THE DAILY BRIEFING

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com ponders why there is a severe Cone of Silence over the upcoming choice of an Executive Director for the NFLPA.

The NFL Players Association soon will be selecting a new executive director. Its players remain in the dark.

 

Per a league source, multiple players have attempted to get information from their team-elected representatives, but to no avail. At least one player representative has told the players on his team that any questions should be directed to NFLPA president JC Tretter, and that the representative in question has no information regarding the status of the process.

 

It shouldn’t be this way. There should be real transparency in the process of electing a new union leader, especially among the members of the union. The players vote for the representatives; the players are the representatives’ constituents. As the player representatives prepare to cast ballots on the next executive director, the representatives should know the names of the candidates — and they should be able to share that information with the players.

 

It’s unclear who’s running the show. Some believe it’s being managed by Tretter and the union’s executive committee, which consists of multiple players no longer in the league.

 

For the vast majority of the players in the league, they have no information as to the current candidates to lead the union. Is it someone who currently works for the union? Is it an external candidate? When, if ever, will information be disseminated to players?

 

The union’s effort to keep the process shrouded in secrecy is aided by the fact that most players don’t pay attention to these matters. Beyond not knowing who the candidates are to become the next executive director, multiple players were not aware that the current executive director is DeMaurice Smith.

 

It’s unknown whether there will be any formal presentations from the candidates to the board of player representatives. It’s unknown whether they’ll even be given anything other than a couple of names (if that many) and a recommendation as to the person for whom they should vote.

 

While the people who are running the process might have good intentions (and there’s no reason at this point to think they don’t), the complete and total lack of transparency naturally creates mistrust.

 

In past elections, there have been too many candidates, and too much transparency. This is the other end of the extreme, with a complete absence of information for the playters. They should know the names of the candidates, if they want. They should have a chance to do some research, if they choose. And their elected representatives should have basic answers to simple questions like “who are the finalists?” when the process by all appearances is coming to a conclusion.

 

Of course, if most players don’t care about this, most fans won’t, either. But it’s important for a healthy tension to exist between management and labor. If the process skews too far in one direction, there eventually will be a backlash. It’s better for the game for the league and the union to coexist when possible but to conflict when necessary.

 

One of the justifications we’ve heard for extreme secrecy is that the league would attempt to influence the process toward its preferred candidate, if the league was aware of the names of the finalists for the job. Ideally, however, there would be no finalists that the league prefers. The process would (and should) whittle down the universe of interested parties to those who will always stand up to Big Shield, when necessary.

 

Given the way the league does business, it’s pretty much necessary all the time.

– – –

Florio was also watching a USFL playoff game and saw Sky Judge Mike Pereira exert justice:

When it comes to improving the officiating function, the NFL typically has displayed a toxic combination of cheapness and stubbornness. Last night’s USFL playoff game between Pittsburgh and Michigan revealed the folly of one of those attributes.

 

Late in the fourth quarter, with the Maulers leading the Panthers 20-17, Michigan connected on a 55-yard touchdown pass to take the lead.

 

But there was a penalty. The officials called Michigan right tackle Josh Dunlap for a face mask foul, wiping out the score.

 

Enter sky judge. Mike Pereira looked at the play and saw there was no face mask foul. (It appeared to be holding of the edge of the jersey, but it clearly was not a face mask foul.) The penalty was eliminated, and the touchdown was restored.

 

That’s significant because, in the NFL, there would have been no similar fix. Face mask calls and non-calls can’t be reviewed. In an NFL postseason game, the late touchdown that resulted in a lead change would have been wiped out, with no way to rectify the clear and obvious officiating error.

 

“I hope some NFL decision-makers are watching this game, because what Mike Pereira did to clean up that call, to make sure the call was right in the critical moments of a divisional game for the right to go the championship game, it just makes the game so much better,” NBC analyst Jason Garrett said after the sequence of events unfolded. “And it’s an easy mechanism. Mike Pereira and the crew handled it the right way. And there’s justice. It’s something the NFL should look at.”

 

Justice applies in two ways, given this age of legalized betting. It applies to the outcome of the games — and it applies to the outcome of the wagers on the games.

 

At a time when the NFL needs to be far more concerned about the impact of officiating on both the outcome of the games and the outcome of the wagers on the games, the NFL needs to embrace any and all readily available devices for quickly and efficiently fixing mistakes. “Shit happens” isn’t good enough to explain officiating blunders, not when so much money hinges on the basic assumption that: (1) officials will get it right; and (2) the league will have something in place to fix things when they don’t.

 

The NFL is notoriously reactive, not proactive. With gambling bringing so many wolves to the NFL’s door, and with the league welcoming some of them inside in the name of further fattening up ownership, the NFL needs to spend the money necessary to identify and to remedy any and all potential problems, before they happen and not after.

 

Far too often, the league feigns surprise when a rule or an approach that should have been fixed creates an unjust result. And then the league promptly tries to fix it.

 

Or tries to fix it and fails, as the league did after the Saints were screwed in the 2018 NFC Championship by blatant, but uncalled, pass interference.

 

That experience ultimately has made the league seemingly paralyzed by fear of unintended consequences and/or general incompetence. But if/when there’s a major scandal, the various legislators, regulators, and prosecutors won’t accept, “Well, we knew that could be a problem, but we were reluctant to fix it because we weren’t certain we could fix it the right way, so we just lived with it.”

 

It’s a reckless and foolish approach. And no one within the league’s power structure seems to be taking it seriously. If they are, they’re not taking it seriously enough, or the NFL would already be using the procedure employed on Saturday night by the USFL to fix a mistake that would have otherwise marred the outcome of a playoff game.

