AROUND THE NFL

Daily Briefing

The NFL and NFLPA seem to be working their way to a deal per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: Despite some huffing and puffing by owners about delaying the opening of training camp until a deal is reached on the financial aspects of pro football in a pandemic, optimism is building for a deal to be reached in the next few days.   The deal is expected to include plenty of the things for which the NFL Players Association currently is pressing, from an extended training-camp acclimation period to protections for guaranteed money to stipends in the event games are canceled, and opt-out rights for players.   As to the delicate issue of fully-guaranteed money, it’s believed that even if games are canceled fully-guaranteed salaries would still be paid. For non-guaranteed salaries, the players would be paid per game. For example, if a player has a fully-guaranteed salary of $16 million but only 10 games are played, he’d still get $16 million. A player with a non-guaranteed salary of $16 million would get only $10 million.   Despite the lack of a force majeure clause in the labor deal, the NFLPA recognizes the importance of reducing 2020 expenses in the event of canceled games (and even more 2020 lost revenue) because it would cause even more reductions to the 2021 cap, which is the mechanism in the labor deal for handling the 2020 losses. Also, by bending on the pay-as-you-play concept for players with non-guaranteed salaries, the NFLPA is more likely to achieve its objective to have the financial losses from 2020 applied to the years beyond 2021.   Regardless, and as previously explained, the NFL won’t — and can’t — lock players out over the absence of a deal on the financial aspects of the current predicament, because the two sides already have a deal that encompasses the financial aspects of the current predicament. That deal most likely will be replaced by something that is fair to both sides and that makes it easier to operate in 2021, and that new deal likely is coming very soon. – – – At the apparent behest of EDGE J.J. WATT, face shields will not be required for NFL players.  Jason Owens of YahooSports.com: Fans in the stands will be required to wear face masks for the NFL’s return.   Players on the field? Face protection will be optional.   That’s according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. On Thursday, Garafolo tweeted out sketches of the latest iteration of the Oakley face shield that’s intended to stem the potential to spread of COVID-19 from one player to another for the planned NFL season.   Included in that report is a note that “the expectation is that they will be recommended but not required.”   Add it to the ever-expanding list of bad ideas associated with the return of sports.   Here’s this thing that’s designed to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19 among players as they travel around pandemic hot spots like Miami, Phoenix and Houston. But if it makes you uncomfortable or cramps your style as a player, don’t worry about it.   J.J. Watt fought shield mandate Houston Texans All-Pro pass rusher J.J. Watt seems a likely culprit behind the lack of a mandate. As he’s made rightful demands of the NFL to come up with a semblance of a COVID-19 safety plan, he’s also balked at this most basic of safety measures.   Watt told Pro Football Talk earlier in July that if face shields are mandated, he’s likely sitting out the season.   “My second year in the league, I thought it would be cool,” Watt said. “I put a visor on my helmet. I was like, ‘It looks so cool, I want to put a visor on.’ I had it on for about three periods of practice and I said, ‘Take this sucker off, I’m going to die out here.’ Just the face one.   “So now you want to put something around my mouth? No. You can keep that. If that comes into play, I don’t think you’re going to see me out there on the field.”   Which is fine. No player in any league should play this COVID-19 season if they’re not comfortable or don’t feel safe doing so. And they don’t owe anybody a detailed explanation why.   But the real effect of Watt’s protest is pressure on the league to limit a safety measure. Do we know that decision makers are leaning toward recommending rather than mandating because of Watt? No.   But it’s not hard to do the math considering the pressure came from one of the league’s most respected and high-profile players.   Of course all of these details presume that there will be a season to begin with. – – – Recent first round rookie signings include: Denver – WR JERRY JEUDY Dallas – WR CEEDEE LAMB Tampa Bay – OT TRISTAN WIRFS Minnesota – WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON, CB JEFF GLADNEY

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY Green Bay seems to be the favorite for the 2024 NFL Draft.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Green Bay is making progress in its attempt to host a future NFL draft.   Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy told shareholders in a virtual meeting that Green Bay is a “finalist” to host the 2024 draft, according to WTMJ.   Green Bay had been considered a strong candidate to host the 2022 draft, but when Las Vegas lost the 2020 draft because of the pandemic, the 2022 draft was awarded to Las Vegas instead. The 2021 draft is in Cleveland and the 2023 draft is in Kansas City.   The NFL has turned the draft into a traveling road show, and it has become a major tourist event that several cities want to host. Green Bay has been angling for the draft for years, and 2024 may be the time.

