AROUND THE NFL

The NFL is looking to increase its TV take by a minimum of 60 percent – and the players should see there deals rise accordingly as the league will be required to compensate them on a percentage.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The proposed CBA, as revised by the NFL on Tuesday, stops tying a so-called “media kicker” to the 17th game. However, the proposed CBA still includes a broader media kicker tied to all TV money from what would be 272 total regular-season games.

The summary sent by the NFL Players Association to all players explains that the player’ share bumps from 48 percent of revenue to 48.5 percent if the league secures a 60-percent increase in TV revenue. If TV revenue grows by more than 120 percent, the percentage jumps to 48.8 percent.

This provides an extra reason for the players to want to maximize the TV deals. And it also provides a glimpse into the anticipated growth in TV revenue, if those deals can be redone before the broader climate changes.

A 60-percent increase seems like a lot, but that’s below the low end of what the league currently anticipates. And while 120 percent may be an impossibility, the fact that it’s even on the radar screen shows just how strong these new TV deals can be.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

NICK FOLES?  MARCUS MARIOTA?  CASE KEENUM?

Someone like that will be pushing QB MITCH TRUBISKY this fall.  Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com:

Mitch Trubisky is the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback in 2020, but he’ll be pushed.

Multiple league sources expect Chicago to add an established veteran quarterback this offseason, most likely with pedigree and extensive starting experience.

The Bears are evaluating options, with the prevailing theme that an upgrade at the backup spot is necessary. Chase Daniel occupied the role the past two years.

The team can try to follow the formula of the Tennessee Titans, who last season signed Ryan Tannehill to a one-year contract as a backup, only to bench Marcus Mariota in favor of the veteran six games into the season. Tannehill led the NFL in passer rating and quarterbacked the Titans to the AFC title game.

Free agents such as Mariota or Washington’s Case Keenum are options, while Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton might be available via trade.

One potential hurdle is cap space. The Bears have $25,197,387 of space entering March, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System, but they can gain more with contract restructures or player releases. Dalton currently holds a $17.7 million cap hit on the Bengals’ books. Cincinnati might be able to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace said at the NFL scouting combine that Trubisky, 25, will be the starter in 2020, but he was noncommittal about picking up Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft saw his numbers dip nearly across the board in 2020. He finished 326-of-516 passing (63.2%) for 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and an 83.0 rating in 15 starts. Trubisky also played through an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, which required surgery after the season.

GREEN BAY

Would the Packers replace LB BLAKE MARTINEZ with LB JOE SCHOBERT?  Tom Silverstein and Joe Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal:

The fate of the Green Bay Packers inside linebacker position is still being decided and Blake Martinez isn’t the only name in play.

According to multiple agents who have been tracking the free-agent market, the Packers are exploring what it would take to sign former Wisconsin inside linebacker Joe Schobert of the Cleveland Browns.

It doesn’t mean the Packers aren’t interested in re-signing Martinez, the team’s leading tackler each of the three past seasons, but they are apparently covering all their bases before free agency begins March 18.

The 6-1, 245-pound Schobert is considered one of the top inside linebackers in a thin class of free agents that includes Martinez and the Los Angeles Rams’ Cory Littleton. Schobert and Littleton haven’t accumulated the tackles Martinez has, but they are both considered better in coverage.

Schobert, a Waukesha native, made more big plays in 2019 than any of the three, totaling two sacks, four interceptions, 13 passes broken up and two forced fumbles. In 2017, Schobert tied with Martinez and Buffalo’s Preston Brown for the league lead in tackles with 144.

Present at the NFL scouting combine this week, Packers executive vice president/football operations Russ Ball has been gauging the inside linebacker market. Free agency might not start for another 2½ weeks, but clubs and agents met all week to discuss free-agent possibilities.

The Packers can’t sign other teams’ free agents until March 18, but they can sign their own at any time.

According to the agents, Martinez is seeking a deal of at least $10 million per year, which would put him just inside the top 10 of inside linebacker salaries. The Packers want to pay less, potentially in the $8 million per year range, depending on the structure of the deal.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

The bidding starts at $15 mil per year says soon to be former Panthers CB JAMES BRADBERRY.  Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com:

Free agents are ready to reset the NFL’s cornerback market.

