The Daily Briefing Thursday, June 23, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appeared virtually in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday to answer questions about the workplace culture of the Washington Commanders and the NFL. Will Washington owner Daniel Snyder appear next?

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the chair of the committee, announced Wednesday she will subpoena Snyder to compel him to testify next week after he declined to attend this week’s hearing. The news of the subpoena came hours after the Oversight Committee released a 29-page memo detailing additional findings from its investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct in the organization.

“Mr. Snyder’s refusal to testify sends a clear signal that he is more concerned about protecting himself than coming clean to the American public,” Maloney said. “If the NFL is unwilling to hold Mr. Snyder accountable, then I am prepared to do so.”

A Snyder spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the outcome of the Oversight Committee’s investigation was “predetermined from the beginning.”

“The committee’s decision to release a ‘report’ and introduce legislation prior to the hearing is proof-positive this was always going to be little more than a politically-charged show trial, not about uncovering the truth,” the spokesperson said. “Hopefully, the committee will utilize its resources going forward for more pressing national matters, instead of an issue a football team addressed years ago.”

The committee has been investigating since October 2021, when it called on Goodell to give Congress the findings of Beth Wilkinson’s 2020-21 investigation into the team. A full timeline of the allegations against Snyder can be found here.

What stood out from the committee’s report released Wednesday?

The revelation of the extensive dossier prepared by Snyder’s legal team as part of what in essence was a shadow investigation into the witnesses who were interviewed by Wilkinson and the journalists from The Washington Post who were reporting on the allegations. This dossier, which a league source told The Athletic was provided to the Oversight Committee by the NFL, was an indication to me of how Snyder truly felt about this entire situation. He’s angry and defiant and lacks empathy for women who were employed by his team. — Lindsay Jones

What does the subpoenaing of Snyder mean, and what implications could it have?

How far the committee would go had been a question ever since it began investigating Washington’s organization late last year. The subpoena is quite far.

Goodell spoke Wednesday under oath voluntarily. The committee is now compelling Snyder to do the same. He could ignore the subpoena, but the potential consequences are significant, including jail time. One unique aspect of this committee is the chair has the authority to issue a subpoena without a vote among the members. It appears Maloney decided she’d had enough and crossed that line. — Ben Standig

Goodell reiterated Snyder is not involved in day-to-day operations. What do we know of Snyder’s role?

This is a curious comment Goodell repeats often. The league carved out room for Snyder’s involvement on big-picture items, including a new stadium and the name rebranding. That’s different from day-to-day scenarios like speaking with Ron Rivera about team or personnel plans, something the coach mentioned casually in multiple interviews or media availabilities.

At the news conference following the trade for QB Carson Wentz, Rivera said, “One of the things I really do appreciate was in talking to the Snyders and really them just saying, ‘Hey, if this is what it’s going to take, let’s get it done,’” Sources told The Athletic of Snyder’s steady involvement before the owners’ meetings in March. Snyder also attends games and is around the team to a degree accordingly. — Standig

What is the status of the NFL’s investigation?

As Goodell mentioned several times throughout his testimony, the league’s investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment made earlier this year by former team employee Tiffani Johnston remains open, and there’s no specific deadline for Mary Jo White to return her findings. Since that investigation began in February, the scope has expanded to include allegations of potential financial impropriety made in a previous congressional hearing by former team executive Jason Friedman. — Jones

Attorney Daniel Wallach implies some important legal issues are at stake as he fights Maloney:

@WALLACHLEGAL

As @AndrewBrandt  is fond of saying, “there will be lawyers.”

Getting close to a federal court battle over two issues:

1) Is the purpose of the congressional hearing related to some legitimate lawmaking purpose?

2) The applicability of the attorney-client privilege in Congress.

WALLACHLEGAL

Ironic that Dan Snyder will look to Donald Trump case-law to fight the subpoena from

@HouseDemocrats

.

This will be his leading argument:

The subpoena is not related to and in furtherance of a “legitimate task of the Congress” and does not serve a “valid legislative purpose.”

The gist of his argument:

“There is no congressional power to expose for the sake of exposure,” nor may it seek information to enforce laws or punish for their infraction—responsibilities which belong to the executive and judicial branches respectively, and not to it.” (cont.)

@WALLACHLEGAL

A future quotation by Dan Snyder’s legal team:

“No inquiry is an end in itself. Investigations conducted solely for the personal aggrandizement of the investigators or to ‘punish’ those investigated are indefensible.”

Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 200, 77 S.Ct. 1173, 1 L.Ed.2d 1273 (1957) (expressing “no doubt that there is no congressional power to expose for the sake of exposure”)

This provides context for why several committee members asserted that this was a wasteful and invalid exercise, and why @RepMaloney  pointedly stated that the purpose of the House investigation was related to enhancing workplace protections for all. This is the legal battleground.

