NFL News

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Did Stafford take Bobby Laynes curse with him?

[Futureshock]

Did Stafford take Bobby Laynes curse with him?

I had that passing thought on my drive in today.

[Futureshock]

When Dolphins didn’t land Drew Brees, Nick Saban decided, “I’m getting out of here”

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2021, 9:36 AM EDT

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Through the latter half of Nick Saban’s second season as head coach of the Dolphins, we heard repeatedly that he was miserable in the NFL and that he wanted to go back to the college game. On Tuesday, Saban revealed the moment at which he claims that he decided the NFL wasn’t for him.

In comments published by 247sports.com, Saban said decided to leave the Dolphins after the team chose not to sign quarterback Drew Brees.

“Look when the Miami Dolphins were going to sign Drew Brees, Drew was coming to Miami when I was the coach there,” Saban said. “He was going to be the quarterback. That’s all we needed. We just went 9-7 and all we needed was a quarterback to be a playoff team. We were going to sign Drew Brees as a free agent. Dr. [James] Andrews operated on [his shoulder] and I went to Birmingham to see Dr. Andrews, and he said it’ll be fine. Our doctors failed him on the physical. [Drew] was there to sign with us. . . .

“So I decided right then when that happened that we don’t have a quarterback in the NFL, we’re not going to win. I’m getting out of here. I’m not staying here. I’m not going to be responsible for this. That doctor didn’t know his ass from a handful of sand. Drew Brees plays 15 more years, wins a Super Bowl, goes to nine Pro Bowls. And we didn’t take him in Miami, where he wanted to go. Some things you can’t control. When we left there nobody understood why. Well that was why. There’s always a reason.”

Saban’s incessant complaints about Dr. Don’t Know My Ass From A Handful Of Sand have never made complete sense. Saban ran the show in Miami. Saban could have overruled the doctor. Saban, if necessary, could have brought Dr. Andrews to Miami for a one-on-one meeting with owner Wayne Huizenga. Saban could have done something if he wanted Brees as bad as Saban now claims he does.

Saban’s official story on the subject isn’t surprising. By insisting that he wanted Brees and that someone else prevented it from happening, Saban creates the impression that the Dolphins would have been what the Saints became. And that not-so-subtle attitude undermines the special chemistry that Brees developed with Saints coach Sean Payton. Saban, a defensive coach by background, may not have gotten the same sustained excellence out of Brees that Payton did.

Besides, it’s not as if Saban checked out the moment the Dolphins chose not to sign Brees. The Dolphins instead sent a second-round pick to the Vikings for quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who suffered a serious knee injury in 2005 but who quietly had an excellent season in 2004, with a completion percentage of 69.7, 4,717 passing yards, 39 touchdown passes, and a full-season passer rating of 110.9.

The truth seems to be that Saban made a calculation that eventually blew up in his face. Instead of moving heaven and earth to get Brees (and, surely, if Saban had told Huizenga, “Sign Brees or I’m out of here after the season,” Huizenga would have signed Brees), Saban opted for Culpepper. And it didn’t work. Once it became clear it wasn’t working, that’s when the rumors began to percolate that Saban wasn’t long for the NFL.

But Saban will surely continue to push his own narrative on the subject, because it’s always better to be able to say that someone else didn’t know his ass from a handful of sand.

[Futureshock]

K.J. Wright: I’m not closing the door on a return to Seattle

Posted by Myles Simmons on July 21, 2021, 9:30 AM EDT

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K.J. Wright initially thought he would be back with the Seahawks by now.

Instead, the linebacker remains a free agent with training camps about to begin.

Wright, who turns 32 at the end of the week, was a fourth-round pick back in 2011 and has been a critical piece of the Seattle defense since his rookie year. He’s continued to play well into his 30s, starting 32 games over the last two seasons and picking up a combined four interceptions, 21 passes defensed, and 16 tackles for loss.

