NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY Packers DL MONTRAVIUS ADAMS enjoyed his drive around the Free State of Georgia too much earlier this week.  The AP: Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Montravius Adams was arrested in Georgia this week and charged with marijuana and driving offenses.   He was stopped Tuesday just after 6 p.m. on suspicion of driving with a suspended registration and no insurance, according to a Houston County Sheriff’s Office report. It was not immediately clear why police had such suspicions.   An officer detected a scent of marijuana, which was found in a search of the car, the report said.   He faces misdemeanor charges of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, driving with a suspended registration and driving without insurance.   Adams was released from the Houston County Detention Center on $2,964 bond.   The Packers said in a statement they are aware of what happened but will not comment further because it is an ”ongoing legal matter.”   Adams, 24, is a 2017 third-round draft pick from Auburn. He had 19 tackles last year while playing in 14 games and making two starts. He finished with 26 tackles and 1 + sacks in 2018 while playing 16 games and making one start. We smell something here in the circumstances of the stop, and it’s not necessarily the smell of marijuana. Houston County includes Perry and Warner Robbins along I-75 south of Macon.

NFC EAST

DALLAS Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com says the Cowboys are saying QB DAK PRESCOTT did not turn down $35 million a year for five years. Dak Prescott is going to get paid at some point, and it’ll likely be from the Dallas Cowboys.   Until then, there are likely to be many conflicting reports about how much Prescott wants, how much the Cowboys are willing to give and how long the deal will be.   A report from former NFL quarterback Chris Simms of NBC Sports drew some interest on Thursday. He reported Prescott turned down a five-year, $175 million contract. Simms added that Prescott wants the final year to be more than $45 million.   While that generated a lot of discussion, the Cowboys and Prescott’s representative made sure to get the word out that it wasn’t true.   Through NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys and Dak Prescott’s agent denied that any such proposal had been made.   Rapoport didn’t share any more information about money given to him by the team or Prescott’s side, but he said Prescott wants a shorter deal and the Cowboys prefer a longer one.   That makes logical sense. It would take a huge contract for Prescott to tie himself up for five or more years, considering how quarterback contracts generally get bigger as years go on. Prescott is 26 and the earlier he hits free agency for a third deal, the better.   The standoff continues. The deadline for signing a franchise-tagged player to a long-term deal is July 15.   Prescott could get rich just playing on the franchise tag. The tag is reportedly a little more than $31 million this season, and next year it would be even more. If the Cowboys aren’t offering at least $70 million in guaranteed money the next two years, it doesn’t make much sense for Prescott to accept.   This contract is going to be tricky, as most quarterback deals are. Prescott is coming off a very good season and has established himself as a top-end quarterback in the NFL. Dallas doesn’t want to lose him, and doesn’t want to go down the road of multiple franchise tags. That’s how the Washington Redskins lost control of the Kirk Cousins situation.   There are still many weeks to go before the Cowboys and Prescott have to get down to business before the deadline. Whatever the final result is, it’s going to be for a lot of money.   Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com on where the Prescott negotiations are headed. The Cowboys are focused on getting quarterback Dak Prescott signed to a new deal before the July 15 deadline for finalizing multi-year contracts with franchise-tagged players. And regardless of whatever has been said or speculated or reported or whatever regarding the negotiations, only two things matter at this point.   First, neither side is going to approach its bottom-line position before the July 15 deadline approaches. That’s a fundamental principle of negotiation; let the deadline drive the process. Any chatter regarding positions at this point doesn’t matter. On or about July 15, the two sides will get down to business.   Second, whether a long-term deal gets done depends on one thing and one thing only: Whether the Cowboys will make Dak Prescott an offer that will get him to trade in his contractual rights without a new deal.   It’s not about the current quarterback market. It’s not about where the quarterback market may be heading. It’s not about whether the cap will go up or down next year. It’s about the gigantic bird perched in Dak’s hand, a bird that has grown morbidly obese on the seeds of delay.   By not swooping in and making Prescott an offer he couldn’t refuse the moment he became eligible for a second contract in early 2019, his leverage grew and grew and grew and now he has more of it than any quarterback in league history.   For starters, he’ll make $31.4 million this year under the exclusive version of the franchise tag, a tag that Stephen Jones told #PFTPM the team absolutely would not rescind. Dak can, if he so chooses, skip all of training camp and the preseason and still make the full $31.4 million.   