| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTASeth Walder looks at the recent trade for RB CAM AKERS: Vikings trade for RB Akers in deal with TexansMinnesota Vikings get: RB Cam Akers, 2026 conditional seventh-round pickHouston Texans get: 2025 conditional sixth-round pickTrade date: Oct. 15 Grade for the Vikings: B-Grade for the Texans: B It’s déjà vu all over again — the Vikings traded for Akers, roughly 12 months after acquiring him in the middle of the 2023 season. The move comes at a time when Aaron Jones is a little banged up with a right hip injury, so Akers helps add depth behind Jones (along with Ty Chandler) and can serve as a third back if/when Jones returns. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert pointed out that coach Kevin O’Connell spoke glowingly about Akers when asked about him last month. Akers started two games for the Texans this season while Joe Mixon was injured. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry on 40 attempts in Houston and recorded minus-36 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats. You can’t pin that on blocking, too. On that same team, Mixon is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has plus-67 rush yards over expectation. Akers has never finished a season with positive rushing yards over expectation. But that Akers was able to get the starts in Mixon’s stead at all was an accomplishment. He tore an Achilles in both 2021 and 2023. For Houston, Akers is superfluous with Mixon back healthy — especially given his lack of production. The team still has Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale, the latter of whom is particularly helpful in the passing game. Ultimately, this is a conditional sixth-seventh future pick swap, so the price is as small as it gets. I wouldn’t personally trade for Akers if I were Minnesota, given his injury history and continued lack of efficiency (he had just 2.8 yards per carry between the Rams and Vikings last season), but the cost is so low that it is barely going to move the needle. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSWR MALIK NABORS shall return. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com: Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was cleared from the concussion protocol Thursday and tracking toward a return Sunday when the New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Nabers, who has sat out the past two games because of the concussion, was a full participant in practice Thursday despite it also being noted he’s dealing with a groin problem. He met and was cleared by an independent neurologist later in the day. It took three weeks for Nabers to clear the protocol after being injured when his head hit the turf in a Thursday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 3. Giants coach Brian Daboll said earlier in the week he was “optimistic” about Nabers, the team’s first-round pick from earlier this year, returning this week. The rookie receiver made progress late last week when he was able to run some routes but still didn’t make it back in time for the game. Nabers looked good during the portion of practice open to reporters Thursday. He made a pair of tightly contested catches in 1-on-1s, including when he leaped and caught a pass over cornerback Deonte Banks’ head. It was the kind of spectacular catch the Giants (2-4) were getting used to seeing early this season with Nabers as their No. 1 receiver. He was setting records while compiling 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns in his first four games. Nabers’ return should be a big boost to the Giants’ offense. He’s been their X-receiver and quarterback Daniel Jones’ top option, averaging a busy 13 targets per game. “There’s no doubt he’s been a big part of our offense so far and someone who we’ve counted on in a lot of spots,” Jones said. Nabers’ presence moves Darius Slayton back to the No. 2 receiver spot and sends Jalin Hyatt to the bench. Hyatt has only one catch this season. Slayton had 11 targets in each of the two games without Nabers in the lineup. The Giants’ bigger questions heading into Sunday’s NFC East matchup with the Eagles is the health of standout defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (hip) and edge rusher Brian Burns (groin). They each sat out their second straight practice Thursday. Lawrence and Burns insisted Wednesday they would play this week. How much and how effectively might be more relevant. |
