NFL - NEWS & NOTES

I ain’t no senator’s son

 

Rams wrapped up offseason program Thursday



The Rams will next see their players — virtually or otherwise — for training camp. The team ended its virtual offseason program Thursday.

The Rams could have continued for another two weeks, but coach Sean McVay said they had accomplished everything they needed to since beginning April 20.

“A lot of good stuff we got accomplished,” McVay said during a video conference with local media, via Stu Jackson of the team website.

The Rams tentatively have scheduled rookies to report to training camp July 23 with veterans following July 28. The NFL and NFLPA still have to reach agreement on the dates.

Quarterback Jared Goff has organized throwing and 7-on-7 sessions with receiver Robert Woods, running backs Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson and tight end Brycen Hopkins among the participants.

“I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback,” McVay said. “The most important thing that’s as beneficial as anything, is the guys are getting together and connecting as teammates. Getting to know one another, establishing a rapport, making sure they’re being smart with how they compete.”

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John Harbaugh: Compliance with NFL coronavirus protocol is “humanly impossible”



The NFL has communicated a detailed protocol for limiting the spread of the coronavirus in facilities and stadiums. One NFL coach isn’t a fan of the widespread rules and regulations.

“I’ve seen all the memos on that, and to be quite honest with you, it’s impossible what they’re asking us to do. Humanly impossible,” Harbaugh said Thursday on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, via Aaron Kasinitz of PennLive.com. “We’re going to do everything we can do. We’re going to space, we’re going to have masks. But, you know, it’s a communication sport. So if we want to get out there and have any idea what we’re going to be able to do, we have to communicate with each other in person. We have to practice.”

The protocol mandates physical distancing in locker rooms, meeting rooms, and elsewhere in the facility. Eventually, however, guys will be playing football — which entails the exact opposite of physical distancing.

“I’m pretty sure the huddle is not going to be six feet spaced,” Harbaugh said. “Are guys going to shower one at a time all day? Are guys going to lift weights one at a time all day? These are things the league and the [NFL]PA needs to get a handle on and needs to get agreed with some common sense so we can operate in a 13-hour day in training camp that they’re giving us and get our work done. That’s the one thing, you can tell by my voice, I’m a little frustrated with what I’m hearing there. And I think they need to get that pinned down a little better.”

Harbaugh hopes that more clarity will come before training camp opens.

“Now maybe we’ll know more in two months and they’ll be able to be a little more realistic and practical in what they’re asking,” Harbaugh said. “I expect that to be the case. I think good people, smart people are involved in this. But the way I’m reading these memos right now, you throw your hands up and you go, ‘What the heck? There’s no way this can be right.’”

Whatever the rules, Harbaugh wants to be confident that everyone is complying.

“[A]s a coach, you don’t want to hear that you’re limiting your operations as far as preparing your team and then you hear 10 other teams aren’t paying attention to the rules,” Harbaugh said. “I just think it needs to be fair and it needs to be reasonable.”

The rules are fair, given that they apply to everyone. Harbaugh would seriously question whether they are reasonable.

NBC

 

John raises valid points. How is this going to work under the preset guidelines set by the NFL?

Teams are going to have to carry 3 QB's also, imo. I hope they get underway, but as Harbaugh mentioned, i dont see it going unless they change part of the protocol, or a bunch of it as a matter of fact. Changing the guidelines seems to me to lessen the safety which increases the risk... this is a serious mess and i hope they can get some more preventative measures implemented and find a vaccine or something or i dont see this 2020 season working out. Hope im wrong.

 

Sony Michel undergoes foot surgery to relieve discomfort

Sony Michel is on the mend.

The running back underwent surgery on his foot in May in a procedure to help relieve discomfort, NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported. His timetable for return is not yet known, Giardi added.

ESPN first reported the news.

Michel's second professional season wasn't quite as effective as his first, nor was it as successful from a team perspective. After filling a key role for a Patriots team that went on to win a Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Michel averaged half a yard less per carry in 2019. New England's rushing attack went from 20th in yards per attempt to 25th during that span, and the drop-off was even more drastic in the second half of last season, in which the Patriots' offense entered a rut from which it never escaped.

Michel emerged as a lead back for a team that had been employing a committee approach for the last few seasons, but Michel's foot operation might lead to more of a committee approach again in 2020. Michel's history of knee issues and this latest foot ailment could force the Patriots to lessen his load. With James White, Rex Burkhead, Brandon Bolden and 2019 draft pick Damien Harris on the roster, New England has the players to do so, though that will place more responsibility on Harris, who has played in only two NFL games.

Fortunately for Michel, there's still a month to go before training camp. We'll see in July if that means he's available for the start of the season.

NFL.com

 

This Dalvin Cook holdout makes no sense to me,I'm starting to wonder is he trying to force the Vikings hand here to trade him? the timing is just weird to me

 

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald aren’t working together during this pandemic-affected offseason, but they have been talking, and Fitzgerald likes the enthusiasm coming from his young quarterback.

