THE DAILY BRIEFING
AROUND THE NFL
| “Progress” in Cincinnati. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The Bills heard good news on Wednesday from the father of safety Damar Hamlin.
Mario Hamlin spoke with the entire Bills team on a Zoom call on Wednesday and told them that Damar is making progress, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN
The Hamlin toy drive charity on GoFundMe has hit $7 million.
– – –
The NFL has yet to announce anything about what will either be Week 19 of the regular season, the Wild Card Weekend or a hybrid of both. Here are the current standings.
1 yx-Kansas City West 13-3-0
2 yx-Buffalo East 12-3-0
3 x-Cincinnati North 11-4-0
4 Jacksonville South 8-8-0
5 x-LA Chargers West 10-6-0
6 x-Baltimore North 10-6-0
7 New England East 8-8-0 1
8 Miami East 8-8-0 1(b)
9 Pittsburgh North 8-8-0 -1(a),-1(b)
If Kansas City and Cincinnati win and Buffalo loses:
1 yx-Kansas City West 14-3-0
2 yx-Buffalo East 12-4-0
3 x-Cincinnati North 12-4-0
Kansas City has the bye, Cincinnati has the AFC North title and the only thing finishing the Buffalo – Cincinnati game would decide is who has home game against Baltimore and who plays New England. They would be tied with 8-3 conference record, we won’t try to break it otherwise.
If the Week 1 bye isn’t at stake, if a home game isn’t at stake through a division championship – is the 2 vs 3 seed worth scrambling the playoff schedule?
So maybe that’s the delay. Some results, like getting the Round 1 bye if Buffalo wins over the Patriots or the Chiefs lose, may be worth playing the game. But maybe the second vs. third seed is not.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, who may be privy to some of the NFL’s deliberations, has this:
The NFL is moving toward solving the problem arising from the postponement of the Week 17 game between the Bills and Bengals.
Current momentum is pointing toward not resuming the Bills-Bengals game, and declaring it a no contest. Playoff seeding then would be determined based on the outcome of the Week 18 games.
This means that the Chiefs would capture the No. 1 seed by beating the Raiders on Saturday. The Bills would become the top seed by beating the Patriots on Sunday, if the Chiefs lose on Saturday.
A Bills loss and a Bengals win over the Ravens on Sunday would vault Cincinnati into the No. 2 seed, with the Bengals securing eclipsing the Bills based on the strength of victory tiebreaker. That would set up a potential Bills-Bengals game in Cincinnati, in the divisional round.
There is currently no talk about the possibility of an eventual Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship being played at a neutral site, even though the Bills would have clinched the top seed by beating Cincinnati and New England.
The cancellation of Bills-Bengals also would clinch the AFC North for Cincinnati. If the Bengals had lost to the Bills, the winner of Sunday’s Ravens-Bengals game would have won the AFC North.
The Bengals could have captured the top seed by beating the Bills and winning this weekend, if the Chiefs lose to the Raiders on Saturday.
The notion of using winning percentages to determine playoff positioning was first entertained during the pandemic year of 2020, when the league braced for the possibility of multiple regular-season games being canceled. Ultimately, none were.
If this is the solution the league selects, it’s not ideal. But it’s arguably the best of various less-than-ideal options. It has not yet been finalized, but it’s pointing in that direction. |
| NFC EAST |
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DALLAS
LB MICAH PARSONS says he won’t need a club on his hand Sunday in DC. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons came off the practice report Wednesday, six days after playing with a club on his left hand.
Parsons called his hand “good” when asked about it Wednesday.
“Going to be full go; no club,” Parsons said, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press.
It was revealed this week that Parsons had a hand laceration. Parsons would not say how he cut his hand or whether he required stitches.
“Doesn’t matter now,” he said twice when asked specific questions about the laceration. He did allow that it was “pretty much” nasty enough to cover up, and that it didn’t occur in a cooking accident.
“I’m a pretty good cook,” he said.
The Cowboys added Parsons to the practice report Dec. 27 and listed him as questionable to play against the Titans. He did but with his left hand heavily wrapped.
Parsons had one tackle, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
“It was pretty challenging,” Parsons said. “I’m over here trying to take blocks on like this [puts hand on mic stand].” |
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WASHINGTON
After more thought, the Commanders are going to start QB SAM HOWELL Sunday. Ben Standig of The Athletic:
The Commanders will start rookie Sam Howell at quarterback in the team’s regular-season finale against the Cowboys on Sunday, coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
Rivera said the team considered starting Taylor Heinicke, who’s thrown for 1,859 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions this season, but decided to start Howell instead.
The Commanders started Carson Wentz in Week 17 but were eliminated from the playoff race when Green Bay defeated Minnesota last Sunday.
