NFL News

[froot loops]

I wouldn't go as far as the London Lion on Collinsworth, I think the guy is OK as an analyst but this year soured me on him.

[CGVT]

The thing I like about Aikman is that he sneaks real good nuggets on what they offense wants to do but he subtle about it. If you don't listen carefully it gets lost in grumpy old man schtick and the obvious, "Here's a big play Joe." statements.

Prior to this year and early in the year Aikman was very skeptical of Stafford whenever he called a Rams' game. Critical of every mistake and very reluctant to offer praise of anything he did well. As the season wore on he changed his tune and almost got to the Brady/Rodgers level of praise for him. You knew that he had seen the light when in one of the playoff games he said that it was time to "put to bed" the notion that Stafford could not win a big game.

Aikman is solid and I think he and Joe Buck are a good team.

[Mainevent]

Aikman's gotten more cranky/critical as he's gotten older, which I enjoy. I’m curious to see if he carries that over to MNF.

Collinsworth has gone the other way, aw shucksing about players and the game more and more. He can still be really good when he focuses back on the analysis, but it's fewer and far between these days.

[Tom]

I have to pay more attention to Aikman.

I did like Spielman. I think I paid more attention to him because he was a former Lion.

[Futureshock]

Aikman's gotten more cranky/critical as he's gotten older, which I enjoy. I’m curious to see if he carries that over to MNF.

Collinsworth has gone the other way, aw shucksing about players and the game more and more. He can still be really good when he focuses back on the analysis, but it's fewer and far between these days.

Yeah, Huckleberry is going more huckleberry every year. He used to be my favorite but the huckleberry is too strong for my liking.

[Futureshock]

George Paton: Urgency of quarterback search is at 10

Posted by Mike Florio on March 2, 2022, 9:27 AM EST

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The Broncos have plenty of good pieces in place. They don’t have a high-end quarterback.

On Tuesday, Broncos G.M. George Paton was asked to assess the urgency to address the quarterback position, on a scale of one to 10.

“I think it has to be a 10 for every team that doesn’t have that guy, that franchise guy,” Paton said. “We like Drew Lock. We liked what Teddy [Bridgewater] did last year, but we’re always looking. I think it’s a 10. Everyone needs that type of quarterback to get to where they need to go, and we’re no different.”

Paton later was asked to make his pitch to veteran quarterbacks who may eventually be recruited to Denver, via trade or free agency.

“I think we have a lot of weapons on offense,” Paton said. “I think we have three or four receivers that are really talented and that they’re only going to get better. We have two really talented tight ends. We have Javonte Williams as a runner. I think the weapons are there. . . . Then our defense, I think they were second or third in points allowed during the season. I think we have a lot going for us in regards to the weapons we have on offense and then our defense coming back and sustaining what they did last year.”

Although Paton didn’t come out and say it, he seems to be inclined to focus on a veteran not a rookie, given the challenge of projecting quarterback play from the college level to the NFL level.

“It’s really hard,” Paton said. “I don’t know what the stats are but it’s probably 50-50 that guys hit when you take them in the first round. You’ve got to dig into so many different things. You’re trying to do this over the course of the fall and the offseason and really get to know these guys. One, do they love ball? Two, are they smart enough to run what you’re doing? I mentioned the toughness. Are they talented enough? There’s a lot that goes into it. I think a lot depends on where they go as well. Are they positioned to put enough around them where they can have some early success? It’s probably the hardest thing we can do when you’re sitting in my seat.

Veteran or rookie, here are the traits Paton is looking for in a quarterback: “Number one is toughness. It’s a tough position. You’re taking a lot of hits. I think it’s the toughest position in sports. Obviously, you want the mental capability. They have to process so much at quarterback. Third would be accuracy. Just to deliver the ball on time to the right target and deliver it accurately.”

Accuracy becomes critical for Paton. Accuracy in selecting the right guy. Accuracy in getting him up to speed and using him properly. Accuracy in putting it all together and competing in one of the toughest divisions in all of football.

[Futureshock]

Robert Saleh: Improving defense will help Zach Wilson

Posted by Josh Alper on March 2, 2022, 9:12 AM EST

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The Jets have two of the first 10 picks in this year’s draft, a lot of cap space to use during free agency, and plenty of places on the roster that could use attention this offseason.

Quarterback Zach Wilson might benefit from an upgrade in receiving options and on the offensive line, but head coach Robert Saleh pointed to a different way of helping the 2021 first-round pick out when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.

Saleh said, via multiple reporters, that the team has defensive upgrades at the “front of our minds” because it would help avoid putting Wilson in a position of playing from behind or trying to win shootouts on a regular basis. The Jets were 32nd in both points and yards allowed during the 2021 season.

With their draft capital and cap space, the Jets have options about how they can approach fixing the defense ahead of Saleh’s second season and the coach’s comments suggest they’ll be using everything in their power to get it done.

[Futureshock]

Washington trying to “cover every base” in search for QB

Posted by Josh Alper on March 2, 2022, 6:14 AM EST

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Washington went into last offseason with a need for a franchise quarterback, but a trade bid for Matthew Stafford didn’t work out and the team resisted any moves up the draft board to take one in the first round.

