NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

WR JORDAN ADDISON is outed as a Knucklehead.  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com on his 140 mph adventure.

Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison was cited Thursday morning for speed and reckless driving after an officer clocked him driving 140 mph on a freeway just outside of St. Paul, according to an incident report from the Minnesota State Patrol.

Addison, 21, the No. 23 pick of the draft, was not arrested, but the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

In a statement, the Vikings said: “We are aware of last night’s traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information.”

According to the police report, a patrol officer was traveling eastbound on Interstate 94 just after 3 a.m. when they “observed a driver in a Lamborghini Urus traveling 140 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone.” The trooper made a traffic stop and identified Addison as the driver.

In Minnesota, drivers who are cited for speeds in excess of 100 mph can have their licenses revoked for at least six months.

Vikings rookies are due to report to training camp Sunday, with veterans reporting next Tuesday and the first on-field work set for Wednesday. Addison, who missed most of the team’s offseason program because of a minor injury, was set to compete for a starting role in the Vikings’ three-receiver formations.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

The Commanders are sold as the NFL extracts $60 million from Dan Snyder’s $6.05 billion sale price, leaving him a mere $5.99 billion to survive on:

Ben Nuckols of the AP:

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw team executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs, and he has agreed to pay a $60 million fine, the league announced Thursday.

The NFL released a 23-page report detailing the findings of an independent investigation into Snyder’s conduct just minutes after its owners unanimously approved the sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion. The fine represents 1% of the sale price; Snyder bought the team, then known as the Redskins, for $800 million.

The investigation was led by former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White and conducted by her law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton. The league had pledged to make the findings of the probe public.

Investigators concluded that Washington withheld $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with other teams, an amount the report suggests may have been far greater. White’s firm was unable to reach a conclusion about tens of millions of additional dollars that may have been withheld in part because Snyder and the team did not cooperate fully with the investigation, according to the report.

The report concluded that Snyder sexually harassed former team employee Tiffani Johnston, allegations that Johnston first made last year in front of a House committee. Snyder placed his hand on Johnston’s thigh at a team dinner and pushed her toward his car as they were leaving the restaurant, the report said.

“The findings do speak for themselves. In both cases, it’s inappropriate, it’s wrong, it doesn’t match our values,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a news conference in Minnesota after NFL owners voted.

Snyder has denied Johnston’s allegations and repeated that denial in an interview with White’s investigators. He only agreed to speak with investigators for one hour, the report said.

Investigators spoke with Johnston several times and “found her to be highly credible,” the report said, and her account was corroborated by witnesses and other evidence. The investigation also substantiated claims by another former employee, Jason Friedman, who told the House about financial improprieties.

“Dan Snyder has been forced to sell the team he said he would never sell, pay a massive fine to the NFL and there now exists an extensive public record of his personal wrongdoing and the misconduct that occurred under his leadership,” attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent Johnston and Friedman, said in a statement. “We are proud of our clients’ courage in coming forward publicly and working tirelessly to hold Mr. Snyder accountable.”

The report also concluded that a former team executive improperly took possession of a photograph of Johnston from a calendar shoot of the team’s cheerleaders. Johnston was wearing lingerie in the photo, which had not been edited “to fully cover inadvertent exposures.” Investigators found insufficient evidence to show Snyder was personally involved in that incident.

White’s firm did not conclude whether Snyder was personally aware of the financial misdeeds, but witnesses told investigators that Snyder repeatedly pressured team employees to improve its financial performance, telling them, “every dollar matters.” Documents detailing how the team moved revenue into accounts that shielded the money from other teams were shared with Snyder on at least one occasion, the report said.

“At a minimum, (Snyder) was aware of certain efforts to minimize revenue sharing, at least some of which were later found to be in violation of the NFL rules,” the report said.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said White’s findings contradicted Snyder’s sworn testimony and introduced two bills intended to protect American workers from the abuses committed by Snyder and the Commanders.

In order to skirt NFL revenue-sharing rules, Washington would classify team-related revenue as money made from special events such as concerts, college football games or soccer games.

“(I)f the NFL had a jail … we would be in it,” a team employee wrote to its chief financial officer in 2010 after agreeing to allocate NFL revenue to a college game.

Friedman alleged that the Commanders had “a second set of books,” and the investigation corroborated his account. Among its findings were that millions of dollars in revenue from “tickets sold or bartered with sponsors at falsely undervalued prices” were moved into accounts that hid the money from the league.

In addition to the $11 million that White’s firm found the team withheld from the league, forensic accountants who reviewed the team’s books identified another $44 million in parking, license and other revenues that were transferred from accounts holding league revenue into special events accounts.

The report notes that the team’s revenue-shielding scheme “appear(s) to have become more aggressive after its ticket sales began deteriorating in 2008.” Washington had long touted a decades-long waiting list for season tickets, but demand cratered under Snyder’s stewardship of the team, which went 166-226-2 overall and won only two playoff games during his 24 years as owner.

Snyder long had a reputation for squeezing every possible dollar out of fans, from aggressive pricing of parking and concessions to charging fans to attend training camp. He even filed lawsuits against fans for canceling their season tickets. The District of Columbia Attorney General’s office reached a settlement with Snyder over the team’s failure to return season-ticket security deposits.

White’s firm wrote that while Snyder and the team pledged to fully cooperate with investigators, they did not. Instead, the Commanders failed to produce requested documents, declined to let investigators speak to the team’s external auditors, and engaged in other tactics that “delayed and impeded the investigation.”

