NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Cincinnati will trade Burrows rights to the Patriots for all the Patriot picks

 

Buccaneers announce return of Ndamukong Suh



Ten years after he became the second pick in the draft, Ndamukong Suh officially is back for a second season with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay announced the deal on Thursday.

Reportedly worth $8 million for one year, Suh gets $1.25 million less than he did in 2019, his first year in Tampa.

The move helps keep together a potent defensive front that includes Suh, Vita Vea, Shaquil Barrett, and Jason Pierre-Paul. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether Suh is anything close to the guy he used to be, while with the Lions and then the Dolphins.

With the Rams in 2018, Suh didn’t do much during the regular season. (They traded for Dante Fowler due to their disappointment with Suh’s pass-rush skills.) But he found a higher gear while chasing a championship. Which suggests that, if/when his buttons are properly pushed, he may still be capable of being one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league.

Which brings back into focus the value of having Tom Brady on the team. Intensely competitive during every game and every practice, Brady’s mere presence may coax out of Suh whatever remaining greatness he’s capable of achieving.

That mindset potentially applies across the board. Brady’s influence could push Suh and the rest of the holdover Buccaneers to find a level of performance they’ve never before realized, collectively or individually. And that’s another reason why the Bucs got a steal when then managed to land Brady for only $25 million per year.

NBC

 

Brady isn’t a greedy player. He always takes a team friendly deal

 

Ndamukong Suh ain't what he used to be has he got any game left with the Rams he was not great just ok,when he was with the Lions he was a terror in the NFC NORTH

 

Veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes is headed to Indianapolis.

The Colts are adding the former first-round pick to their secondary after both sides agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, per Rhodes' agent, Sunny Shah. It's worth roughly $5 million, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The move instantly plugs up the hole created by the release of starter Pierre Desir four days prior.

Once viewed as one of the game's top corners, Rhodes, 29, was released on March 13 by the Vikings following a disappointing 2019 campaign. Despite having a year that fell below expectations -- 63 tackles, six passes defended, 0 interceptions (first time since rookie year) -- Rhodes was still named a Pro Bowl alternate, giving him three nods for his career.

He is the latest big-name Colts addition during an offseason that has seen the organization sign Philip Rivers and Sheldon Day, as well as trade for DeForest Buckner.

As the elder statesman of a unit that includes Kenny Moore and Rock Ya-Sin, Rhodes will have the chance to prove in Indy on a team that is in win-now mode that he should be still considered among the elite at the position.

NFL.com

 

Owners to vote next week on 14-team playoff...



The NFL is likely to make playoff expansion next week.

Owners will vote next week on the proposal to add one more team from each conference to the playoffs, according to Judy Battista of NFL Media.

With the NFL and the rest of the world shying away from conducting business in person, the league will conduct the vote via conference call.

Other votes, regarding proposed changes to the playing rules, are expected to take place in May, when the league is still planning to get the owners together in person for a meeting.

Under the proposed playoff formula, seven teams from each conference would make the postseason. The team with the best record would get the only first-round bye, while three division winners from each conference would host three wild card teams during the first weekend of the playoffs.

Still to be determined is exactly how the six games in the first playoff weekend will be scheduled. Also still to be determined is which TV networks will televise the two additional playoff games, which are expected to bring in significant additional revenue for the NFL.

NBC

 

Randall Cunningham is not in the HOF why? here's another player that needs to be in WTF

 

Ravens, Derek Wolfe agree to one-year deal



A day after their deal with Michael Brockers fell through, the Ravens have made another addition to their defensive line.

Baltimore agreed to a one-year deal with defensive end Derek Wolfe, according to multiple reports.

Wolfe has played his entire career with the Broncos, who selected him with the 36th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Last year he started the first 12 games of the season and recorded a career-high seven sacks before suffering a season-ending elbow injury.

With Wolfe and Calais Campbell coming to Baltimore this month, the Ravens have made a significant upgrade at the defensive end position. That’s been their priority this league year.

NBC

 

One of the NFL’s top remaining free agents is staying put.

Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson will sign a one-year deal to stay in Kansas City, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The 25-year-old Robinson has spent his entire career in Kansas City. Last year he had career highs in catches (32) and yards (449).

 

The Lions have signed a free agent wide receiver away from a division rival.

Geronimo Allison, who has played the first four years of his career in Green Bay, signed with Detroit today.

The 26-year-old Allison had a career-high 34 catches last season, but he also had a career-low average of 8.4 yards per catch. In 2018 Allison was off to an excellent start to the season, with 19 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the first four games, but injuries limited him to just one catch the rest of the way.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Allison is getting a one-year deal worth $910,000, with a $137,500 signing bonus.

 

NFLPA medical director optimistic about 2020 season...

As we continue to slowly climb a mountain with no ability to see the summit, optimism persists regarding the ability of our true American pastime returning for a full 2020 season.

Appearing on Adam Schefter’s podcast, NFL Players Association medical director Thom Mayer expressed hope that the season will proceed, adding that much more will be known by late May or early June.

