MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Depends on your meaning of dysfunctional. It certainly could create some distractions but I don't see it splintering the locker room the way it was last year and would be again if Mayfield walked through the door.

 

True and his contract also contains offset language. So anything he's paid by another franchise will be deducted from the 18.8M the Browns owe him.

 

If they cut him that will be just over $1M, league minimum.

They need to string it along long enough for these coaches to get an idea of what the team will look like with their current roster… if Winston is hobbling, the Saints could come calling to give the Browns a little compensation as long as Berry will eat $8-10M of that contract.

 

How do you know that? Watson just came from a franchise that he personally splintered by demanding a trade away from them. I don’t get why everyone thinks he is going to be the savior in Cleveland.

 

There are some reasons for Baker to not take the league minimum. They are remote but they involve the risk of injury and the contract tolling. Some NLTBE earned incentives could be thrown in that could come back to help Baker and the Browns. If teams are competing it could help the Browns.

 

Pretty simple. Watson can take them places Baker could not.

 

Free-agent quarterback Nathan Peterman signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday, according to a source. Peterman, who started the 2018 as the starter ahead of Josh Allen in Buffalo, spent the last few years as QB depth for the Las Vegas Raiders. The 28-year-old played on just 15 offensive snaps in two games the last two years and figures to serve as the No. 3 in Chicago behind second-year QB Justin Fields and Trevor Siemian. The former fifth-round pick by the Bills in 2017 has gone 71-for-135 for 573 yards, three touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 games (four starts) in his four seasons in the NFL. He hasn't started a game since 2018.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller

 

sure you do....The Browns went "all in" and successfully upgraded in a big way at the most important position. That's it.

 

Jarrett Stidham and his 48 career pass attempts are headed west.

The New England Patriots are trading Stidham and a seventh-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday.

Stidham entered the NFL via a fourth-round pick spent on him by New England in the 2019 draft, and he's since spent the majority of the last three years sitting behind passers the organization preferred over him. Stidham was a rookie for Tom Brady's final season in New England in 2019, and it seemed Stidham might take over as the team's starter following Brady's departure in early 2020.

New England then signed Cam Newton and re-signed Brian Hoyer, relegating Stidham to a role split between second- and third- string for the duration of the 2020 season. A year later, the Patriots spent a first-round pick on Mac Jones, watched him earn the starting job coming out of training camp and backed him up with Hoyer while Stidham gradually returned from offseason back surgery, going without an appearance in the entire 2021 season.

The writing appeared to be on the wall when the Patriots spent a fourth-round pick on Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe, essentially replacing Stidham with another younger, developmental prospect.

Stidham is getting a fresh start with a coach he knows quite well. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the head coach in Las Vegas and should present Stidham with an easy transition. Stidham will also have the opportunity to learn behind veteran Derek Carr, who is coming off of one of his most impressive seasons with the Raiders; Nick Mullens, Garrett Gilbert and Chase Garbers are also on the roster. If all goes well, Stidham could work his way into a long-term backup role in Las Vegas.

NFL.com

 

Everything before the shit hits the fan, is pure hope. I really hope the Browns do well and Watson is an upgrade. Nothing wrong with being optomistic. Fact is the Browns have Watson, he's the man at QB and Baker is gone.

In my opinion, cut Bake's and be done with it. Its a few bucks , but so what.... its affordable.

 

I can appreciate the notion, but still see no reason for the Browns to simply cut him...

We on the hook for his money either way. Baker is very petty. Not a doubt in my mind that he'd immediately go to Pittsburgh on a cheap deal to groom Pickett, all the while desperately hoping to break it off in the Cleveland Browns.

He makes himself the most unlikable persona in sports.

I mean, THIS IS the guy that said he wishes he could go into business offices and boo people in their cubicles. Just sayin.

Part of the reason that the Browns are having difficulty finding a trade partner is the contract, but the bigger reason is because he is truly an a-hole. Franchises don't like him. GM's don't like him. Coaches don't like him. Teammates don't like him. He is his own worst enemy.

Good QB. But needs a reality check....and an advisor.

 

You make a big assumption that the Steelers would have anything to do with him.

 

Dolphins OC Frank Smith: Miami isn't 'limiting' offense with Tua Tagovailoa at QB

Until Tua Tagovailoa rips a deep pass to Tyreek Hill for a touchdown in a game, we're going to continue hearing questions about his arm strength.

New Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith might already be adjusted to fielding them. Smith was asked Wednesday about Tagovailoa's arm and whether it might limit Smith's ability to dial up deep shots to stretch the field and maximize the offense's potential.

"I wouldn't say that we're limiting ourselves in anything," Smith said, via Sports Illustrated's Dolphins site. "He's actually been doing a great job of ... every day presents different routes, different things we're trying to accomplish with receivers. So I would say that everything we've done so far has been extremely optimistic because there's certain things in our progressions and reads and his ability to move from throughout his progressions. He's been awesome for a guy just really being in the system for a month."