| WASHINGTONBen Standig of The Athletic on the virtual reality device that has made the greatness of QB JAYDEN DANIELS a real reality. Kliff Kingsbury embraces the virtual reality simulation Jayden Daniels credits with advancing his quarterback skills, even if the technology initially sent him in the wrong direction. “The first time I put it on, I backed into the wall,” said Kingsbury, the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator and former Texas Tech quarterback. “It felt like the (pass) rush was coming.” The former Arizona Cardinals head coach spent his one-year absence from the pro ranks determined to seek new approaches should he return. Playing in Mike Leach’s “air raid” system with the Red Raiders from 2000 to 2002 meant Kingsbury quarterbacked one of football’s recent offensive evolutions. He isn’t about to stunt the latest. “I’m all in on it,” Kingsbury said of the VR platform. “I mean, it’s an unbelievable technology.” Six weeks into his rookie season, Daniels is the talk of the league and part of nascent MVP conversations. The Commanders, led by a highly efficient offense tied for second at 29.7 points per game, sport a buzzy 4-2 record entering Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Perhaps the only thing quicker than Daniels’ accelerated growth is the speed at which he sets the VR simulation. That would be the highest possible setting. “It moves faster within the VR than actual human beings,” Daniels said before Washington opened the 2024 season. “Once you get out there, everything slows down. I know this is coming. I’ve seen this before, (and) it moved more than 20 times faster in VR.” The simulation from the German company Cognilize arrived on the LSU campus ahead of Daniels’ final season. The dual-threat quarterback became an immediate disciple of the immersive technology initially designed for top-shelf soccer players to get extra reps beyond practice without additional wear and tear. Fast forward, the quarterback with mid- to late-round draft projections entering 2023 became a star. Daniels dazzled with 50 touchdowns — 40 passing, 10 rushing — 3,812 passing yards and 4,946 total yards from scrimmage with just four interceptions en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. He had not passed for 3,000 yards or more than 17 touchdowns in any of his previous four seasons at LSU or Arizona State. When LSU’s staffers lowered the VR’s pace to game speed, “It felt like slow motion,” Daniels said. That hasn’t changed, as shown by his pinpoint accuracy — Daniels’ 75.3 completion percentage leads the NFL — and Matrix-like movements around defenders. He ranks fourth among quarterbacks in total yards (1,726) and has accounted for 10 touchdowns, six through the air. Regardless of results, not every coach grows with his or her sport or accepts new and different approaches. Some, stuck in their ways, are willing to rise and fall with their methods. The Commanders staff under coach Dan Quinn keeps an open mind about innovations, how they can apply to multiple positions and whatever is coming around the bend. “It’s one of the fun parts of coaching,” Quinn said. “Nothing really stays the same, and there’s things that evolve and move forward.” Washington targeted Daniels early in the pre-draft cycle, meaning Kingsbury had time to start formulating a plan for the Commanders’ next quarterback hope. Early meetings after the draft, where Washington made Daniels the No. 2 pick, led the coordinator to make the VR simulation a “huge component” of his weekly process. “It’s a unique technology, and it’s definitely for the quarterbacks,” Kingsbury said. “I think it is more effective than them just watching the film. They’re going through their reads, they’re going through their progressions, they’re seeing it.” Daniels is also simultaneously hearing Kingsbury. The coordinator tweaked his daily schedule to spend 45 to 60 minutes narrating the weekly plays into a recorder. Kingsbury’s voice is the soundtrack for those VR sessions. “(Pilots) don’t go get trained in real planes. They do their flight simulators. … (Jayden) has that thing on all the time. He can see our reads and routes and hears my voice in it. It’s as real as you can (get to) getting game reps, and your mind doesn’t know the difference,” Kingsbury said. “Your mind thinks you’re doing it.” Soon after the draft, the organization purchased the VR simulation for its quarterbacks. Marcus Mariota, the Commanders’ backup and a former NFL starter, finds the modern application “amazing” in helping quarterbacks develop comfort within an offense and recognize patterns. “I believe defenses are patterns,” Mariota said. “Recognizing them quickly is important, and (the VR) seems to help Jayden with that.” Confidence throwing into coverage and “having a feel for space” is part of Daniels’ college-to-NFL adjustment and another way the simulation aids improvement. “You got to throw some guys open,” Daniels said. “There’s (defenders) that have played in this league a long time that are very savvy and know what’s coming, all the patterning and stuff like that. You got to make some tight-window throws. So that’s what you got to do in this league.” The experience isn’t only about after the snap. Simulations allow the quarterback to move in the pocket and use the entire field. Details of road