NFL News

[Fraquar]

This is nuts.

Report: Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson didn’t talk for ‘8,9,10 weeks’ during Eagles’ season:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-car...170044196.html

You put two and two together it looks more like Wentz might be equal parts to blame or that silence.
Look, you got a guy who missed out on two straight playoff seasons because of injury.
Team moves on from Foles (quality backup - who later couldn't stay healthy in his own right), then turns around and drafts a QB in Rd 2.

At the end of the day though, the Eagles more than most were a triage unit in 2020. Hawkeye, Hot-Lips, B.J., Col Potter, Major Burns, Trapper John, Father Mulcahy - they'd have had their hands full with the Eagles in 2020.

[jaadam4]

Cautionary tale - that is hindsight 2020. Especially in Goff's case.
Everybody knows Aaron Donald is a beast - but the defense doesn't reflect that in Goff's time there.
16 times (an entire season) in his first 3 years there the Rams gave up 30+.
By comparison? The Lions only did that 13 times......
Rams won TWICE as many game as the Lions did.

Kind of glossing over the fact that the Rams had the most dominant RB in the game as well. Gurley was unbelievable

[dpatnod]

Nope. Goff made players around him better by yelling at his coaches. He's the man. Lions going to the SB for sure.

Derp.

[TheLondonLion]

Ironically, dwt was a big Jared Goff guy.

The mental aerobics to justify why the Lions are even worse with mediocre Matty gone would be something.

[froot loops]

Jalen Hurts impressed in his stint this season the way Mike McMahon did.

[Futureshock]

Kind of glossing over the fact that the Rams had the most dominant RB in the game as well. Gurley was unbelievable

Yup. And when he started to decline, so did everything else offensively. When he left it made it a lot harder for everyone on that team.

QB Jesus folks don't like that.

[Futureshock]

Jalen Hurts impressed in his stint this season the way Mike McMahon did.

Oh yeah, the smooth operator

[Futureshock]

Would a Panthers trade for Deshaun Watson include Christian McCaffrey?

Posted by Mike Florio on February 22, 2021, 9:55 AM EST

USA Today Sports

It started as a “bold prediction” that morphed into a vague sort of report that provided ESPN a week’s worth of content. The possibility of the transaction still lingers. Ultimately, however, would the Panthers include running back Christian McCaffrey in a trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson?

The Panthers just signed McCaffrey to a long-term deal last year, giving him a $21.5 million signing bonus. Trading him now would trigger a $17.2 million cap charge. With Watson making only $10.54 million in 2021, McCaffrey would actually chew up $6.66 million more cap space than Watson next season.

The Panthers would take another $10 million cap charge for trading Teddy Bridgewater before June 2, based on the $15 million signing bonus he received last year on a three-year deal. That’s $27.2 million in dead money tied to trading for Watson, if McCaffrey would indeed be part of the deal.

The other question becomes whether the Texans would want McCaffrey. New G.M. Nick Caserio comes from a place where running backs were jammed into a revolving door, with no workhorse at the position. Caserio may not be inclined to put all running back eggs in McCaffrey’s basket.

So it continues to seem unlikely that McCaffrey will be part of any trade for Watson. But the possibility of McCaffrey being shipped to Houston hasn’t gone away — and likely won’t until Watson is, or isn’t, traded to the Panthers.

[Futureshock]

Florio is missing a small part of the puzzle. Didn't they just trade Hopkins for David Johnson? So are they just going to cut him and have nothing for show of letting Hopkins go? This is dumb.

[Futureshock]

Colts Michael Pittman Jr. not giving up No. 11 to Carson Wentz

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 22, 2021, 9:41 AM EST

USA TODAY Sports

Carson Wentz wore No. 11 at North Dakota State. He wore it in his five seasons with the Eagles, too.

But he’ll apparently have to choose a new number with the Colts in 2021.

Indianapolis wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. wore No. 11 as a rookie in 2020 and he doesn’t plan on giving it up in 2021 telling TMZ Sports, “I am No. 11” and “I don’t think there’s any deal that’s going to be done.”

But apparently there’s no hard feelings between the wide receiver and his new QB.

“I spoke to [Carson] and he was just seeing how locked in I was to No. 11, and I told him I was locked in — and he was like, ‘That’s cool, bro, because I’m probably gonna switch anyway,'” Pittman said. “He asked me very respectfully and I just appreciated him for that. I think he’s a great dude, because lots of guys with his status, they would come in and demand and stuff like that.”

Pittman caught 40 passes for 503 yards with a touchdown in 13 games during his rookie season. He added he’s looking forward to getting with Wentz to start catching passes from his team’s new quarterback.

The trade sending Wentz from Philadelphia to Indianapolis will be official at the start of the new league year on March 17.

[Futureshock]

Optimism grows for full NFL stadiums in 2021

Posted by Mike Florio on February 22, 2021, 9:24 AM EST

Getty Images

As the nation begins to make real progress when it comes to beating back the pandemic, the National Football League has a growing sense of optimism that stadiums will be full during the 2021 season.

From the availability of vaccines to signs of potential herd immunity, some believe that, by Memorial Day, the tide will have turned dramatically. Then, by Labor Day, the question becomes whether pro football will be able to pack its venues.

As noted on Sunday, salary-cap calculations are proceeding under the assumption that the league will have 75-percent attendance in 2021.

Many factors will influence the ultimate reality. First, people need to welcome the opportunity to be vaccinated against the virus. As more and more and more people are getting it, tales of serious reactions or other complications are becoming extremely rare. Second, political winds need to change in states where extreme caution has been the prevailing view since last March.

