AROUND THE NFL

Daily Briefing

It’s been just three and a half weeks since the powers that be deemed a national lockdown was required to battle CoVid. 

Now, even as the plague is falling far, far short of “expert” models in most states and the curve may be bending, the NFL is among those planning that things will still be the same three weeks from now as it commands a “virtual draft.”  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL told teams last week that they were deciding between allowing small gatherings of club personnel to work together during the draft or requiring everyone to work from their homes by themselves.

The league announced its ruling on Monday. In a memo delivered to all teams and obtained by PFT, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote that teams should prepare for a “fully virtual.” Club personnel will be located “in separate locations and able to communicate with one another and Draft headquarters by phone or internet.”

Goodell’s decision is based on a desire to have all teams operating in a “consistent and fair way” at a moment when some areas have more stringent orders restricting gatherings and/or movement than others. Goodell wrote that the league also wants everyone “to comply with government directives and to model safe and appropriate health practice” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams have been preparing for this decision, so it likely won’t change much about their preparations for a draft that’s going to look completely different from what we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

– – –

Assuming California authorities allow it, “Hard Knocks” is planning on setting up shop in LA.  Adam Schefter of ESPN.com:

For the first time, “Hard Knocks” is planning to supersize and feature two teams in the same summer: the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, league sources told ESPN — if there are training camps.

No announcement is planned this week, as the NFL and NFL Films are focused on the first virtual draft in league history because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But NFL Films, which produces the show with HBO, would be excited to have not one, but two teams volunteer for “Hard Knocks,” and it would, in the words of one source, “be special to figure out the creative for a ‘supersized’ series this summer. “

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The announcement had been scheduled to be made at last week’s NFL annual meeting, but the meeting was canceled because of the pandemic. NFL Films plans for the show to go on, assuming training camp does.

No one yet knows whether training camp will be a go this summer because of the virus, but NFL Films must prepare as if it will. Being stationed in Los Angeles will give NFL Films the ability to embed itself with two NFL teams, a concept the show has not tried in the past.

But with both teams scheduled to move into the new SoFi Stadium this season, they also will be sharing “Hard Knocks,” not just a stadium.

This would not be the Rams’ first time on the show; they last did it in 2016. The Chargers never have done the show.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Dan Pompei of The Athletic likes the thought process that brought QB NICK FOLES to Chicago”

If selling tickets, jerseys or skeptical media members were the objectives, the Bears should have acquired a quarterback other than Nick Foles.

But if giving the team its best chance in 2020 and beyond is the objective, Foles was the best quarterback they could have acquired.

There were, of course, parameters to their decision. Until a divorce from Mitch Trubisky is finalized, the Bears cannot make a significant commitment to another quarterback. So Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater could not be serious considerations.

As for the others…

Marcus Mariota lacks Foles’ polish. Brian Hoyer has thrown 19 fewer touchdowns than Foles but only one fewer interception. Andy Dalton is intriguing, but he doesn’t have Foles’ familiarity with Matt Nagy’s system. There are medical concerns about Cam Newton, who mostly has failed to be Cam Newton since 2015. Three head coaches have swung and missed with Jameis Winston, though his high-end possibilities remain provocative.

For the Bears, Foles was the logical choice.

That does not mean they found their long-term quarterback. It does not even mean they found their opening week quarterback. All we know now is Trubisky gets the first snap of camp, and it’s an open competition after that. The rest will be revealed throw by throw.

But we can be assured Foles will play in the upcoming season, barring an improbable scenario. There will be an opening at some point, either because of a Trubisky shortcoming or a Trubisky injury, and Foles will burst through it.

Foles gives the Bears a better chance to win in 2020 than they had without him, and he gives them something that may be as important — more time to evaluate Trubisky, and more time to find the player who may be the long-term answer at the position. Foles’ presence will give them at least two drafts and another free agency period to take another big swing at a quarterback.

Over the years, the Bears have acquired veterans who moved the needle more. The expectations for Foles are different than the expectations were for Jay Cutler, Rick Mirer, Erik Kramer and Mike Phipps, for instance.

Adam Rank of NFL Network captured the prevailing feeling about the Foles trade in this tweet:

@adamrank

Trading for Nick Foles is like when you think you’re out of beer and the stores are closed, but you find a Michelob Ultra in the back of your fridge.

It might not be your first choice (or second or third), but it will get the job done.

Each of the veteran quarterbacks who were available in the offseason were in the back of some fridge. We can come up with reasons not to believe in any of them.

