NFL - NEWS & NOTES

NFL coaches will be allowed to return to team facilities starting Friday.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport obtained a memo sent to teams from Commissioner Roger Goodell that allows coaching staffs to be among the employees eligible to return to club facilities beginning Friday, June 5.

Players not seeking treatment for injuries are still barred from working at team facilities.

According to the memo, coaches may return only if the team has "received necessary permission from state and local governments to reopen its facility." Clubs may also increase the number of employees in the facility to a total of 100, if allowed by local authorities.

Rapoport reported that the league anticipates only the San Francisco 49ers are not able to get to their facility Friday. The Niners are aware and supportive of the plan and have communicated with local authorities to obtain all necessary permissions when available, per Rapoport.

The NFL closed all 32 team facilities earlier this spring as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the U.S.

Team facilities were allowed to begin reopening on May 19, but coaches and players were barred from returning as many states continued with lockdown orders. Protocols put in place will continue to be followed as additional members of the teams are allowed to re-enter the building.


Friday's return to the office for coaching staffs will be the next step in gearing up for the 2020 season.

The memo to teams noted that coaches and other staff, "particularly those who may be in a higher risk category or who have concerns about their own health conditions," are expected to meet with medical staff or a personal physician about any special precautions that must be taken while at the team facility.

The league office will also work with team medical staff to implement COVID-19 testing for coaching staffs and other personnel prior to players becoming eligible to return to club facilities.

NFL.com

 

Devonta Freeman has a message for the Buccaneers.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was asked about reports that the team has interest in the free agent running back during a Thursday conference call and said that there would be interest if Freeman was looking for a lower salary. That led to a response from Freeman on Twitter later in the day.

Freeman wrote that he read in the media that the Bucs are interested, “but we can’t negotiate through the media.” He suggested that the team get in touch with him directly so that they could talk about a potential deal that would put him in the backfield with Tom Brady this season.

Freeman also wrote that “a number of teams” are interested in signing him, although that may be a bit of negotiating through the media in order to get the call he’s looking for from Tampa.

NBC

 

I read a week or so ago that the Eagles had actually made an offer to Freeman.

 

I don't think the Eagles want to spend any money. If a RB wants to come for the cheap then sweet, if not then they are saving cap for next year.

 

NFL coaches return to team facilities

With the reopening of the majority of NFL facilities, coaching staffs can begin returning Friday.

The team with the first overall pick in the most recent draft was one of the organizations that saw its head coach back at work.

Zac Taylor's Bengals have plenty to accomplish in the next month and a half before training camp begins, but as of now, they're still limited in what they can achieve. With the total number of employees allowed in a team's facility capped at 100 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, players aren't yet allowed back in the building.

Whenever players are officially allowed back, Cincinnati will have to quickly get to work on the field with No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow. Thanks to the selection of Burrow and the departure of Andy Dalton, the Bengals are the rookie's team, meaning he'll have to get up to speed in time for the start of the regular season without the help of on-field work he typically would have had in May and June.

Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Steelers' Mike Tomlin reported to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Friday morning. The Browns later posted a video on Twitter showing coach Kevin Stefanski returning to the team facility in Berea, Ohio, as did the Chiefs of coach Andy Reid showing up to work in Kansas City.

NFL Network's James Palmer also reported that Texans head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien was back at the club facility in Houston, and the Broncos' Vic Fangio returned to the office Friday.

As of Thursday, the league anticipated only the San Francisco 49ers would not be able to get into their facility Friday, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday, "I'm not too upset about it," adding without the attendance of players, Shanahan's staff can still use virtual meetings to accomplish much of what most teams will get done with in-person meetings.

The Lions announced they will open their facility to limited employees Wednesday.

The Buccaneers confirmed they also will open their facility on June 10, although their coaches aren't expected to report until the following week.

NFL.com

 

Matt Ryan “really impressed” with Todd Gurley



Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has held workouts at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, this offseason as he has in previous offseasons. One of the players he has worked with “a handful of times” is new Falcons running back Todd Gurley.

Gurley has remained in Southern California since the Rams released him and the Falcons signed him.

“I’ve gotten to work with Todd, and he’s awesome,” Ryan told ESPN. “Really, really good guy. A hard worker. He’s super smart. The stuff I was telling him one day, the next day he had it down. I was really impressed with his ability to retain information. You don’t have to tell him twice. He’s on it.”

Gurley’s left knee issues the past two seasons are well documented and played into his release. The Falcons, though, don’t need Gurley to carry the load with Brian Hill, Qadree Ollison and Ito Smith sharing in the work.

