NFL News

[edindetroit]

Uh, Newsweek reporting Rodgers could be traded to Denver possibly tonight? Not a lot of there there. But Elway swooping in would be interesting.

https://www.newsweek.com/green-bay-q...report-1587637

There there it will be okay.

[chemiclord]

This kind of lays waste to the idea that the quarterback should be driving the franchise direction. We heard numerous times that Stafford wasn't demanding excellence from the franchise. From what we have seen from both Rodgers and Wilson is they really value them being quarterback and that's it. When they demand stuff they are told to pound sand.

Hell, that nonsense should have been put to bed when the Patriots happily let Tom Brady walk and win a Super Bowl with another team rather than give him what he wanted.

[Tom]

Maybe they can only demand excellence early in their careers....

[Futureshock]

Malik Hooker visiting Dolphins

Posted by Charean Williams on May 4, 2021, 3:00 PM EDT

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Free agent safety Malik Hooker is visiting the Dolphins on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

Hooker, 25, visited the Cowboys earlier in the offseason but has had little reported interest. He is rehabbing after tearing his Achilles in Week 2 last season.

Hooker, a first-round choice of the Colts in 2017, had an injury-plagued career in Indianapolis. He missed 28 of 64 games.

Hooker has 125 career tackles, seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

If he can stay healthy, Hooker could prove an inexpensive post-draft pickup.

[Futureshock]

Marcus Peters: Rams getting rid of me, trading for Jalen Ramsey was disrespectful

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 4, 2021, 2:50 PM EDT

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The Rams traded cornerback Marcus Peters to the Ravens in the middle of the 2019 season, and Peters still has a problem with how that all went down.

On the same day the Rams traded Peters, they traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and Peters says he considers it a slap in the face that the Rams viewed that as an upgrade.

“F— them,” Peters said on Aqib Talib’s podcast, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “I felt disrespected. In the sense of, yeah, you can trade me. That’s part of the business. But two minutes after that, you bring in another guy who do the same s— I do, maybe a little bit different. If we want to play this compare game, I do a little bit more. That s— was disrespectful to me.”

Just a few weeks after the Rams traded him to the Ravens, Peters intercepted a pass in a Ravens win over the Rams. The Rams and Ravens will meet again in 2021, and Peters will be eager to show the Rams again that they shouldn’t have traded him.

[Futureshock]

Kellen Mond already becomes an answer to a great Vikings trivia question

Posted by Mike Florio on May 4, 2021, 6:41 AM EDT
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On Friday, Kellen Mond became the 29th quarterback drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. That fact wasn’t nearly as interesting as another one related to the selection.

Mond arrived via round three. He’s the first Vikings quarterback to be drafted in the third round since the first draft the Vikings ever had, in 1961. That’s when they used a third-round pick on a quarterback from Georgia.

First name, Francis. Last name, Tarkenton.

Mond has a long way to go before he’ll be ready to play, especially with Kirk Cousins the unquestioned starter. But Cousins’ contract situation gives the Vikings a Plan B that, based on what Mond does behind the scenes, could become a Plan A by 2023. It possibly could happen sooner, if the Vikings believe he’s ready and/or the offense has plateaued under Cousins.

However it plays out, the fact that Mond becomes the first quarterback to arrive in round three since Fran Tarkenton will serve only to make Vikings fans more interested in seeing how things go with a guy who could become Minnesota’s answer to the trend toward quarterbacks who can both run the play that’s called — and who can then making something happen on the fly, if the play that’s called falls apart.

That would be fitting, since the Vikings had one of the original guys who could do that in Tarkenton.

For more on Mond and other Vikings issues, check out the attached video interview with Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman.

[Futureshock]

Patrick Mahomes, other players confused by Broncos’ ability to not pay Ja’Wuan James

Posted by Mike Florio on May 5, 2021, 10:22 AM EDT

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The Ja’Wuan James injury, while bad for him, could be good for NFL players generally.