Fitzgerald said today that Murray is eager to get the team together and to prove he can build on a promising rookie year.


“Talking to him, he loves being around us,” Fitzgerald said. “He wants to take this to the next level and build on what he was able to accomplish last year, NFL Rookie of the Year. He’s got a lot of guys who want to play well for him, and he wants to do the same for us. Hopefully we will be able to do it here pretty soon.”

The 36-year-old Fitzgerald wouldn’t have come back for another season if he didn’t have confidence that the 22-year-old Murray and the rest of the Cardinals’ roster could win.

“We have some great, talented players individually, but you’re only as good as your collective team,” Fitzgerald said. “We have to get on the practice field. We have to work through some kinks. We have to get new guys acclimated to what we’re doing. I think everybody is anxious to get back to work and get on the field, kind of see exactly what we have.”

The Cardinals have missed the playoffs for four consecutive years, but Fitzgerald seems to think this could be the roster that reverses that trend.

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Antonio Brown pleads no contest in battery case, gets probation

Antonio Brown pleaded no contest Friday to burglary and battery charges stemming from a January incident in Florida. The free-agent wide receiver's plea was accepted by a Broward County court.

Brown was ordered to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo psychological/psychiatric evaluation and treatment if necessary, per a Broward County Court disposition order. The 31-year-old may travel within the country for work purposes but may not make direct contact with the victims.

"Rather than engage in a protracted legal case," Brown's attorney, Carson Hancock, said in a statement, "Mr. Brown decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner in consideration of his family and his football career."

Brown turned himself in to a Florida jail on January 24 after a warrant was issued for his arrest pertaining to an altercation with a moving company earlier that week. He was charged with burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief and released from jail on $110,000 bond shortly thereafter.

Brown has been out of the NFL ever since the New England Patriots released him last September after the receiver allegedly sent intimidating text messages to a woman accusing Brown of making past unwanted advances toward her.

The NFL is currently investigating civil allegations of sexual assault and rape against Brown in addition to the intimidating texts.

After Brown was detained in January, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that the league was still reviewing the receiver's case and wanted what was best for Brown.


"In Antonio's situation, I think the first thing is, for all of us, to think about the well-being of Antonio," Goodell said. "To understand what Antonio's going through. We don't talk about the wellness of our players publicly, but I would tell you that you can be sure that the NFL and the NFLPA have a tremendous amount of resources that are available to all players. They are going to be made available to Antonio. We want to help get him on the right track, and get him in a position where he is in a zone where he thinks he can be successful in life. And we are confident that can happen. We want to work to do that and from our standpoint that's the first step. The first step is making sure that we're doing everything to help Antonio."

Brown's status remains under review from the NFL, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Friday. A civil suit filed in September by Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, who has accused Brown of sexual assault and rape, is still ongoing. Brown has countersued for defamation.

NFL.com

 

University of Houston halts workouts after six athletes test positive for COVID-19



It’s one of the most common questions facing the NFL as it attempts to proceed with its season as scheduled: What happens if, shortly after training camps open, a team has an outbreak of COVID-19? In the case of the University of Houston, the answer is to halt workouts.

The university announced on Friday that it was bringing workouts to a stop because six student-athletes tested positive.

Only football and basketball players had been back at Houston working out, only since June 1, and the only athletes tested were those who either showed symptoms or came from a place where the virus is rampant, the Houston Chronicle reports. So it’s entirely possible that a lot more than six athletes actually have the virus, especially given that healthy, college-age people are often asymptomatic.

The NCAA only begun allowing athletes to participate in team workouts less than two weeks ago, so it’s not a great sign that one athletic program has already been forced to shut down its workouts.

Several NCAA schools have already publicly disclosed that some athletes have tested positive: Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas State, Boise State, Clemson, Florida State, Iowa, Iowa State, Marshall, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech and UCF have all had positive tests.

NBC

 

I think more players and personal will be kneeling than standing and that probably puts a lot of pressure on the ones who want to stand. The standers will or might be jeered, booed or labeled a racist, ignorant, or god forbid a trump supporting republican.

I said that with a bit of tounge in cheek or satirical way, but im afraid it holds some validity. There is much improvement needed in todays world when it comes to the current events and issues, but i wish the platforms in which some use would be more prudently picked.

Thats the best way i can express myself for now without offending or maybe ruffling some feathers.

Im a proponent of standing for the anthem, but at the same time i try to understand where others are coming from and to understand their pain and fears/concerns.

Bottom line; whether or not i like or dislike what some people are doing to get their point across... I am ready for some football!

 

Tre Boston: Matt Rhule’s set himself up for success

Panthers safety Tre Boston hasn’t attended an in-person practice with head coach Matt Rhule yet, but he already thinks that Rhule has the right makeup to thrive in the NFL.