“Evidencing his individual failure to cooperate, Mr. Snyder engaged in months of scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling of his interview,” the report said.

Unclear is who will be responsible for any payments to Traci Johnston, who now has White’s report to stand on in court, and the other female Washington employees who have alleged misconduct by Snyder and his lackeys.

Also, will the other NFL teams be getting checks from the Commanders or Snyder for $354,000 to cover the $11 million that White found Snyder hid from them?  Or does that come from the $60 million?

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com implores a prosecutor to charge Daniel Snyder with a felonious crime.

For Daniel Snyder, there’s a chance the end of his tenure as owner of the Commanders could be the beginning of an entirely different adventure.

The long-awaited report from Mary Jo White, released moments after the NFL announced the approval of the sale of Commanders, ostensibly closes his business with the NFL. But the $60 million fine imposed by the league — less than one percent of the $6.05 billion sale price of the team — possibly won’t be the end of Snyder’s legal complications.

The White report contains a potential blueprint for state or federal prosecution of Snyder.

White found that the team did indeed manipulate the financial records to minimize the obligation to share revenue with the other 31 teams, as required by the NFL’s Constitution and Bylaws. The 22-page written report contains numerous blunt and candid references to this conclusion.

From page 12: “Documentary evidence, witness interviews, and Club admissions all corroborated Mr. [Jason] Friedman’s allegations that the Club intentionally shielded and withheld shareable NFL revenues.”

Also from page 12: “It is clear . . . that the Club intentionally underreported some amount of shareable revenue and did so in deliberate violation of the League’s revenue sharing rules, frequently by improperly classifying NFL revenues as non-shareable revenues from special events, such as concerts, college football games, or soccer games.”

From page 13: “Although Mr. Snyder denied it, multiple witnesses informed us that Mr. Snyder pressured employees to improve the Club’s financial performance (‘every last dollar’ matters) and the evidence shows that, as one way of achieving higher revenues and lower costs, the Club, during the 2009–2015 seasons, wrongfully violated the sharing rules in order to retain greater amounts of shareable revenues through ‘VTS savings.’”

Also from page 13: “As Mr. Friedman described it, the Club ‘always [had] this goal to create as much non-shareable revenue as possible,’ but they ‘start[ed] cheating to do it.’”

Likewise from page 13: “Knowledgeable former employees from sales, ticketing operations, and finance agreed to be interviewed and acknowledged to the Investigators that Club personnel knew at the time that certain of the Club’s various methods of [Visiting Team Share] ‘shielding’ — including falsely classifying revenues as something they were not and reporting falsely lowered ticket prices to the NFL— would be wrong and violated the League’s rules.”

From page 14: “[I]n one 2010 email that the Club produced, a former employee, after agreeing to allocate NFL shareable revenue instead to a college football game, jokingly emailed the CFO: ‘[i]f the NFL had a jail… we would be in it.’”

Also from page 14: “Another former employee, who specifically commented on the absence of support for the transfers of revenues from NFL accounts into special event accounts, told us of their contemporaneous discomfort with the Club’s recording and reporting of NFL revenues, commenting that the overall culture was to ‘maximize revenue, break the rules if you need to,’ and ‘do as much as you can, but don’t get caught.’”

Again from page 14: “Emails also corroborated what Mr. Friedman described as a ‘a second set of books,’ in which Club employees prepared financial records that compared NFL ticket sale revenues reported to the League to actual revenues from NFL ticket sales.”

And this from page 14: “[T]he Club has now acknowledged, as alleged by Mr. Friedman, that employees reclassified NFL revenues to non-shareable accounts, causing the Club to apparently underreport NFL revenues for sharing.”

From page 15: “From 2009 until early 2016, for example, employees’ emails frequently discussed ‘pushing,’ ‘selling on,’ ‘allocating,’ or ‘mov[ing]’ revenue in ways to ‘shield’ or ‘save’ VTS and ‘maximize [the] bottom line.’”

From page 18: “Other evidence discovered during the Investigation supports the finding that the Commanders intentionally misclassified or reclassified some potentially significant amount of season ticket and other shareable revenue to evade their NFL sharing obligations.”

Also from page 18: “For instance, a knowledgeable former employee informed us there was ‘always a push’ to reclassify NFL revenue as special events revenue without any meaningful backup. Employees knew this was not right, we were told, but senior executives seemed to excuse the Club’s deliberately underreported revenue to the League because ‘it’s the NFL’ and not the government.”

From page 19: “Accordingly, drawing all reasonable inferences from the evidence available to us and the Club’s failure to provide credible explanations or basic supporting detail for the vast majority of financial entries on these items, we find that approximately $11 million in NFL revenues appears to have been improperly shielded and some significant portion of the approximately $44 million of Deferred Income Transfers may also represent shareable revenue received by the Club during the 2009–2015 seasons that was improperly shielded from sharing to the extent required by League policies.”

Likewise from page 19: “We also find that Mr. Snyder, known for his hands-on management and close monitoring of the Club’s finances, was aware of and supportive of the Club’s efforts to minimize its revenue sharing obligations. . . . Mr. Snyder, at a minimum, set a tone at the top that led to and encouraged the Club’s various schemes to shield NFL revenues from sharing. He acknowledged in his interview that he, as CEO and owner, would be responsible for any misconduct by the Club.”

Thus, Snyder’s responsibility does not necessarily end with a $60 million fine. The laws of Maryland (where the stadium is located), Virginia (where team headquarters are located), and the U.S. government potentially encompass this protracted scheme by the Commanders to defraud the NFL and its member teams.