MINNESOTA Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com on how, in a time of radical change elsewhere in the Twin Cities, the Vikings are staying the course by continuing to fund Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman: The week leading into the Minnesota Vikings’ NFC wild-card appearance was riddled with speculation surrounding coach Mike Zimmer’s future. The rumor mill was on the verge of spinning out of control, so much so that Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf released a statement 48 hours before his team beat the New Orleans Saints in overtime at the Superdome.   “We value Mike and Rick’s leadership,” the statement said of Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman, “and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond,” the statement read.   Wilf’s statement refuted rumors the Vikings were considering parting ways with Zimmer if the team had failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs. There also was chatter that Dallas, on the verge of firing Jason Garrett, wanted to bring Zimmer back as its next head coach some 14 years after he left his job as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. The only way that would have happened is if the Vikings had traded Zimmer to Jerry Jones in exchange for who knows what.   In the end, the Wilf family followed through with its intent, albeit at the 11th hour, by giving Zimmer, 64, a multiyear contract extension that keeps him at the helm of the Vikings as they aim to string together back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time during his tenure. It’s an extension that not only provides Minnesota with stability during an unprecedented season amid a global pandemic but also gives Zimmer the luxury of time to see his vision through.   Zimmer had one year left on his old deal, which was set to expire after this season. Talks on an extension began shortly after the Vikings’ season ended in the divisional playoffs, sources told ESPN, but took far longer than expected to come to fruition. On the day rookies are reporting to TCO Performance Center for their initial COVID-19 tests, Zimmer agreed to terms of a deal that solidifies his future entering his seventh season in Minnesota.   If all goes according to plan, Minnesota should be Zimmer’s last stop as a head coach before retiring.   The Wilfs defused a situation that could have been a major distraction at the start of training camp. In reaffirming their belief in Zimmer’s leadership, Vikings owners believe that continuity, the buzzword that has been used to describe what will help Minnesota reach its goals, particularly for the offense in 2020, starts at the top.   The Wilfs are essentially signing themselves up for more of the same, and in their minds that’s exactly what this team needs – not an overhaul of management and direction – to earn its first Lombardi trophy.   The ability to win consistently with defense has been made more difficult in an innovative league where passing concepts are constantly tweaked and retweaked for competitive advantage. In an era where pass-happy teams and flashy quarterback play dominate the spotlight, Zimmer has never wavered from his belief in defense, which has led him to compile the third-winningest record in franchise history at 57-38-1 (.599) with three postseason appearances in six years. His defenses in Minnesota have ranked no lower than ninth in scoring over the past five years, achieving top-five finishes in 2015 and 2019 and a No. 1 mark in 2017.   The turnaround has been swift from seven months ago, when Zimmer and Spielman (more on that in a minute) had their futures in question.   The Vikings entered the offseason amid a host of uncertainty about whether their roster would be good enough in 2020 to get one step closer to reaching the NFC Championship again.   In the same week Minnesota traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to Buffalo, Zimmer parted ways with five starters and four others for a total of nine losses on the defensive side of the ball. Even after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a two-year contract extension, which was an all-in move, the Vikings would face a roster revamp that would shape the direction of the franchise for the next few years.   Expectations to win it all in 2020 would have been unrealistic. Zimmer choosing to push for a multiyear extension is backed by his track record for success and what he undoubtedly knows he needs to make this thing come together: time.   Since being afforded that luxury, the Vikings’ 2020 season is less of a pressure cooker and more of a chance to focus on player development before expectations peak for 2021.   The draft haul Spielman and his staff pulled off in April earned rave reviews around the NFL. The talent brought in with Justin Jefferson, Jeff Gladney, Ezra Cleveland and 12 others will be what Zimmer uses this season to build for the future.   Of course, relying on rookies and new faces to fill the roles once occupied by veterans like Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander will come with its share of lumps. But dismantling parts of the defense with a chance to start over with young talent could be the best thing for the long-term health of Zimmer’s unit, which he and the Vikings expect to win with consistently.   With Zimmer’s deal done, the attention shifts to what’s next for Spielman. Since Zimmer arrived in 2014, both he and Spielman have had their contracts aligned. While a deal has yet to be reached with the Vikings GM, sources indicated one is likely forthcoming and should solidify the future of both men in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.   