The legendary Jim Brown is impressed with how so many prominent white athletes have been outspoken in the fight against systemic racism and other social ills.  Jelani Scott of NFL.com:

For over 50 years, Jim Brown has witnessed — and fought against — decades of injustice against African Americans in the United States. And, at age 84, the Hall of Fame running back has maintained a watchful eye on the recent efforts to combat systemic racism and social inequality.

On Friday, the NFL legend and civil rights activist sat down with NFL Network’s Steve Wyche on NFL Total Access to share his perspective on what’s been happening in America.

“I think it’s fantastic. I think it was needed. The events that occurred were very shocking and it brought a lot of people together,” said Brown of the movement. “And when you think of African Americans and you think of Caucasians, to see them work together, to see the young people work together, it does my heart good.”

– – –

“When you look at what makes the world go ’round, you really must understand education and economic development. So when you put [the two] together, you can advance the masses of people. What’s happening right now is that we’re starting almost a new movement. You got young people, which you always should have, but you have young people now that are motivated for the right thing and I think they’re going to be leading us into this new era of change.”

As we’ve seen multiple times, athletes have been among the young leaders in communities all over the country. The optics of this involvement suggests that more white athletes are offering their support more than ever. When asked for his take on the matter, Brown praised the harmony he’s seen.

“What you have now is some young white people, young white athletes who have gone beyond the whole racial thing. They don’t look at themselves as white or they don’t look at themselves as privileged; they look at themselves as Americans and that they have an obligation. And they look at the African American situation and they see certain cases that make their stomach turn over,” he said. “They are out there because they are good human beings and they know if they’re out there it’s going to be more effective. So what you have is an outstanding group of young people, an era of fantastic young people that are steadily out there taking a chance and bringing about more power to the movement.”

Change is slowly being realized in some parts of the U.S., but it’s going to take more power to get to where we need to be. As things continue to progress, it’s important to not lose sight of the team effort it’s going to take to get to the other side. Brown remains encouraged by where things are headed.

“What we have going now is great because it’s interracial. It is white and African American and when you get those two combinations together, you cannot lose. Because there’s a talent in both white and Black but when they have their heads together politically or when dealing with the movement and it’s the right movement, that’s a wonderful thing because it tells us that, at some point, it’s gonna bear fruit.”

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

QB MATTHEW STAFFORD, like QB TOM BRADY, is risking the wrath of the media.  Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press:

The NFL Players Association has asked players to cease all personal workouts with teammates because of coronavirus concerns, but Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford isn’t acting on the memo.

On Thursday, Stafford’s wife, Kelly Stafford, posted on her Instagram story pictures of her husband practicing with teammates Jamal Agnew, Jesse James and Nick Bawden at a football field.

“It just feels good to be sitting my butt on a football field and watching,” Kelly Stafford wrote on Instagram. “Couldn’t imagine how good it feels for these guys.”

Roughly three hours after her post, the Lions chimed in with a Twitter video of Stafford throwing the football and the caption: “QB1 back at it.”

The recommendation from Dr. Thom Mayer, NFLPA medical director, was delivered because of an increase of COVID-19 cases in certain regions.

Michigan reported 389 new positive cases Friday, bumping the total to 62,695 cases. There were 353 new cases reported Thursday.

On June 7, the state reported just 121 new cases, the lowest single-day death toll dating back to March. As businesses, bars, restaurants and other amenities have continued reopening, Michigan has seen an increase in positive cases.

“Please be advised that it is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts,” Mayer said in a statement. “Our goal is to have all players and your families as healthy as possible in the coming months.

“We are working on the best mitigation procedures at team facilities for both training camps and the upcoming season, and believe that it is in the best interest of all players that we advise against any voluntary joint practices before training camp commences.”

Stafford’s workout with his three teammates Thursday wasn’t the first time he’s gathered with fellow Lions while waiting for the team facility in Allen Park to open.

MINNESOTA

The Vikings enter 2020 having to change at least four starters on defense.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

An enormous amount of turnover has been seen this offseason as it relates to the Minnesota Vikings.

While many will likely point to the most high-profile loss of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills, it was a very good Vikings defense that lost four starters.

Thus, the question will linger into the regular season as to whether Minnesota’s long-reliable defense will wane in the wake of such change? Then again, perhaps the question should be if the Vikings can actually be better?

Having declined the option of defensive end Everson Griffen, lost cornerback Trae Waynes in free agency and released cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive lineman Lindval Joseph, Minnesota is minus four starters from a defensive unit that was second in the NFL points per game allowed (19.3).

Though quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook and Diggs largely commanded the headlines, the defense was excellent as the Vikings produced a 10-6 season with a trip to the NFC Divisional Round.

Third in yards per game (321.8) and sacks (260) and tops in opponent third-down percentage (35.2%) and opponent red zone touchdown percentage (47.1), the Vikings defense was quietly outstanding.

Losing Griffen (eight sacks in 2019) could be huge as evidenced by Danielle Hunter’s 29.0 sacks over the last two seasons, which is third in that span between just pass-rushing heavyweights as Aaron Donald (33.0) and Chandler Jones (32.0), per NFL Research. With Hunter losing his tag team pass-rushing partner, Ifeadi Odenigbo is likely to be looked upon to step up.

First-round pick Jeff Gladney is likely to also be looked at to take on the starting challenge from the season’s onset and with that will come high expectations for improvement. After all, the released Rhodes allowed the highest completion percentage (84.3%) and third-highest passer rating (127.8) among 87 corners with 50-plus targets, per Pro Football Focus.

At Texas Christian University, Gladney allowed a 41.5 completion percentage and 59.5 passer rating across the last two seasons, according to PFF. There’s obviously a big jump from college to the NFL, but the 31st pick of the draft has many believing he can jump into a starting role and improve upon a weak spot from a season ago.

Following 2019, the Vikings have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense for five consecutive years in the Mike Zimmer era, according to NFL Research.