Carolina Panthers cornerback James Bradberry, one of the top cover corners on the market, is aiming for $15 million or more per year on a new deal, according to sources, with the Washington Redskins among teams widely expected to be interested.

Bradberry believes his combination of size/speed (6-foot-1, 212 pounds), production (eight interceptions, 47 passes defended in four seasons) and pedigree covering top receivers in the NFC South will help his cause.

Bradberry, the Dallas Cowboys’ Byron Jones and Chris Harris of the Denver Broncos are among the top corners available in the 2020 free-agency class. Jones might command the most lucrative deal.

The cornerback market needs a refresher. The asking price for top players at the position has hovered around $14 million to $15 million for a few years now. Miami Dolphins corner Xavien Howard became the game’s highest paid after signing his five-year, $75.25 million contract with $46 million guaranteed last offseason.

The Panthers are not expected to re-sign Bradberry because of the asking price. Joining Washington would reunite Bradberry with his former coach in Carolina, Ron Rivera, who took the Washington job on Jan. 1.

NEW ORLEANS

Mike Triplett of ESPN.com assesses the market for QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER:

By this time next month, New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will almost certainly have a new home.

As much as the Saints like him, they don’t think it’s realistic to pay Drew Brees, Bridgewater and restricted free agent QB Taysom Hill.

Where he will end up is hard to peg after talking with multiple sources and team reporters and hearing various coaches and general managers speak at this week’s NFL scouting combine.

With less than three weeks remaining before the start of free agency, there is still a ton of intrigue and uncertainty surrounding which teams will actually be looking for a new starting quarterback in 2020. And this could be a rare offseason when supply outweighs demand.

So the possibilities for Bridgewater, 27, range from replacing Tom Brady if he really leaves the New England Patriots to replacing Jameis Winston with the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers to replacing Philip Rivers with the Los Angeles Chargers to being left out of a starting gig entirely in this high-stakes game of musical chairs.

So where does that leave Bridgewater? Here is a look at the landscape:

How much will Bridgewater cost?

Nick Foles and Case Keenum seem like decent comps from recent years (Foles signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Denver Broncos in 2018). Bridgewater could potentially exceed that range when you throw in QB salary inflation — especially if there is a bidding war.

However, Bridgewater could also come cheaper because teams have so many more choices than usual.

Teams that want to shoot for star players could pay up for Brady, Rivers or Winston. And teams that want to save money could target someone like Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota — or Foles and Keenum themselves (Dalton and Foles would need to be acquired via trade).

It’s also important to note that this is Bridgewater’s third straight year as an unrestricted free agent, and he didn’t have many suitors the first two times. (He signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets in 2018 worth $6 million plus incentives before being traded to New Orleans.) Obviously his value is higher now, though, after his 5-0 stretch with the Saints — and now that he is further removed from a devastating 2016 knee injury that scared some teams away.

What kind of quarterback will teams get?

Fairly or not, the 32nd pick in the 2014 draft is often pegged as a “game manager.” But Bridgewater has been a very successful one, winning games without gaudy statistics.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder was more solid than spectacular in his five starts with the Saints, averaging 241 passing yards per game. He completed 69.7% of his passes with nine touchdowns, two interceptions and a 103.7 passer rating.

It was a similar story when he led the Minnesota Vikings to an 11-5 record and the playoffs during his second year in the league in 2015, averaging 202 passing yards per game with only 14 TDs and nine interceptions.

Bridgewater ranked dead last with just 5.80 air yards per attempt in 2019 among 46 NFL quarterbacks with at least 75 attempts, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In 2015, he ranked 45th with 6.66 air yards per attempt.

But Bridgewater keeps his teams out of trouble. Coach Sean Payton has praised him for having the right “demeanor” and poise for the position. His leadership traits and locker room fit are unquestioned.

And he did show that he’s capable of airing it out once in a while when he threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns last season against a team that surely took note — the Buccaneers.

Which teams might want him?

Buccaneers: This is actually the team that came up most in speculation among people I talked to at the combine. Although Bridgewater seems to go against coach Bruce Arians’ “no risk it, no biscuit” approach, Arians has made no secret that Winston’s 30 interceptions in 2019 were unacceptable. And he has left open the possibility that the Bucs will consider alternatives in free agency for a team that is ready to contend now with star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and a rising defense.