Besides those who are dominating, the most popular quarterbacks usually are the ones who are new and packaged perfectly, like i-somethings from the Apple Store.

But only time out of the box can refine the quarterback.

Wrinkles, broken bones, interceptions, boos and heartache can be sources of strength and wisdom.

– – –

His experience should be enhanced by playing in the offensive system that he studied for four years and had his most notable success in.

None of this is to suggest Foles can carry the Bears. He’s going to need help, a lot more help than the Bears gave Trubisky last season. The vast majority of quarterbacks in the NFL would.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

GM Marty Hurney finally fills the world in on the thought process behind the release of QB CAM NEWTON, although to be honest there is not a lot of meat in his comments.  Alaina Getzenburg of the Charlotte Observer:

The Panthers made a franchise-altering move when they moved on from Cam Newton, but once the decision was made to let him go, the process happened quickly.

Almost four weeks after the Panthers made it publicly known that they and Newton’s representatives were seeking a trade for the quarterback, general manager Marty Hurney on Monday shed perspective on how everything transpired with Newton eventually being released March 24.

The decision to move on from the franchise’s quarterback of nine years wasn’t easy, especially for Hurney, who drafted Newton, the franchise’s leader in multiple passing and rushing categories, first overall in 2011 out of Auburn.

 “Obviously it was, you know, tough. You have to make very difficult decisions every year and this was probably one of the most difficult,” Hurney said in a teleconference, his first public comments since new coach Matt Rhule was introduced Jan. 8. “I mean, I drafted Cam, and we all know everything he’s brought to the organization both on and off the field. So it was extremely difficult.”

Newton, who missed all but two games in 2019 due to a Lisfranc injury in his left foot which he had surgery on in December, is yet to sign with a new team. Releasing him cost the Panthers just $2 million in dead salary cap space. He was owed $21.1 million in the final year of his contract if on the roster.

Hurney shared that they had only informed Newton’s representatives that they were seeking a trade partner a day before it became public. The team announced the news March 17. Later that day, they agreed to terms with their new quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater.

“We put a lot of time, thought, communication into every decision we make. As soon as we make those decisions, we act on them,” Hurney said. “So, as soon as we (decided to move on from Newton), I called Cam’s representatives and told them that we were going to start calling teams about seeing if there was trade interest in Cam.

“Once you know we spent time doing that, and seeing that teams were interested and we got to a point where we thought that it’s really, you know, it didn’t seem like we were going to be able to make a trade in the near future and we thought that it was in the best interest for everybody to release him.”

Newton has yet to publicly comment much on what has taken place over the last month other than sharing a few thoughts on Instagram, but a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Observer that Newton wished to remain in Carolina. He posted his interpretation of the team saying it “gave permission” to Newton’s representatives to seek a trade a partner.

“Stop with the word play. (I) never asked for it,” Newton wrote. “Please do not try and play me, or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this; you forced me into this.”

He also later said in a video on Instagram that “they gave me up on me,” not specifically mentioning the team.

Hurney shared that both he and team owner David Tepper spoke to Newton personally about their decision, but the general manager declined to comment on the specifics of their conversation.

He also declined to get into specifics about the decision-making in relation to the quarterback’s health and ability to pass a physical.

“A lot of thought and communication went into it. And once we made that (decision), we let Cam know immediately and, you know, these are all these difficult decisions that have their own timeline, each one of them. And you make them for reasons … and obviously a lot plays into every one of those decisions as it did this one,” Hurney said. “I just think that you guys know how much we respect Cam and again, I appreciate everything he’s given and it was extremely difficult, but that’s where we ended up.”

The biggest trade the Panthers did pull off this offseason was sending guard Trai Turner to the Chargers in exchange for left tackle Russell Okung in February.

Hurney spoke for the first time about the move, explaining that the Chargers originally emailed him with a proposal and that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring in an experienced left tackle like Okung.

“I actually got an email one night, actually after a report came (about Turner’s availability), and they proposed a trade, with Russell for Trai. Obviously, the opportunity to get a left tackle that’s played at Russell’s level … we were very familiar with him,” Hurney said. “Trai’s been a great player for us, but the ability to get an experienced left tackle, somebody that can help bring Greg along. We think Greg (Little) is very talented and has a chance to be a very good player, and maybe have some position flexibility.”

The move came as a bit of surprise for a variety of reasons. It put the future of Little, also a left tackle, in doubt, after the team traded up to select him in the second-round of the draft last year. He dealt with two concussions and an ankle injury during the 2019 season, playing in four games. There was also speculation that the team could move him to a different position on the line, despite his significant experience at left tackle, which Hurney insinuated could come to be with the comment that he has some “position flexibility.” But the general manager also said he views the move as an opportunity for Little to grow, while giving the line depth.