The system is new and so are some of Tagovailoa's key running mates, including Hill and fellow offseason addition Cedrick Wilson. Left tackle Terron Armstead, guard Connor Williams and running backs Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel are also new to the Dolphins, leaving plenty of acclimating left to be done.

Ultimately, though, the fate of the Dolphins' revamped offense comes down to the performance of Tagovailoa, which still depends on what he can do with his arm. The video -- yes, that video -- posted by the team showing Tagovailoa throw a pass to Hill during spring workouts didn't exactly help quiet the narrative surrounding Tagovailoa's arm, but as Smith said Wednesday, Miami's offense will be about much more than throwing deep balls to Hill.

"Oh, physically he's been fine," Smith said of Tagovailoa. "I mean, one unique thing with him is his ability to play with fundamentals and accuracy with the ball. This time of year we're working the whole route tree, all different concepts and all the things necessary for the wide receivers and for him and the running backs. So the one thing is is his ability to on-the-field process and deliver the football where we need it to go."

Accuracy will end up being more important than arm strength for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, as will be avoiding turnovers. If the Dolphins can move the ball efficiently and establish a running game that is more effective than it was in 2021, folks will eventually stop asking about Tagovailoa's arm strength. A one-play, 75-yard touchdown drive still counts the same as an 11-play march.


Until then, though, don't expect these questions to go away. There's plenty of time left for hand-wringing and prognostication, but the Dolphins have certainly positioned themselves for better production in 2022 than they experienced in 2021.

NFL.com

 

Mike Vrabel: Ryan Tannehill is a great teammate whose job is to help us win games



Titans veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill caused a debate May 3 after he said it wasn’t his job to mentor rookie Malik Willis. Critics called Tannehill a bad teammate.

Others agreed with Tannehill, questioning why anyone in any profession should be expected to groom an apprentice to take his or her job.


Willis wasn’t going to get pulled into the argument Friday. He downplayed Tannehill’s comment, at first joking about it before insisting that everything is “cool” between the new teammates. Willis even pointed out that Tannehill had the rookies to his house last week as a welcome to the team.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel chimed in, agreeing with Tannehill. Vrabel said Tannehill is the starting quarterback, not a mentor or a coach.

“His job is to prepare to help us win a bunch of games and and be a great teammate and help out,” Vrabel said Friday via Teresa Walker of the Associated Press. “And I know that he’s going to do that. So that was not any sort of issue for me.”

Vrabel said no one inside the building was upset about Tannehill’s comment.

“I thought Ryan handled that very well,” Vrabel said. “I thought he was genuine. I thought he is authentic. And I know Ryan is a great teammate. Everybody here knows he’s a great teammate. And that is not his job.”

PFT

 

NFL officials to meet with Browns QB Deshaun Watson in Texas this week

NFL officials are scheduled to meet with Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Texas this week, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, per a source.

CBS Sports' Josina Anderson first reported the news.

Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct stemming from massage therapy sessions. He is currently under NFL investigation for violating the league's personal-conduct policy and is potentially subject to a league-issued suspension.

"We will decline comment," the league said in a statement, "as the review is active and ongoing."

Two Texas grand juries declined in March to indict Watson on criminal charges. The quarterback was soon after traded from Houston to Cleveland in a blockbuster deal, and the Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with the team.

Watson has been with the Browns during their offseason workout program and is reportedly hosting a few of his new teammates in the Bahamas this weekend.

Cleveland is set to begin organized team activities on May 24.

NFL.com

 

Joe Burrow has shed his knee brace, feels “great”



The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 prevented Joe Burrow from getting a real offseason before his rookie year. The Bengals quarterback was rehabbing from major knee surgery last offseason.

So, heading into his third season, Burrow finally is getting a “normal” NFL offseason.


“I feel great,” Burrow said Tuesday, via video from the team. “Obviously, this is my first offseason in the NFL, so I’ve been able to take advantage of that as far as my body and my throwing and my mind and all that. Obviously, I’ve been grinding, but it’s also been relaxing not having to worry about, ‘Am I going to be ready for the season?’ I can just focus on getting my body right, making sure I’m healthy and then relaxing.”

Burrow is practicing without a knee brace, which he played with last season after tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee in Week 10 of his rookie season.

“Yeah, it’s fun,” Burrow said of shedding the brace. “I don’t really like wearing that thing, so it’s good to have that off.”

He said it’s “to be determined” whether he will play without the brace.

“I don’t anticipate wearing it but maybe get to game day and feel a little more comfortable having it on, so we’ll see,” Burrow said.

Burrow won the league’s comeback player of the year award over Dak Prescott last year, and he then led the Bengals to the Super Bowl.