And that’s the way things should happen with the Wilfs pushing all their chips to the center of the table with the two men who have been responsible for guiding the franchise over the last seven seasons. A lot of things broke the Vikings’ way in 2017, but it won’t be luck the Wilfs rely on to get their team back to the NFC Championship and then perhaps one step further.   It’s the belief that Zimmer and Spielman are the best duo to help the Vikings accomplish their goals.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON In Seattle, Washington State’s hockey team is/are the Kraken.  Their fans quickly dubbed themselves as Krak Heads and their home arena is sure to become the Krak House.  Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times: Seattle’s incoming NHL franchise has picked “Kraken” as its team name, eschewing more traditional options and going with a moniker that generated some of the most heated debates among local fans.   The mythical sea creature — a type of giant squid — was mentioned in an Alfred Lord Tennyson sonnet from 1830 and later popularized in two 1953 books by Michael Joseph and John Wyndham. It later landed in some Hollywood movies, including the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise produced by current NHL Seattle owner Jerry Bruckheimer.   The team, which opens play at Climate Pledge Arena in October 2021, becomes the first men’s professional sports franchise in Seattle to not end with the letter “s” — following in the footsteps of the women’s pro WNBA Storm and NWSL Reign.   “The Kraken is a name born of the fans,’’ NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said in announcing the widely-anticipated decision at a Thursday morning news conference at the site of what was formerly KeyArena. “It was suggested and championed by the fans.’’   Leiweke said the team has launched an online store selling “Release The Kraken!’’ merchandise with all profits going to local nonprofits YouthCare, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Community Passageways.   In an interview after the announcement, Leiweke said: “We considered everything. And many of the names had plusses and many had minuses. But at the end of the day, like an endearing friend, this name just kept hanging in there.” In D.C., they are muddled in confusion and legalism resulting in a WFT solution that has people saying WTF.  Adam Schefter of ESPN.com: Effective immediately, Washington will call itself the “Washington Football Team” pending the adoption of a new name, the NFL franchise announced Thursday.   This is not a final renaming and rebranding for the team; this is the name it wants to use until the adoption of a new name at some point.   The team will continue the process of retiring the former name and hopes to be entirely rid of it on physical and digital spaces in the next 50 days, by the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.   Washington will not have any change to its color scheme. It will still use burgundy and gold, and the logo on the helmet will be replaced by each player’s number in gold. The Washington Football Team will debut its home uniforms in Week 1 against the Eagles, and its road uniforms in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.   While the Washington Football Team uses these uniforms and helmets for the 2020 season, it will be seeking the feedback of players, alumni, fans, sponsors and the community for the team name it will use in the future.   Terry Bateman, the franchise’s new executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said the team wants to include fans, business partners and alumni in the process. That takes time.   “You’re doing a rebranding process that correctly takes 12 to 18 months. If you want to do it right, you have to take a deep breath, take a step back and go through the process,” he said. “We want to do it right, we want something thoughtful and inclusive and smart and bring a lot of points of views into this and come out the other side with something everyone is proud of and can rally behind.   “It feels organic and natural to do this. I love the look of what we’ve done. It’s really strong. I like the logo and the uniforms and the colors. … There’s a tremendous amount of work to do for the next 50 days to do all this. It’s a tremendous amount of work to go through this. The new will go up and the old will go down.”   Fans will be able to purchase “Washington Football Team” merchandise from Fanatics and NFL Shop in the coming days. On would suspect, that the market will find a way around it and something might develop organically for WFT. The DB is thinking about going with Burgundy or Burgundy and Gold or WashingRon Burgundy. We would defer who those who dictate such things, but is Skins acceptable?  Or Ex-Skins? Or Fed Ex-Skins? And we note this from YahooSports.com: A Reddit user found that the same entity that runs “Redskins.com” had registered the domain “DCSentinels.com.” Sentinels was the name of the fictional team in the fictional 2000 movie “The Replacements,” starring Reeves.   Hence, the jokes. “Sentinels” was trending on Twitter on Wednesday morning.   Following trademark filings or new website domains isn’t always an accurate way of solving puzzles like this, but there hasn’t been any other news out of Washington on the nickname change.   It’s the furthest thing from official, but at least somewhat interesting:   It didn’t take long for people to make the connection to the old football comedy (“The Replacements”) about a group of replacement players led by quarterback Shane Falco, played by Reeves.   Warriors and RedTails had been considered the favorites to be Washington’s new nickname. Perhaps the trademark issues or other factors have team owner Daniel Snyder to look elsewhere.   Sentinels was also reportedly considered for Washington’s XFL team name. It seems weird a team would want a name from an old movie, but it’s not like that hasn’t happened in sports before (see the Anaheim Mighty Ducks).