With Hunter, linebacker Eric Kendricks (one of four players in the NFL with 100-plus tackles in four straight seasons, per NFL Research) and safety Harrison Smith (a selection to five straight Pro Bowls, which is the most among NFL defensive backs, via NFL Research) providing a sensational core group, perhaps it’s not unlikely for the aforementioned streak to continue, sans four starters from 2019 or not.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

One of the greatest assistant coaches in NFL history, Joe Bugel, the boss of the Hogs, has passed away.  The AP:

Bugel died on Sunday, according to a statement from the team, which did not disclose a cause of death.

Bugel was the architect of “The Hogs,” the dominant offensive lines that helped lead the team to three Super Bowls under Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs.

Bugel was the team’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 1981-82 and became the assistant head coach in 1983, a role he had until 1989 before becoming the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals.

He returned for a second stint with the team as assistant head coach-offense from 2004-09.

“Joe had an incredible passion for the game of football. He came to work every day with such great excitement and his players had tremendous respect for him. The strength of our coaching staff on both sides of the ball was a key reason we had so much success,” Gibbs said in a statement.

“Bugel was such a big part of that and his impact was felt not only by those Redskins teams, but truly across the entire league. I will miss his friendship and I will always cherish our late-night arguments putting together the game plan each week. Pat and I will be praying for his wife Brenda, his girls and their entire family.”

With players such as Jeff Bostic, Joe Jacoby and Hall of Famer Russ Grimm on the offensive line, Washington won the Super Bowl after the 1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons with three different quarterbacks.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Matt Rhule professes confidence in the deep arm of QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER.  Myles Simmons of Panthers.com:

In certain corners of the internet and sports talk radio, there’s a narrative about quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The gist is he’s not adept at throwing the deep ball.

Yet when Matt Rhule was asked about those whispers during his spring wrap-up video press conference on Thursday, Carolina’s head coach shot down the notion.

“I don’t really listen, hear those things,” Rhule said. “Teddy, for us, is exactly what we want.”

Rhule then focused on Bridgewater’s two seasons with the Saints, whose offense under head coach Sean Payton isn’t a vertical, downfield passing attack. Instead, it’s about maximizing matchups to get yards after the catch. Of course, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady is now implementing a version of that scheme in Carolina. That’s why, Rhule added, it’s essential to look at a quarterback’s task on a play-to-play basis to best understand his play in context.

In New Orleans’ case last year, Bridgewater’s 6.2 intended air yards per pass attempt is right in line with starter Drew Brees’ 6.4 intended air yards per attempt, further indicating the offense’s design. Those shorter passes didn’t make the Saints any less effective on offense, as they finished No. 3 in points scored (458), No. 9 in total yards (5,982), No. 7 in passing yards (4,244), No. 2 in passing touchdowns (36), and No. 3 in fewest interceptions (six). Plus, they ranked No. 9 in net yards per pass attempt (7.0 yards).

All that is to say, just because Bridgewater didn’t throw a bunch of deep balls, that doesn’t make him any less of an effective quarterback.

Still, Rhule believes Bridgewater is plenty capable of making downfield throws, citing a 45-yard pass he delivered to wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. during a Week 7 win over the Bears last year.

“He certainly has the arm strength to do it,” Rhule said. “But I think he’s done what he’s been asked to do.”

What will the Panthers have Bridgewater do in 2020? Rhule hinted there could be more downfield shots based on Carolina’s personnel at wide receiver.

“I think one of the great things that’s one of the strengths of our team is that Robby Anderson’s a deep-play threat. Curtis Samuel is a deep-play threat. DJ Moore is a deep-play threat,” Rhule said. “So we feel like we have the power to be able to take advantage of throwing the ball downfield, and we know Teddy can do that.”

TAMPA BAY

Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com is among those leading the charge against QB TOM BRADY and his profession of fearlessness.

Tom Brady has been an earnest and largely reliable role model for two decades, and yet this week he has been setting a dreadful example for the millions who admire him. As the coronavirus pandemic rages across the nation, and through his adopted state of Florida, Brady has defied the recommendation of the NFL Players Association’s medical director and worked out with some of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates.

Last weekend, Dr. Thom Mayer wrote: “Please be advised that it is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts. Our goal is to have all players and your families as healthy as possible in the coming months.

“We are working on the best mitigation procedures at team facilities for both training camps and the upcoming season, and believe that it is in the best interest of all players that we advise against any voluntary joint practices before training camp commences.”

Apparently, Brady’s reaction was to disregard that consensus medical opinion, continuing to show that ol’ New England Patriots grit in the first preseason of the rest of his life. As he approaches his 43rd birthday, Brady has something to prove to himself, to the doubters and to the legend, Bill Belichick, who decided he wanted someone named Jarrett Stidham to take Brady’s place.

So on Tuesday, three days after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that at least two Bucs players were among members of the organization who had tested positive for COVID-19, Brady gathered with about a dozen teammates for a two-hour workout at the Berkeley Preparatory School, according to the Tampa Bay Times. On Thursday, a day after Hillsborough County reported a single-day high of 716 new infections, Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox 13 posted helicopter-view footage of Brady & Co. back at it at Berkeley, ignoring social distancing guidelines while building team chemistry and chasing route-tree bliss.

The NFLPA declined to comment, and Brady’s publicist said the quarterback would not offer comment, either. But the quarterback did comment later, via Instagram story: “Only thing we have to fear, is fear itself,” he posted, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural speech in 1933, during the Great Depression. The coronavirus has killed more than 120,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than double the total of U.S. soldiers who died during the Vietnam War.

This pandemic is worthy of everyone’s fear.

Brady isn’t the only NFL quarterback participating in workouts designed to fill the minicamp and OTA void. But Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Kyle Allen are not Tom Brady, six-time Super Bowl champ. When you are one of the most accomplished athletes of all time, and stand among the precious few who belong in Michael Jordan’s ballpark, your job description is different. You bear the burden of heavier responsibilities.