The Seahawks are set to have 2020 first-round pick Jordyn Brooks take over at weakside linebacker in the coming season, replacing Wright. But Wright said in a Tuesday interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio that a return to the Seahawks could still be in the cards.

“Yes, there is a chance. There is a chance and I’m not closing the door on Seattle,” Wright said. “Going into free agency, I thought it would be a no-brainer. But they’re going to wait until training camp, so we’ll see. No matter what happens, my career in Seattle was just unforgettable. Just 10 years, just had a lot of fun. Got a Super Bowl, got a Pro Bowl, Seahawks Man of the Year — I did a lot of good stuff in that jersey. And so, hopefully one day they put me up in the Ring of Honor, we’ll see.

“But yeah, no matter what happens, just playing with Bobby [Wagner] and the Legion of Boom, those guys, that’s going to be historical. And I’m just thankful that I could be a part of it. So we’ll see if I go back to Seattle, that would be nice. But if not, you know, I’m forever thankful.”

If Wright doesn’t return to the Pacific Northwest, he feels his experience will help him get quickly acclimated to a new defensive system.

“I know what I provide to a team,” Wright said. “I know that I can go into a training camp, pick up the playbook nice and easy, nice and fast, go out there and perform at any position they want me at. And so I’m excited, man. Whatever opportunity does present itself, I’m just going to go in there and attack it and just have fun playing in Year 11.”

[Futureshock]

Nick Saban already is using NIL deals as a recruiting tool

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2021, 9:04 AM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney once said he’d quit if players were permitted to make money. (He hasn’t, yet.) Alabama coach Nick Saban has opted instead to pivot — especially since he sees a clear advantage from doing so.

On one hand, Saban is accepting the new reality because he has no other choice. Trends change, and smart coaches adjust. On the other hand, Saban (arguably the best recruiter in the history of college sports) already sees a way to use the new NIL rules to lure more great players to his program.

“Our quarterback [Bryce Young] already has approached ungodly numbers,” Saban said Tuesday, via 247sports.com. “I’m not going to say what they are. He hasn’t even played yet. He hasn’t been a starter. If I told you what he’s . . . it’s almost 7-figures. And it’s like the guy hasn’t even played yet. That’s because of our program.”

The comment about Young making so much money has become the headline, but Saban was sure to add the hammer. Young will be making that money because he’s playing for the University of Alabama.

And so the message to high school kids who suddenly see a path to big money becomes clear. Join us in Tuscaloosa, and you can make ungodly money before you ever even start a game, too.

The dynamic also gives coaches like Saban even more power over their players. Those who get on the field will get more opportunities to earn money from their names, images, and likenesses. While making the coach happy has always been an ingredient in getting reps in games, there’s now a clear and immediate financial benefit to earning playing time.

Of course, ungodly numbers won’t flow from every position. Saban addressed the fact that his locker room will have some players who make a bunch of money and others who don’t.

“Everything in high school and college football has always been equal for everyone,” Saban said. “It’s not going to be that way anymore. Aaron Rodgers makes $24 million a year [editor’s note: Rodgers makes more than $30 million annually on his current deal] and probably several million more in endorsements because he’s the quarterback. The right guard probably makes a million a year and he doesn’t get anything from endorsements. The same thing is going to happen to our team. Certain positions probably enhance opportunity to create value, like quarterback.”

Saban and other coaches will have to figure out how to navigate potential resentment in the locker room of players who get more NIL money than others. Saban’s explanation shows that he already has worked out a fairly reasonable “it is what it is” spiel. So when the left guard starts whining about how little he gets and how much the quarterback gets, Saban can say, “Get used to it, big fella. That’s how it is in the NFL. If you don’t like it, lose weight and learn to throw the ball.”

All coaches and players will have to learn how to live with this new reality of college football, one that essentially dropped out of the sky fewer than three weeks ago. Smart coaches like Saban will find a way to bend this development to their advantage, because that’s what smart coaches always do. Those who huff and puff and pine for the old days won’t have to quit over it; they’ll eventually end up getting fired because they won’t be able to compete with the coaches who embrace the change and benefit from it.