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO A lot of folks have worked very hard to create a new world to comply with the opinions of medical experts.  Coach Kyle Shanahan is impressed with what the 49ers have done in Santa Clara.  Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com: Since recently returning to the team’s’ practice facility in Santa Clara, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he is a lot more optimistic that the NFL season can happen.   Shanahan said during an appearance on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast that he is impressed with the changes that have occurred at the 49ers’ headquarters.   “Since we’ve been back in here and I’ve seen our protocols and how they have this building, it makes me truly believe we can pull this off,” Shanahan said.   Rookies, quarterbacks and injured players reported to Santa Clara on Thursday for the first round of coronavirus testing at the team’s practice facility. After another round of testing on Sunday, those who had two negative tests will be able to report back to work on Monday. The first round of testing for all other players is scheduled for July 28.   The team’s practice facility has undergone a lot of changes designed to curb the spread of the virus. Shanahan said many walls have been knocked down to allow for greater social distancing inside meeting rooms.   Ben Peterson, the 49ers’ head of player health & performance, along with Dustin Perry, the team’s head strength and conditioning coach, have led the 49ers’ efforts to reorganize in preparation for the return of players, coaches and staff members during the pandemic.   “What they have put into this to allow us to practice, it’s unbelievable,” Shanahan said.   The biggest unanswered questions for Shanahan are the rules that will be set into place for training camp workouts. Each NFL is allowed to have a 90-man roster during the offseason and training camp, but that number might shrink to 80 players for training camp this year.   Even then, Shanahan said he is not sure if 80 players will be necessary for teams with no preseason games this summer.   “We’re kind of in limbo here as coaches,” Shanahan said. “Our building is set up to do this. But, now, I have got to get the rulebook by practice hours and stuff like that so we can set up a plan.   “It will be different. It’s totally going to be different. … (But) I’m excited to try to pull it off. And I’m so much more optimistic after getting in here and seeing how these buildings are.”

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY Everyone in Kansas City thinks that last year was just the first of many.  ESPN.com: Chris Jones predicted earlier this week that the Kansas City Chiefs would win “five-plus” rings in the coming years. Teammate Tyreek Hill on Thursday went even further.   The wide receiver said on ESPN’s First Take that he believes the loaded Chiefs roster, led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, will win seven championships.   “Well, I’m not gonna say he’s telling a fib,” Hill said when asked about Jones’ comments. “But Chris Jones, he’s definitely — he’s definitely a man of his word, and we’re definitely creating something special here in KC, so I don’t see why not. Why say five? Why not go seven rings? Right now we’re just chasing [Michael] Jordan, so that’s what we do. So I’m going over five, and I’m saying seven.”   Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Only two NFL franchises have won six Super Bowls — the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory in February was the franchise’s second.   On Monday, in a radio interview with KCSP 610 Sports Radio, Jones said, “This is only the beginning.   “We plan to have another parade and another parade and another parade. We’re going to make sure we bring not one, not two, not three, not four, but five-plus rings to Kansas City. It’s been 50 years of waiting, but the wait is over now. It’s time to create a dynasty,” he said.   The Chiefs, fresh off signing Jones and Mahomes to long-term extensions, are well positioned to dominate in the near future. The Super Bowl champions have all of their core players now signed through at least 2021 while playing in their primes, setting up a possible dynasty run.

LAS VEGAS We have always envisioned the Raiders draft process as a tug of war between the impulses/instincts of Coach Jon Gruden and the conventional diligence (with character emphasis) of GM Mike Mayock.  Now, at least as far as this year’s first round draft pick goes, we have a third factor.  Nick Shook of NFL.com on Al Davis influencing his son: The Raiders have spent the last few years looking less like the Silver and Black and more like something else.   (Owner Mark) Davis looks to the team’s new home of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as a symbol of the team’s bright future, one embodied by the first-round selection of Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III. That pick would have made his Davis’ father proud, the younger Davis believes.   “Henry Ruggs was the player I wanted for the last six months,” Davis said, via an excellent feature in The Athletic on Davis’ adjustments as an owner in Las Vegas. “My dad was always trying to replace Cliff (Branch) with so many different types of guys. … Speed, speed, speed and we really got away from that the last five, six, seven years. We really didn’t have anybody that could run. Nobody could run.   “I watched Henry Ruggs and his speed and quickness and his strength were pretty impressive. And then if you see his baseball highlights, my God. He made some nice tackles on interceptions and he’ll block too. He is a complete player. I was just so thrilled that we drafted him. Maybe that’s the piece that we haven’t had that’s Raiders football. You throw it deep the first play and the safety is worried the whole game.”   That last line is classic Raiders ideology, which has since permeated all levels of the game to varying degrees. Speed kills, as they say, and for the first time since around the final months of first-round bust Darrius Heyward-Bey’s Raiders career, they have a legitimate burner in their receiving corps. No longer will they have to rely on Amari Cooper — a very good receiver in his own right, but not quite a speed demon — as their best deep threat.   It’ll be up to Ruggs to produce, of course, but it’s quite a pairing — new stadium and new toy for the offense — to bring to a new home, even if it might be some time before a full house can be there to see it.