A recommendation isn’t a rule, and Tom Brady didn’t have to listen to his union’s medical director. Brady should have listened to him, though, and spent more time connecting virtually with his receivers, backs and offensive linemen. He’s better than his misguided attempt to use his work ethic as a shield.

Brady, a recreational golfer of note, does have some past bogeys on his scorecard, from Deflategate to a couple of dubious claims about his TB12 products. Yet even the most embittered New York Jets fan would concede that his pros, as a man, far outweigh his cons.

With the help of Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson last month, Brady raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief during his fascinating tee-to-green misadventure. He earned another $800,000 for the cause in the All In Challenge by offering the winning bidder tickets to his first Tampa Bay home game, dinner afterward and a game-worn jersey and cleats as parting gifts. Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, also donated 750,000 meals to area families in need.

But sometimes, good people make bad decisions at really bad times. Florida is on fire now. State officials reported nearly 9,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, a massive increase on the previous single-day high. The governor recently cited “a real explosion in new cases amongst our younger demographics.” People traveling from Florida into the tristate New York area — once the epicenter of the pandemic — are now required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.

So the NFLPA made its statement about members staging group workouts, and on Thursday the NFL’s chief medical officer, Allen Sills, said the league is “in the exact same place. … This is where everyone in that team environment is going to share the same risks, but they’ll also share the same responsibilities with each other … for doing the very best that they can to implement these measures and keep themselves and their household members as safe as possible throughout the course of the season.”

The Florida Department of Health has advised residents to keep a social distance of at least 6 feet, to avoid large gatherings and close quarters, and to cover their mouths and noses when around others in public. This is no time for Tom Brady to be filmed and photographed rejecting those measures and his own union’s league-backed plea, practicing too closely with Rob Gronkowski and others before posting pictures of himself in helmet and pads and sweat-soaked shirts. As a revered public figure, Brady should not be sending this message to a country still struggling to comprehend the tenacity of a vile opponent.

Instead he should be following the lead of PGA Tour star Brooks Koepka, who withdrew from this week’s Travelers Championship because his caddie tested positive for the virus. Koepka, who tested negative, said he pulled himself from the field because he was taking the crisis very seriously and didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s health.

New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins shared that sentiment. He called football a “nonessential business” on CNN, and said he would not be comfortable returning to the game until the risk is “really eliminated.”

Across all sports, college and pro, the number of athletes and staffers testing positive has reminded everyone of just how difficult it is going to be to play games during a pandemic. Brady isn’t making it any easier. He has had an interesting first offseason in Tampa, starting with his decision to work out in a park that had been closed down. Everyone, including the mayor, turned that one into a joke.

Nobody should be laughing now.

And NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith puts his moral authority behind the stop Brady movement.  Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com:

The head of the union made it clear he’s not thrilled with Brady’s decision, for reasons that go beyond the players who are putting themselves at risk by gathering in one of the country’s biggest COVID-19 hotspots.

“Those practices are not in the best interest of player safety,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said, in an interview with Mackenzie Salmon of USA Today. “They’re not in the best interest of protecting our players heading into training camp. And I don’t think they are in the best interest of us getting through an entire season.”

Smith pointed to the current discussions between the league and the union about workplace requirements, saying it was far more complicated than the matter of one group of players doing their own thing.

“I certainly understand how competitive our players are and I get that,” Smith said. ” At the same time, we are in the process of trying to negotiate, we have to negotiate with the league what happens when a player tests positive during the season. Does that player go on injured reserve? Do they go on short-term IR? If you test positive for the virus after training camp, is that a work-related injury? Are you covered under workers comp?  What benefits are available to you if you have downstream injuries from contacting COVID-19?

“All of the things that players may want to do during the offseason, have a direct impact on how well we can negotiate protections for them once the season starts. We sent out the guidance because that was in their best health and safety interests. Let’s just say for some of the players who have practiced, we’ve made sure they heard the message.”

NFC WEST

SEATTLE

Who is this LB JORDYN BROOKS whom the Seahawks drafted in the first round?  Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com:

While most kids put their head on pillows and dream of NFL stardom, Jordyn Brooks tackled them instead.

Each night before bed, Brooks, then a young boy in Dallas, gathered every pillow inside the small apartment he shared with three siblings and a single mother, lining them up as offensive linemen between the bed and the wall. While wearing his pads, no shirt, Brooks would work through formations, hitting the gaps to make imaginary NFL plays.

“The pillows were his opponents,” said his mother, Lynn, with a laugh. “He did that every day, nonstop.”

That apartment was one of five different homes Brooks lived in as a child, the family just feeling fortunate to have one. His mother scrambled to keep the family afloat, eventually moving it from Dallas to Houston in hopes of a brighter future. Money was tight, but the way Brooks saw it, those pillows would be professional linemen one day.

Brooks might have been the biggest surprise of the first round in April’s NFL draft. The Seattle Seahawks’ top pick at No. 27 overall was not a consensus Day 1 player despite becoming a Butkus Award finalist for outstanding linebacker play at Texas Tech. At least one website that covers the draft even misspelled his name (Jordan instead of Jordyn), which is funny because the hospital attendants did the same thing on his birth records, according to the family.

But Brooks was hardly surprised by his story arc. He realized his football gift early in life, and he decided it would cleanse him of the financial struggles and trust issues that affected him.

“Realizing what we went through, I always told myself this is where I want to be,” said Brooks, 22.

Lynn Brooks found herself with no income, no car and fresh off a separation from Jordyn’s father, who Jordyn says wasn’t always around for his formative years.

She didn’t have a support group, but she had God, praying for unwavering strength for her kids.

“I had to act like it was OK,” she said. “I was going into the room and in the closet and you can’t hear me crying.”

The family turned to Interfaith Family Services, transitional housing to help families in crisis. At the time, Brooks and twin sister Jasmyn were around 7, sister Tiya was 13 and another sister, Brianna, was 17.