But Gurley clearly is the leader of the group.

“I think he’s going to be an awesome fit for us,” Ryan said, “and I’m glad we have him.”

Gurley averaged 57 offensive snaps and 18 touches in the final six games last season.

In 15 games in 2019, Gurley played 787 snaps, or 71 percent of the team’s total offensive plays. He saw 825 snaps in 14 games in 2018 (75 percent) and 788 snaps in 15 games in 2017 (76 percent).

NBC

 

Apologies for being a good 9 pages late heh. I get you throwing open the floor like you did, but you never did expand on your own thoughts so now i'll have to guess. Don't be afraid to throw your own 2cents in next time.

Perhaps one of the numbers that surprised you was how well that career ypc held up in relation to his peers at the top of the all time list? I would agree, 4.3ypc over 15 years is undeniably impressive, particularly when you see all the others on that list.

Also surprising, tho far less impressive, is that feeble career 67.9 yards per game average. Out of the top 25 all time rushers that number ranks 21st. Out of all RB's ever Gore ranks 50th(!!!), 3 places below Jordan Howard ha. Lets hope the HOF committee doesn't look at that metric!

So, 4.3 ypc but only 67.9ypg, what does the combination of these two numbers tell us?

Difference maker?
Focal point for his offense(or for that matter a Defense as Payton/Saunders were)?
A lack of big plays?
No, no, yes?


Also, those stats you listed didn't include rushing TD's, an important metric to the discussion imo. Like career ypg Gore also ranks 21st in career TD's as well, having recently gone past Tony Dorseet & Ricky Watters, two guys who both played substantially fewer seasons.

I agree Gore should get in(tho I hope not first ballot), but when he does he will get in for being the grinder's grinder, little more.

 

It's good signing if he can stay healthy

 

Titans would like Harold Landry to play fewer snaps in 2020



Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said recently that the team would like to reduce running back Derrick Henry‘s workload after he led the league with 303 carries in 2019.

Something similar is afoot on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Harold Landry played on nearly 86 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in the regular season last year, but saw his production dip down the stretch. After recording nine sacks in the team’s first 12 games, Landry was shut out in the final weeks of the regular season and added one more in three playoff games.

Outside linebackers coach Shane Bowne told reporters that the team wants Landry “at his best when we need him at his best down the stretch” and that limiting his playing time is something that could help make that happen.

“He played a lot of plays for us and he did, probably, too much — that’s on me,” Bowen said, via the team’s website. “But we’ve got to find ways to get some other guys that can take some stuff off of him too, and I’ve got to get those guys developed where we are trusting them, putting them in the game, where we feel like they can make plays for us. I’ve got to do a better job of not putting so much on him in terms of play count.”

The Titans added Vic Beasley to a group of edge players that also includes Kamalei Correa, Reggie Gilbert, D'Andre Walker and Derick Roberson.

NBC

 

He didn’t play too much. The rest of these guys suck and teams just concentrate on blocking him and don’t have to double team anymore else

 

Carlos Hyde: Everybody knows who Seattle’s starting running back is



Carlos Hyde started 14 games last season, and he has averaged 12 starts over the past four seasons. The Seahawks’ running back isn’t likely to start that many games this season.

Not as long as Chris Carson is healthy, and Hyde knows it.

“It’s probably an open competition for that second role,” Carson said on a video call with reporters Monday. “Me personally, I don’t think there’s probably an open competition for the starting role. I think everybody knows who the starting running back is for Seattle, and that’s Carson. I knew that before I even signed into Seattle, that he is the guy. Would coach (Pete) Carroll change his mind? Maybe. I don’t really know. I know maybe the second spot is open. Maybe the first spot. I’m going to come in there and compete for the first spot, make sure I solidify myself and go from there. I’m not really sure what’s the plan.”

Hyde was a late free agent signee, joining the Seahawks despite the presence of Carson, who has 2,810 yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns in 29 games the past two seasons.

The Seahawks also have Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer in their running backs room, but Penny is not expected to be ready for the start of the season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

Hyde played all 16 games in 2019 for only the second time in his career. He did it despite tearing his labrum in Week Two.

He exacerbated the shoulder injury in the Texans’ divisional round playoff loss to the Chiefs and required offseason surgery.

Hyde, who turns 30 in September, had a career season in 2019. He set career highs in carries (245), rushing yards (1,070) and touches (255).

