The Daily Briefing Thursday, August 11, 2022

Even as the NFL frustrates defenses by emphasizing illegal contact penalties in 2022, there may be some relief from phantom roughing the passer penalties.  Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com:

The NFL is yet again cracking down on roughing the passer calls this 2022 season. Except, this time, it should result in fewer roughing calls.

The league’s officiating department, in consultation with the competition committee, will ease off some of the roughing calls that have caused many of us watching to say, “What was the defender supposed to do?!”

While “forcible” contact to the head or legs of the quarterback will still be properly ruled as roughing the passer, the incidental contact to the passer should not draw a flag, according to documents provided by the NFL. Walt Anderson, the NFL’s SVP and head of officiating training and development, has instructed his officials of these new rules throughout the offseason, and officials are explaining the rule clarifications to coaches and teams during training camp this preseason.

Since 2011, any movement of the quarterback’s head caused by contact by a defender would be ruled a foul. Upon review this offseason, the NFL didn’t feel there was a safety issue with just any contact to a quarterback’s head. When a pass rusher tries to “match” the quarterback’s hand when attempting to block or bat a pass, the potential incidental contact to the QB’s head or neck won’t be flagged for roughing. But if the defender uses a “violent, swinging or thrusting” motion with his arms, that will still be flagged.

As far as the low hits go, the competition committee found that defenders who are either blocked into the quarterback’s legs or who swipe or grab at the quarterback’s lower body while on the ground should not be flagged because that’s not “forcible” contact.

The NFL has reasoned that defenders who are on the ground must have some means to be able to non-forcibly reach out and attempt to make a play on the quarterback who’s still in the pocket.

Last year, the NFL saw a record 149 roughing the passer calls. Of course, last season was the first year of 17 regular season games, but the average of roughing calls per regular season week in 2021 was still the highest it’s ever been in NFL history. The league saw 8.76 roughing penalties per week in 2021. That’s compared to 7.63/week in 2020 and 8.38/week in 2019, which had previously been the record.

It hasn’t always been like this. In 2016, the league threw just 5.31 roughing flags per week, but it began climbing steadily from there. Roughing the passer got its day (and weeks) in the headlines at the start of the 2018 season.

Recall the “bodyweight” portion of the roughing call that dominated the news cycle in the first month of the 2018 season. Through the first 4 games of that season, the number of roughing calls nearly doubled (38) from the previous season (21) in the same four-game timespan.

Defenders adjusted. Officials relaxed a bit. The story went away. But the 2021 season — very quietly — saw the most roughing calls ever.

Yes, it’s a quarterback-driven league. And this year promises to deliver as many offensive fireworks as ever before, especially with a QB-loaded AFC.

And while the league braces to throw more flags this year for illegal contact that will surely result in many more first downs for offenses, there’s another rule adjustment that quarterbacks won’t love. The ole tightrope-the-sideline for a couple more yards will become more of a business decision for QBs this season.

The league’s officiating department has sent out training videos to teams warning (mostly) quarterbacks that when they try to eke out a few extra yards along the sideline and get hit just as their foot begins to hover out of bounds, that won’t be flagged for unnecessary roughness. The competition committee has recommended that officials focus more on “second acts” by defenders that take place immediately after the ball carrier steps out of bounds.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Today’s update on LB ROQUAN SMITH from Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

The Chicago Bears removed linebacker Roquan Smith from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Wednesday, the team announced.

The news comes one day after Smith, 25, said in a written statement that he has requested a trade after contract negotiations between the linebacker and team reached an impasse.

Smith reported to training camp on July 26 without a new contract and was expected to hold in until he and the Bears reached an agreement. The former first-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal where he is set to earn $9.7 million.

Smith participated in the entire Bears offseason workout program this spring while waiting for a new contract and did not appear to suffer an injury at any point. The linebacker has been present for all 12 training camp practices, often seen riding a stationary bike and doing rehab exercises near the team’s weight room.

NFL teams are mandated by the collective bargaining agreement to pay players their full salary while on the PUP list. The Bears are able to fine Smith $40,000 per day if he skips practice. Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf and San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel both held in at training camp for several days while waiting on new contracts but were not fined by their respective organizations.