[Futureshock]

Wasn't there an issue with the Rams not paying Gurley money he says they owe him?


TODD GURLEYRB, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue said signing free agent RB Todd Gurley is a "non-starter" for the Rams.


The prospect of Gurley's return to LA has been raised after the team lost Cam Akers to a season-ending Achilles injury. Rodrigue said the Rams "clearly don’t believe that Gurley can be effective in the run game anymore (even in a rotation!) due to the injuries that they hemmed and hawed around for the entire 2019 season, which is why they cut him in early 2020 despite owing him a lot more money." LA owes Gurley, 27 in August, $8.4 million in dead money this season. The Rams, Rodrigue said, are "more likely to open camp and move through the first week or so, if not longer, without signing anybody." For now, Darrell Henderson appears to be the team's top back. Xavier Jones and Jake Funk could be in line for playing time should Henderson struggle with injuries.

... See More
RELATED:

• Darrell Henderson
• , Cam Akers
• , Los Angeles Rams

SOURCE: The Athletic
Jul 21, 2021, 9:50 AM

[PackFanInChiTown]

Holy shit! Erin ain’t bs’ing. He turned that down?


Green Bay reportedly was willing to give Rodgers more than $45 million per year, which would have been a huge raise over the $21.5 million that Rodgers is due to make this year

Yeah though to be fair this was reported in May so not sure why Shifty Shefter is dredging it up again to make it sound like breaking news.

[Futureshock]

Slow news cycle. Hales, we're actually discussing the stuff coming out of Cole Beasley's mouth.

Think about that.

[Futureshock]

Jerry Jones: Jimmy Johnson was a great coach, I f–ked it up

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2021, 5:46 PM EDT

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The Cowboys won two Super Bowls with Jimmy Johnson as their head coach before he and owner Jerry Jones had a bitter divorce. Today, Jones got emotional and seemed to blame himself for the split.

Asked about Johnson, Jones raved about the job he did in Dallas.

“He’s a great coach and I’m proud to have him as a friend, and proud to have the times that we — we just had a great experience,” Jones said.

Jones then appeared to be choking back tears as he said it was his own fault that things didn’t end better with Johnson.

“I’ve never been able to know why I f–ked it up.”

Jones indicated that one of the reasons he’s excited about the Cowboys playing in the Hall of Fame Game is so that he and Cowboys fans can be there when Johnson is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.

[Futureshock]

Mike Mayock: Jon Gruden and Derek Carr’s relationship is “like a corny marriage”

Posted by Myles Simmons on July 21, 2021, 12:31 PM EDT

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Since Jon Gruden came back to coach the Raiders in 2018, his relationship with quarterback Derek Carr has drawn constant speculation.

Carr himself said earlier in the offseason that people don’t realize how close he and Gruden are on and off the field, adding that he and Gruden have “a great relationship.”

During an appearance on The NFL Rhodes Show with Lindsay Rhodes, G.M. Mike Mayock echoed Carr’s assessment of the coach-QB partnership.

“They’re definitely on the same page. Derek is even finishing Jon’s sentences now,” Mayock said, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s like a corny marriage. It’s really funny.

“I don’t know if Derek has a photographic memory or not, but his memory is mind-boggling. … Jon puts a lot on his plate and he handles it seamlessly. The two seasons I’ve been here, he’s gotten better each year. I’m excited to see where he can take this thing.”

Carr had arguably his best season since entering the league in 2014 last year, throwing for a career-high 4,103 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Though the Raiders have only made the playoffs once with Carr as the team’s starter — and Carr was unable to play in that postseason due to a broken leg — the QB has clearly not been the club’s most glaring issue over the last few years.

If Las Vegas has made its defense competitive, the Gruden-Carr relationship should have a chance to blossom for years to come.

