yards per attempt. 18 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions. QB passer rating = 95.2. Well-liked by his teammates, which is important because they're YOUR players. Getting old, so no upside. Dirt cheap on the cap.

QB candidate #2 = didn't play 2 games, started the other 15. Played in more of a pass-happy system (on another team) than QB candidate #1. Completed 60.8% of his pass attempts for an average of 7.0 yards per attempt. 24 touchdowns, 14 interceptions. QB passer rating = 86.3. Not so well liked - former team didn't even want to keep him. Not quite as old as QB candidate #1, but still no upside. Mega-expensive on the cap.


Noteworthy: your team has good receivers, good running backs, decent blocking, but salary cap problems. Which QB would you prefer to hold down the fort for your team while you try to develop a mid-round prospect?

 

You can probably guess that candidate #2 above is Carr. The possible surprise is that #1 is Andy Dalton, and that the bargain-rack Dalton arguably had a better year than the "franchise QB" Carr.

Did the Saints really get that much of an upgrade? I don't think so. Or at least not enough of an upgrade to justify a massive contract. The Saints have been kicking the can down the road with their cap mess for years, and signing Carr simply continues their torment. His cap figure jumps from $7 million this year to $35 million next year - and his salary is fully guaranteed. If things don't work out so well, they're stuck with him for a while.

 

DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson off injury report, expected to play vs. Dolphins

While two of the Eagles’ key offensive players didn’t practice early in the week, they will be available to face the Dolphins on Sunday Night Football.

Receiver DeVonta Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson are both off the injury report and are expected to play in Week 7.

Smith is dealing with a hamstring injury while Johnson has an ankle injury. Johnson was a full participant in Friday’s practice after he didn’t participate on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday. Smith was limited on Thursday and Friday after not practicing Wednesday.

The only two players with a game status are safety Reed Blankenship (ribs) and cornerback Bradley Roby (shoulder) who have both been ruled out.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (ankle), tight end Dallas Goedert (groin), cornerback Darius Slay (knee), defensive tackle Milton Williams (ankle), safety Sydney Brown (hamstring), cornerback Eli Ricks (knee), and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu (triceps) are all expected to play.

PFT

 

Its crazy how this stuff works out. Seems like the people calling the shots need better crystal balls or even just get one.

His contract includes a full-guaranteed salary of $30 million for 2024. In 2024, another $10 million in 2025 injury guarantees become fully guaranteed.

Trading Carr after the season would leave behind a $22.8 million cap charge for 2024. Cutting him before June 1 would stick the Saints with $52.8 million, subject to offset for his $30 million salary. Cutting him with a post-June 1 designation would push $17.1 million of the dead cap charge to 2025.

Still, they’re on the hook for $30 million in 2024, both as cash and cap space. And if they keep him into March 2024, another $10 million becomes fully guaranteed in 2025.


His cap number if he’s on the team in 2024 will be $35.7 million.

Carr has a no-trade clause, which would make it a little harder to trade him. (With or without a trade clause, it’s not easy to trade a starting quarterback; if he doesn’t want to play for the team that would be trading for him, why would that team do the deal?)

Anyway you cut it with Carr, the Saints, who were already in deep, created a potential situation to make things even deeper.

 

• TE Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Rams. He will likely miss additional time afterwards after aggravating his injury in practice Thursday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported

• RB Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) will play versus the Ravens on Sunday, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. He had no designation on the injury report.
• RB David Montgomery (ribs) ruled out
• 
  
• QB Kyler Murray (knee) was ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Seahawks.

 

Good Morning to all of you!

Enjoy your weekend.

 

Deebo Samuel out with hairline shoulder fracture; Christian McCaffrey questionable

The 49ers will not be 100 percent when they play the Vikings on Monday Night Football and could play without three of their biggest stars.

The team ruled out Deebo Samuel (shoulder), and coach Kyle Shanahan announced the receiver won’t play next week either because of a hairline fracture.

Samuel, who has not practiced this week, could return to the lineup in Week 10 following the team’s bye week.

He has 38 touches for 397 yards and two touchdowns this season.