DETROIT

The Lions have re-issued the uniform number of QB MATTHEW STAFFORD.  The guy who got it is likely to be pretty good as well at another position.  Eric Woodyard ofCBSSports.com:

The newest No. 9 for the Detroit Lions is expected to be a lot faster than the old one in the Motor City.

Lions rookie receiver Jameson Williams has officially switched his jersey to No. 9 — Matthew Stafford’s old Detroit number. He shared an image of the uniform on his Instagram account.

Williams originally agreed to wear No. 18 as a nod to Lions great Calvin Johnson, who wore No. 81, by flipping it, but was looking for a single-digit number instead. He reached out to Stafford on his own via text as a courtesy, according to a source.

Stafford didn’t have any issues, the source confirmed. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback wore No. 9 for a dozen seasons in Detroit, where he set numerous franchise records before being traded for Jared Goff and then winning the Super Bowl this past season.

There is no specific timetable on Williams’ return as he recovers from a torn ACL in January during the collegiate national championship game for Alabama. However, the rookie has been in attendance during training camp with a football ever present in his hands. The Lions are being cautious about his return.

“I mean, absolutely — we want get him out there as fast as possible, and is it crucial,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of Williams during minicamp. “It is crucial, but not until he get his strength up. He needs a lot of strength development in that body, his lower extremities — legs, knees, everything. So, until he’s able to stabilize himself, and really get some strength that we feel good about to where he can protect himself … protect that knee, and he can compete, and compete at a high level, we’re not going to put him out there.”

GREEN BAY

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com on how the Packers are going about replacing WR DAVANTE ADAMS:

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been talking up Allen Lazard as the new No. 1 receiver, and it wouldn’t be the first time Rodgers helped a guy lower on the depth chart move into a top wideout role. LaFleur has always called Lazard “the enforcer” on the field because of his physicality and his ability and willingness to block. The Packers think he’s ready for more.

“I think absolutely. I mean, ready or not, here we come with him,” LaFleur said. “But I’ve got a ton of confidence in him. He’s been playing at a really high level for us, he wears a lot of hats. He is the enforcer, but now we’ve got another guy that can block in Sammy Watkins, who’s one of the better blockers in the league. And then those young guys are getting after it too. We feel good about the group. It’s just going to be collectively how they grow and build that rapport with Aaron.”

For the record, one of the young guys — second-round rookie Christian Watson — has been out of camp with a right knee injury. The Packers hope to have him back on the field within another week, and fourth-round rookie Romeo Doubs has drawn praise from the coaches as well as from Rodgers himself. The Packers like their group of receivers, but the main question they might need a portion of the regular season to figure out is who becomes Rodgers’ Mr. Reliable on third down and in the red zone, where he and Adams had such an outstanding connection.

MINNESOTA

QB KIRK COUSINS talks to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com about all the voices in his head:

Yes, quarterback Kirk Cousins knows new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell from the time they overlapped in Washington. It’s still a new voice in Cousins’ ear calling plays, though, which is really what he’s used to.

“Systemwise, it’s been only maybe three. But playcaller — the voice in my helmet, the person leading the room, it’s been I think seven in seven years,” Cousins told me. “It’s hard for me to keep it straight. I think I’ve had eight in my career and seven in seven years. I’ve been with some good ones, and the system hasn’t changed dramatically. But having a different voice in your helmet, a different person leading the room, you wish that wasn’t the case. You wish you had one guy your whole career.”

O’Connell was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach in Cousins’ final year in Washington in 2017. And of course, O’Connell was an assistant to Rams coach Sean McVay, who was with Cousins in Washington prior to that. Cousins knows the basics of the new system, but it has naturally evolved over the past four years as the league has tried to adjust to it. There is a lot for him to learn this camp.

“It’s about retraining your brain and your footwork and your mind to how we want things done right now,” Cousins said. “So I’m in the process of doing that, and there are some growing pains with that, where you don’t feel like you’re an 11-year veteran because you’re trying to relearn everything. But it’s been a part of the process of a lot of change.”