stadiums, including the location of play clocks, enable the user to experience the whole scene before stepping inside. Less sophisticated versions of the VR product existed in the past. Mariota received a sneak peek at a simulator run by Stanford years ago. The 2014 Heisman winner recalled the process using clips from game tape that couldn’t come close to replicating gamelike situations. Nine-year veteran Jeff Driskel “played around” with VR tech as a rookie. As a “visual learner,” Washington’s emergency third-string quarterback recognizes the massive improvements from then to now. It’s personalized each game “based on what we think they’ll do on defense and what we’ll do on offense.” Quinn, 54, leans into the teaching aspect of his job and assembled his staff accordingly. Seeing this advancement of technology lights up the “lifelong learner.” Now backup quarterbacks such as rookie Sam Hartman, who rarely gets significant practice time within the team’s offense, have a tool to help them learn. “Reps are always few and far between for everybody, especially at the level and pace we’re going,” Hartman said. “The goal for quarterbacks is getting reps and seeing every play a million times. (VR) really helps.” Hartman, a member of Washington’s practice squad, has played video games wearing the Oculus headset but gets motion sickness with all the actual movement. The football simulation does not require running around. “If I had Jayden’s speed, I’d run around a little more,” cracked Hartman, an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. Mariota and Driskel said there is no telling how much assistance Daniels receives from the simulation or how he would execute under center without VR. They know that more reps lead to honing instincts. When instincts take over in real games, success often follows. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSIt seems that Saints fans are not foregiving of the devastating injuries the team has suffered this season. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: In the early days of the Saints franchise, there were times when fans would wear paper bags over their heads to register their displeasure with the team’s play. There weren’t any paper bags in sight at the Superdome on Thursday night, but there were a lot of empty seats by the end of the Broncos’ 33-10 win. Running back Alvin Kamara said it was the first time in his eight years with the Saints that he’d seen the stadium clear out before a game was over and said he understood why fans were “fed up” with a fifth straight loss. “Our play is unacceptable and, two, the dome being empty or emptying out — I think I saw some fans leaving in the second quarter — that’s unacceptable,” Kamara said in his postgame media session. “I don’t blame the fans, it’s on us. They come to see us play and perform and when we don’t perform, that’s the results you get. But I’ve never experienced that and if I was a fan, I’d leave too because it’s not good enough right now.” Kamara’s postgame comments went beyond the fans to talking about how sustained runs like the Saints are on now can lead to major changes for a franchise. It’s not hard to see how a few more losses would lead to heated discussions about coaching changes and major roster moves, so everyone in New Orleans should be looking for a way to turn things around as quickly as possible. Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com has never met a trade he wouldn’t make. Here, he deals Kamara: NFL teams have wasted no time moving big names ahead of this year’s in-season trade deadline, with Davante Adams and Amari Cooper both finding new homes in recent days. Now, the New Orleans Saints should waste no time shopping one of their most accomplished players: star running back Alvin Kamara. Thursday always had a chance to be ugly for New Orleans, with a severely battered lineup pitted against old friend Sean Payton’s defensively sound Denver Broncos — and it was. The Saints lost 33-10. What the Saints’ helpless showing suggested, however, is that things may only get worse. Quarterback Derek Carr is still ailing alongside countless others. Rookie Spencer Rattler has no cohesive supporting cast on which to lean. And Kamara, once a standard-setter for dual-threat playmakers, and a surprisingly central piece of the club’s now-forgotten surge to start the 2024 season, has no role in the midst of the chaos. The five-time Pro Bowler only hit a half-dozen carries in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s blowout. Cameras caught him visibly frustrated with the Saints’ sideline earlier in the game. And he’s now averaged fewer than 3.5 yards per carry in four of his last five matchups, gasping for air behind a beleaguered front. As if that weren’t enough, the Saints kept him on the field deep into the fourth quarter against Denver, trailing 23 points as rehabbing starters like Carr, Taysom