Patriots: ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said Thursday that he is now at the point where he would be stunned if Brady went back to New England. If that’s the case, this could be an ideal landing spot. It’s easy to envision Bridgewater in the same type of offense that Brady has run in recent years. And he would be flanked by one of the NFL’s best defenses and maybe the best coach of all time. However, it’s unclear if the Patriots would be willing to make a big investment in a veteran quarterback. They might be more interested in retooling for the first time in two decades around 2019 rookie Jarrett Stidham.

Chargers: This is one of the few teams on this list that will absolutely make a QB change after announcing plans to part ways with Rivers. And the Chargers are another team with enough talent on both sides of the ball to contend for a playoff spot in 2020, which should make them attractive to Bridgewater. But so far, most of the speculation has been that L.A. will either look to make a splash with Brady or stick with its own veteran backup, Tyrod Taylor, while targeting a quarterback in the draft.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts should be high on Bridgewater’s wish list. Another playoff-ready team with a terrific offensive line, a QB-friendly coach in Frank Reich, some young building blocks on defense and a ton of salary-cap space. But there has been more speculation that Indy might target Rivers because of his connection with Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni — or that the Colts might stick with veteran Jacoby Brissett while looking to draft a future replacement.

Las Vegas Raiders: Another team that has been linked to Brady, the Raiders will at least consider the idea of replacing quarterback Derek Carr. But would they consider Bridgewater a substantial upgrade? Coach Jon Gruden will no doubt get a strong endorsement from his close friend Payton. But general manager Mike Mayock was hard on Bridgewater during the 2014 draft process, saying he didn’t think he had enough of an “it factor.”

Miami Dolphins: Bridgewater’s hometown team is the one team on this list that we know for sure likes him, since they tried to woo him in free agency last year. (He spurned them in part because they were in too much of a rebuilding mode.) Now they’re a more attractive destination after showing progress in 2019, and they have three first-round draft picks to build around. However, they seem intent on using that capital to draft a QB. And they already have a veteran “bridge QB” they like in Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Chicago Bears: Bridgewater would be a perfect fit for a playoff-caliber team with a terrific defense. But so far the Bears have insisted they plan to stick with fourth-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky despite his struggles. And if they do change course, maybe they would get in the Brady sweepstakes before turning to Bridgewater.

Washington Redskins: They will most likely stick with second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins. But new coach Ron Rivera said they’re keeping all options open. And offensive coordinator Scott Turner has a good relationship with Bridgewater from their days together in Minnesota.

Carolina Panthers: Another NFC South rival that would have made sense if they decided to move on from Cam Newton — especially since new offensive coordinator Joe Brady worked with Bridgewater in New Orleans. But new Panthers coach Matt Rhule said he “absolutely” wants Newton on the roster. And the rebuilding Panthers might also draft a top quarterback.

– – –

This on DE CAMERON JORDAN.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle last month after playing through the injury late in the season, he told NFL Network on Saturday.

Jordan, 30, is expected to be fully healthy by training camp if not sooner.

Jordan has never missed a game in his nine-year career. He has the third-longest active streak in the NFL among non-specialists with 144 consecutive games played (behind quarterback Philip Rivers and cornerback Brandon Carr).

Jordan has been an All-Pro for each of the past three seasons (first team in 2017, second team in 2018 and 2019). And he has 87 total sacks, including a career-high 15.5 sacks in 2019.

Jordan signed a five-year contract extension with the Saints last summer that is worth between $17.5 and $18.5 million per year.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

Peter King on QB JOE BURROW and the Bengals:

On Joe Burrow. He met with a Bengals delegation Wednesday night, one of his official meetings here. Though he said he would play for the team that drafts him, I still get the feeling he wants to see more devotion to winning than the Bengals have shown. Cincinnati is 8-24 in the last two years; the Bengals’ last playoff win was 30 years ago.

