NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Report: Signs point to NFL retaining modified injured reserve rules



The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to several changes to its roster rules last season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league and the union continue to discuss whether they will retain some or all of those rules for this season.

But Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that “all signs point to” the league retaining the changes it made to injured reserve. The tweaked rule allows for unlimited players to return from injured reserve and to return faster — three weeks instead of eight — than the previous rule permitted.

The league also could keep expanded practice squads, which went to 16 players last season.

Those tweaks were well received by players, coaches, teams and fans.

With talks continuing between the NFL and NFLPA, the sides may not announce final roster rules until closer to the start of training camps.

NBC

 

Panthers plan to move Jeremy Chinn to safety



The Panthers plan to move Jeremy Chinn to safety full time after his standout rookie season at linebacker. At 220 pounds, Chinn is undersized for a linebacker.

“Obviously he would be a big safety, and he would be able to cover tight ends,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said, via Steve Reed of the Associated Press. “He can go fit the run, too. It’s rare to have a guy that big, with that size and that intelligence level. He’s one of those guys that can fill a lot of different roles for us.”

Chinn finished second to Washington pass rusher Chase Young in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year last season. Chinn led all rookies with 116 tackles and made history in the Super Bowl era when he returned two fumbles for touchdowns on back-to-back plays from scrimmage against the Vikings.

Chinn had arthroscopic surgery on his knee this offseason, so the Panthers are limiting him during organized team activities. He is expected to be full go at training camp.

The Panthers want to make sure Chinn is comfortable at safety, where he is penciled in as the starter opposite Juston Burris. But Chinn expects to be fine there.

He played more than 30 snaps at safety last season after playing safety at Southern Illinois.

“I’m comfortable playing safety, and I’m comfortable playing any position, so wherever I’m needed I will play,” Chinn said.

NBC

 

One thing that looks great is that the NFL is leaning towards making the IR permanently like it was last season with three weeks and unlimited returns from the IR. So at least one positive thing came out of the COVID-19 pandemic
I love the baseball rules for IR, and I am very happy with the nfl deciding to adapt the rule to be like this. How many players have teams had to lose for a season because they needed space on their roster and had to end their season on IR when they could have come back and played after a few weeks. Teams usually would only carry the super star players through a injury that would only last 3-6 weeks because they had to fill a need for the team roster.

 

Jaguars sign All-Pro return specialist Pharoh Cooper

A former All-Pro and Pro Bowl talent is headed to Jacksonville.

Receiver Pharoh Cooper, who once earned those superlatives as a return specialist for the Rams, is signing with the Jaguars, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday. The team later announced the move.

Cooper, 26, spent the 2020 season with the Panthers where he again served primarily on special teams. He tallied a career-low five receptions for 73 yards but returned 18 kickoffs for 430 yards and 20 punts for 117 yards.

The 2016 fourth-rounder didn't take a long to make a name for himself with a sensational second season. During his first game as the primary return man, Cooper scored his first touchdown on a 103-yard kick return -- ironically against the Jags in Week 6 -- and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Cooper went on to accumulate 34 kickoff returns for 932 yards, 32 punt returns for 399 yards and 11 receptions for 84 yards. He was named a Pro Bowl starter, as well as a first-team All-Pro returner.

An ankle injury in Week 1 of the 2018 season limited Cooper to five games before he was eventually released that December. Prior to joining Carolina, Cooper appeared in 16 total games over the next two seasons, 15 of which came with the Cardinals and the other in a brief stint with the Bengals.

NFL.com

 

Giants sign Kadarius Toney



The Giants have their entire 2021 draft class under contract.

First-round wide receiver Kadarius Toney was the only unsigned player from the class when Thursday began, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports he has agreed to his rookie deal. It’s a four-year pact with a team option for a fifth season.

The Giants drafted Toney with the 20th pick after trading out of the 11th spot in a deal that netted the Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

Toney caught 70 passes for 984 yards and ran 19 times for 161 yards while scoring 11 offensive touchdowns for Florida last season. He also returned a punt for a score during his final collegiate season.

NBC

 

Malik Hooker visits Steelers



Free agent safety Malik Hooker remains unsigned but is continuing to line up visits.

Hooker visited the Steelers yesterday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The last time we heard from Hooker was a month ago, when he visited the Dolphins. He has also visited the Cowboys.

The Colts chose Hooker with the 15th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and he hit free agency this year after playing four seasons with the Colts, who did not pick up his fifth-year option.

Not picking up his option proved to be a wise move for the Colts, as Hooker is now coming off an Achilles injury that ended his season after just two games last year. Hooker has been a starter when healthy but has struggled to stay healthy.