Players seem to be realizing that there’s a very real difference between getting injured while working out at the team facility and getting injured while working out elsewhere.

The news that James, who has (or at least had) a $9.85 million fully-guaranteed salary for 2021, will most likely lose that money because he suffered a torn Achilles tendon while working out away from the team facility was met with confused by players like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“So they are going to take his contract for working out in the off-season???” Mahomes said on Twitter.

Yes, they will. They will because they can. They especially will because the NFL Players Association has tried to get players to boycott voluntary offseason workouts this year, prompting the league to directly remind teams (and to indirectly remind players) that any player who suffers a serious injury away from work risks losing his salary. In the case of Ja'Wuan James, the price could be even greater.

Mahomes isn’t alone in his misunderstanding of the rules. And, frankly, Mahomes would never have to worry about the Chiefs not paying his salary if he were to suffer an injury away from work.

Still, he should have at least an inkling that it could be an issue. Remember when a video surfaced of Mahomes playing basketball, and the Chiefs quickly slammed the door on that? Presumably, his agents would have (or at least should have) explained to him the consequences of suffering a “non-football injury” — which means any injury (football-related or otherwise) happening away from the team facility, a practice, or a game.

Every agent should be explaining to every player the risks or working out away from the facility. Salary can be lost, forever. Guarantees can be voided if the player misses even one mandatory practice due to the injury. Signing bonus money can be pursued and recovered.

The union should be explaining that as well. Instead, player leadership continues to advocate skipping voluntary workouts, ostensibly due to the pandemic but actually because: (1) veteran players prefer no voluntary workouts at all; and (2) some members of player leadership remain upset that a 17-game season was forced upon the NFLPA during the latest CBA — as if the NFL wouldn’t have gotten a 17-game season by letting the agreement expire, implementing a lockout, and waiting for the players to cave.

We always support the players. There is no game without the players, and fans far too often side with the owners in disputes between league and union. However, we can’t support the Players Association on this one, because it puts individual player salary and other financial factors at risk with no real benefit. The owners don’t care if the players skip offseason workouts; all this does is unnecessarily agitate the coaches.

Ja’Wuan James, who reportedly was working out at the team facility and left at the recommendation of the NFLPA, learned that lesson the hard way. Other players can now learn that lesson without losing millions of dollar.

[Fraquar]

This is a serious UNION problem - not a team problem.

For one, he was doing it the right way - working out at the team facility - until the Union put him in a compromising position.
"umm, we don't want you working out at the team facility - Ju'Wuan......"

Perhaps the Union should pony up that 2021 salary - because they of all people certainly know the implications of what they asked him to do - it's in the very collective bargaining contract they negotiated......

[Futureshock]

Sony Michel could be odd man out in Patriots’ backfield

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 5, 2021, 5:32 PM EDT

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This week the Patriots declined the fifth-year option on running back Sony Michel‘s contract. It’s possible Michel won’t be back for a fourth year in New England, either.

Michel, a running back chosen in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, could lose his spot on the 53-man roster if rookie Rhamondre Stevenson impresses in training camp and the preseason, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.

The Patriots took Stevenson with the 120th overall pick in the draft. At Oklahoma, Stevenson was a major special teams contributor, while Michel has never played a significant role on special teams with the Patriots. That could give Stevenson a leg up if Bill Belichick is deciding between Stevenson and Michel for a final roster spot at running back.

Stevenson played only 19 games at Oklahoma and was a backup for most of his college career, but he has impressive size and versatility and has the potential to make an impact as a rookie.

[Futureshock]

I'd take a shot a Michel

[Futureshock]

MSU's

Justin Layne pleads guilty to three misdemeanors to resolve April arrest

Posted by Josh Alper on May 5, 2021, 3:42 PM EDT

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Steelers cornerback Justin Layne faced a felony charge after last month’s arrest in Ohio, but the case has been resolved after he pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Layne was facing a fourth-degree felony gun charge after his arrest following a traffic stop, but the Willoughby News-Herald reports that he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor possession of criminal tools charge on Wednesday. He also pleaded guilty to charges of speeding and driving without an operator’s license.