 

Sure, Pittsburgh won anyway. But they won the game through their positive efforts on the field — not the negative consequences of a “human error” that the humans in charge of the sport refused to correct.

NFC NORTH

 

MINNESOTA

Alexander Mattison on becoming RB1 in Minnesota as his 5^th season beckons.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

When the Vikings lost to the Giants in the Wild Card round to end their season, there was a lot of uncertainty about what the future held for running back Alexander Mattison.

 

Mattison’s rookie deal was up and he was set for a trip to free agency that he thought would take him somewhere else. During an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Mattison said he “actually didn’t think that I’d be back in Minnesota” and said it was a “blessing” to reach agreement on a new, two-year deal with the team in March.

 

The picture for Mattison changed again this month when the Vikings released Dalvin Cook and bumped Mattison up to the first rung of the depth chart in their backfield. Mattison said he’s always approached his time with the Vikings as if he was “the back” but that Cook’s departure “definitely changes things.”

 

“I’m thankful for having Dalvin in that running back room and challenging me to challenge him every single day, so that kind of helped me out within my preparation,” Mattison said. “Yeah, with that understanding of knowing kind of where my role is going to be and maximize it. I’ve been a lot more prepared in the way of understanding where I’m going to be at in the playbook, where I’m going to have to be at physically, you know, stamina. It’s just a whole bunch that I have to now take into account but without applying too much pressure, of course, because this is a game of ball that we have grown to love and grown to adapt to at all different levels. I’m definitely comfortable as a professional athlete and understanding what I have to do to get the job done. Now just cranking that thing up and getting ready for this opportunity that I have in front of me.”

 

Mattison only made six starts in his first four seasons, so it’s a bit of an understatement to say that things have changed for him this year. If he proves to be up to the task, it will likely be a while before his role changes again.

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

The Eagles are true believers in QB JALEN HURTS.  Dan Pompeii with a long look inThe Athletic at how the Eagles came to draft him in, excerpts below:

From his home office, commissioner Roger Goodell read from a blue card with an NFL logo.

 

“With the 53rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select … Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Oklahoma.”

 

The ESPN broadcast cut to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, smiling in his home office, then to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, in his home office, as he slapped hands with his son — who wore a Carson Wentz jersey. Less than one year earlier, the Eagles had signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million contract extension, guaranteeing $107 million of it. Wentz then threw for a career-best 4,039 yards and led the Eagles to an NFC East title.

 

This being the COVID-19 draft, there was no crowd to react, but most Eagles fans were not as pleased about the selection as Pederson and Roseman seemed to be. According to a poll by Bleeding Green Nation, 61 percent of more than 13,000 fans gave the Hurts selection an “F” grade. Only 12 percent graded it higher than a C.

 

Professional opinions were nearly as harsh. “Hate the pick,” ESPN’s Mike Greenberg tweeted. “So many places he might have been interesting, this is not one of them. Don’t get it at all.”

 

“Upon Further Review,” the headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer read, “Eagles’ drafting of Jalen Hurts was as silly as it seemed”

 

The reaction on social media was as swift as it was severe, and the Eagles were taken aback by the backlash. Roseman later said the Eagles decided to try to keep the fire under control by moving their Day 2 news conference to the middle of the third round in an unplanned maneuver.

 

“We believe (Wentz) is a guy to lead us to our next Super Bowl championship,” Roseman said then, defending the pick. “For better or worse, we are quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”

 

The Packers caught some heat for taking quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th pick of the first round, but to Roseman, it felt like the Eagles took more for choosing Hurts 27 selections later.

 

“I think the magnitude of the reaction was a little surprising to us, and I think that just the conversation around it for weeks and months to come kind of surprised us a little bit,” he told The Athletic last month. “I’m not saying we would not have chosen (Hurts) if we had known that. We were just surprised by how much life it took on.”

 

Nobody, including Roseman, could have predicted Wentz would start only 12 more games for the team that traded up to select him with the second pick of the 2016 draft. Or that two years after the 2020 draft, Hurts would become the MVP runner-up on a team that made it to the Super Bowl, then would be rewarded with a five-year contract extension worth $255 million.

 

Jalen Hurts is now the face of the Eagles. He never expected anything less

 

If Roseman knew what was to come, he would have selected Hurts in the first round. If other GMs knew that, Hurts would have been a top-10 pick, chosen ahead of Tua Tagovailoa, who beat out Hurts at Alabama years earlier.

 

But after four years of scrutiny, Roseman saw something in Hurts.

 

When he started the second game of the 2016 season, Hurts became the first true freshman quarterback to start at Alabama in 32 years. He led the Crimson Tide to 11 straight victories before losing to Clemson in the national championship game. He was voted SEC Player of the Year that season and set a school record with 36 touchdowns. His 954 rushing yards were the most ever by an Alabama quarterback.

 

Among the Eagles evaluators who saw Hurts play in person that year were Southwest scout Shawn Heinlen and assistant director of scouting Alan Wolking. His ability to make plays with his feet appealed to an organization whose appreciation of mobile quarterbacks was increasing.

 

“When you look at where the quarterback position was going, with these multidimensional talents who could create plays with their arms, their legs and their minds, we were trying to predict where we were going with the position,” Roseman says. “Carson had that ability, too.”

 

Then-Ravens area scout Ian Cunningham also saw Hurts in person during his freshman season, including at the national championship. One quality stood out.

 

“He was always cool, calm and collected no matter what, even in the national championship game as a true freshman,” says Cunningham, who became the Eagles’ director of college scouting in 2017. “He always had this poise and even-keeled demeanor.”