For example, Section 8-401 of the Maryland Code, titled “fraudulent conversion of partnership assets” provides that a “partner may not with fraudulent intent: (1) convert or appropriate to the partner’s own use partnership money or property (2) make, or cause to be made, a false entry in partnership records of a partnership transaction; or (3) fail to make or cause to be made an entry in partnership records to show the true state of a transaction: (i) relating to partnership business; or (ii) involving the use of partnership money or property.”

Section 8-402 of the Maryland Code, titled “fraudulent misrepresentation by corporate officer or agent,” provides that, “[w]ith intent to defraud, an officer or agent of a corporation may not sign, or in any manner assent to, a statement to or a publication for the public or the shareholders that contains false representations of the corporation’s assets, liabilities, or affairs, to: (1) enhance or depress the market value of the corporation’s shares or obligations; or (2) commit fraud in another manner.” (Emphasis added.)

Virginia law includes a lengthy list of specific prohibitions on fraudulent behavior, or various forms and types. Federal law becomes particularly relevant if/when fraud is perpetrated by the U.S. mail, or by wire (which includes phone, fax, text, and/or email).

Although senior executives excused the conduct “because ‘it’s the NFL’ and not the government,” the government has created specific criminal laws aimed at discouraging such behavior, under threat of significant criminal penalties.

The White investigation found a smoking gun regarding actual fraud in the misclassification of revenue, despite also concluding that the team had failed to fully cooperate with the investigation. As explained at page 22 of the White report, “At every turn, the Club and Mr. Snyder have complained about the burden and cost of searching for and producing materials responsive to our requests and the Club unilaterally decided what documents they would produce and did not ultimately produce the requested documents most critical to determining the bona fides of the vast majority of the transfers and transactions identified by the Investigation as potential efforts by the Club to improperly shield VTS revenues.”

In other words, the Commanders (per White) stonewalled the investigation. If/when a prosecutor from Maryland, Virginia, or one of the federal districts having jurisdiction over the relevant portions of Maryland and Virginia start issuing subpoenas, complaining about the burden and cost of searching for and producing materials responsive to the subpoenas will not shield the information from discovery. Similarly, unilateral decisions to produce, or not produce, requested information will become irrelevant.

Now that the team has been transferred from Snyder to Josh Harris, it will be Harris and not Snyder who will be expected to respond to any subpoenas with information in possession of the organization. Harris will have no reason to thwart any such investigation. Unless the evidence has been destroyed (which opens the door to other potential legal problems), Harris will have access to it.

Ultimately, it comes down to whether a prosecutor with competent jurisdiction chooses to act. Typically, prosecutors proceed with criminal charges only when they are confident that one or more crimes can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The contents of Mary Jo White’s report seem to provide a clear and obvious answer to that question.

She has provided a blueprint for aggressive prosecution. Frankly, she has gift-wrapped it.

Although prosecutors have very broad discretion both to charge and not charge individuals with crimes, it becomes difficult for any conscientious prosecutor to look at the White report and not resolve to take immediate and aggressive action to rectify the extensive fraud that White uncovered — to the tune of (per her report) at least $11 million and possibly up to $44 million more.

Jay Gruden pipes up with more on Snyder’s role in the football operation, as well as praise for Bengals ownership.  Ivan Lambert of USA TODAY:

“I think you have to be happy (Snyder is leaving), without a doubt,” opened Jay Gruden.

That was how the former Washington Redskins head coach began responding as a guest recently on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast. Sheehan had inquired if Gruden could provide his thoughts on the Dan Snyder era as Washington owner.

“I think moving forward with a new owner will be very beneficial for this organization,” Gruden answered. “I just think Dan made it too much about himself. As far as trying to put his stamp on the team by picking the players and coaches.”

Gruden, in his six seasons as Washington head coach, was 35-49-1 (.418). But he didn’t always get the players he wanted, as Snyder sometimes intervened in drafts and free agency.

“He wasn’t experienced enough in the business to make those decisions.” Gruden said of Snyder. “He didn’t put in the work. For him to pick a player in the draft is asinine. He didn’t put the work in. He didn’t watch the players. He didn’t go to the meetings. He didn’t go to the scouts’ meetings.”

Gruden then discussed his experience in Cincinnati, where he worked before coming to Washington.

“Mike Brown (owner of the Bengals), when I was with the Cincinnati Bengals, sat in meetings, watched the film, put in the work. When he made a decision, it was based upon what he saw, what he took in from the coaches and from the scouts. So I respected that.”

“I don’t respect the guy that doesn’t watch the film and comes in, makes the pick, and tells you who he is signing in free agency.”

“It makes no sense when we and the scouts are doing all of the film work, and all of a sudden, he comes in and makes the pick. So, I think it is going to be a very beneficial move for all of the fans and for the organization moving forward.”

“You have to respect the fact that he put himself in the position to own an NFL team. When you are the owner, the boss, then you can do things the way you want to. I have had to accept it.”

“When you are not the boss, you have to do what the boss says. I did that. I tried to be a good coach, a good employee. It was my job to listen to the owner but to give my input. If my input was used, great. If not, then I had to deal with it and do the best with what I had.”

Longtime DC area scribe Michael Aldridge, along with veteran radio man Doc Walker, shares the relief of all media members and Washington fans.

Fifty-four years to the day that man first walked on the moon, the sun shone bright again in Washington, the clouds, finally, clearing out.

Finally, someone paid Dan Snyder to go away, rather than the other way around.