All of that said, the vibe around Cousins and the Vikings is good. O’Connell and new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have lightened the mood and players seem refreshed, physically as well as mentally. New defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who came over from Buffalo, said O’Connell does a good job investing the players in the reasons for his decisions about how practices are run.

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

WR DaVONTA SMITH has been out for nearly a week.  TheRedZone.org:

Second-year Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has missed five straight practices with a a groin injury according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com.

Coach Nick Sirianni says Smith remains “day to day,” but we figured it’s at least worth noting now that Smith has been sidelined for close to a week. We shouldn’t expect to see Smith in the Eagles’ preseason opener this week. After leading the Eagles with 104 targets as a rookie last season, Smith will take a distant back seat to new alpha WR1 A.J. Brown in 2022.

WASHINGTON

Ron Rivera fired a longtime compadre, his defensive line coach Sam Mills III, this week. Sam Fortier of the Washington Post:

The Washington Commanders fired defensive line coach Sam Mills III on Tuesday morning, Coach Ron Rivera announced. The timing was surprising — Rivera had never fired a coach during training camp — and Rivera said he made the decision not because of the defensive line’s underperformance last season but because of what he saw during the offseason and training camp.

“There was a little bit of difference in the philosophy,” he said, declining to offer specifics. “[This was because of] something that I’ve observed, and [I] just felt that this … needed to be done.”

Jeff Zgonina, the team’s assistant defensive line coach since 2020, was promoted to replace Mills.

In Mills’s two full seasons, the star-studded line did not live up to expectations. Injuries and a lack of discipline hurt the unit, and early last season Rivera criticized star ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat for not playing their assignments consistently as the line struggled to generate pressure and contain opposing quarterbacks.

Over the weekend, Rivera excused Mills from practice so he could go to Canton, Ohio, for his father’s posthumous enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Monday, Mills returned and coached his group. The next day, Rivera fired him before the team’s 9 a.m. practice.

Rivera said he did not consult the players before he made the decision. He said it was “very difficult, very difficult” to fire Mills, who spent the first 15 years of his career with the Carolina Panthers and worked on Rivera’s staff in Carolina from 2011 to 2019. Mills was among Rivera’s first hires with Washington in January 2020.

Shortly after Rivera was hired, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio changed Washington’s scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3. This meant the defensive line switched techniques, employing a more aggressive, upfield style. Some players disagreed about which approach was better and that created friction, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.

In 2021, the line underperformed, the players remained divided, and Mills struggled to control the room, two people said. The tension boiled over in December. In the second quarter of a blowout loss at Dallas, Mills told Daron Payne to come off the field for Tim Settle but Payne refused, two people said. Later, on the sideline, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen criticized Payne, Payne poked Allen, and Allen swung at Payne — even though Mills had put his arm between them.

Early in the offseason, when Rivera met with each of his coaches, he told Mills he needed more from the line, one person said. Washington also changed personnel — Matt Ioannidis and Settle out, second-round pick Phidarian Mathis in — but by early August, it still wasn’t enough. Rivera decided to make one more change ahead of his crucial third year.

After speaking with Mills, Rivera met with Zgonina, then the linemen. After six years in Washington, Allen said “there [are] very few things that can surprise me,” but the timing of Mills’s firing was one of them. He said he had “no idea” it was coming.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Some thoughts from Coach Matt Rhule about QB BAKER MAYFIELD, including his past relationship and recommendations in questioning from Joseph Person of The Athletic:

Did you have a moment in camp where you saw Baker do something and thought, he gets it?

I knew him in college. So I kinda knew what I was getting. He’s an alpha type of a guy.

Did the Baylor-Oklahoma game (where Mayfield trash-talked Baylor players before an Oklahoma win) piss you off in the moment?

Oh, yeah, in the moment. Plus, we were 0-3 and we’d lost to Liberty and whoever else, so we weren’t in a very good spot. But there’s certain guys in life, you hate ‘em when they’re on someone else’s team. But you love ‘em when they’re on yours.

Did that taint your view of him for a while? Did you have to call (former Oklahoma coach) Lincoln Riley and say, I’m not sure how I feel about this guy?