AFC EAST

MIAMI QB TUA TAGOVAILOA says he’s good to go when the time comes.  Nick Shook of NFL.com: Tua Tagovailoa won’t be able to convince most of the football world he’s fully healed from his gruesome hip injury until he proves it on an NFL field.   Before he can do that, he has to convince himself he’s 100 percent back to his old self. Tagovailoa is already working on that sale.   “I’d say I’m ready to go,” he told USA Today. “It’s kind of those things where you start getting the itch to get back out on the field, to be able to compete. It’s going to be a new setting, so that’s what’s even more exciting.”   Tagovailoa got an early start to acclimating to the new setting, receiving early access to the Dolphins’ facility amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic because he’s a player who is still rehabbing an injury. That has allowed him to get comfortable quicker than most of the rest of his fellow rookies, which could end up being crucial if Tagovailoa has his eyes on opening the 2020 season as Miami’s starting quarterback.   Getting there will require him trusting his body and leaning on what pushed him to the fifth-overall pick of the 2020 draft. It might also require some humility, something that shouldn’t be too difficult for Tagovailoa to drum up.   “I think the way I stay myself is, I just go out there and do whatever I can to help the team,” Tagovailoa said. “If helping the team looks like me being on the sideline and telling (Ryan Fitzpatrick) what I’ve seen, then that’s what it is. Or whoever the quarterback is out there.”   It’s fair to expect Miami to proceed full speed ahead with Tagovailoa penciled in as QB1. But if for whatever reason — amid a pandemic, there are plenty more legitimate reasons than usual — Tagovailoa isn’t quite ready to pilot the franchise, he’ll have a Sunday driver with a flair for a little excitement behind him in Fitzpatrick. Tagovailoa is appreciative of Fitzpatrick’s experience and assistance, even if he is essentially replacing the veteran.   “I have much respect for a guy like that,” Tagovailoa said. “The way he takes care of his body, the way he takes care of things off the field. He’s a coach in the meeting rooms for the offensive line, the receivers. I mean, he has the mindset of a coach but the heart of player. He plays like a player but the way he thinks, he thinks like a coach. Being able to be under someone like that and learn under someone like him, I really think you can only go up with your game.”   Time will tell how much it helps Tagovailoa, but we can be sure of one thing: He’s happy to be focused not on his hip, but on football.

NEW ENGLAND Here is how Mike Reiss of ESPN.com sees the post-Brady Patriots settling on their skill positions: Coach Bill Belichick enters his 21st season hoping to sustain the nearly uninterrupted dominance he has enjoyed in the division since arriving in 2000, but the departure of quarterback Tom Brady means that for the first time in 19 years, the Patriots are in transition at the game’s most important position.   QUARTERBACK (3): Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer Belichick had traditionally preferred to go with two QBs, such as during the 2019 season when Stidham was given the nod as Tom Brady’s top backup, over Hoyer, coming out of training camp. But given the dynamics in play with the coronavirus pandemic, this is the type of year where an added layer of insurance is smart business.     RUNNING BACK (5): Sony Michel, James White, Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, Brandon Bolden The entire group returns intact from 2019, with Michel working his way back from offseason foot surgery. Among the hot-button questions: Can Harris, the 2019 third-round pick from Alabama, emerge to share top duties with Michel? Will slippery-quick J.J. Taylor, an undrafted free-agent from Arizona, turn heads like Dion Lewis did in 2015?   FULLBACK (1): Danny Vitale This is an underrated competition, with Jakob Johnson and free-agent signee Vitale the top contenders. Undrafted free-agent Jake Burt (Boston College) is also in the mix, with rookie tight end Dalton Keene — a third-round pick from Virginia Tech — potentially providing some versatility to line up in the backfield at times.   WIDE RECEIVER (5): Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Mohamed Sanu, Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers Edelman was the only pass-catcher age 32 or older to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark across the NFL last season, which sparks a question: Can the Patriots keep relying on him to beat the age-based odds? That’s one reason the Patriots would benefit from Harry, the 2019 first-round pick (32nd overall), making a big second-year leap. Byrd was the team’s first free-agent signing of the offseason and adds much-needed speed. The final one or two spots could go to a variety of options, but in an unconventional year, familiarity in the system might give Meyers and/or Gunner Olszewski the edge.   TIGHT END (3): Matt LaCosse, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene Trading up for both Asiasi and Keene in the third round of the draft helps provide clarity at a position that wasn’t a major factor for the team in 2019. The Patriots finished last in the NFL in tight-end receptions and targets in 2019, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information. So it’s less a question of whether Asiasi and Keene are on the team, and more about how quickly they might be able to help. – – – Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com on how Bill Belichick operated light years ahead (by conversely operating behind) teams like the Colts, Bears and Buccaneers: Bill Belichick must be a good poker player.   