 

During Hurts’ sophomore season in 2017, he led Alabama to victories in its first 11 games before losing to Auburn in the regular-season finale. He was voted MVP of the Sugar Bowl after beating Clemson, but in the national championship game — with Alabama getting shut out by Georgia at halftime — head coach Nick Saban replaced Hurts with then-freshman Tagovailoa, who led the Crimson Tide to victory.

 

Hurts was the backup to Tagovailoa the next season, but he guided back-to-back fourth-quarter touchdown drives in a 35-28 comeback victory over Georgia in the SEC championship game. He then graduated in three years.

 

Even on the bench, Hurts impressed the Eagles.

 

“We know there’s going to be adversity,” Roseman says. “And so we’re always looking at how guys overcome adversity, their resilience, their determination. The way he handled that year when he didn’t play for most of the year, and then the way he played when he had the opportunity, that was something.”

 

After the season, Hurts, with Saban’s blessing, transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year. On Sept. 1, 2019, Hurts accounted for 508 yards of offense in his first game, setting a school record. With Hurts humming, the Sooners won their first seven games.

 

The Eagles began to envision Hurts wearing midnight green. They kept thinking about it as he led Oklahoma to five wins down the stretch, including against Baylor in the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners lost to LSU and Joe Burrow in the Peach Bowl, and Burrow and Hurts finished 1-2 in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

 

The transfer to Oklahoma enabled the Eagles to see Hurts learn and quickly master a completely different offense. What’s more, they saw significant development in Hurts as a quarterback under Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. Roseman said he witnessed a “huge jump” and was impressed with how Hurts threw receivers open.

 

“The more we were exposed to him, the more we liked,” Roseman said. “It started when the scouts filed those fall (2019) reports. We saw he had physical tools, arm talent and unique athleticism. He’s a winner, and he’s a leader.”

 

NFL evaluators still were concerned with Hurts’ accuracy, and Cunningham acknowledges it was a question. “It wasn’t always there, but he did show the ability to anticipate when it was clean,” Cunningham says. “That helped me feel more comfortable because I think you can develop accuracy. The inaccuracy was attributable to a lot of lower body (issues) — a wider base, inconsistent footwork, those types of things.”

 

Pederson was unconcerned about what others said were inconsistent throws. “His story is incredible, right?” Pederson says. “At Alabama, he’s the guy, then he’s not the guy. Then he goes to Oklahoma. It made me believe this is a special player.

 

“I didn’t see the other stuff. We could coach the other stuff, give him what he needed to be successful, prepare in the offseason and training camp and make him better that way. There was enough there to think that with some work he could become a solid backup and then a solid starter.”

 

Hurts’ intangibles continued to impress at Oklahoma. Cunningham saw determination, resilience, mental toughness, work ethic and competitiveness. “We fell in love with those traits because we knew he was going to work to get to whatever his ceiling was,” says Cunningham, who attended Oklahoma’s games against Texas and Texas Christian that year. “You could bet on the person because of the intangibles.”

 

Those intangibles also were evident in his runs. Hurts led his team with 1,298 rushing yards — more than any college quarterback except Navy’s Malcolm Perry. The Eagles saw more than speed and elusiveness in his ground gains. They saw raw strength, drive and will. “Mental and physical toughness came through,” Pederson says.

 

As the Eagles dug in, they understood why. Hurts squatted 500 pounds in a powerlifting competition as a 198-pound high school sophomore. His father, Averion Hurts, coached him at Channelview High School near Houston. “The family background was very appealing,” Roseman says.

 

Even though it meant missing his grandfather’s funeral, Hurts participated in the Senior Bowl, where he was voted the offensive practice quarterback of the week on the South team. His combine performance also was strong, as he threw the ball impressively and ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash — the fastest among quarterbacks.

 

Roseman saw improvement on each step of Hurts’ journey — at Oklahoma, at the Senior Bowl and at the combine. Partly because of the COVID-19 lockdown, the GM’s only in-person pre-draft exposure to the quarterback was the team’s 15-minute interview with him in Indianapolis.

 

“I remember him in that room; he’s an easy presence,” Roseman says. “You could feel the leadership, the confidence. He has this very calm demeanor. It was a good interaction.”

 

Roseman left feeling comfortable with Hurts’ football character.

 

Over video conferences, the Eagles dug in on Hurts, discussing him as a staff and crystalizing their opinions about him in relation to other players. Cunningham told the other evaluators what his sources at Alabama and Oklahoma said. Pederson shared his research, including information from conversations with Riley and Brian Daboll, his offensive coordinator at Alabama, who both told Pederson how hard Hurts worked and how easily he led.

 

The team sent offensive coordinator Press Taylor to the Oklahoma pro day on March 11. He was one of 55 NFL representatives who watched Hurts throw to CeeDee Lamb and other receivers. Taylor returned from Norman impressed.

 

The Eagles discussed how Hurts projected to the next level. “There was talk about how you would use him,” Cunningham says. “Dak Prescott’s name was thrown around, Cam Newton, but it was elements of their game. Jalen was kind of unique, but he possessed elements of their games.”

 

He also possessed elements of Russell Wilson’s game. The Eagles planned to draft Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft, but they passed on him twice in the second round, and the Seahawks took him 13 picks ahead of them. Philadelphia has rued the one that got away ever since.

 

Roseman noted that, like Wilson, Hurts has a strong lower body, throws the deep ball well and is shorter than the ideal at 6-foot-1. “When you watch Jalen, sometimes you think of Russell Wilson as far as the size, the athleticism and arm strength when Russell was a younger quarterback,” Pederson says. “But Jalen is his own guy.”