That left them with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the opening day starter and, after Fitzpatrick’s hip injury, Taylor Heinicke running the offense the rest of the way. It also left them in need of a quarterback again this offseason and the message from head coach Ron Rivera on Tuesday was that the team is going to be “very proactive” in finding that players.

Rivera said at his Scouting Combine press conference that they are “trying to truly cover every base” when it comes to exploring options for free agency, trade, and in the draft. Rivera said going with a rookie wouldn’t be ideal, but that he’d be comfortable with it because of the makeup of the roster.

When it comes to a trade, Rivera didn’t put a limit on what the team would be willing to offer in order to land the right guy.

“There’s an old saying: ‘What are you willing to pay for that Major League Baseball card? Whatever you pay, that’s what you think the value is,” Rivera said. “So, when you get in these negotiations with another team, it’s whatever they’re asking for, is it what you’re willing to pay for? Then that’s what it is. Does anybody really care what was traded for Matthew Stafford last year? No.”

The Rams landed Stafford last year and got what they wanted out of the deal. Rivera and the Commanders are looking to make the same kind of splash this offseason.

[Futureshock]

Larry Fitzgerald’s father calls Kyler Murray “spoiled”

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 2, 2022, 3:12 AM EST

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A few anonymous sources out of Arizona have been quoted criticizing quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason. Now someone is putting his name on some criticism of Murray: Larry Fitzgerald Sr., the father of Murray’s former Cardinals teammate, future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Sr., a longtime sports writer who frequently offers opinions on the news of the day in sports, replied on Twitter to a tweet criticizing Murray with some criticism of his own.

“He’s spoiled,” Fitzgerald Sr. wrote, “brings his Oklahoma offense to the NFL team has to catch up great talent.He’s never been humbled keep working.”

Fitzgerald Sr. is only offering his own opinion and not speaking for his son, although it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s basing his opinion on things his son has told him. Fitzgerald Sr. may have heard some of the same things that led Chris Mortensen of ESPN to report on Super Bowl Sunday that there are people in Arizona who see Murray as “self-centered, immature and finger pointer.”

Publicly, the Cardinals have insisted they believe in Murray and are committed to him as their franchise quarterback. For his part, Murray has done what a fictional Cardinal once did and said through his agent that he’ll believe the team is committed to him when they show him the money.

[Futureshock]

Bills propose postseason overtime rules change based on time, not possessions

Posted by Charean Williams on March 1, 2022, 10:36 PM EST

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The Bills never got a chance to match the Chiefs in overtime of their divisional-round playoff game after Kansas City won the coin toss and drove for a winning touchdown. It could spur a change to the postseason overtime rules.

The Colts have proposed an overtime rules change that would guarantee each team a possession in the regular season and the postseason.

The Bills’ proposal is tied to time, not possessions.

“I do think there will be some changes,” Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said Tuesday. “I don’t know how many proposals (there have been). We definitely out our stamp on one. Ours is going to be more, without getting into detail, instead of one possession and then another possession, is the time. You know, similar to basketball. You play five minutes of basketball. Both teams get (a chance). You know, baseball, there’s the top half and the bottom half. So a time limit, and we’re talking about the postseason only, to play it out. And that way, both teams will definitely have a chance and maybe even more than one possession.”

The Bills and Chiefs combined for 25 points in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, but Josh Allen never got a chance to match Patrick Mahomes in overtime. One of the greatest games in NFL history left everyone, except the Chiefs and their fans, wanting.

“I just think let’s play it out, a certain amount of time,” Beane said. “I don’t know that that’ll be the final result in March at the owners meetings, but I think there’s gonna be some good proposals and hopefully it at least comes to the point where both teams get an opportunity.”

There could be more than the Bills’ and Colts’ overtime rules change proposals, and Beane joked the Competition Committee might have to discuss 32. The Bills just want to see a change of some sort, so no other team in the future experiences what they did in January.

“Experiencing what we experienced overall, I think there’s a better way out there,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. ” And when you go through experiences like that and you experience those things firsthand in particular, you want to evolve the game. And I think evolving the game for us going through that like we did as a firsthand experience of saying, `Hey, we can make the game better if we just did X, Y and Z.’”

[Futureshock]

Every coach and GM had to take some time to be at the podium, so a lot of "news"

[Futureshock]

If overtime rule changes, will team that wins the toss choose to kick off?

Posted by Mike Florio on March 1, 2022, 8:26 PM EST

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The current overtime rules create a clear incentive for the team that wins the toss to receive the opening kickoff. If the rule changes (presumably, for the postseason only), will that thinking adjust?

Peter King and I kicked around the possibility during Tuesday’s PFT Live. It makes plenty of sense. If a possession is guaranteed for each team, why not force the other team to take its possession first? Then, the team that kicked off to start overtime will know exactly what it needs to do on its opening drive.

Stop the offense, and a field goal wins the game. If the offense scores a touchdown, the team that kicked off to start overtime knows it needs to get to the end zone, converting the full gridiron into four-down territory.