NBC

 

Vikings sign Bashaud Breeland



Veteran cornerback Bashaud Breeland is heading to Minnesota.

The Vikings announced today that they have signed Breeland, who spent the last two years with the Chiefs.

He’s the latest veteran addition at cornerback for Minnesota this offseason, after the Vikings previously signed free agents Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander.

Breeland was originally a fourth-round pick in Washington in 2014 and lasted four years there before playing one season in Green Bay and two in Kansas City. He’s been a starter everywhere, when healthy, and he adds experience to what is now looking like a deep secondary in Minnesota.

NBC

 

Titans signing former world champion wrestler Adam Coon to play OL

The Titans' offensive line has been one of their biggest strengths in recent years. They added an especially strong athlete to the mix Friday. Now they'll see if he's a football player.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Tennessee has agreed to terms with wrestler Adam Coon, who missed out on qualifying for the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The 26-year-old Michigan native is attempting to play football for the first time since he graduated high school in 2013.

Coon is getting his shot on the offensive line, a unit that has been instrumental in Derrick Henry leading the NFL in rushing the past two seasons. The All-Pro running back topped 2,000 yards last year, although the Titans took a step backward in pass protection.

New steps in every direction will be vital for Coon, a three-time NCAA All-American who won medals at world and Pan American championship events in each of the past three years. He has been competing at the 130 kilogram weight class, which converts to 286 pounds, and is listed at a shade above 6-foot-5.

NFL.com

 

Packers CEO Mark Murphy: “The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base”



Packers CEO Mark Murphy does a periodic question-and-answer column on the team’s official website. In his latest entry, Murphy addresses the Aaron Rodgers impasse in response to a question that: (1) isn’t really a question; and (2) doesn’t even ask about Rodgers.

A fan named Ken writes to Murphy: “You have done a great job. Don’t let the bastards drag you down. Washington needs a name. I suggest the Generals.”

Here’s the non-sequitur from Murphy. (Unless, of course, Murphy regards Rodgers as one of the “bastards” who may be dragging Murphy down.)

“Thanks, Ken,” Murphy writes. “The situation we face with Aaron Rodgers has divided our fan base. The emails and letters that I’ve received reflect this fact. As I wrote here last month, we remain committed to resolving things with Aaron and want him to be our quarterback in 2021 and beyond. We are working to resolve the situation and realize that the less both sides say publicly, the better. With regard to the Washington Football Team, it looks like they will be the WFT for at least one more year. I like the Washington Generals name, but it is already taken. Have you ever seen a Harlem Globetrotters game? Also, the Washington Generals don’t have a very good record (1 win, 16,000 losses).”

So, in the same response that Murphy speaks to the wisdom of saying as little as possible about the controversy with the team’s franchise quarterback, Murphy points out that the Rodgers situation has “divided our fan base.”

There’s a separate question of whether it truly has divided the fan base. Although some fans were becoming a little wobbly regarding Rodgers in the days after his power play became obvious, the situation doesn’t seem to be nearly as polarizing as the run-of-the-mill red state/blue state political issue. Instead, most fans simply don’t want to hear about it. Where they line up if/when Rodgers doesn’t report for mandatory minicamp and/or training camp remains to be seen.

The same column separately contains praise for G.M. Brian Gutekunst, the man Rodgers reportedly wants fired.

“While I appreciate your persistence and passion,” Murphy says in response to a question urging Murphy to “[g]et that jerk Gutekunst to get off his butt” and make a play for Julio Jones, “I must tell you that I have tremendous confidence in Brian Gutekunst. In his relatively short tenure as our G.M., he has completely turned around the fortunes of our team. He has put together a talented team (last year we had the most players voted to the Pro Bowl) that has a 28-8 record over the last two years, after consecutive losing seasons in 2017 and 2018, and has played in back-to-back NFC Championship games. Moreover, he has a great working relationship with Head Coach Matt LaFleur. He and EVP/director of football operations Russ Ball have managed our salary cap smartly and have us well positioned for the future.” (The answer makes no reference to the possibility of trading for Jones.)

Likewise, the column contains a question, and an answer, regarding the development of Jordan Love, the man who would replace Rodgers.

“It was a shame for Jordan that the pandemic impacted so much of his rookie year,” Murphy writes. “Although it wasn’t a completely wasted year, he had no in-person practices in the offseason program and no preseason game experience. Although it is hard to tell a lot in the offseason practices, both Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett have said they like what they’ve seen from Jordan this offseason. Hackett said that the biggest difference this year is his confidence in the system, and that his decision-making, timing and accuracy have all improved. It’s obviously helped him to get reps with the first-team offense this offseason. The preseason games this year will be crucial in his development.”