Yes, he’s leaving with $6 billion of Josh Harris’ money (and, Mitch Rales’ money, and Mark Ein’s, and Magic Johnson’s), and Snyder will have to pay the NFL $60 million: in essence, his nolo contendere response to the findings of the Mary Jo White report, released simultaneously on Thursday.

– – –

What, then, is this city’s debt to the dozens of women, along with Johnston, who put their names to their trauma, detailing years of harassment in Ashburn, including by some of the team’s highest-ranking executives, both to media and in testimony before Congress, as Snyder and his Wall of Sycophants denied everything?

“Over three years ago, our clients bravely came forward to expose the egregious sexual harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, and today they can claim total vindication,” said Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, the attorneys for Johnston and other former team employees, in a statement Thursday. “Dan Snyder has been forced to sell the team he said he would never sell, pay a massive fine to the NFL and there now exists an extensive public record of his personal wrongdoing and the misconduct that occurred under his leadership.

“We are proud of our clients’ courage in coming forward publicly and working tirelessly to hold Mr. Snyder accountable.”

Harris will be held to a higher standard as an owner, just as he has had to do as majority governor of the 76ers and Devils. He will have to show he’s worthy of what he’s bought into. But, what the Chevy Chase, Md., native has to do, first and foremost, is not embarrass this city anymore.

– – –

When the Red Sox, finally, won the World Series in 2004, ending 86 years of futility, many of their fans and those who had covered them for so long … couldn’t express their feelings.

It hasn’t been that long since the team won a Super Bowl here — 31 years. It just feels like almost nine decades.

Here, a generation has grown up with no knowledge whatsoever of what the franchise once was, and what it stood for, and the hold it had on an entire fan base. This has never, ever, been a football town. But, once, it was a Redskins town. The team’s grip on the populace was complete and thorough, through all eight wards, an entire town’s mood dictated by what happened on Sunday, or Monday night. From “We Want Dallas” to “Sell The Team,” in 30 years.

“This was collegiate. We didn’t have the best facilities. We didn’t need it. We had the best people,” said Doc Walker, who got a ring with the first Super Bowl-winning team in Washington and still hosts radio shows in town.

There was a stadium with “crud” hanging off the walls, as Gibbs once put it. RFK, really, was a dump 40 years ago. But the home-field advantage was legit, with hundreds of people camping out on Sunday nights outside RFK to buy the few tickets that were available at 9 a.m. Monday — actual wooden folding chairs, placed on the sidelines the following Sunday. You knew people who were in the team’s band, and that had been in the band for years. You knew the ushers. Everyone wore the gear and had the posters on their walls. It was a civic trust in which everyone could play a role, even if they never were able to get to a game in person.

The former owner, Jack Kent Cooke, was his own reality show back in the day. But when it came to picking the football players, he let the late Bobby Beathard and Charley Casserly — “Charles,” as Cooke often called him — do their jobs, and let Gibbs and his staff do theirs. There was no melting ice cream left in the locker room by Cooke to express whatever displeasure he had with the team’s performance.

“You will quote me on this, won’t you?” he asked me once after his team went 0-8 at RFK, at its nadir there, near the end of a 3-13 season in 1994. “They’re the best bloody fans in America and I applaud them for their loyalty and their perseverance.”

In contrast, Snyder was obstinate until the end.

“On February 18, 2022, the Club stated their ‘intent on having a full and fair investigation’ of the allegations and committed to ‘cooperate fully with Ms. White,’” the White report found. “Despite that pledge, Mr. Snyder and the Club failed to cooperate. Mr. Snyder, for nearly a year, refused to be interviewed and, when he did finally agree to an interview, he declared that it would be limited to one hour.”

Six billion dollars for the brushoff. Seventy million dollars in fines, counting the $60 million levied Thursday and the $10 million the NFL fined Snyder in its sham suspension of him in 2021. It boggles the mind.

But money doesn’t buy you everything. Class, for example. And the Cowboys have been among the richest, most profitable teams in the league for decades. It hasn’t helped them win many playoff games. Similarly, Harris’ arrival, and that of his well-heeled group, doesn’t guarantee things will be better on the field.

“We get a new owner,” Walker said. “What does that mean? Maybe analytics, which they kind of toyed with. I’m just glad there’s not going to be a brotherhood. How about just getting judged on the results? I hope that our program, with this new blood, the guy has owned franchises, and they seem to be leaning into analytics, hopefully that means qualified people are going to be in the building. With a professional franchise, you should not be experimenting. We should not be on anybody’s job resume as their first job.”

Walker also noted that Washington hired Mike Shanahan as head coach, and his staff had four future NFL head coaches on it, including his son: Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel. He added that the franchise had elite, Pro Bowl players at two of the toughest positions to fill during Snyder’s reign: cornerback Champ Bailey and left tackle Trent Williams. And, yet, somehow, none of these people finished their careers here.

“That really kind of defines his ownership to me,” Walker said. “That summarizes, to me, that experience.”

The skies cleared over Washington on Thursday afternoon, though. No word on if it was good yacht sailing weather. This city doesn’t have to concern itself with that anymore, and never again.

– – –

Does anyone like Commanders?  Magic Johnson, a part owner, seems to be pushing for a fourth name in five or six years.  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Less than 24 hours after the Washington Commanders officially changed hands, the franchise could already be headed for another rebrand. Addressing his new minority stake in the franchise, which Daniel Snyder sold to Joshua Harris for a record $6 billion on Thursday, former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson told “The Today Show” that another team name change is a possibility.

“I think everything’s on the table, especially after this year,” Johnson said when asked about the future of the “Commanders” nickname. “We’ll see where we are with the name, but I can’t say [for sure] right now.”

