NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Broadcasting legend and former Pro Bowler Irv Cross dies at 81



Irv Cross, a former NFL defensive back who became one of the cornerstones of The NFL Today in the 1970s, has died. He was 81.

The Eagles announced his passing on Sunday night.

Cross played for the Eagles from 1961 through 1965, and again in 1969. He spent 1966 through 1968 with the Rams. Cross was a two-time Pro Bowler, in 1964 and 1965.

After his playing career ended, Cross became a broadcaster with CBS in 1971. Cross formed part of the legendary team that launched The NFL Today in 1975. The show became appointment viewing, with Cross joined by Brent Musburger and, eventually, Phyllis George and Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder.

Cross worked on The NFL Today from 1975 through 1989. He received the Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2009.

We extend our condolences to Irv’s family, friends, and colleagues.

NBC

 

J.J. Watt signs with Cardinals



Amid widespread speculation about where free agent defensive lineman J.J. Watt will end up, Watt himself dropped the surprise announcement today: He’s a Cardinal.

Watt tweeted a picture of himself working out, wearing an Arizona Cardinals shirt.

In a not-so-subtle statement about some inaccurate rumors that have been floating around about Watt’s whereabouts, Watt made it clear who the news is coming from with two words: “Source: me.”

Watt is reportedly signing a two-year, $31 million contract with $23 million guaranteed.

The Cardinals got off to a good start last season but then fell short down the stretch, finishing 8-8 and out of the playoffs. Watt has indicated he wants to go somewhere he thinks he can win a Super Bowl. The Cardinals wouldn’t seem to be first on that list, but it does allow Watt to reunite with his old friend DeAndre Hopkins, who went from Houston to Arizona last year.

But Arizona will now be the home of one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, and a player who hopes to show he has more left in the tank.

NBC

 

The QB merry-go-round keeps on spinning. After an impressive comeback for Washington after a brutal leg injury and - reportedly - over a dozen surgeries, Alex Smith is expected to be released.

I’ll let Chicago fans speak for their team (what?! are you or I gonna stop ‘em?) But with connections to Nagy and, uhmm, some dissatisfaction with the current Bears talent, that’s gotta be an early favorite landing spot.

 

Gotta say, im surprised firstly how much interest there seemed to be in Watt, and particularly how much money he got here. I like Watt he's been a great player, but the production has taken a clear downturn. 9 sacks in the last 2seasons(24 games) doesnt scream $15mil a year to me. He did play every game last season, but he's had some bad injuries in his time and is just about to turn 32.

Maybe its just me but the Cards will do well to get their moneys worth out of this one. Feels a little like the Bears signing an end of his career Jared Allen, allbeit Watt isnt a redneck POS cheapshot artist.

 

I actually think there was a time that Smith may have fitted very well in Matt Nagy's Offense. But admittedly thats partially a guess too since 3 years in and still no one knows for certain what Matt Nagy's Offense is, him most of all probably.

I respect the hell out of Smith for what he's come through, but he didn't look good last season. And he quietly played like half the season, its not like he only had a couple of games and we can say he was just rusty.

Ultimately, fuck it yeah why not. The Bears QB will be poop next year anyway, might as well be someone likeable. Im just not sure a nice guy like that deserves to be on a scrub ass offense like the Bears.

 

And here I thought he was going to be a Cleveland Brown.

 

My guess is he hangs them up. He did what he wanted to do. He made it back and played again.

 

Chandler Jones feels bad for Russell Wilson after Cardinals addition of J.J. Watt



Russell Wilson‘s clamoring for more help along the offensive line in Seattle is only going to be heightened now that the Arizona Cardinals have added J.J. Watt to their defensive line.

Wilson already had to see Aaron Donald twice a season for the last seven years with the Los Angeles Rams. Now Watt is teaming up with standout pass rusher Chandler Jones in Arizona to bring more firepower to the NFC West. While Jones is excited to have Watt join him on the Cardinals defensive line, Jones expressed some sympathy toward Wilson in what he has to face in the division.

“Also feel bad for my guy RW3 lol,” Jones said in a tweet.

Of the last nine winners of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, six of them are split between Watt and Donald. Wilson is now going to have to spend a quarter of his season in Seattle squaring off against teams featuring Watt and Donald. Then add in Jones, who had 19 sacks for Arizona in 2019 and was runner-up to Stephon Gilmore for the player of the year award.

Jones has sacked Wilson 14.5 times in 10 career games against Wilson, including Super Bowl XLIX with the New England Patriots. Donald has sacked Wilson 15 times in 15 games, including January’s playoff victory over the Seahawks.

Watt may not be his peak self anymore, but paired with Jones he could still be a big problem for Seattle.

NBC
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Formidable defensive line in Arizona now... I cant wait to see Wilson take a sack. Its going to crack me up. Just because of the 'drama' in Seattle, Im not going to mind so much watching them play.

 

Vikings cut Kyle Rudolph



Veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph is on the way out in Minnesota.

The Vikings are cutting Rudolph, who confirmed on social media that he has been told he’s out.

Rudolph was slated to earn a $7.65 million base salary this season and count $9.45 million against the Vikings’ salary cap. He still had three more seasons left on the four-year, $36 million contract extension he signed before the 2019 season.

Last year the 31-year-old Rudolph missed four games and saw his production decline to 28 catches for 334 yards.

Now Rudolph, who has been with the Vikings since they selected him in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, will hit free agency and see if some team wants to pay a veteran tight end who wants to prove he still has something left.

NBC

 

This also tells you that Desaun Watson TOLD HIM that he would not be with the team in 2021.. Might have been the #1 motivator to move on from Houston immediately.