Burrow made it clear here he wants the team to sign free-agent wide receiver A.J. Green. ESPN reported Sunday that Green was likely to be franchise-tagged, which is good and bad. Good, in that Burrow will have him when the games start. Bad, in that it’s possible Green, without the financial security of a long-term deal, won’t be motivated to work with Burrow in the offseason. But what is the market value of a very good receiver who is always hurt anway? Since turning 30, Green has missed 23 of 32 games with injuries. If Cincinnati sheds Andy Dalton’s $17.1-million salary this spring (likely), they’d have $62 million to spend on veteran players—their own and other free agents. If I were Burrow, I’d be most concerned with the offensive line, which was Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best pass-blocking line last year and allowed 38 sacks, the most attributed to linemen for any team.

Regarding the development of Burrow: The Bengals coaching staff just lost quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt to Cleveland as coordinator—he’s a respected coach—and now Burrow’s three mentors will be thirty-something coaches still very much in prove-it mode: coach Zac Taylor, coordinator Brian Callahan, QB coach Dan Pitcher. I’ve heard very good things about the meticulous and precise Pitcher, but we shall see. Still, Burrow’s a coach’s son. He’ll likely be all-in when the Bengals make him the first pick.

– – –

The Bengals are planning to play tag with WR A.J. GREEN.  Ben Baby of ESPN.com:

The Cincinnati Bengals currently plan to use the franchise tag on wide receiver A.J. Green, sources told ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler.

The Bengals want Green in Cincinnati in 2020 no matter what, either through the tag or a longer deal, the sources said.

The tag is estimated to be worth around $18.5 million, according to overthecap.com. The two sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal.

Green, who turns 32 in July, has been one of the NFL’s most productive receivers since the Bengals drafted him in 2011. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Green’s 8,907 receiving yards rank fourth since he entered the league. He is second in Cincinnati history in total receptions (602), receiving yards (8,907) and receiving touchdowns (63).

However, he didn’t play in the 2019 season after he tore multiple ligaments in his left ankle during the first practice of the preseason. Since 2016, he has missed 29 games because of injuries and has been out for 23 of Cincinnati’s past 24 games.

Negotiations between the sides regarding a long-term deal eventually stalled toward the end of his four-year, $60 million contract. At the NFL scouting combine last week, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said the team still viewed Green in its future for 2020.

“He’s an important guy, and he’s done it the right way,” Tobin said on Tuesday. “We view him as a Bengal and want him around and want him to be part of the future.”

Green could be an asset for a Cincinnati offense that could feature former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. ESPN’s Mel Kiper currently projects that the Bengals will select the 2019 Heisman winner with the top overall pick in April’s draft. At the scouting combine, Burrow said he wants Green as a passing option if Cincinnati drafts him.

“I think with any rookie quarterback, the more help you can get, the better, and A.J.’s been one of the best players at his position for a very long time,” Burrow said.

The DB sees a lot of folks mocking the Bengals as some consistently terrible team doomed to losing because they are cheap.  And yet we would point out that in the recently completed decade Bengals were in the middle of the pack, ranking 17^th in the NFL with 77 victories.  That’s more than the Bears, Rams, Cardinals, Giants and Titans to name five. 

As currently managed, the Bengals have been average with an average quarterback. 

– – –

The DB is thinking that there might be more of a market for Bengals QB ANDY DALTON than Buccaneers QB JAMEIS WINSTON.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Bears have reportedly spoken with the Bengals about trading for quarterback Andy Dalton, but Chicago isn’t his only potential destination.

The Colts and Patriots are other teams that may have interest in Dalton, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Indianapolis is keeping its options open for an upgrade at quarterback over incumbent starter Jacoby Brissett, who has shown some promise but hasn’t done enough to establish himself as the clear franchise quarterback.

New England is a different situation altogether. The Patriots may still keep Tom Brady, but with each day Brady’s free agency draws closer, and if Brady leaves, the Patriots need a backup plan. Dalton could be that backup plan. Peter King said on PFT Live in January that Dalton is the type of quarterback Bill Belichick would like to coach.

The Bengals are expected to select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the draft, and that would open the door to a Dalton trade. Those are two of the players in the game of quarterback musical chairs being played this offseason, a game that will also involve Brissett and the biggest player of all, Brady.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

What did QB TOM BRADY mouth at the Syracuse-North Carolina basketball game?  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Tom Brady quite possibly is a troll. And he quite possibly thinks Julian Edelman is a tool.