Johnson’s remarks came after “Today” host Craig Melvin suggested many fans “expressed their displeasure” with the selection of the “Commanders” nickname, which was announced in February 2022 after years of deliberation. Johnson laughed and acknowledged as much, appearing to echo concerns about the team’s identity.

A new name wouldn’t be unfamiliar in Washington, where the Commanders were also known as the Washington Football Team from 2020-2021. That temporary nickname came after the franchise “retired” its most famous but polarizing “Redskins” nickname, which was used from 1937-2019 despite conflicting opinions from Native American groups about the term.

Prior to the introduction of the Commanders, Washington also teased the “Armada,” “Brigade,” “Defenders” and “Redhogs” as alternative name possibilities while promoting their rebranding.

Would the Burgundy and Gold colors and general team look, familiar through the first three names, be safe?

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

A revelation about a member of the Jacksonville coaching staff is being treated as historic.  The AP:

— Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has become the first male coach in a major U.S.-based professional league to come out as gay.

Maxen spoke about his sexual orientation in an interview published Thursday by Outsports.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” Maxen said. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.

“I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react.”

While Maxen’s announcement is a first for a male coach, NFL players have come out previously. Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted when the then-St. Louis Rams selected him in 2014. In 2021, Carl Nassib, then with the Las Vegas Raiders, became the first active NFL player to come out publicly. Nassib played for Tampa Bay last season.

A few female coaches in U.S.-based leagues have come out publicly, including Katie Sowers, a former assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.

Maxen said he no longer felt comfortable hiding his sexuality or his boyfriend of two years.

“You have other coaches who have significant others, and they’re talking about their significant others,” Maxen said. “And I felt guilty that I couldn’t do the same thing, that I was letting myself down.”

AFC EAST

MIAMI

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com working his NFL previews from 32 to 1.  He’s reached the Dolphins at #9:

Coming off the field after a Week 2 win last season, Tua Tagovailoa had to feel great.

He led the Miami Dolphins to a comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens after his team trailed by 21 points. He threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns. The previous few years hadn’t been easy. He suffered a devastating hip injury that ended his college career at Alabama. He was up and down his first two seasons in Miami. It wasn’t fair to decide what Tagovailoa was as a quarterback after 21 starts, but last offseason the names most closely associated with Tagovailoa were Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, the two other top quarterbacks in his draft class who were instant stars. Tagovailoa lagged way behind them. He was written off by many.

That day at Baltimore, though, Tagovailoa seemed to arrive as a star. He was just 24, with his whole career in front of him. The hip injury and the criticism didn’t matter anymore.

“I think it was a moment he’ll never forget and can use it moving forward,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game, via the Associated Press. “I couldn’t be happier for him. His teammates learned a lot about him, and I think he learned something about himself.”

Through three games Tagovailoa was brilliant. The Dolphins, who had to have moments of regret over passing on Herbert in the draft, were 3-0. Then came the first concussion.

Maybe it was the second concussion. In Week 3 Tagovailoa stumbled and almost collapsed after a hit, though he wasn’t officially diagnosed with a concussion. There was no question about the one at Cincinnati.

Tagovailoa was spun around and slammed to the turf, and a national audience saw his hands go into the fencing response. It was frightening. He was carted off and taken to the hospital. Tagovailoa came back after two games off and played well, but then suffered another concussion, likely on a hit late in the second quarter, against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 25. It wasn’t spotted and Tagovailoa finished the game. That was it for his season.

It’s impossible to talk about the Dolphins’ season, or seasons to come, without worrying about Tagovailoa moving forward. Tagovailoa had just finished a true breakout third season, and as he turned 25, he considered retirement.

“I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but it will be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am,” Tagovailoa said this offseason, via CNN.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a huge 2022 season that was overshadowed by concussions. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a huge 2022 season that was overshadowed by concussions. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Tagovailoa said he did jiu-jitsu training in the offseason to learn to fall in a way that could prevent him hitting his head, and hopefully that helps. But everyone who understands football knows that you can’t eliminate the risk of concussions, especially at quarterback.

The Dolphins have to be worried, too, about Tagovailoa but also their football team. A decision on a long-term extension for Tagovailoa is looming. He looked like a franchise quarterback when he played last season. The team went 8-3 in the games he played and didn’t suffer a concussion. McDaniel was a great fit, as was new receiver Tyreek Hill. The future is bright, and can be entirely upended with any hit Tagovailoa takes.

This should be a fun time for the Dolphins. When healthy, Miami is a Super Bowl contender with an exciting offense led by a highly touted quarterback coming off a huge season. The new coaching staff was a hit right away. It has been a while since Dolphins fans could feel this good, especially about their quarterback.

Hopefully, the Tagovailoa concussion story doesn’t come up again.

Offseason grade

For the second straight offseason, the Dolphins made a big trade to acquire a superstar. Unlike the bold move to get Hill last offseason, the Dolphins didn’t have to spend that much draft capital to get cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins gave up a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, a steal for a six-time Pro Bowl corner. That was the big move, and free agency was quiet. A two-year, $11 million deal with linebacker David Long was their biggest move. A two-year, $8 million contract with backup quarterback Mike White was necessary given Tagovailoa’s health concerns. The Hill and Ramsey trades left the draft class thin. Cornerback Cam Smith was the team’s second-round pick and running back De’Von Achane was picked in the third round. Getting Ramsey at a good price was what we’ll remember from the Dolphins’ offseason.