Mike Florio on Roger Goodell’s contention that he can’t release anything in the report on Washington’s culture because some of the interviewees requested anonymity:

When assessing the NFL’s bogus claim that, in order to protect any current or former Washington Commanders employees who requested anonymity when cooperating with the Beth Wilkinson investigation, all facts and findings must be kept completely and totally secret, we’ve pointed to other situations in which it has been enough to simply redact the names of persons who feared retaliation or unwanted scrutiny.

As it turns out, we didn’t have to look as far afield as we did for examples. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) pointed out during his Wednesday questioning of Commissioner Roger Goodell that redaction was good enough for the league, in the report generated by the Miami bullying scandal involving Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin.

 “In the case of the Dolphins, my recollection is that no one asked for any confidentiality,” Goodell said.

“They did because their names were redacted,” Raskin pointed out.

“In Washington, not only did they ask for confidentiality, in many case, we also promised them confidentiality,” Goodell said.

“That’s what redaction is for,” Raskin replied.

Goodell, finally caught in a corner, gave this final justification: “Congressman, I promise you, redaction doesn’t always work in my world.”

But it did work with the Dolphins. And Goodell’s recollection is wrong as to whether anyone asked for confidentiality. Here’s the key passage from the Miami report:

“Because of the extraordinary public interest in this matter, the Commissioner made the decision that the full Report as presented to him, without any redactions or modifications, will be released to the public. Accordingly, we attempted to protect the privacy of certain individuals whom we interviewed or wrote about, recognizing that many of them never asked to be dragged into the spotlight. In some cases, witnesses specifically asked that their identities remain confidential — a few even seemed to fear potential retaliation for cooperating with our inquiry—and we honored their requests. The NFLPA was sensitive to the privacy concerns expressed by some witnesses and was helpful in obtaining the necessary cooperation. We hope that by demonstrating sensitivity to issues of privacy and requests for confidentiality, we will encourage witnesses to cooperate with any future investigations by the NFL (unconnected with this matter) that may result in public reports.”

That’s how to strike the balance between secrecy and transparency. That’s how the NFL has done it in the past. That’s the precedent that was genuinely forgotten (at best) or deliberately ignored (at worst) by 345 Park Avenue. (We’d bet the latter.)

The most plausible explanation is that the NFL thinks we’re stupid enough to buy the idea that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed without absolute secrecy. Or that the NFL is stubborn enough (and Goodell is skilled enough) to recite disingenuous talking points with a straight face until the awkward conversation inevitably ends.

It’s nevertheless possible, giving the NFL the benefit of the doubt, that the powers-that-be feared Commanders owner Daniel Snyder would reverse engineer the Wilkinson report in order to figure out the names of anyone and everyone whose name was redacted from the final report. But if that’s the case — if the NFL reasonably believes that Snyder is so vindictive that he’d devote time and money to figuring out who the anonymous employees were in order to retaliate against them — why haven’t they already taken steps to get rid of him?

NEW ORLEANS

“Keeping the DNA the same” is the description of Coach Dennis Allen taking over from departed mentor Sean Payton.

Dennis Allen’s transition to the New Orleans Saints’ head coaching job has been a smooth one by all accounts.

Well, mostly.

“We’re such creatures of habit,” said the Saints’ former defensive coordinator, who confessed to one particular misstep from a few weeks ago. “I left the locker room and went up to my office, and I just walked up the back way and down the hall and walked into what is now [co-defensive coordinator] Ryan Nielsen’s office. And I was like, ‘Oh damn, I just walked into the wrong office.’

“He was in there, and I started up some sort of conversation and acted like I needed to talk to him. And then at the end, I was like, ‘I gotta admit something: I really just came to the wrong office.'”

To be fair, though, Allen has made a point of trying to keep things as normal as possible so far this offseason.

The vibe has been much different than it was when Allen’s mentor, Sean Payton, first arrived in New Orleans 16 years ago and did all he could to change the culture. Payton made tweaks to just about everything, down to signs hanging in the locker room and jersey colors at home games.

Allen, on the other hand, is proud of the culture he helped Payton and much of this current Saints coaching staff and roster build over the course of five straight winning seasons from 2017 to 2021 before Payton decided to step away from the job in January.

“Why would I change things just to change them?” Allen said. “We’ve done a lot of good stuff around here. So you’re gonna see a lot of the same stuff.

“Now, the way I present the message may be just a little bit different than the way Sean presented it … kind of putting my own flair on it.”

Players and coaches seem to widely appreciate that approach from the 49-year-old Allen, who is trying to find the success in his second head coaching stint that eluded him when he struggled to an 8-28 record with a much less established Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.