Hill, etc. watched comfortably from the side. When operating at full speed in a healthy lineup, Kamara remains capable of splash plays. But if ever the Saints were going to buck their own stubborn trend, confront reality and embrace rather than resist a longer-term rebuild, they’d sell that home run talent to the rest of the NFL. The return wouldn’t necessarily be rich for a 29-year-old running back with an injury history and lofty 2025 price tag; Kamara is due a whopping $29 million in the final year of a contract extension he signed back in 2020. It’d be something, though, and the acquiring team could easily view it as a half-season rental, considering Kamara can be released in the offseason to save anywhere from $18 million to $25 million in 2025. Which clubs might be suitors, should the Saints actually field or solicit offers? Here are three possibilities: Dallas CowboysKamara might have to redo his deal to facilitate this, considering Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ unwillingness to pay a premium for, say, Derrick Henry in the offseason. Dallas sorely lacks a punch in the ground game, though, and Dak Prescott could use a more formidable group of secondary pass targets after CeeDee Lamb. Kamara would certainly be getting a glitzier spotlight here. Denver BroncosThat’s right. Sean Payton didn’t need Kamara to roll over his old team on Thursday, but he might be open to robbing New Orleans of his old pal just to definitively close the book on his Saints tenure. The Broncos already have a committee backfield, leaning heavily on the run game, and Kamara’s pass-catching prowess would give rookie quarterback Bo Nix arguably his best safety valve yet. Kansas City ChiefsEveryone’s talking about a potential wide receiver trade for the reigning Super Bowl champions, but what about a blockbuster reinforcement for the running backfield, with Isiah Pacheco hurt? Kareem Hunt has fared well in relief, but can he stay healthy down the stretch? Andy Reid would almost surely prefer a higher-upside alternative, and Kamara would give him another do-it-all weapon for Patrick Mahomes. Has a team ever had four possible starting quarterbacks for its next game (in LA against the Chargers on FOX)? Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Saints are in a highly unusual situation at the quarterback position, with four different quarterbacks who could start for them in Week Eight. Derek Carr will start next Sunday against the Chargers if healthy, but it’s unclear at this point if he will be cleared to return from the oblique injury that has cost him the last two games. If Carr remains out, Taysom Hill could have a chance to start, but Hill has a rib injury and it’s unclear if he can play next week. Asked if Carr or Hill could play against the Chargers, Saints coach Dennis Allen said he doesn’t know yet. “I think it’s possible, and I think it’s probably more likely that Taysom would be ready before Derek, but we’ve got 10 days and we’ll look at it and let it play out,” Allen said. Spencer Rattler started on Thursday night but did not play well. Jake Haener came in at the end of the game and promptly threw a touchdown pass, and Allen indicated that Haener did enough that he’ll have to think about whether Rattler will stay ahead of him on the depth chart. “That was good to see,” Allen said of Haener’s play at the end of the game. “We’ll evaluate the tape, we’ll look at it and see what we need to do, and we’ll have a plan moving forward.” It’s far from ideal to be deciding among four different quarterbacks, but that’s where the Saints are, and they’ll have a decision by next Sunday. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERWith Thursday’s win: @NFLonCBSSean Payton has coached 17 seasons and has now beaten every team in the NFL This on that from ProFootballTalk.com: Payton is the eighth head coach to record a victory against all 32 teams in the league. Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy, John Fox, Mike Holmgren, Bill Parcells, Andy Reid, and Mike Shanahan are the others to do it and Payton was asked during his postgame press conference what it meant to join that group. “It means you’ve had two jobs,” Payton said at his press conference. “Someone brought that statistic up and we were trying to guess who was on that list. Foxy’s one of them. Someone had brought it up yesterday or the day before. We don’t think about things like that, but I know you had to have worked at two different organizations to do it. I’m glad I am here.” Mike McCarthy is stuck at 31, as he has lost twice to the Packers while with the Cowboys. And this: @RodWalkerNolaSean Payton: Two 20+ point losses in the Dome his entire time coaching in New Orleans. Dennis Allen: Two 20+ point losses in the Dome in the last 5 days. This from Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: In the days leading up to Thursday night’s game against the