That didn’t really affect me too much because I was like, you know what, to the victor belongs the spoils. When you’re undefeated, you get to do what you want. One thing I’ve learned is when we go to get a free agent or someone from the outside, I love talking to someone who’s coached them. I like getting that unbiased view. So we tried to do that with a lot of different guys we brought in. It was really important to us this year to bring in the right veteran players.

What was the most memorable thing you were told about Baker?

Lincoln was like: “Matt, I know you. He fits the way you want to play. He’s your kind of guy. He’s gonna be a leader and a tough guy.” That was important to me. Any time you bring someone into a competition, they have to be someone that loves competition. If you bring in someone to battle for a spot and they’re entitled and they don’t like to compete, then it’s gonna be a negative for the team. But the biggest compliment I can give both guys right now is they’ve enjoyed the competition. That’s what feeds their soul. You see that from them every day. They support each other at not even a fake level, but a high level. That’s what people told me about Baker, that he would be a competitor and not someone that expected things to be handed to him.

TAMPA BAY

While QB TOM BRADY has had a heavy workload when he practices, he is also getting some time off.  Greg Auman of The Athletic:

@gregauman

So Brady had a veteran day last Wednesday, team off Thursday, excused Friday, practiced Saturday and Sunday, team off Monday, practiced Tuesday and Wednesday, excused today. He’s practiced in three of the last six practices.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com it looks like RB JAMES CONNOR will get plenty of opportunities in the passing game:

When I caught up with coach Kliff Kingsbury about his offense, one of the first things he mentioned was James Conner’s great hands. I had asked him about Conner’s one-handed catch off a screen pass on the first day of camp, which is hardly Conner’s first one-hander. He used to do it all the time in Pittsburgh.

Conner spent years sharing the workload with the Steelers and fighting injury, leading to a one-year flier contract with Arizona in 2021. He parlayed that into 18 touchdowns, a Pro Bowl berth and a $21 million contract. And it wouldn’t shock if Conner greatly eclipsed his output of 37 catches from a season ago — especially with former backfield mate Chase Edmonds signing in Miami.

“Any time James touches the ball down there you felt good about him having the opportunity to get in [for a touchdown],” Kingsbury said.

Conner just wants one thing, he says: “touches.” And he doesn’t care how he gets them.

SAN FRANCISCO

Coach Kyle Shanahan is not amused that the NFL is severely restricting his choice of sideline hat.  John Breech of CBSSports.com:

It’s not often you hear an NFL coach openly complain about an NFL rule, but that’s exactly what 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan did during a recent radio interview in San Francisco.

Apparently, Shanahan isn’t happy with the fact that the league is allowed to limit what a coach can wear on the sideline. During an interview with KNBR, the 49ers coach, who is known for wearing a flat-brimmed hat during games, was asked which hat he was going to wear this season and that’s when we learned that the hat thing is kind of a sensitive subject right now for Shanahan.

“I have such beef with [the league] right now,” Shanahan said. “It’s a tough issue going on. They won’t let me pick out my own one. They won’t let me wear any one that’s from a different year, so I can’t wear an older one.”

Shanahan hasn’t always worn a hat on the sideline, but that changed in 2019 when he actually worked with New Era to design a hat. As a matter of fact, the hat was called the “Scarlet Shanahan Square Trucker Snapback Adjustable Hat.”

The red hat, which was sometimes mocked by non-49ers fans, became an instant hit in San Francisco and that’s mostly because the 49ers went to the Super Bowl during the first season where he wore it.

Under league rules, Shanahan isn’t allowed to wear a hat from a previous year, which means he can’t wear his old hat. Instead, he has to wear one that was designed this year, and from the sound of it, he’s definitely not thrilled with that.

“I’ve got to wear the new ones that they give this year and unfortunately, there’s none I like wearing,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, we can figure it out or wait until Salute to Service.”

After listening to Shanahan rant about the league’s clothing rule, the hosts asked a follow-up question and that’s when the 49ers coach realized that he should probably stop complaining or it might cost him.

