NFL News

[Futureshock]

NFL chief medical officer says protocols will change and evolve during the season

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 2, 2020, 3:32 PM EDT

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The NFL is putting together protocols for playing the 2020 season in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, but those protocols will change as the season goes on.

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, says the league has to be flexible as it learns more about how to fight the spread of infection among NFL players, coaches and other staffers.

“I absolutely expect that our protocols will change and will evolve as we go through the regular season based upon some of this new knowledge,” Sills told the Associated Press. “That’s the nature of medical practice: that we’re always looking to improve based upon emerging knowledge and emerging data and those things will change. And so I don’t think none of us should be surprised by that and that’s part of our commitment on the health and safety side is to try to stay abreast of what’s happening in the medical fields and in the other sports leagues and continue to improve those protocols for the safety of everyone.”

No one really knows whether it’s possible to play a football season during a pandemic, and no one really knows what the best practices are. The NFL will be figuring this out as it goes along, and hoping it goes well enough not to have to shut everything down.

[Futureshock]

Packers plan significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masks

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 3, 2020, 10:08 AM EDT

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The Packers are telling fans to prepare to wear a mask if they’re able to see a game at Lambeau Field at all this season.

In a message from Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, season ticket holders were told that the team is optimistic fans will be able to attend games this year, although even that’s not a sure thing.

“At this time, the team is preparing to have fans in attendance with new policies and safety measures to allow for appropriate social distancing, which will require the stadium’s seating capacity to be significantly reduced,” the team’s statement said. “Face coverings also will be required, and other necessary precautions will be in place. As a result, the special experience to which fans are accustomed at Lambeau Field will look and feel very different.”

The Packers added that their full plan for the season has not been finalized, and that season ticket holders can either opt in and continue to receive updates about the specific plans for home games, or opt out and receive a refund for 2020 now, or get credit for 2021 season tickets.

The last part of the Packers’ message to season ticket holders may be the most important: Everything is subject to change.

[Futureshock]

COVID-19 Notes: Protocols, Fines, Opt-Outs


July 3rd, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

Last night, the NFLPA held a conference call with player reps and NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer to discuss safety protocols and other issues relating to how training camp and the season will proceed. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com has a comprehensive report on the call, and some of the most relevant highlights are as follows:

• Mayer opened the call by updating everyone on the virus in general, with a reminder that African American males are especially susceptible and that false negatives are a legitimate concern. As such, any player that tests positive would need to test negative twice before being allowed to return to action.
• Players could face fines for engaging in “reckless” behavior away from team facilities, such as eating out in restaurants and using ride-sharing services.
• Players will not stay in hotels during training camp, but instead will commute from their homes each day.
• Mayer provided updates on the development of face shields, though some on the call were opposed to the shields, believing that they would be detrimental to their vision and their breathing.
• Some confusion was expressed as to why the league is trying to move forward at all given how dangerous COVID-19 is. Some unanswered questions that players want resolved include what will happen to their contracts if they elect not to play, what will happen to the 2021 salary cap, and what will happen if they initially agree to play but then grow uncomfortable as the season wears on.
• Media access will be limited.
• Most meetings will be conducted virtually.
• The current plan is to test players and team personnel every other day during camp, but players are pushing for daily testing.

There is another call scheduled for today that will be open to all players, not just player reps. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the league and the union need to quickly come to terms on what will essentially be a one-season labor agreement in order to preserve the 2020 campaign. If that does not happen, a “non-traditional” work stoppage could certainly be in the offing.

Florio’s sources say that players are expected to have the right to opt out of the 2020 season, and if they do so, they would be forfeiting their base salary but not their bonuses. They would also not face any fines. However, it is still unclear how many players would take avail themselves of their opt out rights and how many would press on.

Indeed, while some states have experienced a decline in positive tests, numbers across the country are still going up, which was not supposed to happen. In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio yesterday (h/t Florio), Dr. Anthony Fauci opined that the disturbing resurgence of the pandemic has put the NFL season completely in flux.

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It should be daily. Why take a chance on spreading it over a 24 hr period?

"Players will not stay in hotels during training camp, but instead will commute from their homes each day." - Why not put them in Hotels where you can control potential exposures? It's not like some teams weren't doing that before for Training camps.