The New England Patriots have operated on a different plane than the rest of the NFL for about 20 years, and the Cam Newton situation was another example. The Chicago Bears panicked, trading a fourth-round pick for Nick Foles and giving him $21 million guaranteed on a restructured deal. The Indianapolis Colts handed Philip Rivers $25 million, even though there are serious doubts about him after his decline in 2019. The Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t break old NFL groupthink about quarterback and wrap their heads around adding Newton, a former MVP, despite a roster that is strong everywhere other than the game’s most important position. And so forth.   The Patriots and Belichick just patiently waited it out, understanding the market and the reality that no other team would see the value in adding Newton, even if it cost almost nothing. They never panicked, never flinched, seemingly content with Jarrett Stidham if it came to that. That’s how Newton ended up with an incentive-laden contract that has a base salary of just $1.05 million, with just $550,000 guaranteed. It’s amazing how the Patriots keep one step ahead of everyone else, year after year.   The sudden signing of Newton revived the Patriots’ hopes during an offseason of historic change. Tom Brady, who has put together the greatest resume for a quarterback in NFL history and did it all with the Patriots, left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Other key players left, too. The Patriots’ offense, which struggled late last season, still lacks in skill-position talent. If the Patriots are to add to their amazing streak of 11 consecutive division titles — matched in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL only by the Atlanta Braves’ streak of 11 straight from 1995-2005 — it will be heavy on the shoulders of Belichick and his new quarterback.   Just because the Patriots outmaneuvered everyone in the quarterback market doesn’t mean Newton is guaranteed to work. Far from it. Newton has had a remarkable career, but we haven’t seen him play at a high level since the first half of the 2018 season. A shoulder injury affected him in the last half of 2018. A foot injury wiped out all but two ineffective games in 2019. Due to an unprecedented volume of rushing attempts with the Carolina Panthers, Newton is not the typical 31-year-old quarterback. Perhaps we’re already beyond Newton’s prime and we’ll never again see the player who helped redefine what the quarterback position could be. It’s worth the gamble for the Patriots to find out, considering there’s practically no risk at all. But it is a gamble.   The Patriots didn’t look like the Patriots late last season. New England lost four of its last six games after a 10-1 start. That included a shocking home loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 that cost the Patriots a first-round bye, and an offensively inept 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on wild-card weekend. Then came an offseason that was light on additions and marked by the departure of Brady. There was so much doubt about the Patriots that some questioned if they were tanking for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. That was absolutely nonsensical, but showed how little faith there was in New England during the offseason.   There will be questions if last season was the end of the Patriots’ dynasty, but we’ve heard those doubts before. This is a much different test though, without Brady around. If Belichick can pull this off, it will add another layer to a legacy that is already well established.

NEW YORK JETS He is probably truly incensed, but some see S JAMAL ADAMS as using Woody Johnson’s problems as a tool to get out of Gotham.  Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com: The Jets, are a mess, again. Yeah, I know. Not much new there.   And, in true Jets fashion, their dueling controversies — the disturbing racial, sexual and ethical allegations made by CNN and the New York Times against owner Woody Johnson, which the US ambassador to the UK denies, and the ongoing contractual feud with their best player, safety Jamal Adams — have bled over, creating the perfect tabloid storm. Alas, it’s almost like the glory days again, back at training camp in Courtland, NY, where Johnson briefed the media on how great the chemistry and culture of his team was while, over his shoulder, Rex Ryan tried to break up melee after melee between the offense and defense.   Good times! The more things change, the more they stay the same.   The NFL is the ultimate alpha league, so when quality organizations see weak organizations struggling and vulnerable, looking a bit like chum in the water — well, that’s when they pounce. And for months, several teams have been monitoring Adams’ situation ever-so-closely, checking in on the asking price, getting a bit of a chuckle out of this hapless franchise battling its star safety over money and trade demands. And with Adams among those lashing out at Johnson this week in the immediate aftermath of the extensive reporting on his words and deeds while serving this country abroad, I can assure you that numerous front offices are doubling back with the Jets and coordinating their strategies to try to benefit from this latest episode.   From my interactions with personnel men, I get the strong sense that teams feel like now might be the time to try to end the Adams circus on the cheap. There is a perception that with the Johnson allegations this serious, that even with the owner denying them, this story (and further reporting on it) is not going away. Other teams think the Jets are deep in crisis management mode, and that shedding Adams now might be in their best interest given his willingness to weigh in on Johnson’s situation on social media.   And with Adams going public with his distaste for Johnson, and further issues with how this franchise is run, some GMs figure they might be able to throw the player a lifeline on the cheap as well; we’ll rescue you from the Jets mess and bring you to a winning, stable culture, but in return you have do us a solid and wait until 2021 to get a new contract. The economic constraints due to COVID-19, and the prospect of playing games without fans only furthers part of that sentiment.   