Saints, Broncos head coach Sean Payton downplayed the significance of his return to New Orleans as a major part of his preparation for the game. After Denver’s 33-10 win was in the books, however, Payton admitted that being back in a place he spent so much time and getting a game ball for leading his new team to a win made this more than just another game. “It meant a lot, because there were a lot of moments here,” Payton said in his postgame press conference. “Because you get a chance to see old players and then to be with this team, this ownership group, it’s the reason you miss it, the one year out, you miss relationships, you miss making memories.” Payton won 161 games during his time with the Saints. He’s unlikely to reach the same number in Denver, but he’s up to four this season and more performances like Thursday night’s will give him a shot at taking another team into the playoffs in his second year with his new team. |
| KANSAS CITYNow in New York, WR DAVANTE ADAMS says he didn’t want to be a Chief. Jon Ediger of USA TODAY: After star pass-catcher Rashee Rice sustained a season-ending injury in Week 4, the Kansas City Chiefs have lacked a true No. 1 option in their receiving corps. One player who was floated as a potential trade candidate for Kansas City was former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the New York Jets earlier this week. In an appearance on “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams this morning, the All-Pro wideout revealed that he gave Las Vegas’ front office a list of preferred landing spots, and that the Chiefs were not among the teams he was willing to play for. “Pretty much the media had it right, though, it was like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Saints…,” host Kay Adams began, to which Adams replied, “Those are the ones that got involved, those are the ones that I wrote down on a little piece of paper and handed to the general manager. Those are the ones that were interested.” Adams then asked if the Chiefs – who have been hit by the injury bug at the receiver position this season — were on the list. “Negative,” Adams responded. “That was talked about, but — I don’t want to say anything crazy but the Chiefs were not on the list.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDThe Browns are bailing on downtown Cleveland – seeking a shiny domed stadium near the airport. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com: The Browns have informed the city of Cleveland of their intention to move forward on a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park. In a news conference Thursday at Cleveland’s city hall, Mayor Justin Bibb expressed his disappointment in the decision by the Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Browns, to leave the current lakefront stadium. “We must be practical about our many needs and resources,” Bibb said. “The city’s approach has always been rooted in fiscal responsibility and the long-term value for all members of our community. As such, I am deeply, deeply disappointed that our exhaustive efforts, that the Haslam Sports Group has chosen to pursue a move to Brook Park.” Dee and Jimmy Haslam addressed the team’s decision in a statement, saying it was the result of trying to “find the optimal long-term solution for our stadium.” “We’ve learned through our exhaustive work that renovating our current stadium will simply not solve many operational issues and would be a short-term approach,” the Haslams said. “With more time to reflect, we have also realized that without a dome, we will not attract the type of large-scale events and year-round activity to justify the magnitude of this public-private partnership.” In early August, the city of Cleveland offered the Browns a $1.2 billion proposal to renovate the current 65,000-seat stadium and redevelop its surrounding property that would have included $461 million from the city. The city also offered a 30-year extension of the team’s lease, which expires after the 2028 season. Bibb had asked the Browns to respond to his offer by Aug. 12. Cuyahoga County officials also sent a letter to the Haslams saying they were backing the proposed renovations and were committed to keeping the NFL franchise in downtown Cleveland “for generations to come.” The Browns have played on the shores of Lake Erie since their inception in 1946. Their new stadium was built in 1999, when they returned as an expansion franchise. Though it has been upgraded, there are major traffic issues and a parking shortage due to its location. In response to the city’s proposal, the Browns had released renderings for a $2.4 billion state-of-the-art stadium and entertainment complex about 15 miles south of Cleveland. The Haslams have been seeking a 50-50 private/public partnership for the construction of the stadium. “Our work with Mayor Bibb and city officials has been transparent and collaborative throughout,” the Haslams said in their statement. “We will continue to work in earnest with city, county, and state officials to work together on these transformational opportunities.” The Haslams are no stranger to bad decisions, so we can only wonder how the Browns gameday experience will be changed in the burbs. |