Come 2021, and absent a long-term deal, Dak will get a 20-percent raise under the franchise tag. That’s another $37.68 million.   Sure, there’s a chance he’ll get injured or he’ll not perform well enough in 2020 to justify a second tag. If so, he’ll have the $31.4 million for one year of service, his endorsement money, and any insurance proceeds. He’ll also have a free and clear shot at the open market.   But if he’s tagged again (the same 20-percent raise applies even if the team uses the transition tag in 2021), Dak would get $37.68 million. That’s $69.08 million for two years of football. Thus, that’s the obvious starting point for a long-term contract — $69.08 million for 2020 and 2021, fully guaranteed.   Then comes 2022, when Dak either gets a 44-percent raise under the third franchise tag ($54.259 million),  a 20-percent raise under the transition tag ($45.216 million), or Kirk Cousins-style unrestricted free agency. So what will the Cowboys offer to Dak beyond $69.08 million over two years to simulate his rights under the third season of a year-to-year approach? And will Dak take it?   Then comes year four and perhaps year five. What would the Cowboys offer for 2023 and 2024 in order to get Dak to trade in his current arrangement?   Ultimately, that’s the question. The Cowboys essentially are buying Dak’s rights under the franchise tag in 2020, 2021, and 2022. What’s the price on those rights?   Only Dak knows the answer to that question, and any numbers that may or may not get thrown around between Memorial Day and Independence Day don’t matter. Once the Roman candles fizzle, nut-cutting time arrives, and the Cowboys either will or won’t purchase from Dak the unprecedented leverage he currently holds. John Parolin of ESPN.com breaks down Prescott’s numbers in search of enlightenment: There have been many theories laid out as to why the Dallas Cowboys haven’t committed to a long-term deal with quarterback Dak Prescott. Below, we identify and evaluate a few.   Ezekiel Elliott, not Prescott, drives the Cowboys’ offense Over his career, Prescott has a higher Total QBR on plays with Elliott off the field (71.3) than he does with him on (70.3). From 2016 to 2019, the only qualified quarterback with at least a 71.3 QBR is Patrick Mahomes (78.2).   Just keying in on the takeaway that Prescott is better without Elliott than with him is simplistic, but it’s close. There’s a similar split with his yards per attempt (7.65 with Elliott and 7.53 without) and first-down percentage of pass attempts (37% with, 35% without).   As a team, Dallas’s third-down percentage without Elliott (43.5) is barely better than with him (43.3).   Another way to examine Prescott’s passing without the threat of Elliott is to look at his performance in empty sets. The NFL calls a pass play on 98.8% of plays with an empty formation (not surprising), so it’s relevant to see how Prescott does when his formation signals an obvious pass before the snap.   Prescott’s performance out of empty sets has been better than good — his 83.2 Total QBR ranks fourth among qualified quarterbacks (behind Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Andrew Luck). He has thrown for 14 touchdowns with five interceptions and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt out of empty sets, ranking in the top 10 in both touchdown-to-interception ratio and yards per attempt among quarterbacks with 100-plus of those passes over the past four years.   The offensive line makes it easy on Prescott The Cowboys’ offensive line is an asset. But no line is perfect, and should this logic be used to discount Prescott’s value, his performance on those plays when the line breaks down should be a red flag.   Except Prescott is pretty solid here, too. Prescott has a 33.6 Total QBR when pressured in his career, which sounds low until you remember all quarterbacks struggle under pressure. The NFL average is 21.2, and Prescott’s 33.6 ranks seventh among the 40 quarterbacks with 200-plus pass plays under pressure. Notable names behind Prescott in pressured QBR since 2016 include Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers — that’s a combined eight Super Bowl wins and six league MVP awards.   Prescott has been better than average in both completion percentage (45.7%) and off-target percentage (27.9%) when pressured, though they haven’t necessarily been high-risk throws (ranks 25th in average-throw distance when pressured at 8.1 yards downfield). Still, his 26.2% first-down percentage is close to the league average as well (26.5%) and suggests he doesn’t fall to pieces as a passer when his protection breaks down.   Prescott can’t beat good teams   Prescott vs. good competition Here’s a look at Prescott’s career by the Cowboys’ opponents’ season win total:                             9 OR FEWER  10+ WINS Record                       35-11       5-13 TD-Int                       75-17        22-19 Total QBR                72.9           55.3 QBR rank                     2nd        19th   There really is no hiding how poorly Prescott has played against good opponents in his first four seasons. He has played 18 career games against teams that would finish with 10-plus wins, and his performance hasn’t been stellar.   The most lasting impression of Prescott’s performance against good teams isn’t great either; he went 0-5 against 10-win teams in 2019, a season that ended with the 8-8 Cowboys finishing one game behind the 9-7 Eagles for the NFC East crown.   