Howell, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, will make his NFL debut Sunday.
Howell went first over Heinicke during QB reps at Wednesday’s practice before Rivera addressed reporters.
Backstory
The Commanders started Wentz in Week 17’s pivotal game against the Browns with the goal of continuing their push for a playoff spot. However, Wentz threw three interceptions in Sunday’s game against the Browns, and Washington was later eliminated from contention with the Packers’ win. Wentz finishes his first season in Washington 2-5 as a starter.
What led to this decision?
There are two and, really three really aspects of Washington’s QB plan, including giving Howell his first regular-season work. Sitting Wentz after re-inserting him back into the starting lineup last week would be a nod to his poor performance against the Browns, but also the likelihood he would not return next season. The final two years of his contract do not include any guaranteed money, but there is a $4 million injury guarantee.
As for Heinicke, arguably Washington’s top QB over coach Ron Rivera’s three seasons, the 2023 free agent could return next season. The debate is whether the Commanders would give him a shot at starting or view him purely as a backup.
Despite not starting Week 1 in either of the past two seasons, Heinicke started 23 regular-season games and his 12-11 record as a starter ranks 16th in winning percentage (.521) among all NFL quarterbacks. — Standig
Expectations for Howell
This game should be a showcase for the rookie Howell who shares Heinicke’s moxie and mobility but with a bigger arm. Wentz isn’t likely to return next season and Heinicke is a free agent, leaving Howell as the only quarterback under contract.
Projecting the University of North Carolina alum as part of any QB1 mix next season seems premature, but Howell could end up as the primary backup, a role he held while Wentz missed half the season following surgery on his ring finger. |
| NFC WEST |
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ARIZONA
Kliff Kingsbury may not be at Arizona’s 2023 season opener – and he says QB KYLER MURRAY probably won’t be participating no matter who the coach might be. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
We paid little attention to a Week 15 Sunday Splash! report suggesting that Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was “on track” to be ready for Week One of the 2023 season. That kind of talk creates an unreasonable bar for the player to meet, and it paints him as a failure if he doesn’t.
Also, it wasn’t accurate.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters on Wednesday that Murray “probably” won’t be ready for Week One of the 2023 campaign.
Every ACL recovery is different. Some players recover quickly. Some take time. Murray, who relies on speed and acceleration, needs to be 100-percent certain that he’s 100 percent before playing again.
This means the Cardinals will need to have a quarterback ready to go, until Murray can return. Kingbury believes it will be Colt McCoy.
This, of course, presumes that Kingsbury will still be the coach. That’s a subject addressed in the attached video, which reviews the various NFC hot spots for the looming offseason |
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LOS ANGELES RAMS
Nothing would make LB BOBBY WAGNER happier than spoiling his former team’s playoff hopes – which is something the Lions want to hear. Sarah Barshop and Brady Henderson of ESPN.com:
As Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner prepares to return to Seattle to play his former team, he admitted Wednesday there would be “a lot of emotions” facing the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday.
One of the reasons, he said, is that playing the Seahawks is “playing the organization that you felt gave up on you.”
Wagner felt disrespected by the way the Seahawks handled his release in March, expressing his indignation both on Twitter and privately to the team. He remained upset even after Seattle coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider took public blame for their roles in the matter, saying a few weeks later that Wagner deserved better given everything he’d meant to the Seahawks during his decade in Seattle.
The team had, in fact, told Wagner that he was being released before ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news. But Wagner had already caught wind of its plans to move on and go with younger players at inside linebacker.
“Yeah, that’s on me. I own that,” Schneider said at a March news conference.
Carroll interjected to take the blame himself, but Schneider continued: “No, it really is [on me]. I wish I could have handled things better in that regard from a communication standpoint. I owe it to him. The organization owes it to him.”
One factor in the mishap, according to Schneider, was that Wagner represents himself. Not having the buffer of an agent made the Seahawks wary of the potentially awkward dynamic of bringing Wagner back after telling him directly that they might move on. Carroll, who has final say in Seahawks personnel decisions, was in favor for much of the offseason of keeping Wagner and was holding out as long as possible, hoping to find a way.
Arguably the best defensive player in Seahawks history, Wagner owns the franchise’s all-time tackles record, and he made eight Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro six times. He was the last remaining player from the “Legion of Boom” defense that led Seattle to its lone Super Bowl title in 2014 and a captain of that unit six times.
“Too much respect to have something like that happen,” Schneider said in March. “We did speak with him. We did talk to him together. We walked through things. So it wasn’t like we didn’t speak with him. It was just the timing.”