There’s still a chance those preseason games will feature Love as the starter, if Rodgers doesn’t show up. The next clue comes this week, when Rodgers does — or doesn’t — report for mandatory minicamp.

NBC

 

Titans acquire Julio Jones for a second rd pick.

 

I was just watching the Browns get their asses kicked by the Chiefs and the breaking news came out.

 

Thats huge for Tennessee. Thanks, Gid...

per; NBC

The Titans currently don’t have enough salary cap space to take on Jones’ $15.3 million guaranteed salary. It’s unknown whether Jones has agreed to any kind of contract restructuring, whether the Falcons will pay part of the salary, or whether other players on the Titans have agreed to restructure their deals to free up cap space. The deal may not get done for a couple days until all of that is worked out. But Jones is heading to Tennessee.
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Im hearing its at least a 2nd round pick, so that implies they may be more details to come.

 

Did I miss the part of that game where the Browns were down 28-0 . . . in the 1st Quarter ???

 

Baker Mayfield and some other Browns offensive players will get together in Texas this week



The Browns are among the teams who are skipping out on OTAs, at least on one side of the ball.

As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, quarterback Baker Mayfield will host some of his offensive teammates in Austin, Texas this week, in lieu of participating in organized team activities.

Mayfield and teammates previously got together in Florida in April, and they plan to return to Florida in July.

The Browns’ offensive players have largely been staying away from in-person voluntary workouts, given the efforts of the NFL Players Association to encourage players to boycott those activities. The fact that Browns center JC Tretter serves as the president of the union surely makes it harder for other Browns players to defy the union’s wishes.

Still, Cabot reports that “many” of the team’s defensive players will be there, after concluding that it made sense for them to gather for OTAs given the number of new players on defense. Garrett, per Cabot, has said that “there are no hard feelings” on Tretter’s part over the decision of the defensive players to attend.

There are the beginnings of hard feelings among some Browns fans over the failure of the offensive players to be present. With the team on the verge of becoming an elite franchise for the first time in decades, fans who have seen Murphy’s Law play out annually for most if not all of their lifetimes are bracing for the shoe to drop. As they see that the teams with which the Browns will be competing this year (starting with the Chiefs) all-in on OTAs, it becomes a legitimate basis for fretting.

However it all plays out, it will be interesting to see whether there’s a correlation of any kind between the teams that fully participated in OTAs and those that didn’t. That’s something all teams surely will be paying attention to.

NBC

 

Im hearing its at least a 2nd round pick, so that implies they may be more details to come.


Blank is running the shots and stated he would only take a 1st RD pick for Jones ???......

The deal may not get done for a couple days until all of that is worked out. But Jones is heading to Tennessee.

I will wait patiently .............because I'm very happy he is a Titan.

 

Jones + 2023 6th

For

2022 2nd + 2023 4th

About as close as they could get to a 1st rounder I suppose

 

Jones should be much better on Tennessee with the way the Falcons weren't using him properly the last few years. Tennessee looking crazy all of a sudden. Really needed a solid #2 WR. They'll have a 2nd #1 plus Henry.

 

Jones should be much better on Tennessee with the way the Falcons weren't using him properly the last few years. Tennessee looking crazy all of a sudden. Really needed a solid #2 WR. They'll have a 2nd #1 plus Henry.


I'm Happy.........

 

Yep, but not a 1st rounder crucially.

I think the Titans have done pretty well here.

 

Chase Claypool: I was excited when JuJu Smith-Schuster came back



Before JuJu Smith-Schuster elected to return to the Steelers on a one-year, $8 million deal, he entertained offers from the Ravens and Chiefs.

But when he decided to bet on himself by sticking with the team that drafted him, one of the receivers who may have benefited from his exit was happy to see it happen.

Chase Claypool led all rookies with nine receiving touchdowns in 2020 — tying Smith-Schuster for the team lead. Claypool noted last week he didn’t think Smith-Schuster wanted to depart the franchise.

“I think a lot of people were expecting him not to come back, not because he didn’t want to but because of the cap space situation,” Claypool said, via the Steelers website. “We all knew he really wanted to come back, we just didn’t know if it was possible. When he came back, I was excited because not only is he a good friend, but a good player, a good teammate too. He does a lot for us. Always good to have a guy like that in the building.”

Smith-Schuster led Pittsburgh with 97 receptions last year and was third on the team with 831 yards. Since the Steelers drafted him in the second round of the 2017 draft out of USC, he has 308 catches for 3,726 yards with 26 touchdowns.

NBC