Said Hurney: “One of the goals of this offseason, and we have plenty of them, is to try to improve the depth of our offensive line and we thought being able to get a left tackle with the ability that Russell Okung has was just — it was very hard to trade Trai, but we thought that was a decision that we wanted to make in the big-picture plan of our offensive line.

“We have all the confidence in the world in Greg, and it just gives him time to come in and get with a guy who has played in this league at a high level for a long time and develop with Greg.”

Meanwhile Newton did an interview with the NBA’s Chris Paul from his lockdown that Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com has monitored:

The Panthers released Cam Newton on March 24. He remains without a new team and that could last awhile with teams unable to have their own doctors examine the quarterback.

Newton joined Chris Paul on Instagram Live on Monday, making his most extensive public comments since the Panthers parted ways in favor of Teddy Bridgewater.

“It’s so much possibility for me right now, but the fact that this corona situation has hit, I’m not a person to blame or do any of that things, man, it’s business,” Newton told Paul, via video from Sheena Paul of 1340AM Fox Sports. “But at the same time, I think I have been affected in a lot of ways, and it’s just [unfortunate], but yeah, at the end of the day, man, I’m going to let the ball play how it play, man, and go from there.”

The Panthers drafted Newton with the first overall pick in 2011. He has never known anything else.

“I’m in unchartered waters for the first time in my career. You know what I’m saying?” Newton said.

Newton, who turns 31 next month, said the chip he always carries on his shoulder has “about turned into family size real quick.”

Newton said he has taken time to improve himself since being released. He has taken up meditation, among other things, as the three-time Pro Bowler seeks guidance on his future.

“I really have taken this time to become stronger mentally, physically and spiritually,” Newton said. “I think that’s more important than anything, man. I’ve gained this interest in mediating every morning, and it’s time for me.

“I’m a fish out of water. I’ve never not known anything other than the Carolina Panthers, and now it’s like I want God to direct my path and put me in a position where I can thrive and be myself. But on top of that, it’s still [about] becoming better.”

Newton won league MVP honors in 2015 when he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. He is a three-time Pro Bowler.

A source was emphatic that Newton “can still play,” though Newton has had shoulder and foot injuries that have limited him the past two seasons. In 16 games over the past two years, Newton has thrown for 3,967 yards with 24 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 90.5.

Newton ranks first on PFT’s list of top 25 remaining free agents.

TAMPA BAY

The new Buccaneers uniforms are out on-line – and the good news is they aren’t new, they are old.  Basically, they are the 1997-2013 uniforms.  This from the official release at Buccaneers.com:

Much of the new uniform is identical to what the team wore from 1997 through 2013, which included the most successful on-field stretch in franchise history. From 1997 through 2007 the Buccaneers went to the playoffs seven times in 11 years, played in two conference championship games and captured their first Lombardi Trophy. The Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders, 48-21, on January 26, 2003 while wearing their signature pewter pants and red jerseys.

The Buccaneers hope to create another era of postseason success with a new set of stars making the Super Bowl-era uniform their own signature look. That includes six time Super Bowl Champion QB Tom Brady and linebacker Lavonte David, who was thrilled to return to uniforms similar to what he wore in his first two Buccaneer seasons, along with the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Vita Vea, Donovan Smith, Devin White, Shaquil Barrett, Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul

The font for the jersey numbers is the same one used from 1997-2013, as well, and the helmet will once again feature a black facemask. There will also be a brand new alternate uniform featuring pewter pants and jerseys that the Buccaneers anticipate becoming a fan favorite.

While the Buccaneers are going back to the darker red of their previous uniforms, they are retaining the shade of pewter used in the most recent version. The team explored going back to the original pewter pants but the fabrics used by Nike today are completely different than in the 1990s and therefore it was impossible to re-create the historic pewter color in today’s textiles.

The new uniform also retains the modern flag-and-crossed-swords logo, while incorporating the original shade of red. The side of the flag on the helmet has been reduced to ensure the sword is visible on all helmet types used by players. The new uniforms also feature the modern ship design. The logotype mark has also been updated. The words Tampa Bay and the drop shadow are now in pewter, and the word Buccaneers is in the original darker red.

Bobby Fenton – a longtime local critic of the current uniforms – says:

@bobbygameday

Great job, @Buccaneers . From the bottom of my heart, seriously, thank you for making things right again.