[chemiclord]

Mike Mayock: Jon Gruden and Derek Carr’s relationship is “like a corny marriage”

Posted by Myles Simmons on July 21, 2021, 12:31 PM EDT

Getty Images

Since Jon Gruden came back to coach the Raiders in 2018, his relationship with quarterback Derek Carr has drawn constant speculation.

Carr himself said earlier in the offseason that people don’t realize how close he and Gruden are on and off the field, adding that he and Gruden have “a great relationship.”

During an appearance on The NFL Rhodes Show with Lindsay Rhodes, G.M. Mike Mayock echoed Carr’s assessment of the coach-QB partnership.

“They’re definitely on the same page. Derek is even finishing Jon’s sentences now,” Mayock said, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s like a corny marriage. It’s really funny.

“I don’t know if Derek has a photographic memory or not, but his memory is mind-boggling. … Jon puts a lot on his plate and he handles it seamlessly. The two seasons I’ve been here, he’s gotten better each year. I’m excited to see where he can take this thing.”

Carr had arguably his best season since entering the league in 2014 last year, throwing for a career-high 4,103 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Though the Raiders have only made the playoffs once with Carr as the team’s starter — and Carr was unable to play in that postseason due to a broken leg — the QB has clearly not been the club’s most glaring issue over the last few years.

If Las Vegas has made its defense competitive, the Gruden-Carr relationship should have a chance to blossom for years to come.

Nah man, the Raiders failings are all on Carr. The Raiders should cut or trade him and try someone else.

[jaadam4]

Nah man, the Raiders failings are all on Carr. The Raiders should cut or trade him and try someone else.

I’m not a Carr fan either. He could get in done with an elite team around him but he’s not the guy

[whatever_gong82]

Jerry Jones: Jimmy Johnson was a great coach, I f–ked it up

Posted by Michael David Smith on July 21, 2021, 5:46 PM EDT

Getty Images

The Cowboys won two Super Bowls with Jimmy Johnson as their head coach before he and owner Jerry Jones had a bitter divorce. Today, Jones got emotional and seemed to blame himself for the split.

Asked about Johnson, Jones raved about the job he did in Dallas.

“He’s a great coach and I’m proud to have him as a friend, and proud to have the times that we — we just had a great experience,” Jones said.

Jones then appeared to be choking back tears as he said it was his own fault that things didn’t end better with Johnson.

“I’ve never been able to know why I f–ked it up.”

Jones indicated that one of the reasons he’s excited about the Cowboys playing in the Hall of Fame Game is so that he and Cowboys fans can be there when Johnson is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.

And thanks to Jones being the man in charge, the Dallas Cowboys haven't even sniffed the Super Bowl since the end of the 1995 NFL Season.

Ironically, if it wasn't for Jimmy Johnson being the man in charge of drafting the players that helped win 3 Super Bowls in 4 years back in the early 1990s, Jerry Jones would be on the way as being as inept an Owner as the late William Clay Ford Sr. was.

[froot loops]

I kind of feel like the Cowboy story is like a a rock star dying at the top. They won one more with Switzer but I think maybe that was all Johnson was going to get.

[Futureshock]

Michael Thomas is expected to miss start of regular season after June ankle surgery

Posted by Myles Simmons on July 23, 2021, 10:44 AM EDT

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Saints receiver Michael Thomas’ ankle issues from 2020 have extended into 2021.

According to multiple reports, Thomas is expected to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing ankle surgery in June. The recovery period could sideline Thomas for multiple weeks once the year begins in September. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport noted the timeline is recommended to be four months.

The surgery stemmed from the same injury Thomas battled throughout last season.

Thomas appeared in just seven games in 2020, making 40 receptions for 438 yards — a year after leading the league with 149 catches and 1,725 yards. He went on injured reserve but returned for the postseason, where he caught five passes for 73 yards with a touchdown in two games.

Per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, the Saints have interest in the free-agent market and should bring in a few receivers for tryouts in the coming days.

Thomas’ injury could affect New Orleans’ quarterback competition between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, who will now be throwing in camp without the team’s most prominent target.