Both attended Saturday’s North Carolina-Syracuse game, along with (who else?) Jimmy Fallon. A video of Edelman clearly mouthing to an ESPN camera “he’s coming back,” in even more clear reference to Brady’s looming free agency, has spread like wildfire.

It’s spreading not because of what Edelman says, but because of what Brady says in response. He seems perturbed by the fact that Edelman even brought the subject up. Some believe Brady says, “He’s not.” Meaning, “I’m not coming back to New England.”

It’s possible that Brady was saying “let’s not” to Edelman. As in “let’s not do this here and now.”

Regardless, Brady knew or should have known that if he shows his shockingly youthful face (maybe we all should be eating avocado ice cream or using botox or stashing a portrait in the attic that ends up looking like a certain courtroom sketch) in public, a camera will find it. And people will notice. And it will be a big deal, given the wildfire that has spread throughout the league thanks to the rumors being mongered at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Regardless of whether he stays or goes, Brady seems to be enjoying the attention. Very much. And he’s earned that right, through two decades of NFL excellence and a constant willingness to find a way to stay with the team that drafted him 20 years ago, winging no fewer than six Super Bowls along the way.

Brady also seems to be enjoying the mystery that has arisen over the past month or so. From his is-he-coming-or-is-he-going? Escher-style photo in the tunnel at Gillette Stadium all the way until yesterday, no one knows what he’s going to do. As March 18 gets closer, there has been no real clarity.

The lack of clarity will continue for at least the next 18 days. It possibly will last even longer, if Brady opts to engage in an I-go-to-them or they-come-to-me screening process once in-person meetings are officially permitted.

Peter King says that informed speculation in Indy had Brady on the move.

“Tom Brady,” one well-connected NFL exec told me, “is the one domino paralyzing the entire NFL right now.” That’s because of the realization among teams here that Brady actually might leave New England. Before this past week, I’d say most people in the league thought Brady might flirt with other teams but eventually finish where he started and where he belongs. But by week’s end, there was rising informed speculation the Raiders, Chargers, Colts and Titans (though that cause would be hurt if Derrick Henry leaves in free agency) could be in play for Brady.

No Buccaneers?

More from King:

3. Listen to Jeff Darlington. The ESPN NFL reporter is tight with the Brady camp. He’s not nipping-on-the-fringes tight; he’s legitimate inside-the-circle tight. I’ve seen it. So when Darlington says he’d be stunned if Brady returned to the Patriots, I pay attention. I’m not sure I would say the same, but I definitely take notice. I notice because of the kind of person Tom Brady is.

When Jerome Bettis turned down a shot to go to Miami late in his career, and when Dan Marino turned down a chance to play a final season in Minnesota, part of the reasoning by both men was their affection for their long-time teams—Steelers and Dolphins respectively—and their business futures in both of their long-time cities. I think Brady’s different. He loves New England. He loves this team. But I think Brady is more open to new experiences, and more welcoming of them, than many players might be.

As Darlington told me late Friday: “Everybody wants to make this about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and their relationship, and to some extent, that dynamic is part of it. But I also think this is about exploring a new challenge—about reinvigorating himself. I also think it’s as much about the overall experience as it is about just trying to win another ring.”

I still think there’s a Brady-Belichick summit before anything gets decided with finality. But whatever happens, remember the “reinvigorating himself” thing from Darlington. It’s important.

NEW YORK JETS

Todd McShay of ESPN.com goes way back with Jets GM Joe Douglas.  Rich Cimini of ESPN.com:

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay was a fifth-string freshman quarterback at the University of Richmond in the mid-1990s when, out of the blue, he was forced into the starting lineup for one practice. He wasn’t prepared and screwed up the playcalls. That didn’t sit well with one of the linemen.

“He basically slaps me in the helmet and says, ‘Let’s go, bud. Let’s go,'” McShay recalled.

That lineman was Joe Douglas.

A quarter-century later, Douglas finds himself in another position where a head-slap is needed. The Jets have been screwing up for nearly a decade and need their general manager, in his first offseason with the organization, to knock some sense into them.