Boston signed a three-year deal in March that extends his second stint with the Panthers through the 2022 season and he expects the team to do some winning with Rhule at the helm over that period. Boston said that the way Rhule speaks to the team has rallied players and that it means a lot that Rhule is able “to get guys pumped up over a video.”

“I think this guy has an edge to him. I think he has a certain ‘it’ that coaches have to have,” Boston told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. “I’m excited to see him more in person with the guys, because right now, I think he started with a nice lead because he has a nice momentum going in between how he’s treated us, how he’s respected us, how he respects our time. That means a lot to professionals and men, adults, as well. So, I think Rhule has set himself up for success with his men. We trust him. We believe in him. And when we get together, it’s all about building chemistry and knowing that we are the Carolina Panthers and we’re gonna do what it takes to win ballgames around here.”

Rhule will get the rare second chance to make a first impression when the team gets to training camp for their first live work of his tenure. It sounds like the stage is set for it to be a positive one.

NBC

 

Maxx Crosby looking forward to “great competition” in AFC West



Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby notched 10 sacks during his rookie season, but none of them came in his two games against the Chiefs.

Crosby told Adam Lefkoe of Bleacher Report that he wants Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to know he’s coming for him this season and “it’s definitely going to happen” at some point in this year’s two games. That’s not the only difference that Crosby is predicting for the coming season.

The Chiefs won last year’s matchups by a combined 49 points, including a 40-9 win that was part of the four-game losing streak that dropped the Raiders out of playoff contention. Crosby thinks this year is going to find the Raiders with much stronger footing.

“Last year it was kind of back and forth,” Crosby said, via Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star. “We were 6-4, we were [nearly] tied with the Chiefs and we were like, ‘All right, we’re going to make a serious run at this.’ We obviously didn’t finish the way we wanted to. Now, everyone’s in the mix. Obviously every team is going to look a lot different. It’s gonna be awesome. It’s super exciting. It’s going to be great competition. I’m looking forward to it.”

Getting a win over the Chiefs would be a boost to the Raiders’ hopes of making noise this season and they’ll get their first chance in Week Five.

NBC

 

I'm a supporter of a player's right to protest. And I believe there is enough evidence to support a protest. But . . . I'm also a veteran who holds our country's flag and national anthem in very high esteem (behind only my faith and my family). If the NFL wants to provide a platform in which the players can protest - that's fine by me. I would simply choose to not play our national anthem prior to the game and give the players that 2 minutes and 36 seconds to protest to their hearts content.

 

I like that idea, Lym.

 

Pete Carroll: Shorter offseason makes it hard for rookies to prove themselves



In the 2012 offseason, the Seahawks signed quarterback Matt Flynn to be their starter, then spent a third-round draft pick on quarterback Russell Wilson, who was expected to be a backup. But Wilson was so impressive during rookie minicamp, organized team activities, training camp and the preseason that Wilson was named the starter. And the rest is history.

If the Seahawks have a rookie poised to break out this year, he won’t get as many opportunities to prove himself.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he’s concerned that the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the offseason will mean his best rookies won’t be able to show they’re ready to contribute. And he says if the NFL ends up halving the preseason, it will be even tougher.

“I think the number one thing that it changes is the opportunity for the young guys to show themselves,” Carroll said, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “So if that were to take place [two preseason games] — although I’m really impressed with our young guys and how they’ve learned and how they’ve applied themselves up to this point — but still, there just might not be enough time to really give them the chance. So they might be behind in that area a little bit. . . . Maybe the free agent doesn’t get as many opportunities as he needs to show. The last two [preseason] games are so important and so crucial for a young guy trying to make a club, so I don’t think that would be the area of focus.”

This may prove to be an NFL season with fewer breakout rookies, and no Russell Wilsons earning a surprise starting quarterback job.

NBC

 

@gidion72

Pete Carrol and you think a like on this subject of rookies.

 

It’s only logical same thing happened in 2011

 

When NFL teams convene again for training camp, how to handle players who test positively for COVID-19 will be among the main concerns.

Because there will be positive tests.

According to NFL Network, several players from both the Cowboys and Texans have tested positive for COVID-19.

The players in question aren’t believed to have been in team facilities, but the only players who have been were those rehabbing from previous injuries with the training staff.

Texas is among the states hitting peaks of cases and hospitalizations around the country.

NBC
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Ezekiel Elliott was 1 of the players who tested positive.

 

Bills sign third-rounder Zack Moss



NFL draft picks have been signing in a trickle rather than a flood this offseason, but things have been moving smoothly in Buffalo.

The Bills announced that they have signed third-round pick Zack Moss to a four-year deal. The running back was the 86th overall pick in the draft and is the seventh and final member of the team’s draft class to agree to a deal.

Moss ran 712 times for 4,067 yards and 38 touchdowns during his time at Utah. An interview with the team at the Combine helped set the stage for his arrival in New York.

He joins 2019 third-round pick Devin Singletary and T.J. Yeldon among the backfield options in Buffalo this year.

NBC