 

Pederson, a quarterback specialist, was all in on Hurts. “Obviously, Doug’s opinion was a huge part of everything we did,” Roseman says. “We had a lot of trust in him in his evaluations at that position. A lot of credit goes to him because we’re coming off three straight playoff appearances, including a world championship. To take a quarterback after we just paid Carson, it had to come not just from the front office and ownership, but from the coaching staff as well.”

 

For Hurts to become an Eagle, Pederson had to believe he could be more than a backup — and he did.

 

“I thought he would be a starter with time,” Pederson says. “I didn’t think it would be right away. I thought he was a guy you could groom and put in your system.”

 

Not everyone in the front office saw Hurts the way Pederson did.

 

“(Hurts) was a polarizing figure in the sense that some people liked him, some saw him as a developmental quarterback and some thought he was a backup,” Cunningham says. “I thought he was a developmental quarterback that had upside.”

 

Roseman also sought the opinion of an outside source — former Eagles head coach Andy Reid. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Roseman, thinking Reid’s Chiefs would not draft a quarterback, asked him what he thought of Hurts, and Reid told him he thought highly of him.

 

The Eagles’ board was stacked by Roseman, Pederson, Cunningham and director of player personnel Andy Weidl. Usually, there aren’t more than a handful of prospects that every evaluator in a draft room agrees on. Hurts was not in that handful for the Eagles.

 

“Are there going to be conversations where somebody might question if that’s the guy? There always are,” Pederson says. “But some of our scouts really liked him as a player.”

 

A quarterback was not a must-have, according to Pederson. But the Eagles would not pass on one they had conviction about. As the draft grew near, they discussed the importance of depth at the position — particularly given Philadelphia’s history.

 

Roseman brought up 2002, when Donovan McNabb was injured and A.J. Feeley and Koy Detmer helped the Eagles win five of six down the stretch before McNabb returned for the playoffs. He recalled 2006, when Jeff Garcia subbed for an injured McNabb and won six of his eight starts, including one in the playoffs.

 

Four years later, Michael Vick came off the bench midway through the season in place of Kevin Kolb and won six of the eight games he started. Three years after that, Vick was on the other end of a quarterback change when he was benched for Nick Foles after losing four of six starts. Foles threw 27 touchdowns and two interceptions while going 8-2.

 

In 2017, Foles bailed out the Eagles again, winning the Super Bowl after Wentz, who was an MVP candidate, was injured in December.

 

“No team probably has benefited more from the backup quarterback position than the Philadelphia Eagles, certainly over the 20-plus years that I’ve been in Philadelphia,” says Roseman, who joined the Eagles in 2000 as a salary-cap counsel. “So we’re always trying to find the next guy we can count on and feel confident in and then have him on a rookie deal.”

 

And although the world outside the team’s NovaCare Complex had not grasped it, the Eagles had as much reason to fortify the position as ever. Their backups were Nate Sudfeld, who had yet to start a game in four years, and Kyle Lauletta, who spent the previous season on their practice squad. And as for Wentz, injuries had limited him to a total of nine plays in the Eagles’ six postseason games over the previous three years.

 

The possibility of taking a quarterback in the first round was ruled out because of the financial commitment to Wentz. So the Eagles knew they wouldn’t have a shot at Burrow, Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert, all of whom were gone by the sixth pick. And they clearly were more interested in Hurts than Love. “We spent a lot more time on Jalen,” Roseman says. “Jalen was one of those guys throughout the fall that we liked.”

– – –

The morning before the second round, the Eagles met virtually. “That’s when we made the decision,” Pederson says. “If he’s there, let’s take him.”

 

Some in the organization expressed surprise, if not shock. Because there was less communication than usual due to COVID-19, the decision-making process was less inclusive than in any other year.

 

On draft day, the participants in the primary video conference — the de facto draft room — were owner Jeffrey Lurie, Roseman, Pederson, Weidl, Cunningham, senior football adviser Tom Donahoe and Alec Halaby, the vice president of football operations who oversaw analytics. Scouts were on another video conference, and coaches were on a third.

 

Some in the organization were hoping for Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn, according to reports by the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Fox’s Jay Glazer. But the majority were in favor of drafting Hurts. “There were people that did want Chinn,” Cunningham says. “In draft meetings, it rarely comes up like that because you are going position by position, so you are comparing quarterbacks to other quarterbacks.”

 

And it didn’t really matter if some in the organization didn’t want to draft a quarterback that high. What mattered was that Roseman, Pederson and Lurie were in accord, and they were.

– – –

The Eagles wanted to try to get Wentz on board with the decision as well, so as their selection approached, Pederson called him. “We wanted to make sure (Wentz) knew he was our guy,” Pederson says. “We wanted to make sure our starting quarterback was good with everything.”

 

By then, Wentz already knew there was a possibility the team would draft a quarterback. Before draft day, Wentz had been filled in on what the team was thinking. “It was kind of like, ‘Hey, we committed to you, you got the money, but this could also benefit you,’” Roseman says. “One of our scouts says it really well. He says, ‘If you catch a cold and miss two games, those two games that we go 2-0 or 1-1 or 0-2 can determine home-field advantage.’ So we have to be prepared for those games.’”

 

Despite the communication, Wentz did not handle the addition of Hurts well, which led to his flameout in Philadelphia.

– – –

“I think you saw (last season) the things we saw in him back then,” Roseman says. “He was in the second year in the system and doing everything they asked him to do. He understands it, and this kid is a winner — he’s a flat-out winner. That’s what we saw.”