In his introductory news conference with the Rams, Wagner said he had “no hatred” toward the Seahawks but lamented how they handled his release. He also took issue with the notion that not having an agent was a factor, calling that a “weak” explanation. He said the chance to play the Seahawks twice a year wasn’t his primary motivation in signing with the Rams, but it was “a cherry on top.”
In the teams’ first matchup in Week 13 — a 27-23 victory for Seattle — Wagner had his best game of the season, with two sacks and an interception. Afterward, Wagner went over to the Seahawks locker room, catching up with former teammates as well as Carroll.
“He’s had a great season, especially the first time we played him,” Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf said Wednesday. “It looked like he was all over the field, making sacks, catching picks.
“I know this is going to be a big game for him just to be back up here playing in Seattle.”
Wagner said that when he is on the field in Seattle, he’ll allow himself to feel “the energy,” “the crowd” and “the moments that I had there.”
“It’s going into a stadium I’ve been thousands of times, played hundreds of times,” Wagner said Wednesday. “And to be in a position to spoil their playoff hopes is always a good position, something worth playing for. And it will be fun to go back there, be back in front of those fans that I spent so much time [around]. And it should be a fun game.”
Wagner’s final game with Seattle at Lumen Field came in Week 17 last season, when he injured his knee on the first play. He missed the rest of that contest as well as the Seahawks’ season finale at the Arizona Cardinals with the injury.
“For me, my last time I played there wasn’t a great one,” Wagner said. “So, I’m just blessed to be able to have an opportunity to not have that be my last play at that field.”
Rams linebacker Ernest Jones, who has spoken at length about how much he has learned from Wagner since the veteran signed in Los Angeles, said Monday that being able to help Wagner beat the Seahawks would mean a lot. The Rams came close in Week 13 but lost after Geno Smith threw a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining.
“It means everything for me,” Jones said. “That Seattle game, I really wanted that for him because I just know, for somebody to be in a certain situation for as long as they were and mean so much to a city and a team like that. … The way he was let go, I felt like wasn’t right. So for me, I definitely want to get him this win.
“I definitely want him to get the last say so, get that last ‘ha-ha’ against Seattle. So for me, this is a big week, bigger than most because it’s Seattle.”
When asked Wednesday how he hoped Seahawks fans would welcome Wagner in his return, Carroll said, “I think they’re going to welcome him back.”
“I just think that’s what’ll happen, and then if he makes a tackle or something, maybe they don’t give him as much love,” said Carroll, who coached Wagner in his first 10 seasons. “I don’t know. He’s going to make some hits in this game. He’s playing good ball and doing good stuff. They’ll do the right thing. Whatever it is, they’ll do it.”
Not only can Wagner and the Rams spoil the Seahawks’ playoff hopes, Wagner also can break the Rams’ single-season record for tackles if he tallies 10 on Sunday. He has had at least 10 tackles in a game four times this season. |
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SEATTLE
It’s not his hand that makes WR TYLER LOCKETT questionable for Sunday’s big game. Liz Mathews of YahooSports.com:
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett survived a fractured hand and subsequent surgery to only miss one game, but now, it’s a new injury that could potentially keep him off of the field this week against the Los Angeles Rams.
Lockett suffered a leg contusion on Sunday in the Seahawks’ win over the Jets and struggled to return to the action. He was listed on the first practice report of the week with a shin injury.
“He’s still sore, we’re going to hold him out today,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. “He won’t be able to go today. It’ll be a day-to-day thing for him as far as practice, but I know he’s determined to play.”
A seasoned veteran, clearly Lockett doesn’t need the practice time before facing off against the Rams and we should know his gameday status by Friday afternoon. |
| AFC WEST |
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LAS VEGAS
The new regime in Las Vegas quickly determined that QB DEREK CARR was not their guy. Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal never quotes anyone, but he rights with authority about the organization’s thinking:
The Raiders’ transition from longtime quarterback Derek Carr, a decision that had been brewing for more than a month and came with the blessing of owner Mark Davis, was the first key domino to fall in what is bound to be an eventful next five months.
Fair warning: Get used to hearing about Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo, both of whom are attractive options for the Raiders at quarterback should each become available in free agency.
As emotional as the decision might have been to bench Carr, it was surprisingly easy by the time it was made last week. Between the financial risks of continuing to play him and the Raiders’ diminishing confidence in him, it was time to move on.
What follows next is of far more significance as the Raiders try to balance two objectives.
The first is maximizing the return on what amounts to a two-year window of core players — Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby, Darren Waller, Chandler Jones and Hunter Renfrow — and almost assuredly Josh Jacobs, whom the Raiders appear determined to keep on a new contract.
The second is rebuilding a roster that has been victimized by years of ill-advised drafts, free agency and trade decisions in a way that creates the sustainable success Davis craves.