Grade: A-

Quarterback report

It’s too bad Tagovailoa didn’t play 17 games, because his breakout would be appreciated even more. He might have even been in the MVP discussion. Tagovailoa led the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating and 8.9 yards per attempt. He had 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 starts. He missed most of one start and probably played through a concussion for the entire second half of another. Even if we just add on four starts at those rates, he would have had more than 4,600 yards with about 33 touchdowns. It was an excellent season.

BetMGM odds breakdown

I like the Dolphins’ roster. They were very good last season with Tagovailoa and at least competitive without him. But we all know that it’s hard to bank on 17 games for Tagovailoa. The win total for the Dolphins at BetMGM is 9.5. Given the concern over Tagovailoa and a tough schedule in a deep AFC East, I have to take the under.

Yahoo’s fantasy take

From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “There’s risk and reward to almost any fantasy selection, but it’s staring you down if you select Tua Tagovailoa. He’s missed multiple starts in four straight seasons, dating back to his time at Alabama, and last year’s concussion issues were scary. So despite the presence of two absurdly talented wideouts and a well-respected play-caller, fantasy managers need a contingent plan if they select Tagovailoa as their de-facto starter. If you settle on Tagovailoa as your QB1, be the first team in your league to target a high-end backup.”

Stat to remember

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were great last season. They ended up with 3,066 combined yards, the third-most by a pair of teammates in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Dolphins decided that getting the ball to Hill and Waddle almost whenever they passed was the right play; Hill had 170 targets, Waddle had 117. Nobody else on the Dolphins had more than 52 targets. Hill set Dolphins records with 119 catches and 1,710 yards; Waddle led the NFL with 18.9 yards per catch. They put up those numbers despite Tagovailoa missing time.

Hill said on his podcast he wants 2,000 yards and another Super Bowl this season. Given how the Dolphins want to get Hill the ball as much as possible, he could hit that 2,000-yard goal. A Super Bowl title isn’t out of the question either.

Burning question

How big of an impact will Vic Fangio make?

Fangio had mixed results when he finally got a chance to be a head coach with the Denver Broncos. But his defensive mind has never been questioned. Fangio is considered one of the best coordinators in the NFL, and hiring him was a big move for the Dolphins. He won’t blitz much but he has a sound scheme that will confuse quarterbacks with different coverages. The one area in which a mediocre Dolphins defense can improve a lot is takeaways. They had just 14 last season, tied for 30th in the NFL. It’s fairly amazing a playoff team could force so few turnovers. There’s plenty of talent on the defense, especially after adding Ramsey. When Fangio was introduced to the media, he singled out pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and safety Jevon Holland (who will be a huge part of the scheme). Fangio should lead a big improvement.

Best-case scenario

It’s easy to get excited for the Dolphins. The offense looked unstoppable when Tagovailoa was healthy last season. The defense added a proven asset at coordinator and arguably the best cornerback in football, so that side should be better. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy, it’s not too hard to buy the Dolphins being a top five offense and defense. This team can win a Super Bowl.

Nightmare scenario

Of course we know this revolves around Tagovailoa’s health, and we’ve discussed that at length. Other than that, there aren’t a lot of big questions. Maybe the NFL makes adjustments to McDaniel’s offense in year two, but it’s hard to see McDaniel getting figured out. Perhaps the defense will be just mediocre, like it was last season. And the AFC East is so tough, the Dolphins can finish in last place even with a good record. Given how good the roster looks, that would be a severe disappointment.

The crystal ball says …

The Dolphins are a tough team to predict, because it’s not like we know if Tagovailoa will stay healthy. The Dolphins could win a Super Bowl, or have a terrible season and be looking at new options at quarterback next offseason. It all depends on a variable that can’t be predicted. If Tagovailoa plays most of the season, the Dolphins will be in the playoffs. There’s a lot to like about them on both sides of the ball. We’ll just leave it like this: It would be excellent, in all ways, to see what the Dolphins look like with a full season from Tagovailoa.

NEW ENGLAND

RB DALVIN COOK wants to play for his hometown Dolphins, but Cody Benjamin ofCBSSports.com says the Benjamins (no relation) could send him to the division rival Patriots.

It’s the NFL’s worst-kept secret that the AFC East wants Dalvin Cook, and vice versa. The former Vikings star has repeatedly teased a move to his hometown Dolphins, and the Jets are openly pondering the idea of Cook teaming up with Aaron Rodgers. But there’s one reason the Patriots — a seemingly distant third AFC East suitor — could have the edge in luring the Pro Bowler to their squad.

Scheme fit and Super Bowl potential are surely factors in Cook’s decision, and the running back has suggested that Miami and New York offer as much, with the Dolphins deploying a run-friendly system and the Jets eyeing a deep playoff push with Rodgers. The main reason Cook remains unsigned, however, is money. It’s what led to the playmaker’s departure from Minnesota, and it’s what’s kept him from settling for what he’s perceived as unreasonable offers at a position making headlines for its financial troubles.

Specifically, Cook is reportedly seeking close to $10 million per year — roughly a top 10 number at his position — on either a one-year or multiyear deal. A longer-term contract could offer him more security, while also allowing a team to spread out a lucrative investment. And yet both the Dolphins and Jets face significant financial hurdles in that regard.

Neither Miami nor New York is devoid of 2023 salary cap space; the Dolphins currently have about $13M to spare, and the Jets have about $23M, per Over the Cap. Next year, however, things get ugly.