But I would strongly caution against it.   As much as Adams wants out of New York — and he is hardly the first prominent Jet to be seeking an exodus — let us not forget what is at the crux of his fallout with the franchise that selected him in the first round just a few years ago. Dude wants to get paid. He has established himself as one of the best in the world at what he does, he has endured turnover and instability during his tenure there, and he is surrounded by a weak roster without a single other worthy candidate for a contract extension.   There are no other mouths to feed at Florham Park. Only Adams. Only their best player.   We can debate what his price point should be and how much he should make per year. One cannot debate that the Jets have no other contractual situations to even consider, much less actually address via negotiation. If they don’t want to pay him, so be it, but I have an incredibly hard time seeing Adams sign off on a trade and report anywhere else without a new contract.   Who knows how many games will be played this year, and how much players will be compensated if it’s less than 16 contest? That remains the elephant in the room between the owners and the NFLPA as they continue to make good progress towards a sweeping deal to re-open the league. And I strongly anticipate them resolving that sooner or later. But Adams playing out anther year of his rookie deal on a prorated, slotted rookie contract just doesn’t pass my smell test.   Any attempt to spite him, given his remarks about ownership, and to try to ship him to a bad team that might not be inclined to pay him right now would only make this situation more ugly than it already is. Sure, the new CBA makes holdouts increasingly punitive, but there will be COVID-related opt-outs in this new NFL-NFLPA deal and I get the sense that Adams is pretty stuck in on his fiscal stance.   Now is not the time for the Jets to get cute. It may be time for them to get more real about what type of draft-pick compensation they could rightfully expect to yield for the safety, with the scope of his issues with the franchise only growing deeper. And perhaps it just might be that no team is willing to meet the Jets’ demands and also meet Adams’s financial expectations.   In fact, in a pandemic with so much uncertainty swirling about all parts of life in this country, that is actually to be expected. But I wouldn’t get things twisted that the events of this week now make it more feasible for a winning team to benefit by swooping in to save the day. Money talks. And it’s at the very heart of this stalemate between team and player. I don’t see a trade changing that at all, even as this crisis grows deeper. Don’t worry Woody, Adams also can’t stand Coach Adam Gase or GM Joe Douglas.  An actual named quote from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News: The surreal saga between the Jets and Jamal Adams might be coming to an end.   Seven months after Adams capped off an All-Pro season that vaulted him into superstardom, general manager Joe Douglas has told one of the game’s most dynamic players that he is open to trading him before the start of the season.   Adams confirmed to the Daily News on Thursday that the Jets GM has indeed conveyed his willingness to move the team’s best player if the right deal presents itself after intense acrimony this offseason. However, the Jets still have not given Adams’ camp permission to discuss trade parameters with interested teams.   The News has uncovered details of how Douglas made a series of bizarre decisions that created a cavernous divide between the organization and their biggest star.    “It’s definitely mixed feelings,” Adams told the News in his first comments amid the contract stalemate. “But at the end of the day, my happiness is more important. I know my worth. I’m going to stand on my beliefs. I’m going to stand on who I am as a person. And I’m not ever going to change who I am for somebody who’s judging me. Either you accept me for who I am and you work with me and support me or you don’t. It’s okay if you don’t.”   Douglas’ curious communication coupled with Adams’ eroding relationship with head coach Adam Gase created a tension that bubbled to the surface. The News first reported last month that Adams had requested permission to seek a trade before citing that Gase was one factor why the two-time Pro Bowler felt uncomfortable with his long-term future with the team.    “I don’t feel like he’s the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land,” Adams said. “As a leader, what really bothers me is that he doesn’t have a relationship with everybody in the building.   “At the end of the day, he doesn’t address the team,” Adams added. “If there’s a problem in the locker room, he lets another coach address the team. If we’re playing sh—y and we’re losing, he doesn’t address the entire team as a group at halftime. He’ll walk out of the locker room and let another coach handle it.”   Gase’s recent claim that his relationship with Adams “has been good since the time I’ve gotten here” and “there’s been a lot of dialogue between us” appears to be the latest in a series of exaggerations and/or prevarications. Adams told the News that he hasn’t spoken to Gase since his exit interview on the day after the end of the regular season (Dec. 30).   Gase did not respond to a message for comment.   The player-coach relationship notwithstanding, Adams was taken aback by a series of events with Douglas this offseason. The timeline reveals a disjointed organizational plan filled with contraction.   Poor communication and stonewalling engendered a deep mistrust with Adams.   “If they would have just simply said, ‘You know what, Jamal — we’re not going to look to pay you this year, we want to keep adding players — I would have respected that more,” Adams said. “I would say, ‘You know what? I respect it. As a man, I get it. I understand it’s a business.’ But for them to tell me that they’re going to pay me and then not send over a proposal after they said that’s what they were going to, that’s where we go wrong. And then for you to ignore me, that’s why I have a problem.”   So, what really happened?   The details are disturbing on myriad levels.   In January, Douglas told Adams’ camp that he would go to ownership/management to initiate the process to craft a first proposal for a contract extension. It seemed promising.   Until fissures appeared.   When no proposal arrived weeks later, the sides agreed to pick up discussions at the Scouting Combine in February when Douglas announced that he wanted Adams to be “a Jet for life.”   But there was no progress. Something seemed amiss to Adams.   Douglas inexplicably pivoted after the Combine. The forthcoming first offer talk was replaced with this message to Adams’ camp in the run-up to free agency: We’re going to get him better players.   The News reported at the time that the Jets had been telling people that they had cash flow restrictions during free agency. The result was predictable: Douglas signed a litany of second- and third-tier players to one-year or de facto one-year deals. Any suggestion that the pandemic played a role in the Jets’ offseason strategy was a red herring. The reality is that the Johnsons set a tight budget this offseason long before anyone became aware of the pandemic.   Meanwhile, Adams waited to receive the initial proposal that Douglas promised in January.   Free agency came and went. With the draft approaching, Adams understandably wanted a status report. Douglas publicly said that he would address Adams’ situation after the draft rather than tell Adams’ camp privately.   It was a peculiar tactic.   When the draft was over, Douglas came out of hibernation to let Team Adams know that he wanted to talk. Optimism swelled despite the rocky first few months.   However, the conversation in early May took a bizarre turn.   Rather than make a first offer, Douglas said that the team wanted to table contract talks until next offseason. In the meantime, the powers that be wanted to monitor Adams to see if he was all-in with the Jets and all-in with football. The GM wanted Adams to prove his loyalty to the franchise.   Adams felt like he had entered the Twilight Zone.   Monitor him? Why? He had already exhibited a maniacal work ethic and produced more than anyone on the team for three years. He had never gotten into any trouble. He was the heart and soul for this star-crossed franchise. He was their shining light.   Monitor him?   It didn’t make sense on any logical level.   “It was very insulting,” Adams said. “You know I bust my ass for that organization every day. I work my ass off. For them to say that to me, I was like ‘Okay… Whoa! That was little bit too far.’”   Adams was understandably perturbed, but hoped that time would calm the situation.   It did not.   Douglas’ inexperience in high-stakes negotiations was painfully obvious. He had changed his message too many times to remember, jumping from one stance to the next over the course of five months, alienating the team’s best player along the way.   Douglas did not respond to a request for comment.   “Why would Joe come out and say, ‘We want to make Jamal a Jet for life?’” Adams said. “Why would you say that and then not even give me an offer?… Don’t B.S. me. I’m a straightforward guy. You don’t have to B.S. me, because I’m going to keep it honest.”   The animosity was strong, the divide needlessly manufactured by an inexperienced negotiator who appeared out of his depth.   When Adams decided that he wanted permission to seek a trade last month, Douglas levied the final insult: If Jamal keeps acting the way he’s acting, nobody is going to want him.   Adams was a two-time team MVP, a respected leader and the emotional engine that wanted to turn around a wayward franchise. Now, he had been marginalized by team decision makers, who inexplicably let it all spiral out of control.   In the span of six months, Douglas went from promising to send over a first contract proposal to pretending as if he had never made such a promise, which would have been an affront to any person in Adams’ position.   Meanwhile, Jets fans were caught in the middle.   “I love the Jets fanbase,” Adams said. “It’s so strong. They’re very passionate. And it goes along with my personality. If they don’t like something, they speak about it. Just like I speak about it. I have nothing but love and respect for the Jets fans. They’re some loyal fans as far as sticking with the team. Showing up to the games, wearing jerseys. I respect it. But when an organization starts to disrespect you like this, it’s just time to move on. And it has nothing to do with the fans.”   The entire offseason has taken its toll on Adams, too.   “My happiness is way more important than the rest of this,” Adams said. “I can’t deal with all that anymore. It’s draining.”   Whether or not Douglas is able to trade Adams in the coming days or weeks remains to be seen. Regardless, Adams will report to the start of training camp when veterans are scheduled to arrive on July 28.   “I’m showing up for my teammates,” Adams said. “Obviously my love and passion for the game is very simple. You just turn on the tape and watch. No matter if we’re winning or we’re losing or we’re getting blown out, I’m still the same guy. I won’t change my tempo as far as how I play on the field. I’ll never slow down. At the end of the day, I’m trying to be the greatest player to ever play the game at my position. Or at least one of them. That’s my goal. I won’t let anybody knock me off that goal.”   “I want to win,” Adams said. “I want to be with an organization that wants to win and do things the right way.”