There’s nothing wrong with extreme caution. At some point, however, extreme caution becomes counterproductive — especially as evidence mounts that we’re collectively getting the situation under control. For the NFL, a lingering political reluctance to return to normal (even if the circumstances justify it) could result in, for example, full stadiums in states like Florida and Texas but far fewer fans in California, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Again, much could change between now and Memorial Day and much will then change between Memorial Day and Labor Day. As the one-year anniversary of our upside-down reality approaches, it’s entirely possible that, within six months, many things could be rightside-up.

It’s far from automatic, however. People need to keep wearing masks. People need to welcome the opportunity to be vaccinated. If that happens — and if the FDA will get the Johnson & Johnson single-stick vaccine finally approved — things could possibly get on the right track.

[Futureshock]

Cam Newton: There aren’t 32 quarterbacks better than me

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 22, 2021, 8:47 AM EST

Getty Images

It seems more likely than not that the Patriots will have a different starting quarterback in 2021 than they did in 2020.

But Cam Newton isn’t planning on retiring.

During an appearance on Brandon Marshall’s podcast, the quarterback was fairly emphatic when asked about the possibility that he could stop playing.

“Hell no! I can’t go out like that. I hear all of that talk. My pride won’t allow me to do it,” Newton said, via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “There aren’t 32 guys better than me.”

Patriots coaches praised Newton throughout the season as the club finished 7-9 in 2020. But he was one of the league’s least effective passers, throwing for just 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 592 yards with 12 touchdowns and even caught a pair of passes for 35 yards with a TD.

Newton is set to be a free agent when the new league year begins on March 17. It’s unclear what his market will be, though his former head coach Ron Rivera kept the door open for a possible reunion in Washington earlier this month.

[Futureshock]

Martin Mayhew: Experience in WFT personnel department very valuable

Posted by Josh Alper on February 22, 2021, 7:07 AM EST

Getty Images

The Washington Football Team overhauled its personnel department this offseason and they did not go for up and comers to fill the top slots.

Former Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew has the same job in Washington, former Panthers G.M. Marty Hurney is the executive vice president of football/player personnel, former Colts G.M. Chris Polian is the director of pro personnel, and former Dolphins assistant G.M. is the senior director of player personnel.

That’s not typically how the department is organized, particularly when head coach Ron Rivera is at the top of the hierarchy, but Mayhew shared the virtues of that approach with Albert Breer of SI.com. He said all four men draw on their past to inform the present and “that experience is very valuable.”

“We’ve all made mistakes. Anybody who’s had this job has made mistakes. And we’ve all learned from them,” Mayhew said. “I think we do a very good job of bouncing ideas off each other. I think one good thing about all of us is we’re very opinionated. None of us hold our tongue or hold back. We all have opinions on things, and we will get them out on the table, and get them out and discuss them.”

The group joins a team that won the NFC East with a 7-9 record last year, so Mayhew knows it is not “a blank canvas” but a club with strengths that can be built on this offseason. Quarterback isn’t one of those spots and changing that will be a top priority for everyone in Washington this offseason.

[Futureshock]

J.J. Watt: You’re gonna have to give me a second to choose a new team

Posted by Charean Williams on February 22, 2021, 12:12 AM EST

Getty Images

It’s been nine days — and counting — since the Texans acquiesced to J.J. Watt‘s request to be released.

Reports have trickled out since then of this team’s interest or that team’s interest. The Titans even admitted their interest in the defensive end.

The Packers, Browns, Bills and Steelers are others who reportedly are possibilities to land Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins has recruited Watt to follow him to Arizona.

So where does that leave Watt?

Still without a new team, and perhaps without one until teams are certain of the salary cap. A report Sunday indicates the cap isn’t likely to hit $185 million.

That prompted (presumably) a Cardinals fan with the Twitter handle of KylerDhop to ask Watt whether “you wanna sign somewhere or nah?” It elicited a reply from the man himself.

“I scroll through door dash for like an hour before I pick a restaurant man…,” Watt wrote back. “You’re gonna have to give me a second to choose a new team and city.”

Watt, who turns 32 next month, wants to play for a contender.

The three-time defensive player of the year leaves the Texans after 128 starts, 101 sacks, 172 tackles for loss, 282 quarterback hits, 25 forced fumbles and 16 fumble recoveries in 10 seasons.

[Futureshock]

Report: Mike Tomlin diagnosed with COVID-19

Posted by Myles Simmons on February 22, 2021, 2:19 PM EST

Getty Images

The Steelers have been one of the teams working from their facility early in the offseason, but apparently that has been interrupted.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports head coach Mike Tomlin was diagnosed with COVID-19 and is now away from the club’s building. Rapoport added that while the Steelers did not confirm Tomlin’s diagnosis, they did say members of the coaching staff and personnel staff were sent home last week after a couple of positives tests.

While any positive is a cause for concern, there won’t be the usual number of league-wide events early in the offseason for in-person attendance.

In a typical year, the NFL scouting combine would be coming up over the next week, but that event has been canceled due to the pandemic. While teams may conduct virtual meetings and calls with players in the upcoming draft class, only three members of each team may attend a school’s Pro Day to get an up-close look at a prospect.

During the season, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski missed the wild-card matchup with the Steelers due to a positive COVID-19 test. Then-Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell did not coach in Week 16 due to being a close contact of a positive COVID-19 test among the coaching staff.