 

WASHINGTON

The Commanders sale could be voted on July 20^th, banishing Daniel Snyder and anointing Josh Harris.  John Keim of ESPN.com:

The NFL has scheduled a meeting next month where the owners are expected to vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

 

The NFL sent a memo to the owners that a meeting would take place July 20 to discuss the sale of the Commanders from Dan and Tanya Snyder to the Harris group for a record $6.05 billion.

 

It’s likely that a vote would take place, based on anticipated unanimous approval by the finance committee, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the meeting. The vote could take place in Minneapolis, where the owners met in late May.

 

The committee has not yet recommended approval, but the fact that a special meeting was set indicates the direction the sale is headed. Typically, the owners adhere to the committee’s recommendation. For the sale to be approved, 24 of the 32 owners must vote in favor.

 

Last year, for example, the committee recommended unanimous approval July 27 regarding the sale of the Denver Broncos to a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton. The owners voted their approval Aug. 9.

 

There has been strong motivation to get the Commanders deal done, according to multiple sources, and move on from the Snyders before the season begins. That’s why, despite concerns about the structure of the Harris offer at various points, many remained optimistic the deal would be completed. Multiple sources said the Snyders were eager to finish the process as well.

 

Washington opens training camp July 26.

 

On June 7, the finance committee met with Harris for 2½ hours in New York City. Afterward, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, one of eight members on the committee, expressed optimism to ESPN about the direction of Harris’ bid. At the owners meetings last month, Irsay had been adamant that work needed to be done to get the offer in compliance with NFL guidelines.

 

“I’m hopeful because of their inspired aspect and their enthusiasm and their track record,” Irsay said after meeting with Harris. “We’re just trying to work through those final details. And I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to. I would imagine something in mid-to-late July would be the earliest we’d call a league meeting.” Shortly after that meeting, the NFL informed teams a possible vote would take place on either July 20 or Aug. 8.

 

Harris’ group includes Washington billionaire Mitchell Rales as well as NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson among its 20 limited partners — all of whom had to be vetted by the committee, adding to the length of time in recommending their approval.

 

The committee has worked with Harris to get his bid in compliance with NFL guidelines. Irsay said multiple times in the past two months there were concerns over the amount of debt carried by Harris and how much equity was in his offer.

 

According to NFL guidelines, a new owner can’t take on more than $1.1 billion in debt and must put down 30% of the offer. Irsay also said Harris and Rales wanted the league to work with them “particularly from a taxation standpoint.”

 

“They know it can’t be smoke and mirrors,” Irsay told ESPN in early June, after the committee met with Harris. “It’s a complicated deal.”

 

But Irsay, as well as others in the league including commissioner Roger Goodell, said they would not alter the guidelines to accommodate Harris.

 

Harris entered into a signed exclusive deal with co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder on May 12, edging Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos’ bid of $6 billion.

AFC SOUTH

 

JACKSONVILLE

The Jaguars are counting on a lot from RB TRAVIS ETIENNE in 2023.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

As a first-round draft pick in 2021, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne suffered a foot injury in the preseason and didn’t play at all in the regular season. In 2022, Etienne ran for 1,125 yards. And in 2023, the Jaguars think Etienne is ready to do even more.

 

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Etienne has learned a lot this offseason about the Jaguars’ offense and a running back’s role in it.

 

“We’ve seen it this offseason; he’s progressed nicely there,” Pederson told Jaguars.com. “Once we get the pads on and we start in our run periods, we’ll see how he’ll see the hole better. It just goes back to last year being kind of a rookie season for him. It’s like in the pass game: There’s a lot to learn, a lot to know and understand and, he’s really picked it up well. I’m excited for him for this year and what he can do, and even more to build off last year.”

 

Jaguars running backs coach Bernie Parmalee was asked if there are more big plays in store for Etienne this year.

 

“There’s a lot more – a lot more,” Parmalee said. “We talked about it every day. He knows it, too. It’s one thing when you talk about it as a coach and the player doesn’t realize it. But when the player realizes what you’re talking about is true and he’s going to do everything he has to do to make sure he gets better, it’s going to bode well.”

 

Last year Etienne started the season behind James Robinson on the depth chart, but this year there’s no doubt that he’s the Jaguars’ No. 1 running back. And his coaches believe he’s in store for a big year.

 

THIS AND THAT

 

RED FLAGS

Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com sees things among some contenders that make him uneasy.

It’s the NFL offseason, which means there’s reason for fans of all 32 teams to have hope. But with offseason optimism can also come exaggerated hype. We’re not one to rain on summer parades, but sometimes reality checks are important going into a new year. Identify a potential problem early, after all, and maybe it becomes that much simpler to correct.

 

With that in mind, we’re exploring the biggest red flags for some of this year’s top contenders, including prominent playoff teams and others widely expected to make the leap into the 2023 postseason:

 

Bengals: A shuffled secondary

Everything revolves around Joe Burrow; as long as he’s functioning alongside their elite crop of wideouts, they should be in the hunt for an AFC title once again. But they’re counting on new, young faces throughout the defensive backfield, where Eli Apple, Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell all left via free agency. Daxton Hill and rookie DJ Turner bring speed, but they lack experience.

 

Bills: Stefon Diggs’ status

The star receiver was on the field for most of minicamp, but only after eliciting concern from coach Sean McDermott, reportedly over lingering discontent about his role in the offense. Sometimes summer drama of this nature goes away; sometimes it festers. And the one thing Buffalo can’t afford to lose is Josh Allen’s top — and, frankly, only reliable — weapon out wide.