Teams can’t be successful overpaying a QB   Can you get paid and win a title? Here’s a list of quarterbacks who have taken up more than 14% of their teams’ salary cap over the past five years.   YEAR   PLAYER                         PCT. 2018     Andrew Luck                  18.51% 2016     Matt Ryan*                     18.39% 2016     Matthew Stafford           17.74% 2016     Ben Roethlisberger         17.25% 2019     Aaron Rodgers               17.15% 2016     Eli Manning                   16.93% 2019     Russell Wilson              16.62% 2019     Kirk Cousins                 15.94% 2018     Russell Wilson             15.90% 2018     Drew Brees                  15.76% 2017     Matt Ryan                   15.06% * Only one to reach Super Bowl (lost)   At over $31 million on a one-year deal for 2020, Prescott would be occupying 14.3% of Dallas’s 2020 salary cap. Sixty quarterbacks have started a playoff game over the past five years and 11 occupied at least 14% of their teams’ salary cap in the year they started a playoff game (see inline chart).   Only Matt Ryan reached the Super Bowl, and his Falcons lost. The average cap percentage of a Super Bowl starter over the past five years was 9.27%, with as many quarterbacks below 5% as above 11%.   In fact, exactly twice as many playoff quarterbacks occupied less than 6% of their team’s cap that season (22), and that’s going by the team’s designated starter (i.e., using Derek Carr’s cap hit instead of Connor Cook’s in 2016, though Cook started the game for the injured Carr; other examples include Matt Moore and Ryan Tannehill, AJ McCarron and Andy Dalton).   The final piece of this problem for Prescott has nothing to do with his play. Dallas has less than $5 million in 2020 cap space, and over 80% of its 2021 cap is allocated. Should the coronavirus pandemic lead to a decrease in NFL revenue, team salary caps could shrink. ESPN analyst Adam Schefter had one potential early estimate at a $70 million to $80 million decrease in the 2021 cap. That would move a massive Prescott extension from problematic to disastrous. Excluding his franchise tag figure, the average of the top 10 QB cap hits next year is $24.9 million, or over 18% of a $137 million salary cap ($75 million below the current $212 million projection).   And that might be conservative looking at what sort of contract Prescott’s camp could justify. Look at the recent players to reset the average annual value market. Prescott’s 2019 QBR stacks up very well. He might not reset the market (led by Russell Wilson’s $35 million a year), but even a deal at $30 million would occupy almost 22% of a $137 million cap.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS The lines of communication are open between QB TOM BRADY and Saints coach Sean Payton.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Saints coach Sean Payton have exchanged texts about their teams’ Week One meeting.   Payton said in an Instagram chat with Kay Adams that he and Brady have engaged in some friendly banter since Brady joined the NFC South.   “Yeah, Tampa Week 1, though,” Payton said, via NOLA.com. “We want to quiet the canons. That’s what I text Tom. I said ‘Hashtag keep the canons quiet.’ We’ve known each other for years.”   Payton also revealed that Brady is well aware that the Vegas point spreads have the Saints as favorites over his Buccaneers.   “Oh, he laughs. He says, ‘You guys are the favorites. We’re the underdogs.’ Blah blah blah,” Payton said.   The Saints, at home, are favored by 4.5 points over the Buccaneers in Week One. When the game first appeared on the schedule, the Buccaneers were 6.5-point underdogs so the margin has narrowed. Still, Brady’s long streak of being the favorite is likely to come to an end.  This from Anthony Perez of TampaBay.com: He is with a new team for the first time in his now 21-year career, might as well be in an unfamiliar position, too.   Tom Brady will open his first season with the Bucs as an underdog to the Saints in their Week 1 matchup on Sept. 13 in New Orleans. The Saints are favored by 6½ points, per Caesars Sportsbook, meaning Brady will not be favored for the first time in 74 regular-season starts, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the longest such streak in the Super Bowl era (since 1967).   Brady, barring dramatic betting line movement between now and kickoff, will be an underdog in the regular season for the first time since Week 2 in 2015, when his New England Patriots were a 1-point dog at the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN.   “Can’t imagine that will ever be broken,” John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, told ESPN. “How many guys will ever be that good, play for a coach that good, in a system that good and in a division that bad for that long?”   Interestingly, the owner of the next-longest active streak (nine), according to ESPN Stats & Information, happens to be Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the favorite in that Week 1 matchup,   A former Bucs quarterback holds the second-longest career streak, though not because of his two years in Tampa Bay. Steve Young, who began his NFL career with the Bucs (1985-86), but later starred for 49ers en route to a Hall of Fame career, went 62 regular-season starts (1993-97) as a favorite, ESPN said.   Brady has been an underdog bettor’s friend when not favored during the regular season. The six-time Super Bowl champion led the Patriots to outright wins in 29 of his 47 regular-season games as an underdog, according to ESPN, and New England was 33-13-1 against the spread as an underdog in Brady starts.