[Futureshock]

NFL Expected To Reduce Camp Rosters


July 2nd, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another key step in the NFL’s preparations for training camp is expected to take place soon. The current line of thinking points to the league reducing offseason rosters from their 90-player limit, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Adam Schefter report (via Twitter).

It is not certain how many roster spots will be eliminated, but Schefter notes “no one” expects teams to report to camp with 90-man rosters. The prospect of trimming offseason rosters to 75 or 80 players surfaced in NFLPA circles recently.

Teams can carry up to 90 players on their rosters through the preseason. They must cut down to 53 shortly after. Franchises formerly were required to make cuts down to 75 midway through the preseason and then further reduce their rosters before regular-season play. But a 90-to-53 cut represents the current setup. That is unlikely to be the case this year.

This will make matters more difficult for UDFAs. The virtual offseason already prevented rookies from onsite development, and teams may well be forced to waive players ahead of training camp. Naturally, the first cuts would be the less coveted free agents teams signed following the draft or players retained via reserve/futures contracts after last season’s conclusion.

However, this CBA increased practice squads from 10 to 12 players. And it looks like taxi squads will be further expanded because of the coronavirus. A recent report indicated 16-man P-squads were being considered, but Schefter notes that number could climb as high as 20. This would create more opportunities for players who would otherwise become camp cuts.

Reduced camp rosters will help amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NFL and NFLPA remain in discussions about how football will proceed during this historically unusual period. The NFL this week canceled the supplemental draft, and it became known the league wants to pare the preseason slate down to two games. The NFLPA may well be against playing any preseason contests. A reduced preseason would lessen the need for 90-player rosters, and with social-distancing guidelines released — with more directives likely coming soon — teams having fewer players would make adhering to these protocols easier.

[dpatnod]

So if there is no season, do the Lions get another #3 pick in 2021? Do all players get another year automatically added to current contracts? What a cluster.

[wcfwtf]

Why keep rewarding failure with high picks
Just make the 2021 draft an open ping pong type selection.
Have all teams eligible for all picks. If your lucky enough to get the first pick on the first selection then that allows good teams to be rewarded by keeping the pick or trading it to the Lions, uh I mean, worse organizations.

[Futureshock]

Ping Pong balls and lotteries suk {see "Redwings get screwed")

Being bad isn't a reward. It's more like help. No one wanted it when it cost you big time on your cap.

Order should be the same except the teams that tied in record. They could be inverted I guess.

[Futureshock]

All you MS haters should want this. CIN and WAS have their young hopeful QBs. We could get Trevor Lawrence! Aw man

[Cody_Russell]

Assuming no Tua-like injuries, someone would trade up for Lawrence if the Bengals gets #1 again. He is #1 overall quality ... better than Murray, Mayfield, Goff, Winston, Newton, Bradford, Stafford, and Russell of recent years.

[Futureshock]

Assuming no Tua-like injuries, someone would trade up for Lawrence if the Bengals gets #1 again. He is #1 overall quality ... better than Murray, Mayfield, Goff, Winston, Newton, Bradford, Stafford, and Russell of recent years.

It would take less to jump up 2 spaces. He's worth it.

[Forsh]

I think Washington would take Lawrence, even if nobody traded

[Cody_Russell]

Good possibility. If Haskins doesn't show much improvement, Washington Potatoes could be in the market for a QB. Particularly with Lawrence being a much better prospect than Haskins coming out of college.

It would take less to jump up 2 spaces. He's worth it.

Agree. It would cost a lot, but well worth it.
2021 offseason is the time to look towards the future at QB if things don't turn out well in 2020. Stafford turns 33 years old and his contract is more friendly.

[jaadam4]

Asshole potato skins screwed us out of Chase Young

[Cody_Russell]

10 year NFL contract, that's new.
I don't think it matters because Mahomes can always ask for another contract... but in 2030, Mahomes could be the 20th highest paid QB by then on this deal.

Good for Mahomes. Deserves to receive the greatest NFL contract ever.

[Futureshock]

10 year NFL contract, that's new.
I don't think it matters because Mahomes can always ask for another contract... but in 2030, Mahomes could be the 20th highest paid QB by then on this deal.

Good for Mahomes. Deserves to receive the greatest NFL contract ever.

Come on over here Chris (Jones). We got $ for you.