 

Chargers: New OC, same HC

As they prepare to make Justin Herbert one of the game’s highest-paid quarterbacks, the Chargers are hoping their staff is finally ready to properly elevate him from regular-season starling to playoff difference-maker. While Kellen Moore should open up the pass game, he’s Herbert’s third coordinator in four years. Head man Brandon Staley, meanwhile, is on the hot seat thanks to his talented lineups folding at some of the worst times.

 

Chiefs: More WR transition

We aren’t foolish enough to doubt Patrick Mahomes, regardless of his receiving corps; 2022 proved, after all, that he doesn’t need a Tyreek Hill to own the rest of the NFL. But once again, they figure to be pretty dependent on tight end Travis Kelce, who’s still in peak form but will be 34 in October. If he were to go down, they’re counting on guys like Kadarius Toney and rookie Rashee Rice to seamlessly replace JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman.

 

Cowboys: McCarthy taking the reins

After a mutual split with OC Kellen Moore, head coach Mike McCarthy is taking over as Dallas’ primary play-caller. Though he probably deserves more credit for guiding back-to-back 12-win seasons, his older-school, oft-conservative tendencies could surface to a greater degree now that he’s directly in charge of Dak Prescott and Co.

 

Dolphins: Tua’s health

It’s the obvious one, but it really can’t be overstated. Miami fans are right to be enticed by what their young QB showed under Mike McDaniel early in 2022. He’s got plenty of speed at his disposal, plus a better-coached defense on his side. But Tua Tagovailoa has now battled injuries in consecutive seasons dating to college, and as a timing-based pocket passer, he’s already got limitations in the face of pressure. Even one more head injury could restart retirement consideration.

 

Eagles: Aging core players

On paper, Philly might remain the most talented team in the NFL, fresh off an NFC title. And Jalen Hurts can make up for a lot. But they’re dependent on plenty of older starters, from Jason Kelce (35) and Lane Johnson (33) to Brandon Graham (35) and Darius Slay (32). If several of them slip in performance or durability, both sides of the ball could feel it to a large degree.

 

49ers: Small QB sample sizes

No matter who wins their Day 1 job, or who holds it eight weeks in, the 49ers do not have the benefit of boasting proven sustainable production under center. Brock Purdy has all of seven legit starts under his belt. Trey Lance has four. And Sam Darnold, who’s easily the most experienced with 55 career starts, has never been an above-average full-timer for long.

 

Giants: Downfield passing

Daniel Jones finally showcased franchise-level poise in 2022 under Brian Daboll. And the Giants finally got him some help this offseason, adding Darren Waller, Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt — among others — at pass catcher. But all of their key acquisitions have to prove they can stay healthy, and Jones still has yet to prove he can air it out consistently when it matters most.

 

Jaguars: Protection up front

Everyone likes Jacksonville as an AFC sleeper after Doug Pederson’s first year in town. Everyone likes Calvin Ridley to boost Trevor Lawrence’s MVP stock. But what about the young QB’s protection? Left tackle Cam Robinson is facing a multi-game suspension, guard Ben Bartch is still recovering from injury, and right tackle Walker Little has made six career starts.

 

Jets: Bookend help for Rodgers

Like the Jags, the Jets have been offseason darlings for their newly enhanced weaponry; Aaron Rodgers’ arrival should mean an immediate vault into the playoff picture. But going on 40, are we sure the former MVP is well off behind a line touting Duane Brown, 37, coming off injury, and Mekhi Becton, who’s played one game the last two years, as its best, most talented tackles?

 

Lions: Jared Goff’s ceiling

They went just 9-8 and didn’t play a postseason game in 2022, but everyone loves them to emerge in the NFC North after a spending spree to upgrade the defense. Goff, meanwhile, has been solid and should enjoy an even speedier setup, with Jahmyr Gibbs joining the fold. But we’ve seen his big-spotlight limitations before, even on an all-star Rams lineup.

 

Ravens: Durability up front, out wide

All eyes are on Lamar Jackson, who’s under big-money pressure to stay on the field and finally deliver a deep playoff run. But what about his supporting cast? Left tackle Ronnie Stanley has struggled to stay upright himself, while out wide, notable names like Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay have all battled their own injury issues.

 

Seahawks: Geno’s potential drop-off

Geno Smith was a magical story for the 2022 Seahawks, unexpectedly besting predecessor Russell Wilson in his most explosive NFL showing to date. Late in the year, however, his turnovers were an issue as Seattle relied a bit too heavily on his arm. With a new contract and no added QB competition, he’s under pressure to replicate his breakout.

 

Vikings: The veteran exodus

Dalvin Cook. Adam Thielen. Za’Darius Smith. Eric Kendricks. Patrick Peterson. All gone, in the name of added salary cap space. Brian Flores’ addition as the defensive coordinator and Justin Jefferson’s continued presence out wide ensure they could remain aggressive and explosive. But they’ve retooled as if they won six games in 2022, not 13, with Kirk Cousins also on a contract year.

 

 

CAREER YEAR COIMING?

Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com has some veteran candidates for “career years” – including QB BAKER MAYFIELD.

The average NFL career is around 3.5 years, which for many players isn’t quite long enough to establish themselves as starters, stars or superstars. With that in mind, here’s a look at 10 players entering their fourth season or later who could produce the best year of their careers due to a change in coaching, a change of scenery after joining a new team and/or improved talent around them.