“I don’t want to go too hard and get fined or anything, but trust me, I’m upset about it,” Shanahan said.

Amazingly, this isn’t the first time a 49ers coach has had an issue with the league about sideline apparel. Back in 2005, former 49ers coach Mike Nolan wanted to wear a suit on the sideline to honor his dad, Dick Nolan, who had coached the 49ers from 1968 to 1975. At first, the NFL said no way, but eventually, the league softened its stance and Nolan was allowed to wear a suit for each 49ers home game in 2007 (He also wore the suit for two games in 2006).

AFC WEST

DENVER

The new CEO of the Broncos is quiet on the subject of a contract extension for QB RUSSELL WILSON:

Earlier this year, the Broncos traded for quarterback Russell Wilson. Unlike Deshaun Watson, Wilson didn’t get a new contract in his way through the door.

On Thursday, new CEO Greg Penner (son-in-law of primary owner Rob Walton) was asked about plans for a long-term deal with Wilson.

“First of all, we couldn’t have been more excited as we were going through the process to see that the organization had made the trade for Russell,” Penner told reporters. “It’s critical to have a great quarterback in this league and coming in this organization with Russell in place is a tremendous benefit for us. On our first diligence trip in May here, one of the first people we ran into the hallway when Rob [Walton], Carrie [Walton Penner], and I were here was Russell. Right away, we got a sense of how positive he is as a leader. He is just such a dynamic individual. I can’t wait to see him on the field. I don’t know how much we will see of him on the field on Saturday, but we are looking forward to it. At this point, nothing to say about his contract.”

Wilson has two years left on his existing contract. He typically gets a new deal with one season remaining.

The Broncos, by giving up so much to get him, obviously have welcomed the reality of giving him a major deal. The biggest question is whether he’ll squeeze a fully-guaranteed deal from an ownership that can sneeze $200 million or so into escrow, for the purposes of complying with the league’s outdated funding rule.

But here’s the bottom line. The longer they wait, the more expensive it will be to sign him. The cap keeps going up. The market keeps going up. And Wilson’s price will keep going up.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com reminds us of Baltimore’s long run of astonishing preseason success:

The Ravens head into tonight’s preseason game against the Titans on an unprecedented winning streak: Baltimore has won 20 consecutive preseason games, the longest streak in NFL history.

Baltimore hasn’t lost a preseason game since 2015, and last year the Ravens broke the all-time record for consecutive preseason wins, a record that had previously stood at 19 straight by Vince Lombardi’s Packers from 1959 to 1962.

The Packers’ streak was broken in a loss to a college all-star team (yes, NFL teams used to play against college all-star teams in the preseason), and the Packers then went on to win four more consecutive preseason games against NFL teams, so those Packers still have the record for most preseason wins against NFL teams at 23. If the Ravens go 3-0 in this preseason, they’ll match that record.

The preseason is meaningless, so perhaps no one should even care about this record, but Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said last year that he and his teammates do care.

“We want to win at the end of the day,” Jackson said last year. “I don’t care if it’s preseason. We compete against each other in practice. We want to win. It’s good to just keep winning.”

The Ravens will try to keep winning tonight, and make it 21 in a row.

Even if you think the chances of winning any particular preseason game are 75% – the chances of winning 20 straight games are about .0032 or .3%.

CINCINNATI

A problem in Cincinnati as S JESSIE BATES continues out of camp.  Joel Corry explores the franchise player’s options:

And then there was one. Bengals safety Jessie Bates became the only NFL player skipping training camp when Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed his $16.662 million franchise player tender last week.

The Bengals and Bates were unable to reach an agreement before the July 15 deadline for franchise players to sign multiyear contracts. By NFL collective bargaining agreement rules, the Bengals are prohibited from signing Bates long term until Jan. 9, a day after the 2022 regular season ends.

As an unsigned franchise player, Bates isn’t subject to the CBA-mandated fine of $50,000 for each day of training camp missed. This financial penalty doesn’t apply to unsigned draft picks, and players with restricted free agent, transition or franchise tenders who aren’t under contract, like Bates, who skip training camp altogether or come late. Attendance isn’t required because of the absence of a signed contract. Unsigned players aren’t withholding services they are contractually obligated to perform.

