NFL News

[Futureshock]

They're not ready...


ZACH WILSONQB, NEW YORK JETS
The Athletic's Mike Sando reports the Jets have been turned down by several free agents this offseason.


An NFL executive told Sando that the Jets "were in on a ton of guys and got nobody," including Tyreek Hill, who chose the Dolphins over the Jets when Kansas City granted him permission to seek a trade in March. “They don’t have a selling point to players right now," the executive said. "People don’t know what to think of Zach Wilson, players don’t necessarily covet playing in that market, and guys who have choices tend to wind up elsewhere. They are in this weird purgatory.” New York this offseason has signed second and third-tier free agents like Tyler Conklin, C.J. Uzomah, G Laken Tomlinson, and S Jordan Whitehead while failing to land a splash free agency signing despite plenty of cap space. An improved performance from Zach Wilson in 2022 would go a long way in luring big-name free agents to the Jets next offseason. It would be exceedingly difficult for Wilson to be worse than he was as a rookie.

SOURCE: The Athletic
Apr 11, 2022, 8:19 AM

[Futureshock]

Harrison Smith: We’ve done a good job of getting guys who disrupt the quarterback

Posted by Josh Alper on April 12, 2022, 6:33 AM EDT

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The Vikings made their first head coaching change since 2014 when they fired Mike Zimmer and hired Kevin O’Connell early this offseason, so Monday was a big day on the team’s calendar.

It was the first day of their voluntary offseason program and the first chance for defensive players to work in the facility with O’Connell and new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. Veteran safety Harrison Smith called it an opportunity to “reset and kind of start fresh” for a unit that has a number of new faces.

The Vikings signed defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, edge rusher Za'Darius Smith, and linebacker Jordan Hicks as free agents and they expect to have Danielle Hunter healthy as a complement to Smith in the pass rush. All of that is reason for Smith to be optimistic about what the future will hold.

“That’s big, selfishly, for secondary players. If you can get to the quarterback, disrupt the quarterback, make it a little harder on him, it’s important,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “We all know it’s a quarterback-driven league, so you’ve got to make them uncomfortable back there. I think we’ve done quite a good job of getting guys in here that can do that.”

Zimmer’s teams generally featured stout defenses, but the last two years saw the team fail to meet that standard. A turnaround in 2022 would make for a good start to the O’Connell era.

[Futureshock]

USFL hopes to use football that glows when it reaches the goal line

Posted by Mike Florio on April 11, 2022, 7:47 PM EDT

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The USFL’s embrace of technology includes a potential visual effect that will activate when the ball crosses the goal line.

As explained by Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com, the USFL will experiment with a football that glows when it crosses the goal line.

“That’s something we’re hoping to have this season,” former NFL fullback, Fox broadcaster, and USFL executive V.P. of football operations Daryl Johnston said Monday on Fox News.

It’s unclear whether or when it will be deployed. However, any embrace of technology is a good thing. It’s a very good thing that the USFL is willing to rely on something more than the naked eye and/or two sticks separated by 10 yards of chain.

Unlike the NFL.

[edindetroit]

Cam Newton opines about women who ‘can’t cook’ and ‘don’t know when to be quiet’

Cam Newton isn’t helping his chances of finding a new team.
During a recent appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, the free-agent quarterback, 32, opened up about his childhood before segueing to his views of women’s roles.

“I had a perfect, a perfect example of what a man was in my life by my father. My parents have been together for 36, 37 years now and it’s a beautiful thing,” Newton said, according to Mediaite. “I grew up in a three-parent household. My mom, my father, and my grandmother. And I knew what a woman was, not a bad bitch.”

Newton was then asked, “what’s the difference,” as the interview continued.

NFL quarterback Cam Newton complained about women who "can't cook" and "don’t know when to be quiet."

"Now a women for me is, handling your own but knowing how to cater to a man’s needs." https://t.co/Dzw3QMtpwI pic.twitter.com/WdYsetopRJ

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) April 11, 2022
“A bad bitch is a person who is just, you know, ‘Girl, I’m a bad bitch, I’m doing this, I’m doing that. I look the part but I don’t act that part.’ And there’s a lot of women who are bad bitches, and I say bitches in a way not to degrade a woman, but just to go off the aesthetic of what they deem is a boss chick,” Newton said.

“Now, a woman for me is, handling your own but knowing how to cater to a man’s needs right? And I think a lot of times when you get that aesthetic of, ‘I’m a boss bitch, Imma this, Imma that.’ No, baby. But you can’t cook. You don’t know when to be quiet. You don’t know how to allow a man to lead,” the former first-round pick continued.

Newton, who last played for the Panthers, faced backlash in 2017 for making a sexist dig at a female sports reporter.

During a press conference at the time, Panthers beat reporter Jourdan Rodrigue asked the then-Carolina quarterback about wide receiver Devin Funchess’ routes. Newton responded, “It’s funny to hear a female talking about routes.”

The NFL condemned Newton’s remark with the quarterback later issuing an apology.

“After careful thought, I understand that my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women. And to be honest, that was not my intention,” he said at the time. “And if you are a person who took offense to what I said, I sincerely apologize.”

https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/cam-newton-opines-about-women-who-cant-cook-and-dont-know-when-to-be-quiet/

[Futureshock]

49ers Release, Re-Sign DL Maurice Hurst


April 11th, 2022 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

For a brief moment today, Maurice Hurst was a free agent. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter), the 49ers released the defensive tackle before re-signing him to a one-year contract.