“That’s huge, just keeping the DNA the same,” running back Mark Ingram II said. “It’s not like it’s a full rebuild here. We have a team that can make a lot of noise and make a run at it. Obviously, we have to improve and get better and gel as a unit. But I think keeping the DNA of the team, the bloodline of the team, the culture of the team the same is huge.”

It helps that everyone — including offensive players like Ingram — has seen Allen’s results on the defensive side of the ball. Under Allen’s watch, the Saints have ranked fourth in the NFL in both yards allowed and points allowed over the past three seasons. Last December, they became the first team to shut out Tom Brady in 15 years with a 9-0 win on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Although the Saints missed the playoffs at 9-8 in an injury-ravaged 2021 season, their 58 regular-season wins over the past five years rank second in the NFL to only the Kansas City Chiefs.

Even players who just joined the Saints in free agency, like safety Tyrann Mathieu and receiver Jarvis Landry, spoke about being attracted by the established culture in New Orleans — despite the head coaching change.

“The level of consistency is nice. It’s something that you rely on. It’s something you already trust,” defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “[Allen is] someone we already trusted. So when you say, ‘Hey, this is for the better of the team,’ you believe that. It’s not like a new guy coming in saying, ‘Hey, this is how we’re gonna run the team’ and you’re like, ‘Damn, do I buy in or not buy in?’

“You know what our defense is about, and that immediately brings credibility.”

That consistency is felt throughout the coaching staff, where Allen retained longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. and promoted assistants Nielsen and Kris Richard to the roles of co-defensive coordinator. The biggest staff change the Saints made this offseason was rehiring former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone as offensive line coach — after Marrone previously served as Payton’s offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008.

TAMPA BAY

What to make of the retirement announcement of TE ROB GRONKOWSKI even as his agent is saying he might very well play again?  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Gronk is out as a member of the Bucs, with a month or so to go until training camp. For the first time that I can remember, a player’s agent publicly called B.S. on his client. So if Drew Rosenhaus doesn’t believe Gronk when he says he’s retiring, why should anyone else?

Rosenhaus says he believes Gronk will be back, this season or next season. Our guess is that Gronk won’t be back at the outset of 2022 training camp in part (if not completely) because of the financial offers the Bucs have made.

For 2021, Gronk had base pay of $8 million with incentives of up to $2 million. For 2022, given the dramatic increase in the receiver market, Gronk shouldn’t show up for less than $15 million. If he decides to take less for a limited run, assuming the Bucs are contenders, so be it. But why should he sign up for a full season if he’s not getting what he’s truly worth?

Finally, it likely wasn’t a mistake that Rosenhaus added the words “next season.” If/when Tom Brady jumps to a new team and if, after a year off, Gronk becomes intrigued by the possibility of teaming up with Brady once again in an effort to win a championship with a third different team, maybe he’d do it.

Still, the money will need to be right. If it currently were, be’d be playing.

Will the Buccaneers try to upgrade at tight end with Gronk gone?  Greg Auman of The Athletic surveys the candidates:

Rob Gronkowski has retired — again — and while that never really rules out another return, the Buccaneers now will likely bring in another veteran tight end to add some depth.

The Bucs have a reliable veteran in Cameron Brate, who has 33 career touchdowns, but the rest of their tight ends have, collectively, one career catch (Codey McElroy in 2019). Tampa Bay drafted two tight ends (Washington’s Cade Otton in the fourth round and Minnesota’s Ko Kieft in the sixth) but could use a proven player who can quickly earn Tom Brady’s trust, especially with the departure of his all-time favorite touchdown target.

You won’t easily replace Gronkowski, and some of the best available options are older than he is at 33. Tampa Bay has $9.99 million in 2022 cap space, a small portion of which will cover its remaining draft picks, but the team can add a decent replacement without having to do any additional cap maneuvering. Here are five names to watch in the next month before the Bucs convene for training camp:

Kyle Rudolph

The longtime Vikings tight end, 32, might be the most logical match for the Bucs. From 2015 to 2019, he totaled 30 touchdown catches for Minnesota, but he has had just one in each of the last two seasons, playing for the Giants last year and finishing with 26 catches for 257 yards. At 6-6, 265 pounds, he has Gronkowski size and can block as well as catch, and that well-roundedness is probably the most important asset in a potential replacement.

Rudolph had been linked to the Packers in free agency but did not sign. Pro Football Focus rated him as the No. 35 tight end last year, but that’s still higher than Brate (52nd). He signed a two-year, $12 million contract with New York last year but was released in March and would be available now for less than that.