Now please do not make any uniform changes until at least 2050, or until I am dead. Either way.

– – –

Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson?  Say it ain’t so.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times on the plot to sign QB TOM BRADY that omits a salient fact about Joe Jackson:

It might sound a little corny, by design in fact, but the Bucs front office had a code name for their dogged pursuit of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady: Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Why? Because the greatest quarterback of all time leaving the Patriots to rescue the losingest franchise in major sports with a .387 winning percentage is as unlikely as the legendary White Sox slugger, Joe Jackson, walking out of a cornfield in Iowa.

The name was hatched by John Spytek, the Bucs’ director of player personnel and a former teammate of Brady’s for one season at Michigan. Oh, and Spytek is also a huge fan of the movie Field of Dreams.

“If we build it, he will come,” Spytek used to tell general manager Jason Licht, repeating the famous line from the 1989 movie. “Go the distance.”

The Bucs have not been to the playoffs in 12 seasons, the second-longest streak in the NFL. Brady has not missed the postseason in the past 11 years and has six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances during his career.

Of course, we all know how that March 18 phone call went between Brady, Licht and coach Bruce Arians.

According to a Sports Illustrated story by Ian O’Connor, during the 90-minute conversation, Brady said something to the effect of, “I think we’ve got something. We’ve got a chance to be very special.”

That’s when Licht gave the thumbs-up to Arians.

Is this heaven? No, Tom. It’s Tampa Bay.

Brady haters would say that both Shoeless Joe Jackson and Brady were cheaters.

Although Brady defenders would say they both were falsely convicted by an unfeeling Commissioner who didn’t take into account exculpatory evidence (such as Jackson hitting .375 with a World Series record 12 base hits in a 1919 Series he was trying to lose.

More on Jackson here:

After the grand jury returned its indictments, Charley Owens of the Chicago Daily News wrote a regretful tribute headlined, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”[22] The phrase became legendary when another reporter later erroneously attributed it to a child outside the courthouse:

When Jackson left the criminal court building in the custody of a sheriff after telling his story to the grand jury, he found several hundred youngsters, aged from 6 to 16, waiting for a glimpse of their idol. One child stepped up to the outfielder, and, grabbing his coat sleeve, said:

“It ain’t true, is it, Joe?”

“Yes, kid, I’m afraid it is,” Jackson replied. The boys opened a path for the ball player and stood in silence until he passed out of sight.

“Well, I’d never have thought it,” sighed the lad.[23]

In an interview in Sport nearly three decades later, Jackson confirmed that the legendary exchange never occurred.[24]

Dispute over Jackson’s guilt

Jackson spent most of the last 30 years of his life proclaiming his innocence, and evidence has surfaced that casts significant doubt on his involvement in the fix. Jackson reportedly refused the $5,000 bribe on two separate occasions—despite the fact that it would effectively double his salary—only to have teammate Lefty Williams toss the cash on the floor of his hotel room. Jackson then tried to tell White Sox owner Charles Comiskey about the fix, but Comiskey refused to meet with him.[25] Unable to afford legal counsel, Jackson was represented by team attorney Alfred Austrian—a clear conflict of interest. Before Jackson’s grand jury testimony, Austrian allegedly elicited Jackson’s admission of his supposed role in the fix by plying him with whiskey.[16] Austrian was also able to persuade the nearly illiterate Jackson to sign a waiver of immunity from prosecution.[25] Years later, the other seven players implicated in the scandal confirmed that Jackson was never at any of the meetings. Williams said that they only mentioned Jackson’s name to give their plot more credibility, although he did not say why Jackson would have been paid $5,000 had that been the case. Jackson’s performance during the series itself lends further credence to his assertions, although the game records show that he hit better during the “clean” games than those which were thrown.[16] A 1993 article in The American Statistician reported the results of a statistical analysis of Jackson’s contribution during the 1919 World Series, and concluded that there was “substantial support to Jackson’s subsequent claims of innocence”.[26]

An article in the September 2009 issue of Chicago Lawyer magazine argued that Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book Eight Men Out, purporting to confirm Jackson’s guilt, was based on inaccurate information; for example, Jackson never confessed to throwing the Series as Asinof claimed. Further, Asinof omitted key facts from publicly available documents such as the 1920 grand jury records and proceedings of Jackson’s successful 1924 lawsuit against Comiskey to recover back pay for the 1920 and 1921 seasons. Asinof’s use of fictional characters within a supposedly non-fiction account added further questions about the historical accuracy of the book.[27]

– – –

The implication here seems to be that QB TOM BRADY felt that Bill Belichick felt he wasn’t the Tom Brady of old, but rather an old Tom Brady.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Tom Brady has taken to the written word in order to expand on his decision to join the Buccaneers as a free agent this offseason.