The Raiders, led by general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels, believe they can concurrently manage both tasks. But they will not overreach to improve the present if it means jeopardizing the future. Even if that means the possibility of taking a step back to eventually complete their ultimate goal of perennial success.
Quarterback
The Raiders concluded Carr was not a long-term fit within weeks of the start of the season. Benching him eliminated the risk of a $40 million injury guarantee kicking in had he gotten hurt in the final two games of the season.
The Raiders were determined not to be handcuffed to a quarterback they no longer believed in and one that represented a major drag on their 2023 salary cap.
Obviously, they would prefer to trade him to recoup draft assets. The Saints, Jets, Commanders and Titans could get involved. But a 2023 roster stipulation means a guaranteed $40 million next season wherever he plays, so how much would those teams be willing to give the Raiders given that they would have to take on that guarantee?
Time will be a factor. The Raiders face a Feb. 15 deadline to make a decision on Carr. If he’s on the roster at that point, the $40 million guarantee kicks in. They could conceivably agree on terms on a trade, then wait to officially announce it when the new league year starts March 15.
To mitigate the risk of a team backing out — and being stuck with Carr and his contract — they and Carr could renegotiate an extension on the deadline that pushes it beyond the start of the league year.
From Carr’s perspective, doing so would help keep intact the three-year, $121 million extension he signed last offseason and the all-important $40 million guarantee.
If the Raiders can’t trade him, they are willing to cut him and move on while incurring a $5.6 million hard salary cap hit.
Brady, if he doesn’t retire and hits free agency, will clearly be a person of interest. So will Garoppolo. Both have significant ties to McDaniels, and each satisfies the all-important trust factor with their former coach.
Depending on how the Aaron Rodgers situation plays out, he also could be an option.
Any of those quarterbacks would help to maximize the core the Raiders have in place and allow them to address other needs through the draft and free agency. An upgrade along the offensive line is a must, as is getting an earnest start on building a championship-level defense.
Jarrett Stidham, who played brilliantly in his first career start Sunday, is not necessarily out of the picture. If the Raiders strike out in adding one of the veterans, he could be re-signed to compete for the starting job. He’s also a candidate to back up one of the big-name targets.
The Raiders figure to do their due diligence on the quarterbacks available in the draft, and a trade to get access to one of the top prospects is a possibility.
Re-sign Josh Jacobs
The Raiders opted against picking up the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ rookie deal, thus setting up the possibility of him becoming a free agent after the season.
But the decision was never a signal that the club was averse to extending the relationship, and to Jacobs’ credit, he has produced a brilliant season by rushing for 1,608 yards and embodying every trait that McDaniels and Ziegler have been stressing about the type of players they want.
Barring a major surprise, the overwhelming sense is the Raiders will bring their star back next season on either a new contract or by using the franchise tag on him.
The Davante Adams factor
A big part of the reason Adams is even with the Raiders is his friendship and history with Carr. But the sense is, the two aren’t so joined at the hip that Adams will ask out if Carr is no longer on the team.
In fact, Adams said Wednesday he “absolutely” wants to return to the team next season.
Adams’ performance Sunday with Stidham — seven catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns — shows he is open and able to flourish with a different quarterback. That said, expect the Raiders to keep their star wide receiver in the loop as they plot their next move at quarterback.
But they also would be open to working with him should their ideal plans not pan out and he wants to move on to a team with a more satisfactory quarterback situation.
The long range
While Ziegler and McDaniels inherited a team that reached the playoffs in 2021 and hoped to build off that momentum with some of the moves they made, nobody inside the Raiders’ building was convinced the roster in place was set up for prolonged success.
Years of bad drafting — including five botched first-round picks since 2019 and the seven-player 2020 draft that has vanished aside from backup cornerback Amik Robertson — left crater-sized holes on the roster and forced the Raiders to perpetually invest money into cleaning up mistakes.
Start with the offensive line, where 2021 first-rounder Alex Leatherwood was an enormous bust. Then there’s the defense, where Cle Ferrell, Johnathan Abram, Damon Arnette, Trayvon Mullen, Tanner Muse, Arden Key, P.J. Hall, Gareon Conley, Obi Melifonwu, Eddie Vanderdoes and others were wasted picks in the past six years.
Getting that fixed will be a multiyear proposition, one that begins now as Ziegler and his rebuilt personnel department oversee their first draft and offseason.