Jared Cook

The Bucs would be the sixth team in eight seasons for Cook, 35, who has been a much better tight end in his 30s than he was in his 20s. He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019 with the Raiders and Saints, and he has 26 touchdown catches over the last four years. He has had at least 500 yards in each of the last five seasons, including a solid 564 on 48 catches with four touchdowns for the Chargers last year.

Cook had touchdowns for the Saints in both games against the Bucs in 2019 and five catches for 80 yards in the first 2020 game, though he’s probably best remembered for a costly fumble that sparked the Bucs’ comeback win in the playoffs that same season. PFF had him as the NFL’s No. 45 tight end last year, when he played on a one-year, $4.5 million contract with Los Angeles.

Eric Ebron

The former first-round pick is only 29, but he has dropped off from an outstanding 2018 season in which he caught 13 touchdown passes and made the Pro Bowl with the Colts. He spent the last two years with the Steelers and was limited to 12 catches for 84 yards and one touchdown in eight games last season, finishing the year on injured reserve due to a knee injury. He tweeted in February that he was fully recovered.

PFF had Ebron graded lower than Bucs tight end O.J. Howard last year, and he should be available for less than the two-year, $12 million deal he got from Pittsburgh in 2020.

Other unsigned veteran options

• Jimmy Graham, 35, dropped off considerably with the Bears last year, catching just 14 passes for 167 yards. But he did have three touchdowns.

• Blake Jarwin, 27, missed all but one game in 2020 with a knee injury, then played just eight games last year due to a hip injury from which he’s still recovering. He could be healthy for the start of the season, but the Bucs likely won’t want that uncertainty.

• Jesse James, 28, barely played last year, totaling seven catches for 62 yards with the Bears, but he had a combined 58 catches and six touchdowns for the Steelers in 2018 and 2019.

One more name: Dalton Schultz

This is the swing-for-the-fences answer to losing Gronkowski.

Schultz, 25, has been prolific in the last two seasons with the Cowboys, making 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He got the franchise tag from Dallas, good for $10.9 million this season, but didn’t attend the final week of OTA workouts amid frustration with extension talks.

It would likely take a mid-round pick to pry Schultz away from Dallas — remember, they let receiver Amari Cooper go to the Browns for a fourth-rounder and a late-round pick swap. For the Bucs to make it work cap-wise, they’d have to sign Schultz to an extension to lower his cap number. Spotrac gave him a market value of four years, $50 million this spring, so it would be another major commitment for a cap-strapped Bucs front office.

Schultz was PFF’s No. 6 tight end last year, one spot ahead of Gronkowski. So if Tampa Bay values having a top-tier tight end and is set on going all-in this year, acquiring Schultz would represent a less-drastic dropoff than they’d have with the free-agent options.

ARIZONA

WR DeANDRE HOPKINS is confounded by the process that led to his suspension.  Patrik Walker of CBSSports.com:

DeAndre Hopkins won’t be on the field for the Arizona Cardinals when the 2022 season gets underway, and not for some time thereafter, either. The five-time All-Pro wide receiver is set to serve a six-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances and, as such, the team will be without one of the best wideouts in football until its Week 7 bout with the New Orleans Saints.

For his part, Hopkins is confident others at the position will step up in his absence.

“I’ve been good — recovering, healing — but unfortunately, I’ve gotta miss these games,” Hopkins told Channel 12 News in Arizona. “You know, it is what it is, but the team will be ready, and I’ll be ready when I’m up.”

One of those who’ll be looked upon to immediately carry the load is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, acquired by the Cardinals when the club stunned the entire league in a draft day trade with the Baltimore Ravens — a deal that immediately became that much more valuable following news of Hopkins’ suspension. But, for Hopkins, it’s about holding out hope he can somehow get the NFL to reduce his six-game ban before the season gets underway, going on to explain what caused the violation in the first place.

“… We’re still doing some research before the season starts and, hopefully, we can get the games down a little bit,” said the five-time Pro Bowler. “It wasn’t on me. I’m a natural. I’m pretty much a natural path kind of person, man.

“[The substance] was called Ostarine, and there was 0.1% of it found in my system. And if you know what that is, it’s a contamination and not something directly taken. I don’t take any supplements. I’ve never taken supplements. I barely take vitamins, so for something like that to happen to me, obviously I was shocked, but my team and I are still trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Until/unless there’s a change in his status going forward, the Cardinals will have to do without Hopkins for six games to open the season, but having successfully re-signed tight end Zach Ertz in free agency will aid as well, giving them two key weapons for quarterback Kyler Murray until Hopkins can suit up again in late October.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Will the addition of WR ALLEN ROBINSON improve LA’s pass attack as he takes the place of WR ROBERT WOODS?  Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com:

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was asked how he and wide receiver Cooper Kupp could possibly top their success from last season.