McShay, who forged a lifelong friendship with his old college teammate, believes Douglas will get the job done even though it “may take a year or two to get the results you’re looking for.” A guest on ESPN’s “Flight Deck” podcast, McShay provided insight into how he expects Douglas to attack the challenge. A few takeaways:

McShay doesn’t expect wild spending in NFL free agency. He noted that Douglas was raised in the business under former Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, who was known as a bargain hunter. “I wouldn’t guess that they’re going to go out and spend a ton of money,” McShay said. “But if they do spend, it’s going to be on guys who are a little underrated and can provide some versatility and some veteran leadership, and probably some special teams help.”

Douglas is big, big, big on intangibles. Pointing to Douglas’ first season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ draft czar (2017), McShay said, “It was so important to him to make sure that first draft class … made a statement, that they brought in the right guys — impact players, not just physical traits. More importantly, [he wanted] guys that were going to be leaders and are going to create the culture.”

McShay suspects Douglas will adhere to Newsome’s quantity-over-quality philosophy when it comes to the draft, which suggests he will look to trade down when possible. McShay described the mindset as, “Let’s take advantage of some teams that panic on the clock.”

As for what the Jets might do with the No. 11 pick, McShay’s hunch is Douglas will stay close to his roots — meaning an offensive lineman. He identified five quality prospects — Jedrick Wills, Jr., Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Josh Jones and Austin Jackson. After that, there’s a “big, big dropoff,” said McShay, adding that it’s “important” for them to draft a tackle in the first two rounds. “The bottom line is, I think offensive tackle is definitely up there in terms of positions they’re really trying to study to just give Sam [Darnold] a chance, a fighting chance this year,” he said.

That said, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is hearing that Douglas is on the verge of spending big on one offensive lineman in free agency:

A year ago, the Titans opted not to exercise their fifth-year option on tackle Jack Conklin‘s rookie contract. As a result, he may be headed for a franchise that entered the AFL as the Titans.

Per a league source, one NFL team has been informed that Conklin plans to sign with the Jets when free agency opens on March 18.

The report is just that, and nothing more. It doesn’t mean that the Jets and Conklin’s representation have struck a wink-nod deal. It doesn’t mean that they’ve even talked, although tampering is rampant in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine.

All it means is that one NFL team has been informed that Conklin plans to sign with the Jets. Within the next 18 days, we’ll find out whether that happens.

Or, actually, within the next 16. The legal tampering period allows agreements in principle to be reached, and last year dozens of deals were leaked to the media not long after the window opened for officially negotiating them.

Selected in round one from Michigan State in 2016, Conklin has started all 16 games in three of his four seasons in Tennessee.

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post broke the news that Tony Romo had landed a deal that pays him a Madden’s ransom and lasts beyond CBS’s contractual commitment to the NFL.

Tony Romo has agreed to the largest sports analyst contract in TV history, The Post has learned.

The deal to remain at CBS will prevent Romo from entering free agency next week, where ESPN was prepared to bid aggressively for him.

Romo’s new contract with CBS will pay him around $17 million per season, which is more than double the previous NFL high of $8 million per year that John Madden received more than two decades ago.

Even when adjusted for inflation — which would make Madden’s number $14 million — Romo still is the highest paid ever.

The long-term deal, sources say, is for significantly more than five years, which means the total value for Romo’s contract will well surpass $100 million.

During his playing career, Romo earned a total of $127 million over 14 seasons. There were only three seasons as the Cowboys’ quarterback that he made more than $17 million.

CBS was motivated this week by Disney’s ability to start bidding on Romo in March, when he could have been eligible for free agency. CBS thought Disney — which hoped to use Romo as a carrot as it goes after a Super Bowl in the next round of negotiations — would bid $20 million per year. ESPN officials vigorously disputed that, saying they would never have bid close to that number.

Though Romo’s salary is astronomical for 20 NFL games, CBS officials felt he showed loyalty because he could have explored how high ESPN would go. CBS and Romo’s partner, Jim Nantz, have been universally praised since network executives Sean McManus and David Berson took the chance on putting Romo in the booth right off the field three years ago.