The Raiders are under no illusions that this will be an easy fix, especially building a championship-caliber defense they believe is sorely lacking in the physical and mental traits needed to be a formidable unit. |
| AFC EAST |
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BUFFALO
Coach Sean McDermott could only think of his stricken player – and not the possible resumption of the game – according to Bengals coach Zac Taylor. Ben Baby and Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com:
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott held a singular thought when Damar Hamlin was driven off the field in an ambulance after a cardiac arrest, according to Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
In the first comments since Hamlin collapsed, Taylor divulged his on-field conversation with McDermott on Monday night before the game between the two teams was suspended.
“When I got over there, the first thing he said was, ‘I need to be at the hospital for Damar, and I shouldn’t be coaching this game,'” Taylor recalled to reporters on Wednesday.
Hamlin, a second-year Buffalo player, remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after the cardiac arrest, the Bills said in a statement Wednesday. He has shown signs of improvement but is expected to remain under intensive care for further treatment and evaluation.
Taylor said that after Hamlin was placed in the ambulance and driven out of Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium at 9:25 p.m. local time, referee Shawn Smith’s officiating crew walked over to Cincinnati’s sideline to say that McDermott was still trying to sort out what happened. To expedite the decision-making process, Taylor walked over to Buffalo’s sideline to join the officials and McDermott’s conversation.
Taylor praised the way McDermott and the Bills organization navigated the unprecedented situation.
“Seeing the way he handled his team just deepened that respect for him and verified everything I always thought he was about as a man,” Taylor said.
In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Troy Vincent, league executive vice president of football operations, said all of his conversations with McDermott have centered on the well-being of Buffalo’s staffers and players.
“My communications with the club and those players has just strictly been around making sure they’re OK, to check in,” Vincent said. “And being able to access those resources that are available to ’em. It is tough, and coach is still battling.”
Vincent and Taylor each referenced the minutes after Hamlin departed in an ambulance when it momentarily appeared the game might continue.
Taylor said there were never any directives for the game to resume. When Cincinnati’s players, including quarterback Joe Burrow, started to warm up and briefly took the field along with Buffalo’s defense, Taylor attributed it to the normal rhythms of a game’s resumption after a medical break. Taylor also added that in the moment, nobody was processing whether the game was going to be played or delayed.
“There’s so much that happened that I can’t really recall,” Taylor said. “My process of remembering is that’s really just what unfolded. There was no push for anything to happen.”
Vincent reiterated that version of events, which has been maintained since the hours after the game was suspended.
Conversations remain ongoing about whether the regular-season game between the Bills and the Bengals will be resumed at all. The focus has been on Hamlin with conversations about logistics just beginning, Vincent said.
Jeff Miller, the league’s executive vice president for communications, public affairs and policy, said a decision will be made in the coming days.
“But there’s a lot of considerations in place there and a lot of people that we want to consult with, including the clubs involved, before that decision is final,” Miller said.
Vincent added that they are allowing the Bills to guide the league’s decision on whether their game on Sunday, hosting the New England Patriots, will continue on as scheduled. “We’ll allow Sean [McDermott] and his team and his staff and the players, which are the most important thing here, to guide us if we have to make that decision collectively with the club and what’s best for Sean and his team and the players.”
Taylor said his team is preparing for its Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The league announced that that game will take place at 1 p.m. ET Sunday in Cincinnati. Taylor said the team has communicated to players the resources available to players trying to balance handling what happened to Hamlin amid the preparation for Sunday’s AFC North clash.
When asked about any long-lasting mental impacts about playing such a physical game, Taylor said he believes players know the risks that come with the game.
“This was a tough situation,” Taylor said. “My understanding based on the information we have is it’s a one in a very small chance of that happening. Players that play football know that.
“They know what they’re getting into. It’s a less than ideal part of the game, but it’s a known part of the game.” |
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THIS AND THAT |
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HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023
Charean Williams goes through the 15 Finalists who were announced Wednesday:
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 15 finalists for the Class of 2023 on Wednesday night, and three first-year-eligible players are on the list.
Cornerback Darrelle Revis, offensive tackle Joe Thomas and edge rusher Dwight Freeney made the cut five years after their careers ended.
In addition, safety Darren Woodson and cornerback Albert Lewis are finalists for the first time. Lewis is in his 20th year of eligibility and Woodson in his 15th.
Selectors will consider the modern-era candidates in a virtual meeting before Super Bowl LVII, with the new class announced Jan. 9 during the NFL Honors show in Arizona. The Class of 2023 will include a maximum of five modern-era candidates, and each must receive a minimum positive vote of 80 percent for election.
Seniors finalists Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko and Ken Riley and coach/contributor finalist Don Coryell also are on the ballot for election.
The modern-era ballot started with 129 nominees that initially was reduced to 28 semifinalists.