Stafford joked, “You can’t sit there and go, ‘Well, the only thing to do now is go for 2,500 yards and I’ll throw for 7,000. That’s unrealistic.”

But offensive coordinator Liam Coen knows one of the Rams’ offseason moves could not only make this offense more dangerous, but help Kupp as well. While Kupp and now-Rams wide receiver Allen Robinson II have been utilized differently in their careers, both receivers are so versatile, Coen said, the Rams can use variations of formations to move both around to different spots and create favorable matchups.

“Getting Cooper [Kupp] on a nickel, getting Allen [Robinson] on a backer and then switching those guys,” Coen said. “And vice versa. We think it will be difficult to defend and it was obviously difficult to defend [Kupp] over the last few years and having the kind of guys that we had. But given that diversity that Allen brings to us, I definitely think that it will present some challenges to the defense.”

Coen said Robinson’s route tree is “extremely expanded from probably years ago, or maybe what we’ve had our other receivers do.”

“I mean, he can run a lot of routes that Cooper can, you know — some of those option routes and choice routes and things that we asked Cooper to do — because he just has an unbelievable ability to play underneath himself,” Coen said.

Kupp had one of the best seasons a wide receiver in history — winning the receiving “triple crown” with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns — and did so running 58% of his routes out of the slot, with Robert Woods or Odell Beckham Jr. playing opposite Van Jefferson on the outside. Still, Kupp was able to stretch seams and break through for big plays out of a position that isn’t known for them.

Last season with the Chicago Bears, 37.4% of the routes Robinson ran were in the slot. If the Rams are confident Robinson could take up some of the responsibility on the inside, it would give Kupp more room to occasionally operate on the outside. Without Woods or Beckham — at least to start the season — there will be a need for another vertical threat opposite Jefferson.

While Robinson is capable of doing that himself — he had 102 receptions for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns in 2020 before suffering through an illness- and injury-plagued 2021 — perhaps Coen and coach Sean McVay get creative, with Robinson and Kupp splitting that responsibility more than expected.

“He’s one of those bigger receivers that has body control of a smaller guy,” McVay said. “I’ve said this before, I bet you he’s really good when you play pickup basketball because he can get parallel, he can double-up, he has great body control. He has great ball skills.”

Robinson, who signed a three-year, $46 million contract with Los Angeles this offseason, spent the last four seasons with the Bears after breaking in with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The veteran receiver said he spent the spring workouts moving around and “learning the offense from many different spots on the field.”

“Now,” Robinson said during OTAs, “it’s just about building chemistry and learning more so of the nuances of things.”

Stafford didn’t throw during the offseason program as he recovers from a right elbow injury. Still, the quarterback said, one benefit to not being able to participate in every drill is he’s had more time to talk to Robinson on the sidelines and between plays.

“I’ve been very, very impressed with his ability to grasp our offense, his role in our offense,” Stafford said. “His understanding, even when he might miss something or mess something up, the reason is so sound on why he did something — he heard this and thought that, and I’m like, ‘That’s a great thought.’ It’s really productive growth for him in our offense.”

Coen said other than Robinson’s versatility, the receiver’s “unbelievable ability to double you up at the point of attack” stood out to him this spring.

“He really can work edges on you,” Coen said. “Lean and press away from you at the top of the routes. He has really good details, both in the release game and at the top of the routes.”

Robinson said he has already gotten a lot of help from Kupp, saying the pair is “always talking through those different things and really being very specific.” Last season, the Rams ranked seventh in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ passing DVOA. And although the Rams traded Woods and haven’t re-signed Beckham — at least not yet — Kupp said it’s been “great” to work with Robinson.

“It’s been so much fun to be able to collaborate with him,” Kupp said. “There’s a lot of potential for us to be able to do some really special things, but we have to stack the blocks day-by-day and build into that.”

BALTIMORE

The death of LB JAYLON FERGUSON seems to have a connection to drugs, perhaps Xanex.  Justin Fenton and Penelope Blackwell of the Baltimore Banner:

Baltimore Police are investigating the death Tuesday night of 26-year-old Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson.

A source says it is a suspected accidental overdose based on items found at the scene.

A police spokeswoman called the death “questionable,” but said there were no signs of foul play or trauma to his body. Additional information was not immediately available, and the death investigation has been referred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

“I can say that we are not ruling anything out,” Baltimore police spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge said. “We don’t determine cause of death, but we consider the possibility that it could be an overdose.”

Police were called around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to the 400 block of Ilchester Avenue in North Baltimore where they found Ferguson.

A friend who found Ferguson unresponsive told police at the scene that Ferguson had told him earlier in the night that he was “xanied up,” referring to the prescription drug Xanax, according to a law enforcement source who asked not to be identified because autopsy results have not been released. Xanax is the brand name of the drug alprazolam, which is used to treat panic disorders and anxiety.