Clearly, this was a procedural move that surely saved the team a small chunk of cap, but we won’t know how much the 49ers saved until terms are announced. Hurst re-signed with the 49ers in March, inking a veteran salary exception worth a bit more than $1MM. While the veteran presumably signed the same deal this time around, the front office could have pushed some money down the road (per David Lombardi of The Athletic on Twitter).

Hurst was a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in 2018, and he ended up spending three seasons with the team. After collecting 31 tackles and four sacks in 13 games (10 starts) as a rookie, Hurst only started seven games and compiled four more sacks in his final two seasons with the organization.

The 26-year-old caught on with San Francisco last offseason, and after starting the season on injured reserve, he ended up getting into only a pair of games for his new squad.

[Futureshock]

Sports
Lions

Congress tells FTC Commanders may have broken financial laws

[Iron Lion]

When the team gets seized by the Government, they can change their name to Washington Commandeered.

[froot loops]

I wonder how many teams keep separate books.

[chemiclord]

I wonder how many teams keep separate books.

Oh I wager at least 32 NFL franchises.

[Futureshock]

This has to be an isolated thing right? They're actively cheating each other? That is a clusterf***

But you guys are probably right. I would have thought the other owners would be seeing red with being cheated out of their money, but the lack of any response is really weird and telling.

The player's union is a cluster too since they're being cheated too

[Futureshock]

Fans are donating to the animal rescue group supported by Dwayne Haskins

Posted by Mike Florio on April 13, 2022, 6:32 AM EDT

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NFL fans have found a way to honor the life of Dwayne Haskins.

Via Jori Epstein of USA Today, 299 donors have given nearly $6,500 collectively to Wolf Trap Animal Rescue. The Northern Virginia group experienced a 430-percent uptick in donations from Saturday through Tuesday, as fans made contributions in memory of Haskins.

Why Wolf Trap Animal Rescue? Fans who were trying to come up with a charity to support on behalf of Haskins identified the group because Haskins supported it in 2019 during the league’s annual My Cause, My Cleats initiative.

“Dogs are a man’s best friend,” Haskins said in 2019, via the Commanders website. “We just love spending time with them — they bring a whole bunch of energy — and they make my day brighter.” The article also includes a video of Haskins opening the box containing the custom cleats he wore and further discussing his support o Wolf Trap Animal Rescue.

To donate to the cause that Dwayne Haskins supported, click here. Every little bit will help serve the cause that meant a lot to him, and it will give many who continue to struggle with the news of his passing a way to honor his life and legacy.

[Futureshock]

Two more NFL officials retire, bringing the number of retirements to nine

Posted by Charean Williams on April 12, 2022, 9:10 PM EDT

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NFL officials Gary Cavaletto and Rich Hall recently retired, leaving the NFL with nine retirements of on-field officials, Mark Schultz of footballzebras.com reports. Cavaletto was a veteran deep wing, who officiated in the NFL for 19 seasons; Hall served as an umpire for 18 seasons.

The league currently has 11 total openings for officials, including two replay officials. John McGrath retired, and Carl Madsen died during the 2021 season.

The NFL intends to hire eight new on-field officials, leaving one swing official to rotate. The hirings should happen quicky as May 15 is the date when the NFL officials’ season begins.

Schultz reports that the 2022 rookie class of NFL officials could work this spring calling USFL games.

[Futureshock]

I wonder how many teams keep separate books.

Oh it gets better Loops...


Member of Congress says the allegations against the Commanders read like something out of the Godfather

Posted by Mike Florio on April 12, 2022, 8:10 PM EDT

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The U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Reform has focused on the Washington Commanders. One of the members of the Committee is amazed by what the Committee has learned regarding the allegations of financial shenanigans.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said this to John Keim of ESPN.com: “Quite frankly, as you go through the allegations it reads like a description of some organization out of the Godfather and not an NFL football team.”

The Committee apparently will be learning more. A.J. Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com reports that at least one subpoena has been issued to a person with knowledge of the Commanders’ finances.

Jason Friedman, who spent 24 years with the team, supposedly has evidence beyond his own testimony. As Congress gathers more evidence, it will only get worse for the team and for owner Daniel Snyder. Although we’ve seen a gradual drip-drip of allegations regarding the team and Snyder, this has the potential to be a waterfall that washes Snyder out of the NFL for good.

Commanders fans should only be so lucky.

[Nick Pappageorgio]

Uuugh….does that mean the officiating will get better or worse?

[Futureshock]

C'mon man.

Report: Rams have had contact with Stephon Gilmore

Posted by Charean Williams on April 12, 2022, 7:25 PM EDT

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The Rams have adopted a “picks-for-players” philosophy, which helped win them a Super Bowl last season. They haven’t changed this postseason, signing linebacker Bobby Wagner most recently.

Unsurprisingly, Wagner might not be the last big name the Rams sign.

They have been in contact with free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Jourdan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com reports.

Gilmore, if signed, would start outside opposite Jalen Ramsey.

The Rams, though, will have a “much lower” offer than Gilmore hit the market expecting, Rodrigue adds.

Gilmore, 31, played for the Panthers last season after a trade from New England. He had 16 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in eight games.

Gilmore was All-Pro in 2018 and 2019 and earned defensive player of the year honors in 2019.

The Raiders also have shown interest in Gilmore, who is one of the top free agents still unsigned.