Layne received a six-month suspended jail sentence. He will not serve time as long as he pays a $500 fine, forfeits a Glock 9mm handgun, and performs 32 hours of community service.

The Steelers drafted Layne in the third round of the 2019 draft. He has 25 tackles in 26 games for the team.

[The King]

Typical Sparty.

[Futureshock]

Loved this:

D.K. Metcalf brings to mind the old NFL’s Fastest Man competitions

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 7, 2021, 9:25 AM EDT

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Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf will run the 100-meter dash on Sunday at the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open, a track meet that can earn qualification for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Seeing an NFL player running a timed race in the offseason is unusual, but it didn’t used to be.

In the 1980s and 1990s, NFL players regularly competed in the NFL’s Fastest Man, a series of 60-yard one-on-one races that were nationally televised and resulted in one player being crowned as the fastest in the league.

Video from the 1988 NFL’s Fastest Man, featuring a field of Darrell Green, Mark Duper, Vance Johnson, Herschel Walker, Rod Woodson, Ricky Nattiel, Haywood Jeffries and Willie Gault, is embedded in this post.

The winner got $20,000, which serves as an indication of why these events don’t happen anymore: In those days, that was real money to NFL players. Today, salaries have skyrocketed, and the kind of money you could make for winning an NFL’s Fastest Man competition would be viewed by most players as chump change. The last time something like this was tried, with the “40 Yards of Gold” event in 2019, players ended up suing because they didn’t get paid.

But that 1988 NFL’s Fastest Man was a lot of fun. Watch the video to see who won.

https://vplayer.nbcsports.com/p/BxmELC/nbcsports_embed/select/media/NF_Fyvel416F

[Futureshock]

Colts, Jets, Raiders holding rookie minicamps this weekend

Posted by Josh Alper on May 7, 2021, 9:23 AM EDT

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Many of the offseason events that were cancelled last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to be back this year and in-person rookie minicamps are on that list.

Three teams will be welcoming draft picks, undrafted free agent signings, and tryout players to their facilities this weekend. The Colts, Jets, and Raiders will be followed by the rest of the league next weekend.

While the minicamps are back and will feature on-field work for the new arrivals, they won’t look exactly like they did in the past. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes that the Jets will split the squad up with linemen working in the morning and skill position players like second overall pick Zach Wilson doing their work in the afternoon.

That will look different, but having the camps at all is another step toward a 2021 season that feels like the ones we grew accustomed to before the pandemic.

[Futureshock]

I think they will:

Deatrich Wise: Patriots learned from last year and we’re hungry to win

Posted by Josh Alper on May 7, 2021, 7:18 AM EDT

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Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise spent his first four seasons as a regular in the Patriots lineup before hitting free agency earlier this year and his time on the open market wound up sending him back to New England.

Wise signed a four-year deal to stay in New England and said on Thursday that the atmosphere and culture of the team proved to be too enticing to pass up. Wise’s feelings were shared by other teammates like Lawrence Guy, David Andrews, and James White as well as a slew of free agent additions to the roster.

Wise said that the players who were around for the 7-9 season in 2020 learned things they didn’t learn when the Patriots were riding high and that the entire roster shares the same goal regardless of how they came to the team.

“The guys in the locker room are hungry,” Wise said, via NESN.com. “Whether they’re rookies, whether they didn’t play last year, whether they were on a different team, everybody’s coming here for one goal, and that’s to win. That’s what I really appreciate about all the guys coming back — we all want to win. And if we’re not winning, we’re learning. Last year was a big learning process. We learned from it. Now, the main mindset is to win.”

There has been a lot of winning in New England over the last two decades. Last season put a halt to that and the 2021 campaign will show if that was an aberration or if the tide has truly turned for the Patriots.