Here are the 15 modern-era finalists:
• Jared Allen, Defensive End – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15
Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers
• Willie Anderson, Offensive Tackle – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens
• Ronde Barber, Cornerback/Safety – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Dwight Freeney, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker – 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14
San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions
• Devin Hester, Punt Returner/Kick Returner/Wide Receiver – 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens
• Torry Holt, Wide Receiver – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars
• Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016
Tennessee Titans
• Albert Lewis, Cornerback – 1983-1993 Kansas City Chiefs, 1994-98 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
• Darrelle Revis, Cornerback – 2007-2012 New York Jets, 2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2014
New England Patriots, 2015-16 New York Jets, 2017 Kansas City Chiefs
• Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle – 2007-2017 Cleveland Browns
• Zach Thomas, Linebacker – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys
• DeMarcus Ware, Linebacker/Defensive End – 2005-2013 Dallas Cowboys, 2014-16 Denver
Broncos
• Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts
• Patrick Willis, Linebacker – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers
• Darren Woodson, Safety – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys
We found this from savvy Clark Judge from last year. We will boldface the five members of the 2022 final ten who didn’t make it then.
After all presentations were completed, a vote was taken to reduce the ballot to 10. So five had to be eliminated, and they were. The roll call, please:
DE JARED ALLEN. OK, so it’s only his second year of eligibility, and he’s been a finalist both times. But you’d think a guy with 136 career sacks would have more momentum. He didn’t make the first cut last year, either.
OT WILLIE ANDERSON. No surprise. This is his first time as a finalist. But give him time. A premier right tackle. Anderson’s day will come.
WR TORRY HOLT. Bad news: This is his third consecutive year as a finalist, and he didn’t make it past the first cut again. Worse, he was passed by another receiver, first-year candidate Andre Johnson.
WR REGGIE WAYNE. See above. He, too, was in his third year as a finalist and didn’t budge. Now we have a gridlock of wide receivers, comparable to the Andre Rison-Cris Carter-Tim Brown dogpile years ago.
LB PATRICK WILLIS. He didn’t really have a chance, not with another 49er, Bryant Young, on the ballot. A first-time finalist, Willis will be back … and eventually elected.
CUTTING FROM 10 TO 5
Now comes the hard part, cutting the list of 10 in half. Here are the five who didn’t make it:
CB RONDE BARBER. This was only his second year as a finalist, so relax. He’ll make it. And if you heard the comments, he will make it soon.
KR DEVIN HESTER. Earlier this week he said he thought he should be a first-ballot choice. One problem: He doesn’t have a vote. Hester is the first return specialist to get this far, and patience. He’s already in the on-deck circle for 2023.
WR ANDRE JOHNSON. A minor surprise. In his first year of eligibility, he passed Wayne and Holt. So who circles the bases first? Johnson just became the early frontrunner.
LB ZACH THOMAS. This is his third straight year as a Top-10 finalist, and that’s good and bad. Good, in that he’s almost there; bad, in that he’s hit a wall. As long as he’s not going backward, however, he’s safe.
LB DEMARCUS WARE. We’ve covered this. He’ll make it next year.
We would think these five will duel with Revis and Joe Thomas for the five spots (Freeney needs to marinate).
The DB is not a fan of an early admission for Hester who was inconsequential at his regular position.
Joe Thomas never played a postseason snap in 11 seasons, so his abilities never translated into winning. His Browns were 48-128. We’re not saying that denies him enshrinement. We are saying we wouldn’t vote for him to just walk right into Canton in his first year.
So we’ll go with Ware, Barber, Zach Thomas, Revis and Andre Johnson. |
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“CRAZY” PREDICTIONS
How many of the 10 “crazy” predictions (that’s the CBS Sports clickbait headline) of Jordan Dejani of CBSSports.com really count as crazy? Glancing at them, we’d say not many. We will put those we don’t think are routine in bold:
Last offseason had to be the wildest one in NFL history. The wide receiver market got completely reset while multiple star wideouts were traded, we saw plenty of quarterback movement, Tom Brady retired and then unretired, and Sean Payton stepped down from his post as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. It’s going to be difficult to surpass the craziness from last offseason, but expect this upcoming offseason to be interesting as well.
What does the future hold for Brady? For Aaron Rodgers? What kinds of changes are coming to the league this offseason, and what will be the most surprising head coach headline? Below, we will make and break down 10 crazy predictions for this NFL offseason.
10. Jimmy Garoppolo signs with the New York Jets
With the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to tab Trey Lance as the starting quarterback and the emergence of Brock Purdy, it appears Jimmy G’s days in The Bay are numbered. The quarterback carousel this offseason is going to be interesting, and could be just as wild as last year. Garoppolo is going to be one of the more intriguing signal-callers looking for a new home.