TAMPA BAY GM Jason Licht sees Bruce Arians as the perfect coach for QB TOM BRADY at this stage of their careers.  Jenna Laine of ESPN.com:   Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht isn’t concerned the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady will put too much pressure on his young roster to produce.   Appearing on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Thursday night, Licht was asked if he was concerned that “urgency could becoming crippling” for his team, which hasn’t been to the postseason since 2007 and has very few players with playoff experience.   “I don’t have a lot of concerns on that right now,” said Licht, who had two stints with the Patriots and became GM of the Bucs in 2014. “We have a head coach [Bruce Arians] that, to be quite frank, isn’t gonna be here for the next 15, 20 years coaching the Buccaneers. So I think it was actually a perfect marriage: You’ve got two guys that have got something to prove; they want to win, they want to win now; they’ve got the same mindset.”   Arians has four years remaining on his current contract, although sources close to the 67-year-old head coach, who retired after the 2017 season before returning to coach the Bucs in 2019, believe he could be done coaching after two or three years. Brady, meanwhile, signed a two-year deal with the Bucs this offseason after 20 seasons playing for the New England Patriots.   “Getting Tom here, quite frankly, started with hiring Bruce last year,” Licht said. “I don’t know if we would be in this situation right now without Bruce Arians as our head coach. And they’re kind of living parallel lives right now; they’ve got something to prove, and they want to do it now.”   In February, Arians was asked at the NFL combine if he could pick up the phone and call one quarterback in free agency, whom would it be? His answer? Brady.   Brady, 42, has won six Super Bowls, while Arians, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year (2012, 2014), has not won one as a head coach. He did, however, win Super Bowls XL and XLIII as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers — one of which was in Tampa, site of this season’s Super Bowl. No home team has ever won a Super Bowl.   Licht spoke about Brady’s humility, which seems to be endearing him to his new teammates.   “He didn’t want to come in here and be the almighty,” Licht said. “He just wants to make sure that his teammates respect him. And he’s got something to prove.”   Earlier Thursday, inside linebacker Devin White — the Bucs’ fifth overall draft pick last year — said Brady was going to push their young defense to rise to new heights, much in the same way it did facing future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, whom the Bucs open the season against in New Orleans.   “He knows where the ball is gonna go, and he just [does] it so fast. I think that’s the thing that Tom is gonna bring to practice,” White said.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA Like the DB, Marc Sessler of NFL.com thinks the Cardinals are worth keeping an eye on in 2020: Tough not to adore the prospects for Kliff Kingsbury’s Cardinals, Year Two — and it goes beyond the bank-heist-level acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins from Bill O’Brien Savings & Loan. Consider the value of offensive tackle Josh Jones at No. 72 overall in the draft. Pro Football Focus ranked Jones 14th overall on its big board after the front-door-sized human led all draft-eligible tackles with a 93.4 grade in his final season at Houston. Don’t forget about first-round do-everything type Isaiah Simmons, who should boost a defense that allowed a league-worst 125.1 passer rating to tight ends and slot receivers in 2019. Coach Kingsbury confronts a thorny NFC West, but his players have bought in, with All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson calling Arizona’s revamped roster the “best football team I’ve been a part of on paper.”