Bates missing training camp isn’t a surprise. During the offseason, there were reports that Bates had no intention of playing under his $12.911 million franchise tag. Boycotting training camp is the first step in that direction.

It is a rarity for franchise players to miss the entire season. The last time it happened before Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell in 2018 was with Chiefs defensive lineman Dan Williams in 1998. Bell sat out after receiving a franchise tender for a second straight year. He recently expressed some regrets about how he handled his situation in 2018.

Based on Bates’ $12.911 million franchise tender, he would be forfeiting $717,278 of salary for each week of the 18-week regular season he missed. The Bengals would get immediate salary cap relief for each week Bates missed since his full franchise tag is counting on Cincinnati’s books, although he is unsigned.

The deadline for Bates to sign is 4 p.m. ET on the Tuesday after Week 10’s games, which is Nov. 15. Bates would be prohibited from playing during the 2022 season if still unsigned after this date.

Bell was in a different place financially than Bates because of playing the 2017 season on a $12.12 million franchise tag. Bates’ $12.911 million franchise tag, his first, is more than twice as much what he made from his four-year rookie contract that expired after the 2021 season. Bates’ career earnings to date from his NFL player contract are just over $6.225 million.

Some unsigned franchise players have missed part or most of training camp and the preseason partially to protest not getting a long-term deal by the mid-July deadline and to try to minimize the risk of a serious injury. Among the franchise players who have gone this route are Bell in 2017 and fellow safeties Eric Berry and Jairus Byrd. Bell didn’t sign his franchise tender until Labor Day 2017. Berry didn’t report to the Chiefs until the end of August 2016. Byrd showed up to the Bills during the latter part of August 2013.

Bates is allowed to negotiate his one-year salary with the Bengals and other conditions relating to his franchise player status. It would be unprecedented for a franchise player to get more than his tag amount on a one-year deal. 

Bates could insist on a clause that would prohibit the Bengals from using a franchise or transition designation on him in 2022 (i.e.; a prohibition clause) in order to sign his tender and report. These types of clauses aren’t easy for franchise players to obtain.

Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was able to finagle a clause preventing the Seahawks from designating him as a franchise or transition player once his one-year contract expired in connection with the trade from the Texans, who received a 2020 third-round pick and edge rusher Jacob Martin, shortly before the start of the 2019 regular season. He took almost $1 million less than his franchise tender in the process. The Texans also agreed to pay $7 million of Clowney’s $15 million, one-year salary as a signing bonus to help facilitate the trade.

A franchise player hadn’t gotten this type of provision in over a decade prior to Clowney. The Titans gave defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth a conditional prohibition clause in 2008. It was triggered by Haynesworth making the Pro Bowl, having at least 60% defensive playtime, or 53% defensive playtime and the Titans winning at least 10 games or ranking in the top five in total defense.

The clause might be an easy concession for the Bengals to make. The Bengals seemingly have a contingency plan in place for an eventual Bates departure. Safety Daxton Hill was selected 31st overall in this year’s NFL Draft. The Bengals also don’t have a history of using a franchise tag on the same player in consecutive years.

Trying to force a trade is another option for Bates. An unsigned franchise player can have influence over his destination. Since a player with an unsigned tender can’t be traded until under contract, he essentially has veto power on where he is being dealt or at all. This gives the player a de facto no-trade clause. Clowney was able to quash a trade to the Dolphins by refusing to sign his tender for a move to Miami.

Franchise player trades during the preseason are about as rare as prohibition clauses. Outside of Clowney being dealt, the only other preseason franchise player trade recently involved edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue the following year.

Ngakoue made it abundantly clear he wasn’t going to continue playing for the Jaguars after being designated as a franchise player for $17.788 million in 2020. He wanted out of Jacksonville so badly he put his money where his mouth is. In order to facilitate a trade to Minnesota, Ngakoue took close to a 30% pay cut from his unsigned franchise tender down to $12 million.