The Dolphins are projected to be $32M over the 2024 cap, and that’s not accounting for potential big-money extensions for young starters like Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Connor Williams, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland. The Jets, on the other hand, are projected to be a whopping $74M over the cap — worst in the NFL — thanks in large part due to their inheritance of the massive extension Rodgers signed with the Packers. Officially, the quarterback will count $107.5M (!) against the Jets’ 2024 cap, meaning a restructure is inevitable but won’t necessarily erase such a prominent cap deficit.

The Patriots, meanwhile? In addition to owning a comfortable $17M in 2023 cap space, they are set to lead the NFL with a whopping $110M in 2024 cap space, priming them for another spending spree — or enabling them to make a far more attractive multiyear offer to someone like Cook. Couple that with the fact the Dolphins are already committing almost 40 percent more money to the RB position than the Patriots this year, with veterans Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert combining to earn more than $11M through 2024, and New England just has more immediate resources.

The question, it seems, lies with the Patriots themselves. Is Cook really the guy they want? And especially at his price? It’s clear New England wants a complement to third-year man Rhamondre Stevenson, working out former Buccaneers starter Leonard Fournette and previously signing James Robinson, only to cut the latter amid injury concerns. Now, it seems, it’s a matter of whether they’re willing to use their available advantage to lure Cook into the backfield, and away from their divisional rivals.

NEW YORK JETS

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic filed this report from the first day of Jets’ practice:

There he was, Aaron Rodgers, gray in his beard, No. 8 on his jersey, a face in a crowd of Jets warming up before the first training camp practice of the year. For most of the last 18 years, he’d hop on a plane from California and fly to Wisconsin for training camp. This time, it was to New Jersey. As he walked into the facility Wednesday, there were more cameras — more than he’s used to — waiting for him.

It’s all … strange. For him, for the Jets, for everyone.

“It was a little different for sure,” Rodgers said. “Everything is different.”

At some point, the novelty will wear off. Not yet. Saturday, fans will fill the stands and watch him throw passes in a Jets uniform for the first time. It will be loud.

Thursday was a little quieter. At times, it was bumpy. The Jets, like any team on Day 1 of camp, are working through their growing pains, especially in a new offense, with a new quarterback and a host of key new offensive players. That’s what this time of the year is for, to work through the growing pains. Once the season starts, there won’t be anymore excuses.

Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Rodgers all talked about this team’s Super Bowl expectations. Nobody is hiding it, or pretending that’s not where they envision ending this season.

“I ain’t gonna fake it,” Wilson said. “That’s what you play the game for. I play to win the game. I’m not going to beat around the bush: We want to win the Super Bowl. You don’t make moves in the offseason like we did unless you’re trying to get there. That’s the mindset. We want to have those expectations as athletes. That’s the mindset we’re embracing in our facility. That’s where we want to get.”

There is still a lot to learn about this team.

That started Thursday.

Here are some observations from the Jets’ first practice of training camp.

A new Aaron

Lazard is one of Rodgers’ closest friends — and the primary reason why Lazard signed with the Jets at all, he’s admitted — but at one point he was a young, undrafted receiver trying to get in his good graces. Back then, in 2018, Rodgers lacked patience with young receivers. Rodgers, at 39 and with a new team, approaches things a little differently now.

“He was hard to play with at first, he was a little more: ‘You guys gotta pick it up,’” Lazard said, snapping his fingers. “But he’s a little slower (with the Jets), realizing that there’s a lot of new players, the cadence he has, the way he calls plays, the timing of routes, his anticipation. … When you have 11 guys who are able to play with that, that’s when beautiful plays are able to happen. He’s taking his time.”

Rodgers admitted he learned a lot from past mistakes in that approach. That showed Thursday. The offense was out of sorts for much of the day (I’ll go into more detail in a bit) and had a hard time making things happen against a talented Jets defense. At one point during red-zone drills, Rodgers even pulled Wilson aside to tell him to slow down after the young wideout made a mistake, which led to an incompletion. The message: Take it easy.

“We’re easing into this,” Rodgers told him.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot over the years,” Rodgers said. “Perspective as you get older, you see things a little clearer. Hindsight is 20/20. You try to rectify some of the things you did a certain way that you could’ve done better. I think it’s always important to have patience in shorts and helmets through these first few days of camp. Sometimes patience can wear thin if it’s repeated mistakes. But we’re just building this thing right now, we want to build it the right way. Earlier in my career I was a little more easily angered and I feel like I’m a little less triggered as I’ve gotten older.”

QB stats — and an off day for the offense

Rodgers admitted the offense had “quite a few little issues” Thursday. “Now we can go back and watch it and talk about it and as long as we fix it, it won’t be an issue. If we’re not fixing those things, then we have some issues.”

Rodgers’ first drive in 11-on-11 drills wasn’t very exciting. It opened with a dump-off to running back Michael Carter, a short run from Zonovan Knight, an incomplete pass intended for tight end Kenny Yeboah — where Rodgers was pressured by John Franklin-Myers — and a rush from Carter that was stuffed by safety Tony Adams.

Things flowed better on Rodgers’ second drive, where he completed a pass to fullback Nick Bawden, Carter and Knight. The pass to Carter was impressive: Rodgers got his arm up high and gently tossed it over the defender to get it to Carter in the middle of the field.

Later in red-zone drills, the Jets secondary won the battle against Rodgers. D.J. Reed broke up a pass intended for Tyler Conklin and Michael Carter II forced an incompletion on another throw. That battle between Rodgers and the secondary is going to be fun throughout camp.

In total, I had Rodgers completing 6 of 10 passes.

“You want to be efficient,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of people here so you want to not look like s—. … It’s important to be efficient.”