NBC

 

T.J. Watt 86%
Bud Dupree 90%

 

Chandler Jones 94.35

 

Dalvin Cook will hold out without a new contract



Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is planning his holdout.

Cook has decided not to participate in any team activities until he gets a new contract.

“He’s out. Without a reasonable extension, he will not be showing up for camp or beyond,” a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The question now will be whether the Vikings cave to Cook’s demands. Last year two high-profile running backs engaged in holdouts, with very different results.

Melvin Gordon was making similar threats about not reporting a year ago when he started his holdout with the Chargers. But the Chargers didn’t budge and Gordon eventually reported in Week Five of the regular season. This year he settled for a two-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos in free agency.

Ezekiel Elliott, however, was also holding out a year ago, and in his case it was the team that caved: The Cowboys gave Elliott a six-year, $90 million contract.

Will the Vikings hold the line like the Chargers? Or will Cook get a big new contract like Elliott’s? That now becomes one of the most interesting questions of this summer in the NFL.

NBC

 

Steelers plan to hold 2020 training camp at Heinz Field



The Pittsburgh Steelers were among the teams affected by the league's mandate that all teams hold their training camps at their own facilities (unless they can fulfill reasons for exemption).

They've declared their new training camp home for 2020, and it should look familiar to the fans of the black and gold. Pittsburgh is making plans to hold training camp at Heinz Field, according to a tweet from the team's director of communications.

Pittsburgh typically holds training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, but was forced to put together different accommodations for its training camp due to the restrictions implemented by the league because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Steelers are one of a handful of teams (Cowboys, Panthers, etc.) who have to rethink their training camp plans, and they're the first to announce their new intentions for 2020.

During the season, the team practices at its headquarters at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, which includes an indoor facility and four 80-yard fields. The team shares that facility with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers.

Heinz Field's use for training camp might provide a safer environment for fans to attend, though the league has yet to introduce protocols for fan attendance of any kind. Use of Heinz Field might also allow the Steelers to avoid any potential scheduling conflicts with the University of Pittsburgh and limit any chance of contact with another football team amid the pandemic.

NFL.com

 

Todd Gurley finally passes Falcons physical

The Falcons announced their deal with running back Todd Gurley over two months ago.

It was finally complete this week.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Gurley was finally able to get to Atlanta and take a physical Monday. He passed it.

While that might seem like a boilerplate part of executing a contract, Gurley’s drop-off with the Rams raised plenty of questions about his health status.

Those concerns have even been shared by Falcons coaches, so as much as they’ve tried to make it a non-story, it will remain one.

At least now, they’ve checked off the box to make the contract official, so we can now see for ourselves this season if he’s well enough to return to his previous form.

NBC

 

More drama really just seems like a hell of a gamble

 

Seahawks were (and still may be) willing to pay Jadeveon Clowney $15 million for 2020



Much has been written said about teams that have interest, that may have interest, that could have interest, that at one point had interest, and/or that had no interest in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Not much has been said about what a team is willing to pay.

One important clue emerged last month, when the Seahawks opted not to apply the UFA tender to Clowney, at a 10 percent increase over his $15 million salary in 2020 — or $16.5 million.

So how much would the Seahawks pay? As one league source explained it, Seattle has been willing to pay Clowney $15 million on a one-year deal.

During the talks between Clowney’s representatives and Seattle, it came up that the Browns would pay Clowney $18 million. It’s unclear whether that was a real offer or the kind of puffery that happens during negotiations.

Regardless, Clowney still remains available. As teams as able to start doing business, presumably they’ll be able (sooner than later) to bring free agents in for visits and physicals. At that point, maybe a market for the first pick in the 2014 draft will finally emerge.

NBC

 

League, union discuss shorter preseason



Officially, the NFL has scheduled a full preseason to begin in August. Unofficially, there’s already talk of scaling back the preseason.

Amid concerns that the coronavirus shutdown has prevented players from having enough offseason work to be ready for the start of the preseason, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the NFL and NFL Players Association are discussing the possibility of shortening the 2020 preseason.

No decisions have been made, but the report says multiple team executives believe there’s a good chance the preseason will be cut in half, from four games to two games.

A shorter preseason has long been a topic of conversation in the NFL, for reasons that had nothing to do with the particular issues facing the NFL this year. If a shorter preseason goes well this year, it’s easy to see a shorter preseason being adopted beyond this year.

NBC

 

With all the missed time for offseason workouts I would think a longer preseason would make more sense to give the players especially rookies and FAs more time to learn their new teams plays.