“So OTAs, probably not going to happen,” Mayer said. “As you know, the clubs are closed for now and will remain closed for a while. But I’m very optimistic. You know, you look at somebody like Drew Brees and [wife] Brittany Brees gave five million dollars to New Orleans. And you may have heard Drew the other day say, ‘Hang in there, hang tough.’ And that’s what we have to do. We have to hang in there and hang tough — but we have to scenario-plan for disasters in terms of the way we did it at 9/11.”

That’s the key: Both the league and the union must be working together to identify every possible “what it?” and to plan for it. Not in May or June but right now.

It’s encouraging that the NFLPA already is thinking along these lines. The league needs to do the same; however, some have expressed concern that the league is currently so focused on pulling off the draft as scheduled that questions relating to training camp and the regular season are being tabled.

That would be a mistake, if it’s indeed happening. The league surely has the capacity to plan for the draft and, as Mayer said, “scenario-plan” for the potential state of the coronavirus pandemic in July, August, September, and beyond.

The offseason flies by quickly. April becomes May becomes June becomes the countdown to training camp. Every hour spent focusing on something other than planning for all potential permutations is an hour lost to what ultimately could be a challenge that there’s insufficient time to solve.

Preserving the season of the NFL’s 100th anniversary means acting now to envision various circumstances and brainstorm potential solution and basically be ready for anything to happen because, as the last few weeks have proven, anything can.

NBC

 

The Bengals’ renovation of their cornerback group will apparently include the departure of Dre Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick posted a farewell message on his Instagram story on Tuesday that said he wanted to thank the fans, city and his teammates until they meet again. Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Bengals are going to release the 2012 first-round pick.

A knee injury limited Kirkpatrick to six games last season, which was his fifth as a full-time starter in Cincinnati. He posted 302 tackles, 10 interceptions, three sacks and a forced fumble during his time with the team.

Kirkpatrick was set to make base salaries of $9.4 million in 2020 and 2021. The Bengals will clear over $8.2 million in cap space with the move.

The Bengals have signed former Vikings corners Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander along with former Titan LeShaun Sims this month. They saw Darqueze Dennard agree to a deal with the Jaguars early in free agency, but that fell apart and he remains a free agent. Cincinnati also released B.W. Webb and re-signed Torry McTyer while Tony McRae signed with the Lions.

NBC

 

NFL expands playoffs to 14 teams



It’s official: The 2020 season will conclude with a 14-team playoff.

The NFL owners voted via conference call to expand the playoffs, adding an additional wild card team in each conference.

The playoffs will now feature the four division winners in each conference as well as three wild card teams in each conference. The team with the No. 1 seed will earn not only home-field advantage throughout the playoffs but also the only bye week.

The first weekend of the playoffs will include six games, with six division winners hosting six wild card teams. There will be three games on Saturday, January 9, 2021 and three on Sunday, January 10, 2021. CBS and NBC will each broadcast one of the additional games.

Although some have criticized the expanded playoffs as potentially watering down the regular season, it was an easy call for owners, as the two additional playoff games will bring in significant television revenue.

NBC

 

Its all about revenue the MONEY! not football damn shame,it's a business first then football

 

Of course it's about money. These days, the initial investment for an NFL franchise is well north of $1B (that's with a "B"), and gawd only knows what the annual operating costs are (to include players' salaries). If money wasn't the object, there wouldn't be football.

 

I just wonder at times how much is enough but you right about this without money there would be no football ( sigh )

 

At least teams like the Chargers with the 2nd best record but that aren't division winners aren't robbed a bye anymore and can have a home game in the playoffs. That's the best thing about this.

EDIT: They don't get a bye, I was thinking MLB proposed format, but at least they aren't snubbed a bye.

 

NFL is planning for a full season with full stadiums



At a time when the entire American sports industry is shut down (with very limited exceptions) due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL intends to not lose 2020 regular-season games to the crisis.

During a conference call with reporters held on Tuesday, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash said the league is planning for a full season.

“That’s my expectation,” Pash said. “Am I certain? I’m not certain I will be here tomorrow. But I’m planning on it, and I’m planning on a full season.”

Pash separately said that the season would begin on time, and that the games would be played before fans in full stadiums (or, in some cities, stadiums that would not be full unrelated to the virus). He nevertheless acknowledged that much will depend on the public-health situation. But he mentioned that the modeling the league has received suggests that “we may not have to get very far down that road.”

It’s hard to imagine the NFL playing a full season that would begin as scheduled on Thursday, September 10, with the Chiefs hanging a banner to kick off the campaign. The league is nevertheless optimistic, at least for now, that circumstances will allow that game and the next 255 — followed by 13 postseason games — to happen.

NBC

 

There won’t be any full stadiums this season. Fans aren’t going to be so quick to join crowds again. I have a feeling it’s going to take a couple of years of no virus spreading before people get back to normal routines.

 

Although Titans running back Derrick Henry has neither signed the franchise tag nor agreed to a long-term contract extension, the team thinks everything is going to work out.

Titans General Manager Jon Robinson told reporters on a conference call today that talks with Henry have been positive, with Henry saying he wants to remain in Tennessee and hopes to get a contract done.

Robinson added that the team would also like to see Henry stay in Tennessee beyond just this season.

Although running backs have been devalued in today’s NFL, the Titans place a high value on Henry after he had the best season of his career, with 303 carries for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season, followed by 83 carries for 446 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason.

NBC