 

Offensive players

 

Justin Herbert

LAC • QB • #10

Face-of-the-franchise quarterback Justin Herbert finally has a new offensive coordinator: former Dallas Cowboys play-caller Kellen Moore. He led productive offenses in Dallas as the unit boasted a top-five scoring offense in 2022 (27.5 points per game, the fourth most in the NFL) and averaged 354.9 yards per game. The development of Dak Prescott, who broke the Cowboys’ single-season passing touchdown record in 2021 under Moore, was “at the center of Kellen’s impact,” according to Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy, who wanted to take the reins back and call plays again.

 

Moore paired with Herbert, who has the most passing yards (14,089) through a player’s first three seasons in NFL history and the second-most passing touchdowns (94) through a player’s first three seasons in NFL history, will likely lead to many more fireworks at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers offense under former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi averaged an NFL-low 6.34 air yards per pass attempt last season, woefully underutilizing Herbert’s rocket launcher of a right arm. Prescott averaged 8.41 air yards per pass attempt over his four seasons with Moore as his OC, the ninth most in the NFL in that span. Herbert should see a similar uptick in that department.

 

His offense is stocked with weapons, from running back Austin Ekeler — the NFL’s scrimmage touchdowns leader in each of the last two seasons — to the outstanding wide receiver duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. That duo has since become a trio with 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston (21st overall), one of the primary catalysts for TCU’s College Football Playoff run now onboard.

 

“He’s a playmaker. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us,” Justin Herbert said June 14 when asked about working with Johnston this offseason. “He showed up and we knew early that we’ve got a special guy out there. He’s done a great job picking up the offense so far. He’s young, but he’s going to be something special. So, it’s been fun to watch him so far.” 

 

In Moore’s four seasons (2019-2022) calling plays for the Cowboys, Dallas ranked second in scoring offense (27.7 points per game) and total offense (391.0 total yards per game) behind only the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (28.8 points per game and 401.5 total yards per game). Better use of Herbert and his playmakers’ talents should have the signal-caller threatening to throw for 5,000 or more yards again and 40 or more touchdowns for the first time, making him a real factor in the NFL MVP race for the first time in his career.

 

“I think that’s always the goal for an offense — having those explosive plays through the run game or the pass game,” Herbert said. “Kellen, he’s got such a great mind. He’s done a great job of interpreting exactly what he wants for this offense. It’s a clear message for us as an offensive unit.” 

 

Baker Mayfield

TB • QB • #6

If there’s going to be any quarterback who follows in Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith’s 2022 footsteps to go from career castoff to a solid starting quarterback/potential Pro Bowler in 2023, it’s new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield enters the upcoming season with many parallels to Smith’s career, one of which is being on his fourth team while facing what’s likely his final chance to be considered an NFL starter.

 

Both Smith and Mayfield lit up the Big 12 in college and were selected in the first two rounds of the draft. Although, it’s worth pointing out Mayfield entered the league with much higher hopes after being selected first overall in the 2018 NFL Draft versus Smith being selected 39th overall as a second pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Mayfield started out his career well, setting the then-record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie with 27 in 2018. The highwater mark of his career came in 2020 when he helped lead the Browns to their first playoff win since the 1994 season, but Cleveland opted to move on from Mayfield because of an injury-plagued 2021 campaign and the opportunity to acquire Deshaun Watson.

 

Smith struggled right from the start of his career playing on many subpar New York Jets teams (2013-2016) before bouncing around between the New York Giants (2017), Los Angeles Chargers (2018) and the Seattle Seahawks (2019-2021) as a backup. Russell Wilson being traded to the Denver Broncos opened the door for Smith to compete with Drew Lock to be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback at 32 years old, and he made the most of the opportunity, playing like a top 10 quarterback and earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his 10-year career. Tom Brady’s second retirement led to Mayfield’s arrival in Tampa Bay via free agency this offseason.

 

Smith led the NFL in completion percentage (68.8%), throwing a Seahawks-record 4,282 passing yards and ranked top five in the league in passing touchdowns (30) and passer rating (100.9). That performance propelled him to win the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, not for overcoming any injury, but rather eight years of unspectacular play on the field.

 

One key factor in Smith’s 2022 resurgence is he landed in an offense with two Pro Bowl receivers in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Mayfield is in a similar situation with the ability to throw to four-time Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans as well as Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin. In a wide-open NFC South, Mayfield is in a position to break out for the best year of his career.

 

Tony Pollard

DAL • RB • #20

Tony Pollard is now the Dallas Cowboys’ new “lead back” in the words of head coach and new team offensive play-caller Mike McCarthy. The 26-year-old, who is playing out 2023 on the franchise tag, earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career for his efforts during the 2022 season with bests in rushing yards (1,007), rushing touchdowns (nine), carries (193), receptions (39), receiving yards (371) and receiving touchdowns (three). It was a new workload for Ezekiel Elliott’s former backup, as he became a co-starter in 2022 while readying to be the guy in the Cowboys backfield in 2023 with Elliott being released.

 

Pollard’s 5.9 yards per touch led the NFL among players with at least 200 in 2022, but he still had 16 fewer than the declining Elliott, whose 3.9 yards per touch was dead last in the league among players with at least 200 last season. San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey totaled 1,880 scrimmage yards, 502 more than Pollard’s 1,378, while ranking second in yards per touch (5.7) behind the Cowboys rusher (McCaffrey had 97 more touches than Pollard, 329 to 232). If Pollard can maintain a similar yards-per-touch average on a higher workload, he could play like one of the best running backs in the entire league in 2023.

 

D’Andre Swift

PHI • RB

D’Andre Swift has been a productive NFL running back since joining the league. He’s one of five running backs with at least 1,500 rushing yards and at least 150 catches across the last three seasons since 2020, when the Detroit Lions selected him 35th overall in the 2020 Draft. The others in this club are Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler Aaron Jones, New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara, Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowler Austin Ekeler and Super Bowl LV champion Leonard Fournette.