In Romo’s rookie deal, CBS did have a card to play that could have prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Per the terms of Romo’s original contract, he had to tell CBS what it would take for him to agree to a contract prior to him being allowed to go on the open market, sources said. CBS was willing to meet the around $17 million per year and $100-plus milion figure that blocked out ESPN from even getting a chance.

CBS’s calculation is that they spend billions on the NFL, so bidding this high on Romo made sense in the grand scheme. They hope to retain their Sunday afternoon package and Super Bowl in the next round of negotiations with the NFL.

Romo will now earn nearly twice as much in one year than he made during his entire rookie deal, which was for three years and around $10 million. He made a little more than $3 million last season.

Saints WR MICHAEL THOMAS now has a compensation floor of $17 million.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The decision by CBS to get Tony Romo under contract in advance of CBS getting the NFL under contract could make it just a little harder for the NFL to get any network under contract.

Responding to the news of Romo making $17 million per year to serve as a game analyst on TV (only $1 million less per year than he was making as a starting quarterback), Saints receiver Michael Thomas — the 2019 NFL offensive player of the year — cited the Romo contract as proof positive that players should be negative about the proposed labor deal.

“[T]hat’s why we shouldn’t sign the new CBA agreement no way the announcer should be making more than 90% of the players,” Thomas tweeted Friday night, adding a #No for good measure.

Thomas is not active in NFL Players Association leadership. Some within the union believe that the decision of star players who choose not to be involved in union business to take shots at the CBA will galvanize those who spent hour and hours to get the CBA to where it is now. Which could help their effort to push the proposal across the finish line.

Still, like Jimmy the Gent’s crew after the Lufthansa heist, it could be wise for the networks to not go buy anything for a while.

Did Tony Romo drive the price of analysts high enough to entice Peyton Manning? Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

ESPN had hoped to hire Tony Romo as the new Monday Night Football analyst. With Romo staying put at CBS, ESPN must move on to Plan B.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that ESPN has “alternative plans” for the Monday night booth. Per Marchand, the first call “likely” will be made to Peyton Manning, whose relationship with ESPN expanded in 2019 to include Peyton’s Places on ESPN+.

If Peyton once again declines (and maybe $17 million per year will get his attention), ESPN will have to move to Plan C. Regardless, it still feels like a major change is coming to Monday nights, especially since the broadcast will be changing producers.

2020 DRAFT

Peter King:

Quote of the Combine, Coaches Division. Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians, on annual combine stars, the seducers who get GMs fired: “The tape don’t lie. The combine lies. You can fall in love at the combine and get your ass broke.” Teams are doing less and less of the falling-in-love thing, though combine lovers do their best to make this long week more important than it really is.

– – –

Clemson LB ISIAH SIMMONS made himself some money over the weekend at the Combine.  Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com:

Clemson do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons was the brightest star of the night Saturday at the NFL scouting combine.

Simmons, who lined up almost everywhere at some point in the Clemson defense, was put with the linebackers in the on-field workouts at the combine. And he blistered the turf inside Lucas Oil Stadium with, at 6-foot-3⅝ and 238 pounds, a 4.39-second clocking in the 40-yard dash.

It was the second-fastest 40 time for a linebacker at the combine since 2006, behind only Shaquem Griffin, who ran a 4.38 at the 2018 combine. Simmons, however, weighed in 11 pounds heavier and is 3⅝ inches taller than Griffin was at the combine.

Whether Simmons actually is called a linebacker in the NFL remains to be seen, as some teams see him as a potential safety who could move down to linebacker in some personnel groupings. This past season, Simmons lined up on the defensive line, at linebacker, as a nickel cornerback and safety at times for the Tigers.

When asked earlier this week what he says when people ask him what position he plays, he replied: “Defense.”

Simmons, who earned his degree in December, finished this past season as the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He had 102 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three interceptions.

Simmons also had a 39-inch vertical jump at the combine to go with an 11-foot broad jump. The vertical was tied for second best among the linebackers and the broad jump was best among the linebackers.

“I know years ago it wasn’t good to be a positionless guy,” Simmons said earlier this week. “But now it’s become a benefit for me just because of all the versatility I’ll be able to do, play linebacker, play safety, whatever it is, I feel like it just helps me out.”