After all of us witnessed Zach Wilson’s struggles, the Jets are going to be looking to add another quarterback. With Robert Saleh’s familiarity with Garoppolo, it could be a match. The Jets have underrated talent in the backfield and at wide receiver. Adding a quarterback who can be a consistent game manager would make New York better immediately.
9. Derek Carr signs with Washington Commanders
The Commanders love making questionable quarterback decisions. From allowing Kirk Cousins to walk, to signing Mark Sanchez out of desperation in 2018, to trading for Carson Wentz, to benching Taylor Heinicke for the aforementioned Wentz and throwing away the 2022 campaign, Washington has virtually done it all. Carr signing with Washington sort of feels like a “Commanders” decision.
Washington isn’t in a position to seduce Tom Brady or choose one of the top signal-callers in the 2023 NFL Draft. So, in steps Carr. The former Raider isn’t bad, but he’s not a young gun who’s going to rejuvenate the franchise either. Some fans will really like this decision, while others won’t.
8. Tony Pollard draws major interest in free agency, leaves Cowboys
There are several intriguing running backs looking for new deals this offseason, including Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery. The one I predict will receive the most interest, however, is Tony Pollard of the Cowboys.
Pollard picked up Pro Bowl honors this season by racking up a career-high 1,359 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games played. Whether it’s working in the pass game, beating defenses to the corner off a jet sweep or just operating as your typical back in between the tackles, Pollard is a versatile weapon who teams are going to be bidding on — more so than Barkley, Jacobs or Montgomery.
Spotrac projects Pollard will sign a three-year, $25.40 million deal that carries an average annual value of $8.4 million. My prediction is it’s going to be higher than that, with his new AAV surpassing $10 million.
7. Dan Snyder sells team to Jeff Bezos, Jay-Z, Matthew McConaughey
This offseason, it finally happens. After more than two decades, the Washington NFL franchise will be under new ownership, as Snyder sells his beloved Commanders to a group headlined by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, musician Jay-Z and actor Matthew McConaughey.
The Commanders announced Nov. 2 that the Snyders had hired Bank of America Securities to “consider potential transactions.” League sources estimated to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones that the full franchise would sell between $5.5 and $6.5 billion, but some believe it could go for even more.
6. Odell Beckham Jr. signs with the New York Giants
After being spurned by the Cowboys this season, OBJ is going to sign with his former team. It seemed like the Cowboys were all-in on signing Beckham, then he showed up for his visit and Dallas signed … T.Y. Hilton. Despite all of the reports saying both sides were/are still talking, we haven’t seen anything come to fruition, and it’s fair to wonder if anything ever will.
Another reason why Beckham could be interested in his former team is because it appears to be on the rise. Brian Daboll was clearly a good hire, Saquon Barkley is back to being a star and Daniel Jones may be a franchise quarterback. At the very least, he’s earned the right to be the guy in 2023. The Giants have a need at the wide receiver position, and OBJ has remained in touch with some of his friends there.
5. Lamar Jackson demands trade
After the season, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will again enter contract negotiations. It did not go too well last year thanks to those dang Cleveland Browns, who gave Deshaun Watson a fully-guaranteed contract. ESPN reported that Jackson turned down a five-year extension worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing before the start of the 2022 season.
That fully guaranteed contract is a huge obstacle to overcome in this situation, which will lead to tension between the two sides — who both want the same thing. My prediction is that Jackson will demand a trade after not getting that fully guaranteed deal. Armed with the franchise tag, the Ravens will use it. Per CBS Sports cap guru Joel Corry, the exclusive franchise designation will be most likely. Four of the last five times quarterbacks have been designated as franchise players, the exclusive tag has been used.
Now, the question will be does Jackson actually want out of Baltimore? I say no — and there’s no way the Ravens actually field offers for their star quarterback. Ultimately, Jackson will play on the tag, but the fanbase will not have a fun offseason.
4. Sean Payton doesn’t return to the NFL
As we inch closer to the end of this regular season, my prediction is that you’re going to see the Payton hype train leave the station at full speed. The former Saints head coach is going to be that “big fish” every NFL team in need of a new lead man is going to be after, and it will turn into a sweepstakes of some sorts.
However, I predict Payton shocks everyone by not returning to the sideline. There will be multiple factors why Payton ultimately doesn’t return, but one is because his top job was not available. There’s been plenty of noise surrounding Payton and his interest level in Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. With them making the playoffs, Brandon Staley won’t be going anywhere.
3. NFL makes roughing the passer even worse
It was reported last month that the NFL is going to discuss the possibility of making roughing the passer a reviewable penalty. The league has made touching the quarterback a frightening task for defenders, as sack artists are not even permitted to allow the natural force of gravity to affect them — like when they momentarily put their weight on the quarterback while taking him down to the ground. Instead of reversing course with these rules, my prediction is the NFL is indeed going to make the penalty reviewable — which will be a disaster.