| PITTSBURGHIt’s not official yet, but there are signs that QB RUSSELL WILSON will start for the Steelers this week against the Jets. And the deposed QB JUSTIN FIELDS isn’t fighting it. Nick Shook of NFL.com: Justin Fields’ potential demotion in favor of Russell Wilson comes as a surprise to most everyone — except Fields. The quarterback was brutally honest in his self-assessment Thursday when speaking with reporters leading up to the team’s Week 7 matchup with the Jets, ahead of which Pittsburgh has given Wilson first-team reps as he gears up for possibly his first start as a Steeler. “I don’t think I played good enough, if I’m being real with you,” Fields said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “If I’m being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of who should be playing, who should not.” Fields wasn’t spectacular as the Steelers’ starting quarterback in their first six games, but he made plenty of plays and showed incremental growth as both a passer and as the conductor of an offense forced to operate with a piecemeal offensive line. Fields threw for 240-plus yards in two of his six starts, tallied five touchdown passes (and just one interception), ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns and performed well enough to keep the job, making Mike Tomlin’s decision to move toward Wilson at 4-2 on the season a bit of a shock. “I think first of all, Justin has done a great job,” Wilson told reporters on Thursday. “I think Justin’s a tremendous quarterback. I’ve gone against him over the years. He’s a tremendous football player and a great teammate. I think more importantly for us as we continue to go on through the season, we want to get better and continue to grow. That’s always the goal every year.” Wilson, who has been sidelined by a calf injury, said that he feels “more like” himself this past week, per The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. For those watching the Steelers each week, two truths emerged: Their defense was good enough to give them a chance to win every game, and despite a lack of weapons, Fields was doing an adequate-or-better job as their quarterback. He certainly wasn’t a problem. Still, Fields isn’t satisfied with what he showed in his six starts. “Not really. I mean, I want to be 6-0 right now, but it was a great opportunity for me,” Fields said. “Of course, I’m grateful for the opportunity. I did get those first six weeks, and we’ll just see what happens.” The possible pivot to Wilson represents a key moment in Pittsburgh’s season. The results could be better than what Fields produced and justify Tomlin’s decision, or the veteran could struggle so significantly that Tomlin quickly turns back to Fields. In the latter scenario, the hope would be that such struggles are only temporary and don’t lead to greater issues. The younger signal-caller is preparing for all outcomes and is willing to support Wilson as best as he can. “I’m just doing the same thing I was doing,” Fields said. “I just do my job at the end of the day and whether that’s playing, it’s helping the guys out on the sideline, tell him what I see, helping the rest out if he’s out there. So just small stuff like that.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| BROADCAST NEWSHe’s an owner, he’s a broadcaster. Charles Robinson on the Brady Conundrum: In a twist of figure-this-out-as-we-go juggling between the intersecting interests of Tom Brady, the NFL said Thursday that Brady will not be barred from broadcasting Las Vegas Raiders games, despite his 5 percent ownership stake in the team. Under the guidelines of his minority ownership in the Raiders, Brady cannot be inside another team’s facility, attend another team’s practices or take part in crucial pre-production meetings and interviews with coaches, executives and players. However, the rest of the Fox broadcasting crew that Brady works with will still have that access. And according to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller, coaching staffs will not have the ability to prohibit the rest of Brady’s fellow Fox broadcasting crew from their normal access to teams during their pre-production process. “No, there’s no aspect of the rule that would permit coaches to have that discretion,” Miller said on a Thursday conference call with reporters, in response to a question about whether coaches could bar other members of the Fox broadcasting crew that works with Brady. Brady’s stake in the Raiders was approved by unanimous vote at this week’s NFL owners meetings in Atlanta. Having a minority owner of a team