LOS ANGELES RAMS DT AARON DONALD knows that the Rams are diminished.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Rams head coach Sean McVay said earlier this offseason that defensive tackle Aaron Donald was “a little upset with me” when he heard that defensive end Michael Brockers had agreed to a deal with the Ravens in free agency, but that Donald started talking to him again when that deal fell through and Brockers re-signed with the team.   Brockers’ return was a rare development for the Rams Defense this offseason. Linebacker Cory Littleton, edge rusher Dante Fowler, linebacker Clay Matthews and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman have all moved on from a defense that also saw a coordinator change with Brandon Staley replacing Wade Phillips.   “We definitely lost some big pieces to the puzzle. I think guys just need to step up and fill some big shoes,” Donald said, via Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News.   Donald’s presence gives the Rams a centerpiece to build the rest of the unit around in the coming months and the results of that construction will do much to determine the Rams’ fate in 2020.

SEATTLE The Seahawks have made an offer to free agent RB DEVONTA FREEMAN while also courting RB CARLOS HYDE.  Brady Henderson and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com: In need of a veteran running back, the Seattle Seahawks have made a one-year offer to two-time Pro Bowler Devonta Freeman and also have been in talks with Carlos Hyde, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.   The Seahawks are looking to reinforce their backfield with starter Chris Carson and 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny coming off season-ending injuries. Another veteran running back, Marshawn Lynch, told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt earlier this month that his agent had been in contact with the team about a potential return to Seattle.   The 28-year-old Freeman, meanwhile, has been a free agent since the Atlanta Falcons released him in March with three years and $21 million remaining on his contract.   SiriusXM NFL Radio first reported Seattle’s offer to Freeman.   Hyde, 29, is coming off a career-high 1,070-yard season with the Houston Texans. He carried 245 times, also a career high, and scored six touchdowns in his lone season with Houston. The 2014 second-round pick previously played for the 49ers, Browns and Jaguars.   NFL Network first reported the news of the talks between Seattle and Hyde.   General manager John Schneider told KJR-AM in Seattle earlier this month that Carson (hip) is expected to be ready by Week 1 but that Penny’s recovery from reconstructive knee surgery might sideline him beyond then. Penny tore his left ACL and suffered additional damage to the knee in Week 14 of last season.   Schneider said it’s going to be “really hard” for Penny to make it back by roster cutdowns, which happen the weekend before the opener. The Seahawks believe there’s a strong chance Penny will have to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, in which case he’d have to miss the first six games.   The rest of the Seahawks’ backfield consists of second-year pro Travis Homer and three rookies: DeeJay Dallas (fourth round), Anthony Jones (UDFA) and Patrick Carr (UDFA).   The Seahawks open the 2020 regular season against the Falcons in Atlanta. So Devonta Freeman could be at the Falcons opener after all.

AFC WEST

DENVER Marc Sessler of NFL.com with a bold prediction for the Broncos: Staying in the AFC West, you can stick this on your little bulletin board: The suddenly stacked Broncos will make the playoffs as a wild card. Concerns over Drew Lock will puff into the ether as he peppers opponents weekly with on-target laser shots to Courtland Sutton and first-round wideout Jerry Jeudy while Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon play good cop/bad cop on the ground (assuming Denver’s line can avoid tumbling into disaster).

KANSAS CITY The Chiefs will begin extension talks with QB PATRICK MAHOMES this summer.  Jelani Scott of NFL.com: If his first three seasons are any indication, Patrick Mahomes has more than a few classic stories still to write in his NFL career. The Chiefs are doing their due diligence to make sure he continues to pen them in Kansas City.   While participating in a Facebook Live event with Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Thursday, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt provided an update on where things stand on contract negotiations with Mahomes, who will be entering the fourth year of his rookie deal in 2020. The star QB’s chance to hit the free agent market won’t be possible until the summer of 2022 but, as Hunt indicated, neither the team nor Mahomes have any intentions of allowing that to happen.   “The negotiations are something we’ll be getting into this summer,” Hunt said, per the station’s website. “But what he has said and what we’ve said, both sides is, he wants to be a Kansas City Chief for life, and that’s our mentality as well. We want him to play his entire career in Kansas City, and that’s what we’re going to be shooting for.”   Mahomes’ fifth-year option was expectedly picked up back in late April, giving the Chiefs more time to chart their course of action. Of course, when you’re dealing with a star that shines as bright as his, there’s no better time than the present — or in this case, the immediate future — to get a long-term plan in place.   Last season, the 2018 MVP threw for 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games, and turned in a sensational performance down the stretch of Super Bowl LIV that led to the franchise landing its first Lombardi Trophy and him taking home another MVP honor for his troubles.   Securing their QB1 will undoubtedly be the club’s top priority moving forward, and him staying in K.C. is huge for both the city and the team. Now, we await the particulars of his next deal, one that is sure to be both historic and tone-setting for future signal-callers.

LAS VEGAS The Raiders believe their new home in Las Vegas will be ready to welcome adoring crowds in August – the only is question is whether their governor will allow it.  Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com: The Raiders are entering what officials called the “fourth quarter,” as they try to finish Allegiant Stadium in the middle of a pandemic.   According to Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, crews are still described as being on track for “substantial completion” of the new Las Vegas home by July 31.   “The coronavirus pandemic has upended daily life and made an already ambitious project schedule even more challenging,” Don Webb, chief operating officer for the Raiders’ construction subsidiary, told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority. “But even with this added degree of difficulty, Allegiant Stadium remains on track for substantial completion of its construction on July 31.   “The construction continues generally on a six-day a week schedule, with a daily workforce that has exceeded 2,000 workers on site.”   At least 16 workers on the project have tested positive for COVID-19, and they’ve gone from two shifts of workers to three to allow for increased distancing.   The roof installation is complete, along with video boards inside the stadium and the sod on the field tray. They’re still testing heating and cooling system and are still working on public restrooms and concession stands.   Of course, if fans aren’t going to be in the stadium for those early games, those things won’t matter as much.   They first thing on the schedule there is an Aug. 22 Garth Brooks concert.   The Raiders play the first two weeks of the preseason on the road, and their first game in the new building is scheduled for Aug. 27. They travel in Week One of the regular season, before the scheduled home opener against the Saints on Sept. 21.