Brooks referred to it as a shelter, but Lynn said it was more a mechanism to help families avoid shelters, aiding with job placement and goals of permanent housing after two years.

Brooks recalls sharing a bunk bed with Jasmyn, with a bed for Mom close by and a pull-out couch in the living room. The gates on the unit doors felt like protection from a suspect neighborhood.

– – –

With no car, Lynn would rely on a friend for transportation or take the bus to work. She started with Perot Systems in provider relations, eventually making about $15 per hour.

“It was hard,” said Lynn, who now works in medical case management. “But I was never satisfied with accepting things. I made sure [the kids] made every minute count and always wanted more.”

Brooks estimates the family spent about five years in hardship during his youth, relying on food stamps and a pair of K-Swiss shoes at Payless to get him through a chunk of the school year. Brooks recalls Interfaith taking the kids to Payless twice a year, and it was “sometimes embarrassing” to wear the shoes with the same few outfits, but he understood sacrifices had to be made.

“We could have been living on the street,” Tiya said. “But [our mom] loved us enough to make sure we had a roof. I think that’s another reason why Jordyn remains humble. He remains loyal to his friends, because they’ve been through poverty too.”

—

So the youngest of six kids started plotting his steps: Become a great all-around player so that when high school hits, you’re ready for the scholarship.

This worked well when the family later moved to Houston around 2008. He became a standout running back at Stratford High School. Things slowly got better for the family too, which eventually moved into a house. Lynn had moved there for better job opportunities, a new start.

But Edwards recalls Brooks crying profusely when the family left Dallas. Brooks had found a football home, and the group of coaches “were like his father figures to him in a way,” Edwards said.

Brooks cherished that emotional support. He always had a bond with his real dad in a football sense. His father, West Brooks, played at TCU in 1979 and 1980.

Tiya says West Brooks was in Jordyn’s life, visiting the kids and talking to them on the phone. Jordyn was quiet and immersed in football, and West was a quiet man too, leading to a lack of communication, Lynn said.

– – –

“I’ve had friends in the same situation as me and they didn’t make it to this point,” said Brooks of his trajectory. “I’m not lucky — I’m blessed. So I was going to take advantage.”

Patterson knew Brooks had first-round talent. Questions existed about his pass defense, to be sure. But Tech played Brooks as a quarterback spy for half the season out of necessity, said Patterson, to handle athletic dual-threat passers. That might have pigeonholed him as a run stopper. Patterson says Brooks could have played safety with his athleticism, and Seattle’s Cover-3 defense is perfect for his range.

The Seahawks tried to trade back in the first round, like they always do, but when a deal with Green Bay fell through, they zeroed in on Brooks, the highest player on their board at the time. General manager John Schneider lauded Brooks’ speed for his size, along with his leadership skills and love of football. Patterson had a good talk with a Seahawks national scout in the pre-draft process, and the team came away impressed with Brooks during his combine interview.

“I knew football was a way out, and I loved the game, and I needed to grow at every phase,” Brooks said. “I had that chance at Texas Tech, and I’ll be able to get that in Seattle.”

After a flurry of phone calls on draft night — including one from the game’s best inside linebacker, new teammate Bobby Wagner, who called within minutes of the pick — the magnitude of the moment became clear to Brooks.

His family will be forever changed, with a contract of nearly $12 million over four years on the way. For comparison, last year’s No. 27 pick, safety Johnathan Abram, signed for $11.5 million, including $10.25 million guaranteed and a $6.38 million signing bonus.

But Brooks has to laugh when asked about how he might spend the money. He’s admittedly a “cheap guy,” implementing a needs-based spending plan that prioritizes groceries over eating out.

Since his past has taught him to plan, he knows step one involves a pretty sizable investment.

“I want to get [the family] one big house where they can all live together, not have to worry about bills,” Brooks said.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

WR KENNY STILLS sneers at the $13 million donation of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.  Zach Braziller of the New York Post:

Kenny Stills is no longer a Dolphin, but that hasn’t stopped the wide receiver for taking shots at team owner Stephen Ross.

Ross announced on Friday he will be donating $13 million over four years to his Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality to combat racism, but Stills mocked the move.

“Donation to his non-profit = Tax write off,” tweeted Stills, who is now with the Texans.

Stills and Ross have a history of not seeing eye to eye. He was traded away last season three weeks after he was critical of Ross for supporting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Since Ross is pledging money to the foundation he owns, the tax burden is lightened, as Stills pointed out. But Ross has committed $30 million to the organization since establishing it in 2015.

“Growing up in Detroit, I saw firsthand what racism did to tear apart our community, destroy lives and further inequality. I started RISE based on the belief that our nation must address the scourge of racism directly to achieve true unity,” Ross said in a statement. “Now more than ever, our mission and the need for this work is clear.”

Stills has taken a knee during the national anthem, as a form of peaceful protest against social inequality and police brutality, as many other players have since Colin Kaepernick began the trend in 2016.

Are the tax benefits different if you give to your own non-profit or someone else’s?

NEW ENGLAND

And so the final quarterbacks domino finally falls as QB CAM NEWTON signs with the Patriots.  Newton, the DB seems to remember, has always performed well against New England.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com sees a big payday ahead for Newton:

Even if new Patriots quarterback Cam Newton hits every incentive in his one-year deal (which are all presumably based on playing and playing well), he’ll make $7.5 million. As NFL starting quarterbacks go, that’s peanuts.

But Newton realizes that peanuts now can lead to platinum later, if he plays well and sets the stage for a shot at free agency in 2021 or, at worst, the franchise tag in New England (assuming the contract lets them use it). He could have waited for a starter to get injured in 2020, but plenty of teams who lose their QB1 opt to bump QB2 into the top spot, given that he knows the system better than a stranger.

In New England, Newton will learn the system. If healthy, he should be able to win the starting job. If healthy, the Patriots should be able to win plenty of games.