Remember when the NFL made pass interference reviewable for one year back in 2019? It sounded like such a great idea in theory, but it didn’t work out that way. Only 13 of 81 pass interference challenges were successful in 2019, per SI.com. There were two reasons why, in my opinion. One, I hypothesize the league wanted officials to lean towards their original call, and two, slowing down these kinds of plays in the review process really muddled things.
Basically, we paused games to view what we perceived to be clear and obvious pass interference penalties in slow motion, only for the official to turn on his mic and announce that there was no penalty. It was maddening, and that’s what will happen with roughing the passer.
2. Jim Harbaugh agrees to coach Indianapolis Colts
It’s become an annual tradition: “X NFL team interested in Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh.” I thought the Harbaugh stuff was going to be easy to ignore this offseason since he spurned the Minnesota Vikings last year and returned to the University of Michigan “with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind!” while telling the athletic director that this NFL flirtation was a “one-time thing.” Well, here we go again.
According to The Athletic, if offered a job to return to the pros, Harbaugh is expected to take it.
“I think it is a done deal if he gets an offer,” one source close to Harbaugh told The Athletic.
Harbaugh played for the Colts from 1994-97, and is in their Ring of Honor. While he went just 20-26 as the starter in the regular season, Harbaugh helped the Colts get to the AFC Championship game during the 1995 campaign while picking up Pro Bowl honors and winning Comeback Player of the Year. We already know Jim Irsay likes his former players. Harbaugh would be a better option than Jeff Saturday.
1. Tom Brady jumps pirate ships
The 2022 campaign started off poorly for Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he and the offense rebounded, and could be set to make a playoff run in a tough-to-predict NFC. What happens in 2023 though?
Brady will be a free agent, and I’m sure he will again mull retirement. Ultimately, I say he decides to head to the west coast and join the Las Vegas Raiders — jumping one pirate ship for another. The Raiders have some pieces on offense with Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow and Davante Adams, plus Brady has plenty of experience working with Josh McDaniels. The AFC West is loaded with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, but Brady doesn’t care. He’s going to try to win one of the best divisions in the NFL before hanging up the cleats.
Since we don’t think Snyder would sell his team to arch-enemy Bezos who has sent a pack of “reporters” from his Washington Post after the Commanders owner, we will call that one crazy. But, on the other hand, the NFL would clearly love to have Bezos as an owner and they may put their thumb on the scale of the sale.
And, while we think Payton may like life pontificating more than he thought, he has said he is coming back to coach, so we will give that one “crazy” although not really.
So – eight very run-of-the-mill predictions and two borderline crazy, although actually more “odds against” than “crazy.”
You want “crazy” – we can give you that:
1 – Mike Vrabel will be out in Tennessee – His brusque ways may play better when winning, but with a 7-game losing streak to end the season? Amy Adams Strunk may want to start over with her people.
2 – Vrabel replaces fatigued Ryan Day at The Ohio State University. Day becomes Jim Harbaugh’s OC with the Colts (a Michigan-Ohio State merger).
3 – The Texans don’t get QB BRYCE YOUNG – They screw things up this week by beating the Colts (really that’s not a stretch) and end up with the #2 pick, snatching defeat/victory from the jaws of first overall victory/defeat. The only other thing that would have to happen is a Minnesota win. The Texans then don’t like the other QBs, settle for DE WILL ANDERSON with #2 and sign or trade for a QB
4 – The Texans trade for QB MAC JONES from the Patriots. This is because:
5 – TOM BRADY and Sean Payton take their package deal to the Patriots after Bob Kraft tires of Bill Belichick
6 – John Harbaugh is out – either pushed or jumps – in Baltimore. A DB friend insists it is time for this to happen. It’s just time.
7 – John Harbaugh lands in Chicago where Matt Eberflus is one-and-done. Harbaugh knows how to coach gifted running QBs (see Lamar Jackson).
8 – The Vikings move on from KIRK COUSINS. He ends up back in Washington.
9 – Robert Saleh is out with the New York Jets. Remember Woody Johnson didn’t hire him, his brother did. So Woody hires his own 49ers defensive coordinator in DeMeco Ryans, while Saleh goes back to Santa Clara.
10 – Frank Reich is the new coach with the Buccaneers as another Florida team goes after an architect of the Eagles Super Bowl win. Andrew Luck comes out of retirement with the Bucs.
So that’s 10 “predictions” that we think straddle the line between “crazy” and plausible better than Dejani’s. We’re not counting on hitting any of them, this is just an exercise in “crazy.” |
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