Other factors include the weather and the wind, and whether the team that wins the toss is the home team or the visitor. Also, whether the game ends up in overtime at 34-34 or 3-3 will be a factor in deciding whether the team that wins the toss should choose to kick or receive.

Regardless, the no-brainer option to receive (unless you’re Marty Mornhinweg) becomes anything but a no-brainer if the rule changes. Indeed, the default choice quickly could become to kick.

[Futureshock]

Falcons don’t commit to Matt Ryan as their starter for 2022

Posted by Charean Williams on March 1, 2022, 7:58 PM EST

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The Falcons are $7.3 million over the projected cap of $208 million with the league year set to start March 16. Quarterback Matt Ryan, who has two years remaining on his contract, is scheduled to have the highest cap hit in NFL history at $48.662 million.

Neither General Manager Terry Fontenot nor coach Arthur Smith would commit to Ryan as the team’s starter next season.

“I’m not going to say anything about any particular player or any . . . because if I answer that question, we can go through the entire roster and talk about who they are,” Fontenot said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But I would say we’re going to look to add to every position and try to improve this roster.”

The Falcons definitely will do something with Ryan’s contract. They have no choice.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ($23.8 million), left tackle Jake Matthews ($23.6 million) and linebacker Deion Jones ($20 million) also have high cap numbers.

“(That’s) the elephant in the room, right?” Fontenot said. “We have some big numbers associated with four players, particularly our quarterback. We have a big cap number, and all those players with the big cap numbers, it’s not their fault. They’re just good professionals that come in and do their jobs. I want to be clear with that.

“But it is a challenge. . . . I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. I would say it’s a challenge.”

Despite Smith saying Ryan, who turns 37 in May, still has a lot of good football left in him, Ryan hasn’t made the Pro Bowl since 2016. He has had a passer rating over 100 only once since then (a 108.1 in 2018) and has played only two playoff games (both in 2017).

The Falcons would listen to calls for Ryan. Smith admitted as much wen he said the team won’t back itself into a corner. But it seems unlikely, with Ryan’s contract, his age and the compensation the Falcons would want, that a trade will happen.

“Depends what the offer is,” Smith conceded. “It’s like the old Don Corleone: They give you an offer you can’t refuse, I think you’ve got to take it. But that’s with everyone. You can ask Terry, if somebody wanted to give a bag of balls for me, they’d push me out the door.”

[Futureshock]

Good luck on that...

Joe Schoen on trading Saquon Barkley: I’m open to everything

Posted by Josh Alper on March 1, 2022, 6:20 PM EST

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Giants General Manager Joe Schoen was a guest on PFT Live from the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday and he said one of his chief priorities in his new job is to “get the cap in order” after decisions made over the last couple of years have left them in poor position on that front.

That appearance came on the same day that he held a press conference that featured a question about whether the team would be open to trading running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley is set to make $7.217 million under his fifth-year option and is coming off three straight seasons marred by injuries.

In response, Schoen again noted the team is not in “very good salary-cap health” while saying that he’s going to ” be open to the situations that are best for the New York Giants.”

“We’re still working through that, but I’m open to everything,” Schoen said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “Like whether it’s trading player for player; I’ll listen to anybody. If it’s trading a couple players — I’m not going to say the entire roster, [that] we’re open for business on the entire roster. But if anyone is going to call and they’re interested in any of our players. I’m certainly going to listen.”

While Schoen may be open to everything, there are some deals that are unlikelier than others. He said he doesn’t think 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney is “a tradable piece” and other teams may not be clamoring to give up assets of value for Barkley given how things have gone for him since his rookie season, but Schoen’s comments suggest they should give the Giants a call if they are interested in making a move.

[Futureshock]

IOW, they're in the market for a QB (FA or Draft), BUT, if it doesn't work out they'll go with Baker


Browns have expectation Baker Mayfield will be team’s QB in 2022

Posted by Charean Williams on March 1, 2022, 3:42 PM EST

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The Browns didn’t extend Baker Mayfield‘s contract a year ago when the quarterback became eligible for a long-term deal. Thus, Mayfield could play the 2022 season under the fifth-year option at $18.86 million.

The question for the Browns really isn’t whether they want to give Mayfield a contract extension this offseason but whether Mayfield will be their quarterback in 2022? Mayfield played through a left shoulder injury and had the fewest passing yards (3,010), the fewest touchdowns (17) and the lowest passer rating (83.1) in his career.

General Manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, that nothing has changed in terms of his expectation Mayfield will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2022.

Berry doesn’t see Mayfield being in the final year of his contract as an issue, pointing out other players have played well in the same situation. He also indicated the Browns feel Mayfield’s issues last season were injury-related.

But Berry also didn’t rule out adding competition at the position. If nothing else, the Browns will have to think about their quarterback situation for 2023. They could use the franchise tag on Mayfield in 2023 if he plays well, but what if he doesn’t?

Mayfield had surgery on his left shoulder Jan. 19 to repair a torn labrum. He is rehabbing in his hometown of Austin, Texas.