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS In addition to DENVER (above), Marc Sessler of NFL.com says the Colts will be in the playoffs: I’ve already revealed Denver as an AFC playoff shoo-in. Here’s another: Indianapolis. The re-imagined offense was fawned over in the draft with the addition of two saucy second-rounders in runner Jonathan Taylor and wideout Michael Pittman Jr. — son of the Super Bowl-winning, ex-Bucs runner. Pittman’s a 6-foot-4, 223-pound force drawing comparisons to Vincent Jackson and Courtland Sutton — just the type of wideout Philip Rivers adores. Meanwhile, Taylor gives Indy a powerful runner whose 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine clocked as third-fastest by a back over 225 pounds since 2006. Airdrop this cast of characters behind Indy’s eat-you-alive O-line and the Colts are ready to tangle.

TENNESSEE WR A.J. BROWN is ready for 2020.  Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com: A.J. Brown might’ve been disappointed with not winning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2019.   But that’s all in the past, he said during a Zoom conference call on Wednesday.   Right now, he’s got more important things on his mind — like getting ready for the 2020 season.   And being more of a leader this fall.   “I think the sky is the limit for me to be honest,” Brown said. “I am great learner, and I am going to keep learning each and every day. There’s definitely a lot of things I can clean up. In year one, I was really just trying to play fast and not think about it too much. In year two I can really key in and focus what I really need to focus on and learn a lot more stuff in regard to coverages and everything else.   “(I want) to improve on everything. I want to be a complete, well-rounded football player.”   Improving also means being more of a leader, Brown said.   “I think I am a natural born leader,” he said. “As a rookie, I really didn’t want to come in and say too much – I just had to come in and show everyone that I am a hard worker myself. I am going to hold myself accountable. Now that I have some of my teammates respect, I can start to hold other people accountable, too. I am looking forward to this upcoming season, (having) a leadership role for me, bringing up some of the rookies and everything. So I am really excited for that.”   Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who was selected No.1 in the 2019 NFL Draft, by the Cardinals, ended up being selected as the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year by the way. He tallied 26.5 votes.   Brown finished third in the voting, with 9.5 votes, also behind Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who received 13 votes.   “All the Offensive Rookie of the Year stuff, it is really behind me,” Brown said. “I didn’t win. Congratulations to Kyler, but I didn’t win, and I am moving on with it. I am not going to sit here and dwell on it.   “It definitely made me hungrier to achieve bigger goals, so that’s what I am going to do.”   Brown was a playmaker for the Titans in 2019.   Brown led all rookies with 1,051 receiving yards, and he also had eight touchdown receptions among his 52 catches.   Brown became the first rookie since Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998) to have a minimum of 50 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 17-plus yards per catch, plus four touchdown catches of 50-plus yards. He was the only NFL rookie since 1970 with 1,000-plus receiving yards and an average of 20-plus yards per reception, and he led the NFL with 605 receiving yards over his final six games of the regular season.   This offseason, Brown became a father.   “I have a beautiful baby girl,” he said, smiling. “It has been a blessing to be honest, being able to be with her and see her grow each and every day. I am not getting much sleep right now, but I know it will get better. But it has been great each and every day.”   Brown said he’s also been working to perfect his football skills.   He said he’s been working with a trainer in Nashville, and said he’s been throwing a few times a week with quarterback Logan Woodside. He’s also been working on his conditioning and running hills with a weight vest.   “I am definitely catching a lot of footballs – I am making sure I am catching over 1,000 balls a day,” he said. “I am definitely putting in the work. And doing these workouts, I am a country boy, so I like to be outside anyway.”