 

I read this is it true that the Texans traded Deshaun Watson to the Cardinals for Kyler Murray if it is true WOW

 

lol

 

No, the trade was Murry to the Texans, Wilson to the Cardinals and Watson to the Seahawks

 

Ok thanks I didn't think that was true

 

Giants release Golden Tate



Anyone who has been paying any attention to the NFL in recent weeks knows that, for plenty of veteran players, a major squeeze is coming. They’ll either be asked to take less under threat of termination, or they’ll simply be cut without conversation.

The Giants have, as expected, released receiver Golden Tate, per multiple reports.

Tate’s release creates $8.5 million in cap and cash savings for the Giants. However, they’ll take a $4.7 million cap charge to get him off the books, arising from his remaining signing bonus allocation of $2.35 million per year in 2021 and 2022.

Tate caught only 35 passes for 388 yards in 12 games last year. A second-round pick of the Seahawks in 2010, Tate also has played for the Lions and Eagles. He has 695 career receptions for 8,278 yards and 46 touchdowns.

NBC

 

NFL to consider making roughing the passer subject to replay review



Good news: Roughing the pass could become subject to replay review.

Bad news: Roughing the pass could become subject to replay review.

According to Judy Battista of NFL Media, owners could vote to make roughing the passer subject to replay review. On one hand, it’s necessary. On the other hand, pass interference calls and non-calls were subject to replay review for a year, and it was a disaster.

Given the way the rules are written, the replay process would entail scanning on a frame-by-frame basis any and all available angles for any and all potential instances of roughing based on broad, literal application of the rule. It would become, from a coach’s challenge perspective, a potential emergency option to extend a key drive. And for every interception, which makes the replay process automatic, part of the second look will entail checking to see whether any potential roughing the passer happened.

In support of the possibility of making roughing the passer subject to review, the item at NFL.com points to a horrendous roughing call that helped the Vikings beat the Lions in a Week 17 game to which no one paid any attention. Without replay review, the seemingly phantom call could not be reverse.

Still, while it’s a good idea in theory, the league potentially would be stepping on another rake given the manner in which the rule would be applied. It also could result in the same kind of shifting standard for what does and doesn’t result in a reversal of a ruling on the field, in the same way the bar for interference seemed to move up and down in 2019.

So what’s the best way to prevent a truly egregious blunder? Sky judge. That’s the answer. Specifically, the NFL should add an extra member of the officiating crew who sits in a booth and watches all available angles and communicates with the referee, the same as any on-field official. That’s the way to properly allow for a truly obvious blunder to be quickly fixed, without relying on a replay process that tends to excessively micromanage and overofficiate and, ultimately, render rulings on judgment-type calls with all the reliability of a Magic 8 Ball.

NBC

 

Kevin Stefanski says Browns need to go back to square one



Kevin Stefanski is wiping the slate clean after a very successful first season as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Under Stefanski, the Browns made the playoffs for the first time in 18 years and won a playoff game for the first time in 26 years. The Browns went 11-5 last year, marking just the second time in 22 seasons since the franchise returned to Cleveland that the Browns won at least 10 games.

What does that mean for 2021? To Stefanski, not much.

“We go back to square one in 2021,” Stefanski said, via Tom Withers of the Associated Press. “We have a lot of work to do and we are here to get that work started, whenever that may be.”

The Browns did make significant strides last year. Stefanski was named the Coach of the Year for leading the Browns to the postseason. Once they got there, they had to go forward with a playoff game without Stefanski on the sidelines due to a positive case of COVID. Stefanski returned for the Divisional Round and the Browns gave the Kansas City Chiefs a scare in a 22-17 loss than ended their season.

There were things the Browns can utilize from last year’s experience to help them moving forward. But to Stefanski, the Browns can’t just assume they’ll be able to recapture the success of last season. They have to build it up all over again.

“We laid a foundation, but it is really, really important that everyone in this building, all of our players, understand we have to get better,” he said. “To say we are just going to be right back where we left off, that is not the case. It just does not happen that way. Have got to work at it.”

NBC

 

Saints terminate contracts of TEs Jared Cook, Josh Hill

The Saints' tight end room will look completely different in 2021.

In another cap-saving manuever, New Orleans announced Wednesday that the team has terminated the contracts of two-time Pro Bowler Jared Cook and Josh Hill.

"Jared consistently displayed the playmaking skills that attracted us to him as a free agent two years ago," coach Sean Payton said in a statement. "He made a lot of big plays for us and was a positive influence on his teammates. Jared is a consummate professional who is dedicated to his craft and we wish him the best of luck in the future."

The news comes in a week where the cap-strapped Saints have been busy exploring trade options and executing creative ways to save money. 2020 third-round pick Adam Trautman is currently the only active TE on the roster.

Cook, 33, signed a two-year deal with the club following a career-best season with the Raiders in 2018 in which he recorded career highs in receptions (68) and yards (896). He served as a serviceable target for Drew Brees during his brief stint, playing in 29 games (12 starts) and contributing 1,209 yards and 16 TDs.

An undrafted rookie in 2013, Hill managed to carve out a rotational role in Payton's offense. The 30-year-old departs New Orleans after a steady eight-year run.

"He is a true professional," Saints GM Mickey Loomis said of Hill. "He has done so many things that very few people noticed but his coaches and teammates certainly were aware of his contribution to the team's success over the better part of the last decade. He played with tremendous heart and determination and personified the characteristics that we highly value. He certainly earned our respect and admiration throughout his time in our program."

NFL.com

 

At first glance, it sounds like a good idea. But didn't we just go thru this with the pass interference calls? The NFL dumped that because only 11% if those challenges were overturned. They deemed it a waste of time. I like the sky judge idea though.