 

However, the knock on Swift has been injuries: He’s missed 10 games due to injuries in his three-year career and has yet to reach 650 rushing yards in a season. Making the move via trade from the Lions to the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles this offseason could be exactly what Swift needs to have a career year as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

 

The Eagles boast the best offensive line in the league and plenty of firepower at the quarterback position (2022 NFL MVP runner-up Jalen Hurts) and wide receiver position (Pro Bowler A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith). The last featured running back in this offense — Pro Bowler Miles Sanders — had a career year in the final season of his rookie deal, totaling 1,269 yards on the ground (the fifth most in the NFL), and 11 rushing touchdowns (the eighth most in the NFL).

 

On top of Swift, the team also added Rashaad Penny in free agency on a one-year, $1.4 million deal after the former first-round pick spent his first five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. Coming off an ankle injury that cost him the final 12 games of the 2022 regular season, Penny, who has a career yards per carry average of 5.7, can act as a nice change-of-pace backup to Swift along with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

 

The best supporting cast of his career should be enough for Swift, whose 5.5 yards per touch ranks fifth most in the NFL among 24 players with at least 500 touches since 2020, to stay healthy and produce at a Pro Bowl-caliber level for the first time in 2023.

 

D.J. Moore

CHI • WR • #2

D.J. Moore has plenty of ability, as indicated by his three consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards from 2019-2021 while catching passes from a broken-down Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold. He’s always been a big-play threat as Moore’s 14.3 yards per catch since entering the league in 2018 is the fourth most in the NFL among 32 players with at least 300 catches in that span, trailing only star wide receivers Mike Evans (15.6), Justin Jefferson (14.9) and seven-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones (14.4).

 

Now paired with the most dynamic quarterback of the 26-year-old receiver’s five-year career in Bears dual-threat Justin Fields, Moore could break the 1,200 receiving yards threshold as well as the double-digit receiving touchdown mark in a single season for the first time in his career as the WR1 for an ascending, young passer.

 

Defensive players

 

Josh Allen

JAC • LB • #41

Josh Allen, the one who plays defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has a knack for making clutch plays. Look no further than his 37-yard fumble return touchdown that clinched the 2022 AFC South for the Jaguars, sending them to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

 

Allen, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is like many in Jacksonville who have seen their development stunted on cellar-dwelling squads led by former head coaches Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer. Now, his Jaguars are the AFC South favorites for the foreseeable future thanks to face-of-the-franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s development under Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson. The newfound offensive support, plus Allen’s career quarterback pressure percentage of 12.9% — in a neighborhood with Pro Bowl Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (13.1%), Pro Bowl Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack (13%) and Pro Bowl Panthers outside linebacker Brian Burns (12.9%) since 2019 — should present plenty more sack opportunities while playing with the lead more frequently for a player who hasn’t hit double digits in that department since his rookie year in 2019 (10.5).

 

Bradley Chubb

MIA • OLB • #2

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Bradley Chubb, already a two-time Pro Bowler entering his age-27 season, is suiting up in the best defense of his career in 2023, his first full season as a Miami Dolphin. He gets to reunite with his former Denver Broncos head coach and new Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio while playing in front of a secondary with six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard. Along the defensive line, he gets to rush the passer in tandem with 24-year-old, third-year linebacker Jaelan Phillips, whose 70 quarterback pressures last season were tied for the seventh most in the entire league.

 

All the ingredients are present for Chubb, who signed a five-year, $110 million extension last November, to live up to that contract, surpass his rookie year production of 12 sacks and establish a new career year while helping propel the Dolphins back to the playoffs in 2023.

 

Carl Lawson

NYJ • DE • #58

Carl Lawson is in a great spot, entering his second year removed from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in training camp in 2021 and suiting up for a top five defense. He was just as productive at pressuring opposing quarterbacks (49 quarterback pressures) as Washington Commanders Pro Bowl defensive tackle Daron Payne (49 quarterback pressures) in Year 1 coming back from the injury. Having four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback on the other side of the ball instead of Zach Wilson or Mike White should give Lawson many more second-half pass-rush opportunities, thus the chance for a career season in his contract year.

 

Dre’Mont Jones

SEA • DT • #55

New Seattle Seahawks defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency, has recorded a minimum of 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss in every season since 2020 after shifting to the defensive end spot from defensive tackle after his rookie year in 2019. Last season with the Denver Broncos, Jones had a career year with 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. This year, he joins a Seattle defense with two young, ball-hawking corners in the secondary with Tariq Woolen, whose six interceptions as a rookie were tied for the most in the NFL last season, and Coby Bryant, whose four forced fumbles as a rookie were tied for the third most in the NFL last season.

 

Defensive linemate Darrell Taylor also had a nose for the ball last season, forcing four fumbles as well. The return of six-time All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner makes this Seahawks defense arguably the most talented one he’s ever played on. Combine that with having a quarterback who played at a top 10 level last season in Geno Smith, the 26-year-old is all set for his best season yet.

 

Charles Omenihu

KC • DE • #90

Charles Omenihu was a rotation piece on the San Francisco 49ers top-ranked scoring defense (16.3 points per game allowed) that was powered by 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. Now, the soon-to-be 26-year-old is a starter for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after signing a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency. Omenihu recorded career highs in sacks (4.5) and quarterback pressures (54) in that part-time role, and now he gets to line up next to 2022 All-Pro defensive Chris Jones in an aggressive, multiple front scheme under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Career year incoming.