Ferguson had been going through a difficult time after the recent death of his grandmother and a fire at his home in Owings Mills, and was suffering from depression, the friend said, according to the source.

CLEVELAND

Having settled with the bulk of his accusers, QB DESHAUN WATSON’s next step might be to negotiate with NFL Justice for a set punishment.  Mike Florio:

Last week, we pointed out that a negotiated resolution of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s discipline was possible, but not likely. The problem was that Watson, as of last week, was determined to clear his name.

With Watson settling 20 of the 24 cases pending against him, that possibly will lay the foundation for a settlement between the league, the union, and Watson.

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports that negotiations have indeed occurred. However, talks “fell apart” regarding the extent of the punishment.

Negotiated discipline is not unprecedented. The outcome is announced as the punishment being final, with the player waiving his appeal rights.

Complicating matters for Watson is the fact that there’s no precedent for the new procedure that starts with the NFL proposing a punishment, continues with an independent Disciplinary Officer setting the discipline, if any, and the Commissioner having jurisdiction over any appeal from the player or the team. Unless the Disciplinary Officer decides to impose no discipline at all, Goodell gets the final crack at determining the punishment.

The best outcome for Watson would be to settle everything. Settle the lawsuits. Settle the discipline. Serve the suspension. And then come back, play good football, win games, stay out of trouble, and in time much of this incident will be forgotten. Just like it was for Ben Roethlisberger.

TENNESSEE

QB RYAN TANNEHILL advises us to have the name CHIG OKONKWO on our list of tight ends when we draft our Fantasy Football teams:

First-round pick Treylon Burks didn’t have the smoothest transition to professional life this spring, but another Titans offensive rookie had more success making the jump from college to the NFL.

Tight end Chig Okonkwo joined the team as a fourth-round pick after catching 52 passes for 447 yards during his final year at Maryland. He also caught five touchdowns and showed a knack for getting the ball in the end zone while doing red zone drills with the team at minicamp this spring.

Okonkwo felt he “progressed a ton” in his first months with the team and quarterback Ryan Tannehill agreed with that assessment while looking forward to what the rookie can bring to the offense this fall.

“Chig’s done a great job for us,” Tannehill said, via the team’s website. “He’s made some big strides this spring. I’m proud of the way he’s come in, learned what to do, and we’ll continue to push him on that. But just physically, to see his size, his strength, his speed, how he’s able to play through contact, he definitely gives us another weapon.”

The Titans brought in Austin Hooper after he was cut by the Browns, so the team won’t have to put all their tight end eggs in Okonkwo’s basket right off the bat. Should Burks continue to come along slowly, however, going with multiple tight ends might be a path the Titans explore to stay productive through the air in 2022.

THIS AND THAT

TONY SIRAGUSA

Former NFL defensive tackle Tony Siragusa is gone too soon at age 55.

Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that Siragusa died in his sleep at his home at the Jersey Shore in Ortley Beach.

Jamison Hensley at ESPN.com:

Affectionately known as “Goose,” Siragusa served as a vital cog in the middle of the Baltimore Ravens’ historic 2000 defense, which spearheaded the franchise’s first Super Bowl title that same season. He started his 12-year career by drinking away his $1,000 signing bonus as an undrafted free agent and left the game as one of its unique personalities who was known for his irreverent sense of humor and memorable pranks.

“There was no one like Goose — a warrior on the field and a team unifier with a giving, generous heart who helped teammates and the community more than most people know,” former Ravens coach Brian Billick said. “We would not have won the Super Bowl without him. This is such stunning, sad news, and our hearts go out to Kathy and the Siragusa family.”

Before joining the Ravens as a free agent in 1997, Siragusa spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts. Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted that he was “heart broken as is all of Colts Nation.” Irsay added in a follow-up tweet that, “The Goose squeezed 200 fun loving years into 55!!”

Known as a blue-collar run-stuffer, Siragusa enjoyed his biggest moment on a quarterback hit. In the 2000 AFC Championship Game, Siragusa took out Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, driving the All-Pro into the turf and separating his left shoulder. The Ravens went on to beat the Raiders 16-3 to advance to the Super Bowl.

“I saw Rich’s eyes roll back,” Siragusa said at the time. “He got every pound of my fat ass on him.”

As much as Siragusa relished the spotlight off the field, he was comfortable with doing the dirty work for one of the NFL’s premier defenses, even though it led to countless knee surgeries and no Pro Bowl invitations. A 6-foot-3, 340-pound wall in the middle, Siragusa occupied double teams to allow middle linebacker Ray Lewis to roam freely and helped Baltimore set league records for the fewest points (165) and rushing yards (970) in a 16-game season.