To put the move in proper perspective, think of it this way: How are Dolphins, Bills, and Jets fans feeling tonight? Not too good.

Patriots fans have to be feeling great. Although the team believes in its system, the man who runs the show is smart enough to know that Newton is better than anyone they had on the roster. Now, he gets a change to earn the starting job, to re-establish himself as a high-end player, to perhaps chase a Super Bowl win, and to position himself to be one of the top free agents available in 2021 — unless he extends his stay in New England indefinitely.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com loves the move’s potential:

In the end, Cam Newton and the New England Patriots made too much sense for each other. In a league in which every other starting quarterback opportunity was full, the Patriots gave the former NFL MVP his only realistic chance of being a Week 1 starter on a competitive team. And while I don’t doubt that the Patriots still believe Jarrett Stidham is capable of being a starter at the NFL level, the chance to acquire the 2015 MVP when the alternatives were Stidham and Brian Hoyer was always going to interest coach Bill Belichick at the right price.

We might never know whether Belichick delayed the timing of the Newton signing to coincide with the news that the Patriots had lost a third-round pick from the latest in their series of league investigations, but by the time we get to September, it won’t matter. New England might have come away with the bargain of the offseason by agreeing to terms with Newton on a one-year deal, reportedly for the league minimum. Newton also can reportedly make up to $7.5 million in incentives, before he would presumably be able to hit the market again under far better circumstances in 2021.

The facts about Newton’s post-MVP career

To start, there’s very little risk here for the Patriots. They have only about $1.8 million in cap room, so depending on how the incentives are structured, they might need to create additional space to get Newton under contract. They can achieve that by extending guard Joe Thuney or cutting someone such as Rex Burkhead, Deatrich Wise Jr. or Jermaine Eluemunor. If Newton gets hurt or isn’t able to beat out Stidham, New England would presumably be out only about $1 million. When you consider that the organization paid Antonio Brown more than $9 million for one game last season, you can see just how little the Patriots have to lose by adding Newton.

Of course, that’s the $7 million question. If we knew that Newton was healthy, there’s little chance he would be available in the market for the league minimum. He hasn’t been healthy for a regular-season snap since the first half of 2018, and with the coronavirus rampaging through America this spring and summer, no team has been able to get Newton in for a workout or a physical. It was going to be impossible for a team to commit to him as its starter on significant money, even if he is a better option than someone like Nick Foles or Gardner Minshew.

The chances of a healthy — or at least much healthier — version of Newton showing up for the Patriots this season are much better than some would suggest. The idea that he hasn’t been a valuable quarterback since his 2015 MVP campaign is a product of selective memory. Let’s take a quick look back through recent history to explain why I’m optimistic.

Newton wasn’t very good in 2016, when an injury-riddled Carolina Panthers team fell from 15-1 to 6-10. His line was beaten up by injuries, and his top wide receiver was Kelvin Benjamin, who is now out of football. The Denver Broncos laid waste to Newton in their Super Bowl rematch in Week 1, and he would eventually miss time with a concussion before returning to the field. He finished 25th in QBR that year at 47.1, falling just below then-Miami Dolphins starter and recently successful reclamation project Ryan Tannehill at 48.6. (If you think Newton was done because of his injury history, consider that Tannehill tore an ACL at the end of that season, did it again the following offseason, missed time with a capsule injury in his shoulder in 2018 and still earned a massive contract after getting a chance to play in 2019.)

In 2017, while Newton didn’t return to his MVP form, he was still a useful quarterback. Despite losing Greg Olsen for most of the season and general manager Dave Gettleman choosing to make a disastrous investment in left tackle Matt Kalil, Newton finished the year 19th in QBR at 51.5. He was effective enough as a passer and runner to lead a Panthers team to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.

In Week 4 of 2017, he delivered one of his most impressive performances of the season. The former Auburn star went 22-of-29 for 316 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while adding 44 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground in beating the Patriots at Foxborough 33-30. Newton won his prior game against the Pats in 2013, as well. His combined line against Belichick has seen him post a passer rating of 128.2, while also carrying the ball 15 times for 106 yards. I don’t think Belichick makes his decision based on two games, but the man knows how difficult a healthy Newton can be to stop.

In the hopes of keeping him healthy and building a more effective offense around the combination of his skills with those of running back Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers made changes during the 2018 offseason. In came Norv Turner, who surprisingly installed a more modern offense than the one Newton ran under Mike Shula. The Panthers used their top two picks on wideouts in DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, although the latter also was injured. Olsen still missed time, and the offensive line was cobbled together as a result of injuries, but there was more around Newton than there had been over the prior three seasons.

Cam Newton threw just 89 passes last season before a foot injury caused him to miss the Panthers’ final 14 games. Carolina released him in March. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Newton played excellent football through the first half of 2018. With Carolina sitting pretty at 6-2 in the NFC South, he was 10th in the league in passer rating (100.8) and 12th in QBR (63.1). Often one of the deepest average passers in football, he was given shorter passes to throw and magically improved his completion percentage to 67.3. The former first overall pick was averaging nearly four touchdowns for every interception and producing nearly 280 yards from scrimmage per game. He was fourth on my midseason MVP ballot that year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Panthers 52-21 in Week 10. Pretty quickly, it became clear that Newton’s right shoulder was a problem. He struggled to make throws with zip over the second half of the season, and while he battled through the injury before eventually sitting out in late December, the Panthers collapsed during the second half. He underwent shoulder surgery after the season.

It’s important to make this distinction, because if you weren’t paying attention to the Panthers last summer and into the preseason, you might have missed an important piece of information. By all accounts, Newton healed from that shoulder injury. One report from camp lauded the return of his deep ball, which had gone missing as a result of the shoulder injury the prior year. He looked to be back on schedule to return as the Panthers’ primary quarterback, and while I’m sure there would have been some growing pains, there was no suggestion that he was still being bothered by his shoulder when the next injury struck.