The 49ers also likely play without left tackle Trent Williams, who is doubtful with an ankle injury. Jaylon Moore is expected to start if Williams can’t play.

Running back Christian McCaffrey (oblique) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (hamstring) are questionable. Both players were limited in Saturday’s practice.

McCaffrey leads the NFL with 553 rushing yards and has 133 touches for 730 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

NBC

 

Eagles elevate Julio Jones from practice squad for Sunday Night Football

The Eagles elevated receiver Julio Jones from the practice squad, and he is expected to make his debut with the team on Sunday night.

Jones signed with the Eagles on Oct. 17.

The 13-year veteran has 13,629 career receiving yards, the 16th-most in NFL history and the most among active receivers.

He has not played since Week 17 of last season, and he played only 10 games with the Bucs. Jones caught 24 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.

He played with the Titans in 2021 after spending his first 10 years in the league with the Falcons.

The seven-time Pro Bowler has played 155 games, with 903 catches and 81 touchdowns.

“The biggest thing for me is going out there and learning as much as I can right now,” Jones said this week, via Owen Boyle of the team website. “Wherever the team needs me to fill in at, I’m willing to do. I am a veteran. I can move around (the offense), whatever the case may be.”

The Eagles also elevated cornerback Mekhi Garner for Sunday’s game. Garner made his NFL debut last week against the Jets, seeing action on 23 defensive snaps after Reed Blankenship was injured in the second half.

Blankenship will not play against the Dolphins.

PFT

 

League threatens teams with potential loss of draft picks for pre-game fighting

Last weekend entailed multiple fights both before games. As expected, the NFL reminded all teams of the relevant rules this week.

The league also made some pretty clear threats about what will happen if it happens again.

PFT has obtained a memo sent to all chief executives, presidents, General Managers, and coaches regarding fighting on game day.

“Sportsmanship and respect are at the core of NFL football, and fighting is irreconcilable with these values,” the memo explains. “Fighting is never acceptable, as it risks unnecessary injury to players, coaches, officials, and other game day personnel. These actions send an inappropriate and unacceptable message to players, coaches, and fans at all other levels of the game.”

The memo states that the game-day policies are “clear” when it comes to fighting, and that they were reviewed with the owners at this week’s quarterly meetings in New York.

"[T]here should be no ambiguity or misunderstanding,” the memo explains. The memo also explains the various steps that will be taken to enforce the rules.

For starters, the two teams will be required to warm-up in their designated areas, within their own 45-yard lines. (That’s how it was supposed to be; last week, a pair of fights started because that didn’t occur.)

“We will strictly enforce these policies, with both NFL Football Operations staff and Game Officials closely monitoring team activities prior to and during the Official Team Warm-Up Period,” the memo explains.

The memo warns that players and others could be ejected for fighting before and during a game, along with other potential punishment. Also, the memo says that teams could be subject to the loss of draft picks and/or significant fines.

“More significant accountability measures” might apply to teams whose players or non-players “join a fight already in progress.”

With all that said, the league imposed no fines of any kind for last week’s pre-game fights. That could be a recognition of the reality that perhaps things had gotten a little lax when it comes to keeping teams separated before games, across the league.

So in lieu of whacking the Cowboys, Chargers, 49ers, and/or Browns, the league has issued all teams a clear reminder that things must change. Now.

If they don’t, there will be ejections, fines, possible suspensions, potential loss of draft picks, and even stronger punishments if a team’s players or non-players rush to join a fight that already has begun.

PFT

 

Howdy.

Enjoy some NFL, shall we?

 

I’m ready!!!!

 

Best of luck to you and the Browns. Im really pulling for the Browns, they are fun to watch... hope I dont offend RT, but that might go with the territory, lol.

 

FORD, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Lamar Jackson calls his own number, he called a TD. Thanks Lamar!

 

Colts caught a break, Browns jumped, Colts TD. dammmmm

 

lol, Tyrod Taylor deep, TD... its a jacked up start today.

 

Ridder goes 4 for 4 and then calls his own number on a run for a TD. Falcons up 7-0. Torgo could be heard here in Toledo.

 

Bears march the field, punch it in (Montgomery), 7-0

 

It's early, but, so far Watson's playing like shit.