“This is a tough one,” Lewis said. “I love Goose like a brother. From the first day we met, I knew that life was different. I knew he was someone who would change my life forever. He was a one-of-a-kind person who made you feel important and special. You can never replace a man like that.”

Said kicker Matt Stover: “I truly believe that the Super Bowl XXXV team would have never been as good as it was without Tony. He not only plugged up the middle, but his locker room presence created a loose environment when things were tight. He will be missed, but not forgotten.”

Teammates will remember Siragusa for his notorious practical jokes.

There was a time when some of the younger players made a big pot of cocoa in the training room and Siragusa saw an opportunity to spike it with laxative before practice. Siragusa laughed as players rushed off the field.

“They say there is a person like you everywhere, but I believe God made one Goose with that personality,” former Ravens defensive tackle Larry Webster said.

In the first “Hard Knocks,” Siragusa delivered one of the top moments when he barricaded the tight ends in their meeting room with a table. Tight end Shannon Sharpe famously declared he wanted “restitution,” and he stole Siragusa’s truck in order to get an apology.

Siragusa’s commitment to his team was apparent in 2000, when he was blocked, fell to the ground and couldn’t feel part of his body. His mother came running down from the stands and his older brothers sprinted to the locker room where a golf cart had moved the motionless big man.

“From my head down, I couldn’t move,” Siragusa recalled later. “It was the scariest thing that’s happened to me in my life.”

The medical staff told Siragusa he had to at least have an MRI to make sure there wasn’t spinal damage. He had a bruised spine, and he was advised not to go back. But he didn’t heed that advice.

Said Siragusa: “[Defensive line] coach Rex Ryan came up to me and said ‘You’ve got a family. Don’t go back out there.’ I said, ‘You’re my family, too. I’ve got to do this.'”

Ryan, now an ESPN analyst, said Wednesday that, “Tony was one of the best people I ever met” and that “it was impossible to have a bad day around him.”

After his retirement, Siragusa was a sideline analyst for Fox Sports from 2003 until 2015. He also had some acting roles, appearing in “The Sopranos” and Spike Lee’s movie, “25th Hour.”

“This is a really sad day,” Siragusa’s broadcast agent, Jim Ornstein, told The Associated Press. “Tony was way more than my client, he was family. My heart goes out to Tony’s loved ones.”

More quotes about Siragusa:

Former running back Jamal Lewis said Siragusa was one of the most humble and funniest guys he knew. They were neighbors in the gameday locker room.

 “He was never bothered and enjoyed life,” Lewis said. “While I had butterflies in my stomach, he was cracking jokes and pumping me up at the same time.”

Siragusa was one of the standouts on the first season of the HBO show “Hard Knocks,” which follows an NFL team in training camp. In one memorable scene he pranks the team’s tight ends, who are meeting in a trailer, by barricading the door with table and a pallet. Star Shannon Sharpe tries the door several times, but is stuck inside.

“Once I realized we were locked inside, I already knew who did it,” Sharpe told ESPN in 2021. “When pranks were pulled and things happened, you know to a certain degree who would do something like that and it was Goose.”

We knew Tony a bit and concur with what others have said.  He didn’t take day-to-day life too seriously, but when the lights came on he was all in on the task at hand.  He was a good friend with a strong sense of family.  Gone too early.

RANKING THE BACKUP QBs

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com offers his take on who are the best QBs without a starting job as 2022 looms closer:

Quarterbacks are always the talk of the NFL, and this year, there is no shortage of star power at the position. Consider just the top 10 signal-callers of 2022, a crop headlined by the ageless Tom Brady but chock-full of young, ascending play-makers. But what happens when the big names go down? Injuries take their toll every year, and unfortunately, that includes the QB position.

But which teams are best prepared to weather a loss under center? Here’s a look at the best backups in the league:

Note: There are more QBs listed (33) than teams (32), because we expect at least one of either Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo to be traded and assume a starting job before the 2022 season.

The Youngsters

We’re ranking recent high draft picks (since 2020) separate from the rest, only because they differ so much from career No. 2s. For example, if our starter went down, we might rather gamble on Jordan Love’s upside than, say, Andy Dalton’s experience. But we might also prefer the proven vet for a single important start or two. So here’s how we’d rank the youngsters:

6. Matt Corral (Panthers)

He appears to have the requisite swagger and mobility, but how quickly can/will he settle into the NFL?

5. Desmond Ridder (Falcons)

It may be a challenge to separate him from the Falcons’ rebuilding lineup. Will his confidence translate into consistency?