The Jaguars received a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 fifth-round pick. Ngakoue was subsequently traded during the middle of the season to the Ravens for a 2021 third-round pick and the fifth-round pick from the first trade.

Given how big of a haircut Ngakoue took financially, it was surprising that he didn’t get a clause, like Clowney, preventing a franchise or transition designation during the following offseason.

Ngakoue may have inadvertently created another obstacle to a preseason franchise player trade. He may have set a new precedent teams will try to enforce in which a franchise player unhappy with his situation takes a steep pay cut in order to get a change of scenery, where the acquiring team can still restrict him once his one-year contract expires. Since a second franchise tag is typically a 20% raise over the first one, a steep pay cut lowers the value of a second designation.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Bates will be back in the fold on his $12.911 million franchise tender at some point before the regular season starts. Bates will more than double his career player-contract earnings by being under contract for the entire season. The financial impact the franchise tag will have on Bates ultimately may be too much for him to pass up, even though he didn’t want the designation at all.

CLEVELAND

QB DESHAUN WATSON’s suspension does not apply to the preseason.  The Athletic:

Quarterback Deshaun Watson is scheduled to start in the Browns’ preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars Friday night at 7 p.m. ET, Cleveland announced Wednesday.

Most Browns starters will play Friday night, a decision that was made earlier this week but was not made public by Browns coach Kevin Stefanski until he told the team. This is a deviation from last year when Stefanski played very few starters in the first two preseason games.

Watson’s status for this upcoming season is uncertain as the NFL is appealing the six-game suspension handed to Watson, who was accused by at least two dozen women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The league is seeking an indefinite suspension that would last a minimum of one year, a source told The Athletic.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell selected former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal and the NFLPA has filed a reply on behalf of Watson.

The Browns have split reps at quarterback through training camp and Stefanski has said that will remain the plan until there is a final decision regarding Watson’s availability this season. Watson has received every first rep in practice but if the appeal decision comes before Friday that could change.

But word is the NFL wants Watson stashed ASAP.  TheRedZone.org:

The league is trying to move on this appeal ruling before the Browns begin their preseason slate, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who tweets the NFL has indeed asked for an indefinite suspension that keeps the controversial QB off the field for Cleveland’s preseason as well. The NFLPA said a ruling Friday could indeed shelve Watson for the Browns’ preseason opener against the Jaguars.

Preseason competition is not exactly consequential in this grand scheme, but the league would avoid additional PR backlash by keeping Watson sidelined before his suspension starts. If a suspension does not prevent it, the Browns would like to give Watson some game action Friday, Cleveland Plain Dealer’s  Mary Kay Cabot tweets.

Watson, who has not taken the field since Week 17 of the 2020 season, cannot return to action until at least Week 7 of this season. The NFLPA not appealing Robinson’s decision takes Watson off the field for the Browns’ first six games. This matter becoming a courtroom drama — which is the expectation — would only affect Watson’s availability for Week 7 and beyond.

The sides have discussed a settlement off and on for several weeks, but Peter King of NBC Sports adds a resolution between the NFL and NFLPA before Harvey’s ruling is unlikely. A union move to settle would make more sense at this point, with the league having a clear opportunity to see its long-held hope — a 17-game ban — come to fruition via Harvey. Absent a full-season suspension, the NFL has sought a heavy fine — in the $8MM range — that helps account for the wildly unpopular contract the Browns authorized.

More from Florio on the possibility, even likelihood, that Goodell/Goodell’s designee will lower the hammer on Watson to include Friday night:

The NFL Players Association hasn’t ruled out the possibility of this happening.

As one source with knowledge of the union’s thinking on the case said, “We are ready if he does.”

Everyone else needs to be ready, too. Today, tomorrow, or Friday. Harvey can issue a ruling, and Watson will be barred from playing. And if the union plans to try to fight the decision in court, the league may be tempted to wait as long as possibly, thereby limiting the amount of time that the union has to launch a counter aimed at getting Watson on the field, for the balance of the preseason.