Zach Wilson ran with the second-unit offense, as expected. It was an up-and-down day for his debut. He technically completed his first two pass attempts to Travis Dye and Knight, but defensive end Bryce Huff would’ve sacked him on the second pass attempt. (Quarterbacks can’t be touched in training camp, and I don’t think they were calling out sacks Thursday.)

On the next drive, Wilson missed rookie wideout Xavier Gipson badly on his first attempt, completed it to him on a screen on the next play and then would’ve been sacked by Jermaine Johnson on a pass intended for rookie receiver Jason Brownlee.

On the plus side, in red-zone drills Wilson completed the only touchdown pass of the day, a short side-armed throw to receiver Mecole Hardman, who quickly juked upfield and into the end zone.

In total, Wilson completed 6 of 11 passes.

As for the third-stringers: Tim Boyle got most of the reps and … it was not good. His deep balls looked wobbly, the accuracy was off and he badly underthrew wide receiver Malik Taylor on a free play down the field when the defense was called offside.

Chris Streveler came in for one series of 11-on-11 and completed all three of his pass attempts.

THIS AND THAT

THE ALL-ACQUISITION TEAM

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com on the best players and coaches to change teams for 2023:

Every year, we honor the best NFL players with all kinds of rankings — both official and otherwise — from Pro Bowl and All-Pro lineups to offseason pecking orders. But what about a celebration of the best talent on the move?

Between blockbuster quarterback trades and splashy free agent signings, the 2023 offseason has had no shortage of big names changing teams. Here, we’ve created an “all-star” lineup consisting only of the top veteran players (and coaches) to do that.

The exercise works in a couple of ways: 1.) It helps identify the best additions at each position, and 2.) It just might be a reminder of how much talent swaps uniforms each year. We reckon you might be able to go on a playoff run with this lineup!

Without further ado, the 2023 NFL All-Offseason Acquisitions Team:

Offense

POSITION        PLAYER                  TEAM

QB                     Aaron Rodgers        Jets

RB                    Miles Sanders          Panthers

WR                   D.J. Moore               Bears

WR                   Jakobi Meyers          Raiders

WR                   Odell Beckham Jr.   Ravens

TE                   Darren Waller            Giants

OT                  Orlando Brown Jr.      Bengals

OG                  Ben Powers               Broncos

C                      Jon Feliciano            49ers

OG                   Isaac Seumalo          Steelers

OT                   Mike McGlinchey       Broncos

Rodgers may or may not be past his MVP peak, but he’s a future Hall of Famer inheriting more accomplished weaponry and defensive support, making him a real candidate to follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps as a legend who enjoys rejuvenation in fresh scenery. If one group’s more solid than special, it’s probably the pass catchers, where Beckham and Waller must prove they can stay on the field, but the potential is there. You might swap JuJu Smith-Schuster in for Meyers, but both guys are best suited for secondary possession roles. The line, however, is quite formidable. Feliciano will start as a backup in San Francisco, but Brown and McGlinchey have lots of experience as above-average bookends.

POSITION        PLAYER                    TEAM

EDGE               Leonard Floyd            Bills

DL                    Javon Hargrave          49ers

DL                    Dre’Mont Jones          Seahawks

EDGE              Za’Darius Smith          Browns

LB                   Tremaine Edmunds      Bears

LB                   Bobby Wagner             Seahawks

CB                  Jalen Ramsey              Dolphins

CB                  Stephon Gilmore          Cowboys

CB                  Patrick Peterson           Steelers

S                    Jessie Bates III             Falcons

S                    C.J. Gardner-Johnson   Lions

Compared to the offense, where key starters like Miles Sanders, D.J. Moore and Jakobi Meyers are early in their second contracts, the defense at least feels a bit longer in the tooth. The secondary, in particular, is very reliant on aging cover men in Ramsey (28), Gilmore (32) and Peterson (33). But all three have been there, done that and have the benefit of pairing with younger, rangier safeties in this exercise. The front also has the makings of a playoff-caliber unit, with Floyd and Smith both offering underrated production off the edge alongside some of the top up-and-coming interior rushers in the game.

Special Teams

POSITION        PLAYER                    TEAM

K                       Matt Gay                     Colts

P                       Thomas Morstead       Jets

KR/PR              Mecole Hardman         Jets

Kicking is a streaky business, and who knows if the Colts needed to make Gay the second-highest paid kicker behind only Ravens ace Justin Tucker, but there’s no denying the ex-Buccaneers castoff has been money in recent years, converting 60 of 64 field goals (93.8%), including 11 of 14 from 50+ yards, since 2021. Morstead is 37 and now on his fourth team in three years, but the longtime Saints vet downed more than 45% of his 2022 kicks inside opponents’ 20-yard line. Hardman has availability concerns but flashed electricity as a utility man for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.

Coaches

POSITION        COACH                     TEAM

HC                     Sean Payton             Broncos

OC                     Bobby Slowik            Texans

DC                    Ejiro Evero                 Panthers

Like plenty of other veteran Super Bowl-winning coaches, including Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll, Payton has struggled to recapture the playoff magic that once accompanied his sterling regular-season track record. But it’s hard to argue with his no-nonsense approach, which consistently produced top-flight offenses in New Orleans. Slowik oversaw Kyle Shanahan’s passing game the last two years in San Francisco, making him an ideal mentor for Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud. Evero is one of the most promising pieces of an enviable staff constructed by new Panthers head man Frank Reich, previously thriving as both the Rams’ former secondary coach and Broncos’ 2022 coordinator.