4. Jordan Love (Packers)

We’ve seen just one real game from him, and he’s still developing his vision, but at 23, with good size and a legitimate arm, we still like his potential as a big-play passer.

3. Malik Willis (Titans)

Like Love, he’s almost a total unknown, but he also possesses some freakish athletic qualities. In his case, it’s not only the laser arm but the electric legs. In a pinch, those kinds of gifts can mask other flaws.

2. Kenny Pickett (Steelers)

He’s widely considered more of a safe than special prospect, but the guy did a lot of the little things well in and around the pocket at Pittsburgh, and he may well start for a playoff-caliber Steelers team as a rookie.

1. Tyler Huntley (Ravens)

No, he’s not Lamar Jackson, but he’s a perfect substitute in Baltimore, where he’s shown in limited sample sizes that he can throw confidently and create space on the ground. It’s not such a bad thing to have an athlete as your emergency fill-in.

The best of the vets

10. Tyrod Taylor (Giants)

New York is overpaying considering he’s struggled to even stay healthy coming off the bench in recent years, and he’s not particularly accurate despite a tendency for short-area passing. Still, he’s been a serviceable starter before, and he can move.

9. Andy Dalton (Saints)

He hasn’t posted a winning record as a QB in seven years. He still throws a lot of picks despite an increasingly “safe” approach. But you also can’t teach 148 games of starting experience, and he’s proven he can be OK with talent around him.

8. Jacoby Brissett (Browns)

Like Taylor and Dalton, he’s somehow managed to be both conservative and relatively inefficient during extended action. But he’s adapted quickly in sudden career changes and shown, with the Colts, he can be borderline playoff-caliber with good support.

7. Case Keenum (Bills)

Keenum gets himself into trouble with his gunslinging style, but he also extends plays and wins over teammates the same way. A true journeyman after starting runs in Minnesota and Denver, he would’ve been a higher-upside backup plan for the 2022 Browns, who opted instead for Brissett as Deshaun Watson’s likely suspension substitute.

6. Taylor Heinicke (Commanders)

Washington got the total Heinicke experience in 2022: energetic, exciting and mercurial. He’s best suited for a run-heavy or short-area attack, but his moxie, mobility and willingness to try big throws make him one of the more enticing emergency starters.

5. Gardner Minshew (Eagles)

The size and arm power might never be there, but this guy is a prototypical No. 2, oozing swagger, flashing athleticism and touting pretty downfield touch. In 27 career games with rebuilding Eagles and Jaguars teams, he’s thrown 42 touchdowns to just 12 picks.

4. Nick Foles (Colts)

His disappearing act in 2021 is an indictment of the Bears, who preferred the pricier Andy Dalton as Justin Fields’ predecessor. Foles and his big arm are volatile, and he needs protection up front. But few backup QBs have been more calm, collected and willing to make tight-window throws in crunch time when called upon.

3. Teddy Bridgewater (Dolphins)

He’s never been more than a serviceable full-timer, offering a steady hand over big-time throws. But he’s well-liked, generally accurate, mostly avoids killer turnovers and has guided several winning streaks in talented lineups. Most teams would love to have him in their locker rooms, so long as he’s only stepping in under center for a select number of games.

2. Baker Mayfield (Browns)

He’s still starting material. Yes, he’s been on a rocky trajectory, going from bold to sloppy to underrated to battered in four years as Cleveland’s guy. His ceiling may well be as the point guard for a run-heavy approach that takes pressure off his good but streaky arm. But there’s no doubt, at 26, he still belongs somewhere for a final audition as a No. 1.

1. Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)

Like Mayfield, who figures to relocate before the start of the season, Jimmy G has so far maxed out as a mid-tier starter, thriving more when the burden is not on his arm but rather on the system in which he plays point guard. He’s also really struggled to stay healthy. And yet, at his best, he’s a prototypical pocket passer who can make all the throws with deep playoff experience.

The Leftovers

These guys make up the majority of the backup QBs in the NFL and, to be frank, aren’t separated by much. Sure, you can make the case for one over the other, but at the end of the day, you’re especially hopeful they don’t have to see extended action. They are listed roughly in order of preference:

Colt McCoy (Cardinals), Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seahawks), Chad Henne (Chiefs), Chase Daniel (Chargers), C.J. Beathard (Jaguars), Brandon Allen (Bengals), Josh Johnson/Brett Rypien (Broncos), Kyle Allen (Texans), Blaine Gabbert (Buccaneers), Trevor Siemian (Bears), Brian Hoyer (Patriots), Joe Flacco (Jets), Jarrett Stidham (Raiders), Cooper Rush (Cowboys), John Wolford (Rams), Sean Mannion (Vikings), David Blough (Lions)

Interesting that Seattle’s current starter (whether Geno or Lock) is in The Leftovers.