Regardless, this became an issue for us after Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke so bluntly about Watson on Tuesday. The league surely doesn’t want to see Watson in an NFL uniform on an NFL field, with highlights played on NFL Network. And since they’re pretty good at getting what they want, it makes sense to believe that, if they don’t want Watson in the building in Jacksonville on Friday night, he won’t be.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

Tim Graham of The Athletic loves a quote from EDGE VON MILLER:

Miller delivered one of training camp’s most colorful quips about edge rusher Greg Rousseau, who got into a shoving match with wide receiver Stefon Diggs last Thursday.

“Greg’s a demon,” Miller said, “and I’m gonna bring it out of him. I’ve been feeding him gunpowder and gasoline at lunch and breakfast. It’s good to see him come out and go crazy.”

If Miller had ulterior motives for enticing Bills Mafia to send him gas cans or for SJFU food services to serve 87 octane and gunpowder in the media mess hall, then his plan failed.

That still won’t stop us from exploring the beauty of his comment — and what happens when you actually mix the two ingredients.

Janine Talley, a freelance writer and the wife of Bills Wall of Fame linebacker Darryl Talley, called it “one of the greatest quotes in football history.” Janine and I exchanged texts, agreeing that the phrase “gunpowder and gasoline” was strikingly rhythmic and lyrical, equal parts John Mellencamp and Metallica.

Where did Miller’s locution originate?

Much to my delight, I couldn’t find any examples of Miller having used the words before. Cooler that Rousseau is the first to go on this incendiary diet.

Miller likely adopted the phrase from the 2008 film “The Dark Knight.” He is a massive Batman fan.

“You see, I’m a guy of simple taste,” Joker tells a gangster before immolating a mound of cash. “I enjoy dynamite and gunpowder and gasoline. And you know the thing that they have in common? They’re cheap.”

MIAMI

With WRs TYREEK HILL and CEDRICK WILSON, Jr. signed and WR ERIK EZUKANMA drafted – the Dolphins are looking to get something for a couple of holdovers.  Adam LaRose of ProFootballRumors:

Miami has “talked to other teams about potentially moving” Preston Williams and Lynn Bowden Jr., reports Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The pair were in line for rotational roles before the offseason began, but face an even steeper path to significant playing time after the Dolphins’ additions of Tyreek Hill via trade, Cedrick Wilson and Mohamed Sanu in free agency and Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round of the draft.

Williams took to Twitter last week to show his frustration with the lack of opportunity he is likely to receive if he remains in Miami. The 25-year-old flashed potential as a rookie with 428 yards and three touchdowns, but has seen his playing time decrease since. The former UDFA has intriguing size (six-foot-five, 220 pounds) and has one season remaining on his contract at a cap hit of less than $1.3MM.

Bowden came to the Dolphins in a much different fashion to Williams, but is now in a similar situation. After a unique college career at Kentucky which saw him produce as a returner, receiver and passer, he was traded from the Raiders before his rookie season began. During that campaign, he totaled 243 scoreless scrimmage yards; a hamstring injury kept sidelined for 2021. His skillset would likely be made redundant in what is expected to be a run-after-catch based offense, given the presence of not only Hill, but 2021 first-rounder Jaylen Waddle as well.

Given their lack of NFL success, the return Miami would receive for either player would be minimal. Still, they will be names to watch as the offseason continues.

NEW ENGLAND

RB JAMES WHITE, a solid warrior, has announced his retirement:

Patriots running back James White has not practiced with the team during training camp this summer and he won’t be getting on the field at any point in the future either.

White announced his retirement in a Twitter post on Thursday. White thanked his family, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, his teammates and others for the role they played in helping him achieve his goals in the NFL.

White was a fourth-round pick in 2014 and only played in three games as a rookie before taking on a more meaningful role in his second season. He was a frequent target for Tom Brady in the passing game and delivered a memorable performance to help the team come back to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. White ran for a touchdown to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and then ran for another one to win it in overtime. He also caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.

A hip injury ended his 2021 season after three games and continued issues with the hip led to White’s inactivity at practice this summer.

White ends his career with 319 carries for 1,278 yards and 11 touchdowns and 381 catches for 3,278 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season. He had eight touchdowns in 12 postseason outings and won another Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl LIII.