also serve as a lead broadcaster of NFL games is new territory for the league. But the NFL’s approach appears to be one of juggling and resolving any potential issues or unseen implications as they arise. Among the other agreements that Brady has to abide by in his broadcasting duties, he will have a limited scope in his criticisms of the league’s officiating, as well as criticisms of other franchises, including club owners. If, for example, Brady were to make disparaging remarks about a team owner similar to the one Bill Belichick made about the New York Jets’ Woody Johnson, he could be subject to a fine or suspension. However, the potential point of contention with the intersection between Brady’s job at Fox and his partial ownership of the Raiders will continue to center on the information that he can access through his broadcast duties. While Brady cannot take part in a large part of the pre-production gathering process for the games he covers, there is not a known boundary restricting his access from the information that the rest of the Fox crew gathers in his absence. In theory, that lack of a boundary raises potential questions about whether Brady — and subsequently the Raiders — could have access to inside information that gives Las Vegas an edge in various areas. One NFC executive raised some of the potential ramifications following Brady’s approval as a Raiders minority owner earlier this week. “Those [production] meetings, there are always a lot of questions about the roster or certain positions, and there’s nothing stopping — other than someone putting the clamps on it — there’s nothing stopping a coach from sharing something in confidence that wouldn’t go out on the air,” the executive said. “Now, if [Brady] gets that information, maybe he knows something internally about our team that can help the Raiders.” Asked for a specific example, the executive pointed to the trade deadline, posing a scenario involving Amari Cooper and Brady having covered a Cleveland Browns game. “What if during meetings [Brady’s booth-mate] Kevin Burkhardt finds out that Amari and Deshaun [Watson] are having some problem, or there’s some lost confidence in him or whatever,” the executive posed. “That’s a good thing to know if you’re looking for a receiver. “Amari is probably a bad example because he already played for the Raiders. But [Brady] has done some Cowboys games, so let’s say it’s Brandin Cooks, instead. If the Raiders are in the market for a receiver at the deadline and he’s got some insight that the Cowboys are kind of done with Cooks, that’s helpful for the Raiders to know. It’s information that can be used against Dallas, knowing they are done with the guy. [Raiders owner] Mark Davis is already saying [Brady is] going to be a big part of their football decisions, so how do you separate those two worlds?” For now, it appears to be a question the league, Fox and Brady are all willing to grapple with. Time will tell if that continues to be the case as Brady’s role inside the Raiders becomes more defined — and if the Raiders can turn a corner as a franchise. If and when that happens, when things like playoff seeds are up in the air and every bit of information is at a premium, attitudes may change. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com on the terms of Brady’s purchase of his interest in the Raiders: Everybody wants to have a cool friend. No matter what it costs. For the NFL’s owners, the cost entailed allowing Tom Brady to buy a piece of the Raiders at a ridiculously low $3.5 billion valuation, according to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. The raw numbers suggest an even lower value. Per Fischer, Brady and his co-investor, Knighthead Capital Management founder Tom Wagner, will pay $244 million total for the team, $24 million of which is a prorated tax arising from the team’s 2020 relocation to Las Vegas. That looks like a valuation of $2.2 billion for the equity. The NFL initially balked at Brady’s bid because it set the value of the equity at too low of a price. Last year, Colts owner Jim Irsay said publicly that the price that Brady would pay wasn’t nearly enough. “If reasonable value says . . . that 10 percent should be $525 million, you can’t pay $175 million,” Irsay said at the time. In the end, the value was far closer to $175 million than $525 million. But, apparently, whatever Brady wants, Brady gets. Even if it de-values the equity in other teams. And even if his insistence on working for Fox as an NFL game analyst creates a clear and hopeless conflict of interest with his status as a Raiders owner. Mark my words. One of these days, maybe later than sooner, Brady will end up as the controlling owner of the Raiders. If that transaction goes like the one the NFL just approved, he’ll get the 30 percent necessary to run the show without paying anything close to what another 20 percent is worth. |