PFT

 

Daniel Jones: Giants declining 2023 option “is what it is”



Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is heading into the final year of his contract after the team declined their option on his deal for the 2023 season, but he said Thursday that the contract situation isn’t weighing too heavily on his mind as he prepares for September.

Jones said “it is what it is” when asked his feelings about a decision that was “out of my control, out of my hands” this offseason. Jones said that his focus is on preparing to play as well as he can because that will set the wheels in motion for another contract with the Giants or someone else.


“I think it’s more about winning games and knowing that if we win games and we have a good season then that’s going to take care of a lot of things for everyone,” Jones said. ”Everything we do is about that goal.”

Jones said that he’s confident that he can accomplish his goals in the months to come. The Giants are taking a more cautious approach that will cost them a bit more if Jones finally cleans up his game and leads them to a winning season, but that will likely be fine with them if it means the end of life in the cellar of the NFL.

PFT

 

Colts negotiating with Nick Foles



For the second consecutive year, the Colts are looking to add a quarterback who previously played for head coach Frank Reich in Philadelphia.

Last year it was Carson Wentz, who didn’t pan out. This year it’s Nick Foles, who is currently negotiating with the Colts and could get a deal done by next week, according to Zak Keefer of TheAthletic.com.

Reich said this week that the Colts would have interest in adding a veteran quarterback, and of the quarterbacks available, Foles would make the most sense. Foles was Super Bowl LII MVP as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, with Reich as the offensive coordinator.

Foles has spent the last two years with the Bears and has also spent time with the Jaguars, Chiefs and Rams in addition to his two separate stints with the Eagles.

If the Colts sign him, Foles will likely become the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Matt Ryan. Indianapolis also has Sam Ehlinger, James Morgan and Jack Coan in the quarterback room but would prefer a more proven backup if Ryan were to go down.

PFT

 

Joe Burrow: I love playing the Ravens because they talk



Games between the Ravens and Bengals were not a lot of fun for Cincinnati for a long stretch of time, but the 2021 season represented a break from tradition.

The Bengals won the AFC North and went to the Super Bowl while the Ravens missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. Part of the reason for those outcomes were a pair of Bengals blowouts over the Ravens. They won 41-17 at home in Week 7 and 41-21 in Baltimore in Week 16 with Joe Burrow putting up huge numbers both times.


He threw for 416 yards and three touchdowns in the first meeting and 525 yards and four touchdowns in the rematch. During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Burrow said that the Ravens like to talk a lot of trash and that makes him love the meetings with their divisional rivals all the more.

“I love playing the Ravens because they talk,” Burrow said. “They talk. I love that. . . . [The score] was a lot to a little. I threw for 520-something in the second one and I threw for 400-something in the first one. Ja’Marr had like 260-something yards the first game. Yeah, I love playing the Ravens. They like to talk. I don’t start the talking, but I usually — if somebody pokes me, I can talk a little bit.”

Poking the Bengals quarterback didn’t work out for the Ravens last season. On a Sunday night in Week 5, we’ll find out if the Ravens try something different this time around.

PFT

 

Deshaun Watson’s lawyer expects to hear something from NFL in June



The clock is ticking on the NFL, when it comes to the possible imposition of discipline on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. And Watson’s camp has an idea as to when the process may get started.

“We should know what their position is initially sometime in June, and then everybody will figure out if there’s going to be a hearing about it or can people work things out, or whatever,” attorney Rusty Hardin told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Friday. “The only thing that’s certain is that they want to try to get everything done this summer — and earlier than later in the summer. Past that, we don’t really have any firm dates or possibilities.”

Hardin also said that he believes that the league will want to talk to Watson again, presumably before initiating the disciplinary process.

Hardin told Cabot that Watson was questioned for three days this week, by NFL investigators Lisa Friel and Jennifer Gaffney.

“This idea that [the NFL] hasn’t aggressively investigated this is totally, totally false as evidenced by the fact he’s already spent three days with them,’’ Hardin said. “They’ve obviously done a bunch of research and done a lot of work themselves and they say need to do some more.”

That’s fine, but the time is coming for a decision. The process will take time. Under the new procedure adopted in 2020, the league will propose a punishment. The Disciplinary Officer, former federal judge Sue L. Robinson, will take it from there, issuing an initial decision. Then, the Commissioner would handle any appeal — unless Judge Robinson finds that no discipline of any kind should be imposed on Watson. If that happens, the case would end. If any discipline is imposed, the Commissioner has the power on appeal to change the discipline to anything he wants, with no further appeal by Watson or the league.

Before this procedure officially ends, it has to officially start. The sooner it officially starts, the sooner it officially finishes. The sooner it officially finishes, the sooner everyone knows whether and to what extent Watson will be playing in 2022.

PFT