AFC EAST

MIAMI Even as QB CAM NEWTON remains unsigned, the Dolphins are fielding calls for QB JOSH ROSEN.  Samantha Previte of the New York Post: In spite of a disappointing NFL career to date, former first-round pick Josh Rosen is attracting some interest from around the league and could be traded for a second time in two seasons.   “On Josh Rosen, by the way — the forgotten man — teams called the Miami Dolphins about [Rosen’s] availability this offseason,” reporter Michael Giardi told NFL Network on Wednesday. “Thus far, the Dolphins are in no hurry to trade him.”   Rosen, 23, is one of three quarterbacks on the Dolphins’ depth chart alongside veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and rookie Tua Tagovailoa, who was drafted No. 5 overall in April. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound UCLA product is in the penultimate year of his rookie deal with a potential fifth-year option in 2022.   Rosen was drafted 10th overall back in 2018 and was the fourth quarterback off the board behind Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. He passed for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 55.2 completion percentage over 14 games in his dismal rookie season in Arizona and the Cardinals opted to quickly pivot away from the first-rounder. They finished with a league-worst 3-13 record and used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select former Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray.   The Cardinals dealt Rosen to Miami in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick one day after they drafted his replacement. He was named the starter in Week 3 last year after the Dolphins started 0-2, but lost the next three contests and was quickly benched for Fitzpatrick. He appeared in six games total last season and threw for 567 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions with a 53.2 completion percentage.    “Ryan Fitzpatrick is the incumbent. Led them in passing, actually led them in rushing last year. Fitzpatrick coming back again for another season,” Giardi said. “He says openly to Tua and to Josh Rosen, the third quarterback, ‘Hey guys, pick my brain. I’ve been through so many different things. I have made so many bad throws, so many good throws. I am here for you as a resource.’”

NEW YORK JETS More contractual discord between the Jets and S JAMAL ADAMS per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com: The New York Jets and Jamal Adams have reached an impasse in contract talks, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday, raising tensions between the team and its star safety.   The two sides have had multiple conversations since the NFL draft, but the Jets told him they prefer to wait on a long-term extension and Adams wants a deal before the season, sources said.   The Adams camp is upset, claiming the Jets are dragging their feet, sources said.   On Wednesday, the possibility of a trade came up in a conversation between the two sides, sources said, but there are conflicting accounts on how serious those talks were.   The Jets remain intent on signing Adams, 24, to an extension and have no desire to trade him, a source said. Adams is said to be open to a trade if his contract demands aren’t met. More than half the teams in the league have reached out to the Jets to express interest, according to a source.   Clearly there is a fundamental difference on the timing of a potential extension. They haven’t discussed money yet, sources said.   Adams, eligible for a new contract now that he has completed his third season, said in January that he wants an extension by the start of the 2020 season. He is due to make $3.5 million this year. His salary jumps to $9.9 million in 2021, the amount of his fifth-year option.   Conversely, the Jets don’t feel there is a sense of urgency because they have Adams under team control for at least two years and have the option of the franchise tag in 2022. Another component is the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, which could have a massive impact on NFL revenue.   Since 2011, only 16 of 223 first-round picks received a new contract after their third season. The most recent was Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who was drafted eighth overall in 2017 — two spots after Adams.   Adams believes he is worthy of being an exception after being named All-Pro and making two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons. He hasn’t named his price publicly, but it’s believed he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The Chicago Bears’ Eddie Jackson has the highest average per year at $14.6 million.   The Jets entertained trade offers for Adams last fall at the trade deadline, with the Dallas Cowboys showing interest. Adams was furious upon hearing his name had come up in trade discussions.   General manager Joe Douglas said in February that his goal was to make Adams “a Jet for life,” and he hasn’t wavered on that position publicly. After the draft, Douglas said his plan was to reach out to Adams’ agent to initiate contract talks. He did, but those talks haven’t been fruitful.   In the meantime, Adams is skipping the voluntary virtual offseason.   Longtime NFL reporter Gary Myers first reported on the stalemate via Twitter.