Newton suffered a Lisfranc injury to his left foot in a preseason loss to Belichick’s Patriots. He sat out the remainder of the preseason before returning for Week 1, but when I watched Newton play against the Los Angeles Rams, I didn’t see a quarterback who was struggling for velocity or arm strength. From how he was moving and how many passes he sailed over his receivers, it was clear he wasn’t comfortable planting his foot. After the issue was even more obvious during a Thursday night loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week, the Panthers shut him down. When the injury didn’t heal with rest, the Panthers placed Newton on injured reserve, ending his season.

While a Lisfranc injury can be disastrous for receivers, it’s not typically a career-impacting injury for quarterbacks. Matt Schaub hit injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury in 2011 and returned to make the Pro Bowl the following season. Taysom Hill suffered a Lisfranc injury in college, and while it cost the BYU quarterback most of his senior year, he has been able to return and move just fine. Newton should be recovered from both the 2018 shoulder surgery and the 2019 foot surgery.

Is it possible Newton has simply taken too many hits and has grown brittle? I suppose, but we have plenty of examples of quarterbacks who suffered multiple serious injuries and were still able to rebuild their career. Tannehill, who is nearly a year older than Newton, comes to mind. Randall Cunningham dealt with an ACL injury in an era in which it was far more career-threatening and came back at 35 to deliver an All-Pro season for the Minnesota Vikings. Steve McNair battled through injury after injury and was a Pro Bowl-caliber passer at age 32 and 33. I don’t know whether Newton will get back to his old self, but it’s premature to write him off.

What could the Patriots’ offense look like?

A healthy Newton has to be considered the favorite to win the starting quarterback job in New England. Stidham was about to become the second player in league history taken after pick No. 100 to start for his team in Week 1 of his second season after not starting as a rookie. While the Patriots were optimistic enough about Stidham’s chances to avoid making a more significant move before now, the most we can say about the 2018 fourth-rounder is that he represented something totally unknown.

Before the Newton signing, there was already evidence that the Patriots were going to change their offense. Even the most optimistic Patriots fan couldn’t suggest that Stidham was going to be Tom Brady. He wasn’t going to have Brady’s accuracy, experience reading defenses or ability to avoid turnovers. That was never going to happen.

What the Patriots did this offseason, instead, was build around a more run-heavy attack. They put the franchise tag on Thuney, meaning that the Pats are set to spend nearly $28 million on guards this season, $6.5 million more than any other team. They got back David Andrews after their starting center missed the entire season with a pulmonary embolism; signed fullback Danny Vitale to replace the retiring James Develin; and then used a pair of third-round picks on tight ends Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi, both of whom are regarded as plus blockers.

With Stidham, this offense would have likely looked something akin to a modern version of the attack the Patriots ran in 2001, when they had something closer to a 50/50 run/pass split. Brady’s job was to convert friendly third downs and protect the football. It worked: The Patriots were 11th in offensive DVOA and won a Super Bowl with a defense that was only 13th in DVOA. The 2020 Patriots should be much better than that on defense. That formula was going to be competitive with the Buffalo Bills for a division title even before adding Newton.

If Newton does win the job, the Patriots probably will build something closer to the offense he was working under during his time with Turner in Carolina. With the Panthers trying to get the ball out of Newton’s hands quicker, the concerns about accuracy and efficiency that might have otherwise made him and the Patriots seem like a bad fit went away. Newton had just four interceptions and four fumbles over the first half of the 2018 campaign. That’s an outlier given the rest of his career, but it’s also the only time Carolina didn’t have a healthy Newton in an offense when the Panthers were expecting him to average 10 air yards per pass attempt.

You could also see the Patriots borrow concepts that have worked elsewhere. It wouldn’t be shocking if they were to steal some ideas out of the Greg Roman playbook for Lamar Jackson and use heavy doses of motion to manipulate teams and create opportunities for Newton as a runner. New England has always been aggressive with trying to stay ahead of the offensive curve and attempting to build its offense around what is undervalued. In 2007, the team traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker and incorporated a spread attack. Three years later, it drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and the offense shifted into becoming 12 personnel. When Chip Kelly took hold with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots were one of the first teams to really emphasize pace and tempo, even before Kelly joined the league. The Baltimore Ravens might have beaten the Patriots to the punch, but Belichick isn’t going to write off the league’s most effective offense as a gimmick.

What it all comes back to for me is this: When the Patriots haven’t been able to simply blow past teams with talent like they could in 2007, their core offensive concept has been versatility. Because they’ve had Gronkowski, Develin, Julian Edelman and a variety of versatile running backs, the Patriots have always been able to create a mismatch. They could go three- or four-wide and still have the blocking ability to run the football effectively. When they sent out 22 personnel and made it look like they were going to run the ball, they had the athletes to motion out or work off of play action and beat an opponent’s base defense in the passing game. It’s how the Patriots won their last Super Bowl.

Last year, with Gronkowski retired, Develin injured and a replacement-level group of tight ends, the Patriots didn’t have that ability to disguise their intentions with their personnel or the flexibility to shift from one concept to the other. They might have wanted to run the ball more effectively, but when Sony Michel was in the game, they ran it 67% of the time; only two players (who played 300 offensive snaps or more) were better indicators of whether their team was going to run the ball, and one of them was Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard. When James White came in, the Pats threw the ball 81.8% of the time; only three other players were a more obvious tell. New England suffered both running and throwing the football.

Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, could now be the successor to Tom Brady, who signed with the Bucs this offseason. Logan Bowles via AP

The Patriots didn’t get Gronkowski back this offseason, but by replenishing at fullback and tight end, they were able to restore some semblance of versatility. By adding Newton to replace Brady, they’ve upgraded that versatility and added uncertainty at the one position where they didn’t have it during the Gronkowski era. They were fine without Brady as a run threat given everything else he could bring to the table; but if Newton is healthy, he can give them a runner who can barrel through undersized boxes out of 10 or 11 personnel or someone who can take advantage as a passer when teams load up the box to stop the run. In that sense, he is less a replacement for Brady and more a replacement for Gronkowski.