THIS AND THAT

THE ALL-IN CHALLENGE The DB is late to the game on the All-In Challenge, but Jeff Beer of FastCompany.combrings us up to date: Chris Pratt has offered you a chance to get eaten by a dinosaur in the next Jurassic World blockbuster.   Justin Bieber is offering to fly to your house and sing you a song.   New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is offering his 283-diamond Super Bowl LI championship ring.   Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro have offered up a walk-on role in the next Martin Scorcese film, Killers of the Flower Moon.   It’s all part of the All In Challenge, a charity drive by Fanatics and its founder Michael Rubin to raise money to support organizations fighting food insecurity such as Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, and America’s Food Fund benefiting Feeding America and World Central Kitchen.   Launched on April 14, so far the All In Challenge has raised about $50 million. Rubin says the idea came about after Fanatics had already moved to shift production in its factories to swap Major League Baseball uniforms for masks and gowns to help healthcare workers.   “That led me to ask, what else can I do?” says Rubin, also a coowner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. “I’ve always been an admirer of the Ice Bucket Challenge, so this idea just popped in my brain, that if I could get every athlete, artist, celebrity, business titan, to go all in and donate a prized possession or incredible experience, then we could raise a tremendous amount of money for this issue of food security during the pandemic. Certainly it’s always been a problem, but we have 40 million people unemployed right now, kids who count on school meals that they don’t have now. It’s just a giant problem, and we want to make an impact. The goal here to do all that in an uplifting way.”   When Rubin had the idea, his first call was to Meek Mill, with whom he cofounded the Reform Alliance organization to change unfair probation and parole policies.   “I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this crazy idea: I want to get athletes to donate incredible prizes or experiences, and he said, ‘That’s great but why not also do artists and celebrities?’ So I asked him what he’d do, and he said he’d donate his Rolls Royce Phantom.”   Next up in the Rolodex was Kevin Hart.   “I asked him to be someone’s trainer for the day,” says Rubin. “And he said, ‘Trainer? I’ll put someone in one of my movies.’ That was insane. Then I called Robert Kraft and told him the idea, and he said he loved it and wanted to figure out what to do.”   On May 11, Kraft put his Super Bowl LI ring up for auction, and bidding has already reached $1 million.   Just like the Ice Bucket Challenge, All In thrives on the competitive nature of celebs calling each other out. It was Bieber who challenged Pratt to come up with something better. Madonna challenged Ariana Grande to get involved. Drake was called out by Tom Brady. Kevin Hart put the call out to a whole roster that included Dwayne Johnson, LeBron James, and . . . Nicole Kidman.   The challenge has since gone beyond sports and entertainment and into the business world, with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon offering small- and medium-size businesses the chance to bid on a 10-minute pitch of their business plan to him and a panel of executives in Bentonville, Arkansas. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com on an opportunity being offered by the Browns: Larry David has said he believes he could be a successful NFL offensive coordinator. If he makes a big enough bid to the All-In Challenge, he can find out.   The Browns are auctioning off the opportunity to help them script plays for a preseason game as the NFL’s latest offering in the All-In Challenge, which is raising money for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.   “Everybody thinks they can call the plays,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “So the winner of this will get to help us do that. The winner will help myself and Alex Van Pelt, the offensive coordinator, script the first 15 of one of our preseason games. They’ll also be invited to our team dinner the night before the game, the team meeting the night before the game, game day we’ll get you a sideline pass pregame, you’ll run out of the tunnel with us before the game.”   Several NFL players, coaches and owners have made generous donations to the All-In Challenge, including an opportunity to be Tom Brady‘s guest at his first game in Tampa Bay raising $800,000, and Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl LI ring raising $1.025 million.

CRAZY An NFL player, unidentified for now, says United Airlines did not prevent him from being sexually assaulted – yes, he was “sexually assaulted” during a CoVid flight per the filing – and he wants money, not from the assaulter, but from an airline reeling from our current plight.  Neil Vigdor of the New York Times:   A National Football League player contends in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against United Airlines that he was sexually assaulted by a female passenger on a redeye flight in February from Los Angeles International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport.   The football player and a second plaintiff did not give their names in the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.   The plaintiffs, both African-American men, were sitting in the middle and aisle seats in the same row during United Flight 415 on Feb. 10 when a middle-aged white female passenger in the window seat made unwanted sexual advances toward them, the lawsuit said.   The football player and the other man complained several times to the flight attendants, according to the suit, which contends that United employees initially failed to intervene and that the woman became belligerent. She had turned particularly confrontational over a face mask worn by the player, who was identified as John Doe 1 and a New Jersey resident, the lawsuit said.    “While touching John Doe 1’s face, assailant grabbed John Doe 1’s penis and ripped off his face mask,” the lawsuit said.   The men are suing United Airlines for sexual assault and battery, as well as for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The suit contends that the airline refused to provide the names of the female passenger, the flight attendants and potential witnesses to lawyers for the two men.   A spokeswoman for the airline said in an email on Wednesday that the passenger involved was moved to a different seat, which the lawsuit also noted.   “The safety and well-being of our customers is always our top priority,” said the spokeswoman, Rachael L. Rivas, who declined to comment further because of the lawsuit.   Lawyers for the player and the other man did not say on Wednesday why the suit was filed anonymously. The lawsuit said that the unruly passenger had been under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the flight and that she began harassing the player about his face mask as soon as she boarded the plane in Los Angeles. The first thing here is that this anonymous NFL player was wearing a mask to guard against Wuhan Covid-19 on February 10th!  So it was vastly more unusual then than it is now. Apparently anonymity is important to the plaintiff, but we wonder if there could actually be a trial without his name being known. We would think the player and his lawyers are trying to get a fat settlement from United without a trial.