The grade: A-minus

Having said all that, while the Patriots aren’t incurring much financial risk by signing Newton, there is an opportunity cost that drops this grade ever so slightly. Naturally, there’s a chance he fails his physical, which would render this whole thing a waste of time while simultaneously jabbing at Stidham’s confidence. If Newton stays healthy enough to soak up the majority of the preseason reps with the ones and then suffers a season-ending injury in Week 2, the Patriots will have wasted their time when Stidham could have desperately used those snaps.

Even if Newton does stay on the field and plays well enough to start, there’s a chance this doesn’t move the needle for the Patriots. If Newton is the 24th-best quarterback in football, they will probably go 9-7 and not be good enough to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, and they will likely move on from Newton after the season without having found their long-term quarterback. They would then enter next year with the same questions about Stidham and their future at the position, only with Stidham a year closer to free agency and the market much less likely to bear starting options.

In that dream scenario in which Newton stays healthy and the Patriots compete for a Super Bowl, there’s still some modest downside for the team. They were unable to convince Newton to sign a multiyear deal or get any sort of option on him for 2021 if he excels as the starter. It’s unclear whether the Pats will have the right to franchise him after the season if he does return to form. They’ll be able to afford a tag for him, given that the Pats are projected with more than $86 million in cap space, but if his camp negotiated a tag refusal as part of this deal, the Patriots won’t have a lot of leverage in re-signing him.

This is an obviously smart move for the Patriots, even if it doesn’t work out. Merely having Newton on their roster when he could have served as a high-upside backup for such rivals as the Bills, Ravens, Steelers, Chiefs and Tennessee Titans would have been worth what the Patriots are paying him. For the Patriots to add a starter with Newton’s upside this late in the process is almost a cliché. This has a strong case to become the best free-agent signing of the offseason.

The DB can think of quite a few teams for whom a healthy Newton would be an upgrade – possible playoff contenders like the Bills, Bears, Browns and Broncos to name four that start with B.  They sat and passed – as did the Redskins and Jaguars.  The Colts and Buccaneers chose other veteran QBs.  Have the Patriots hit a home run or is Newton damaged goods?

– – –

After over a year and a half of investigation, the NFL concludes that the Patriots were indeed up to something in their strange fixation with the sidelines of the Bengals.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

The NFL fined the New England Patriots $1.1 million and took away a third-round pick in the 2021 draft among punishments for their television crew’s filming the field and sideline during a Dec. 8 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

In addition, the Patriots’ television production crews will not be allowed to shoot any games during the 2020 season, and senior club officials will undergo required training on league operation and game policies.

NFL spokesperson Michael Signora confirmed the punishments Sunday night after ESPN broke the news.

The NFL also banned David Mondillo, who was suspended by the Patriots at the time of the NFL investigation, from NFL facilities until further notice. Before the league’s discipline, Mondillo was terminated by the Patriots.

The Patriots admitted that their production crew inappropriately filmed the field and sideline. The crew was credentialed by the Browns to shoot video for a Patriots web series called “Do Your Job,” but the Patriots did not inform the Bengals or the NFL, which the Patriots called an “unintended oversight.”

“The sole purpose of the filming was to provide an illustration of an advance scout at work on the road,” a Patriots statement said at the time. “There was no intention of using footage for any other purpose.”

The Patriots also said the production crew, which included independent contractors who shot the video, is not part of New England’s football operation.

A Patriots spokesperson confirmed the team won’t contest the penalties.

So hard to grasp the Patriots doing this intentionally for the Bengals (with no sign they had done it for other, better teams).  Either we don’t know something about other illicit activities or this was a case where New England got dinged for past suspicions where a team with a cleaner reputation might have escaped.

THIS AND THAT

KAEP

Are teams really interested in Colin Kaepernick?  Maybe.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com with Sunday’s update.

The dance continues. Even if the footwork and the music rarely if ever match.

NFL Media, owned and operated by the NFL, reported last week that multiple teams are interested in quarterback Colin Kaepernick. PFT reported in response that such interest has not resulted in any team contacting Kaepernick or his representatives.

Then, NFL Media reported that teams have contacted “friends and associates” of Kaepernick, and that they’ll contact his agent when they “get to the point where they’re confident enough that they think they can work out a contract.”

Frankly, that makes no sense. Teams who have interest in a free agent don’t talk only to the “friends and associates” of the player while deferring any conversations with the agent until they “get to the point where they’re confident enough that they think they can work out a contract.” Teams who have interest in a player talk to the player or his agent. They first find out if the interest is mutual. They find out whether the player is willing to work out for the team. They find out what the player is looking for, by way of role.

They also find out how much money the player wants. Indeed, how can any team “get to the point where they’re confident enough that they think they can work out a contract” without (wait for it) talking to the player’s agent?

Beyond the fact that it makes no sense to talk to “friends and associates” without talking to, you know, the player and his agents, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Kaepernick and his representatives have no idea who these “friends and associates” are.

Meanwhile, there continues to be no evidence or suggestion that anyone has or plans to pick up the phone and contact Kaepernick or his representatives. Until that happens, Kaepernick’s status will be no different than it has been since he became a free agent in March 2017. And the NFL and its teams will continue to move the goalposts, to peddle the false narratives, and/or to try to run out the clock, either until Kaepernick is too old to play or fans and media members calling for him to return to the league move on to a new topic.

BROADCAST NEWS

Joe Browne, writing for vacationing Peter King, tells the tale of how the Cowboys ended up in the same division with the Giants – by a random selection that is still the face of the NFL 50 years later:

In early January, the 13 clubs needed to get the new NFC divisions decided before a Feb. 1 deadline, which was spelled out in the 1966 merger agreement.

Pete called an alignment meeting of the 13 NFC clubs on the day before Super Bowl IV in New Orleans. It was not a good idea. Several of the club executives appeared more interested in reservations for breakfast at Brennan’s or dinner at Galatoire’s than working out the thorny football details. The original AFL owners, who earlier had dubbed themselves “The Foolish Club” for daring to take on the NFL, were snickering: Who looks foolish now? The old-line NFL owners couldn’t even decide which divisions they would be in.

Pete was embarrassed. He told the NFC owners that afternoon before they left for Bourbon Street that they were going to meet again in New York the following week after the Super Bowl. He was not going to let them home until we had the new alignment.

Representatives from all 13 NFC teams flew to New York and started meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 14. While there was more discussion, there still was no agreement. Pete recessed the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Several of the owners had dinner that night at the 21 Club or Toots Shor’s, the local sports hangout.

On Thursday, the meeting started early and lasted until late evening with no resolution. Rozelle told the owners to get some sleep because on Friday he was going to have them meet all day and night in The Fish Room until a decision was reached. The largest conference room in our NFL offices was commonly known as “The Fish Room” because a large marlin had been mounted there a year earlier courtesy of one of Pete’s deep-sea fishing expeditions. It must have been a unique setting among corporate offices on Park Avenue because I could not picture IBM or Xerox having a marlin hanging in its wood-paneled conference room during annual board meetings.

Rozelle decided to take a different approach on Friday, Jan. 16. He believed some owners had talked so much that even they didn’t know what division they wanted. He had received enough feedback during this entire process that he knew the rivalries that were critical to each owner and those which were secondary. That morning, Pete told the clubs that the 49ers, who via the merger agreement had a veto right to any alignment plan they did not like, had agreed to respect Pete’s authority to force an alignment. Pete then recessed the meeting for 20 minutes. He had a chalkboard that contained five different alignment scenarios labeled 1 through 5 wheeled into The Fish Room.  Pete gave it one last shot. If there were no consensus on any one plan, he would draw the number of the winning alignment out of a hat and they all could go to the airport. Fifty years ago, hardly any owner had a private plane, or a yacht for that matter. They flew on commercial jets and ate peanuts just like the rest of us.

The owners accepted this game-plan because they had become as tired of the arguments as Pete. In addition, it was Friday and they wanted to get out of town. Several had been on the road since the pre-Super Bowl activities in New Orleans the previous week.

When the recess was over, Pete unveiled the board and the owners viewed the possibilities. Some got up and moved to the front of the room to see the board close-up. Others sat back in their chairs and looked at the combinations. Most were resigned to the fact that regardless of which plan was selected they would only get a slice of what they had been fighting for all these months.

Original NFL alignment plan (Cowboys highlighted)

Plan 1:

East: NYG, PHI, WSH, ATL, MIN

Central: GB, CHI, DET, STL

West: SF, LA, DAL, NO

Plan 2:

East: NYG, WSH, PHI, MIN

Central: DAL, NO, ATL, STL

West: SF, LA, CHI, GB, DET

Plan 3

East: NYG, WSH, PHI, DAL, STL

Central: CHI, GB, DET, MIN

West: SF, LA, ATL, NO

Plan 4:

East: NYG, WSH, PHI, MIN, STL

Central: CHI, GB, DET, ATL

West: SF, LA, DAL, NO

Plan 5:

East: NYG, WSH, PHI, MIN, DET

Central: CHI, GB, DAL, STL

West:: SF, LA, ATL, NO

THELMA ENTERS STAGE LEFT

Quietly, as was his style,  Pete was ending the months-long drama. After I rolled the chalk board into the room—who did you think did it? George Halas?—I lingered in the back for this historic moment. The commissioner told me to ask Thelma Elkjer, his secretary, to enter the room. She was known to many of the owners since she had worked with Rozelle when both were employed by the Rams in the ‘50s. She moved East when Pete was named commissioner in 1960. She would be the one to break the deadlock by blindly picking one of the slips of paper. The owners trusted her.

Finally, the big moment arrived. Thelma entered the room, but quickly left to get an empty flower vase to hold the five pieces of paper. Pete had shown the numbered slips to a couple of the owners to confirm that there were five different numbers which corresponded to those on the board. He didn’t want an upset owner to subsequently accuse him of having the five slips all contain the identical number which would reflect Pete’s own preferred alignment of teams. (That’s a trick they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School!) At this juncture, the only two Americans the owners trusted were President Richard Nixon (pre-Watergate)  and Thelma.

Without even a drumroll, Thelma reached in, pulled out a slip and announced that the winning plan was number 3. Owners squinted at the chalkboard to see where their teams were in Plan 3.

Tex Schramm let out a little cheer and smiled at Cowboys owner Clint Murchison who was beside him. Plan 3 was the ONLY combination that had the Cowboys in the same division as the Giants, Redskins and Eagles. Schramm, the former public relations and television executive, knew the added exposure his team received by playing teams in those three large markets twice a year. The Cowboys since their inception had played most seasons (but not all) with those three teams in their division. They made it clear they did not want to lose those rivalries. Despite the odds stacked against them, they got their way at the end. (Did I mention that Thelma worked alongside Tex when both were with the Rams in the 50s? Strictly coincidental, Cowboys Haters.)

A couple of the NFC Central teams mumbled their discontent because the combination of Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota meant they would not get that much-desired, warm weather break toward the season’s end. Little did they know that half of those teams would be playing in cozy domes just a few years down the road and that expansion Tampa Bay would join their division later that decade. However, everyone in the room was relieved that pro football’s long nightmare was over! They adopted the plan and rushed to the exits.

Ms. Thelma, who died in 2000 after moving back to California to work in Pete Rozelle’s retirement office in Rancho Santa Fe, did such a good job by selecting number 3 that the basic alignment lasted more than three decades. Even when the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002, many of those traditional rivalries were maintained.