In a piece for The Players Tribune, which was founded by Brady’s Tampa landlord Derek Jeter, Brady wrote that he “wouldn’t change anything” about his 20 years with the Patriots. He called moving on “a great opportunity, a great change and a great challenge” and that those things are exciting after such a long time in one place.

Brady also sounds eager to prove that he can be successful away from the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick. He wrote that he wants “to see what more I can do” and “how great I can be” before calling the Buccaneers a team that believes he’s still as capable as he’s ever been.

“They’ve welcomed me as one of their own,” Brady wrote. “They want to listen to what I have to say. I’m excited to be embraced fully for what I can bring to the Bucs. In turn I’m ready to embrace fully a team that is confident in what I do — and what I bring — and is willing to go on this ride with me.”

Some will see an implication that the Patriots didn’t show the same confidence in what Brady can do on the field at this point in his career given reports about a lukewarm push to bring him back. The piece ends with Brady’s vow to “show everyone what I’ve got” and there will be plenty of people in New England, Tampa and elsewhere watching closely to see how that plays out.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

WR KENDRICK BOURNE will be back in 2020 per Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee:

49ers restricted free agent Kendrick Bourne one Monday signed his one-year tender to stay, Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee reports. He was offered the one-year tender March 17 and could have signed with a new team that would have sent San Francisco a second-round pick in return.

Bourne, 24, is entering 2020 as one of the few known commodities in the 49ers’ receiving corps due to look significantly different.

As the No. 3 option on last season’s NFC champion, Bourne tied George Kittle for the team lead with five touchdown catches while 23 of his 30 receptions went for first downs. He had 358 yards last season after posing 487 in 2018, the best of his three-year career.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

With RB TODD GURLEY gone, will the Rams jump on one of the elite backs who might still be available in the second round?  The AP says they are talking about filling things with an internal committee:

The Los Angeles Rams’ unceremonious release of Todd Gurley left an enormous hole in the middle of their offense.

Coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead don’t believe they can fill it with just one running back.

The Rams intend to rely less on a single ball-carrier and more on a talented group of running backs in the upcoming season, McVay and Snead said Monday in their first public comments on their biggest offseason move.

“What we want to be is a team that utilizes more than just one workhorse running the ball, have a different genre of skill sets and a complimentary-type running game,” Snead said. “We have this big-picture vision, Darrell (Henderson) being a part of it, but we do expect other pieces to be a big part of it as well.”

Henderson, who barely played as a rookie third-round pick last season, is the top in-house candidate to replace Gurley, one of the NFL’s most productive running backs of the last half-decade. Longtime backup Malcolm Brown also returns, and Snead indicated the Rams will be looking hard at running backs in the draft.

Running the ball by committee will be a major change for the Rams, who had Gurley at the center of everything for the past five years.

“We certainly don’t replace the production, the way that he’s influenced and affected the game,” McVay said. “But what we can continue to do is try to adjust and adapt.”

Gurley, the AP’s 2017 Offensive Player of the Year, leads the NFL with 58 rushing touchdowns since joining the league in 2015. His 5,404 yards rushing in that stretch are 1 yard behind Ezekiel Elliott for the league lead.

That’s an awful lot of production to replace, even after Gurley’s numbers declined last season amid concerns about his left knee. The Rams were compelled by payroll constraints and Gurley’s waning production to release him March 19 before he even got to the first season of his four-year, $60 million contract extension — the largest in NFL history for a running back when he agreed to it in 2018.

That deal, which included $45 million in guarantees, will loom as one of the biggest tactical mistakes of Snead’s eight-year tenure. But the GM still feels he did the right thing overall in paying his highly productive star.

“From a regret standpoint, there’s no way you can ever regret the yards he gained, the touchdowns he scored for us,” Snead said. “The championships, whether it’s two division titles or (the) conference championship. The Super Bowl appearance. That will be tough to regret. What I can say is, obviously I think we all wish the partnership could have lasted longer. But from a standpoint of Todd earning that contract, no, he did earn that. I think that showed up in the production and how he helped us win.”

The Atlanta Falcons scooped up Gurley with a one-year, $6 million deal officially announced Monday.

Gurley had his two best NFL seasons during McVay’s first two years in charge. He rushed for a combined 2,556 yards in 2017 and 2018 while ranking among the league leaders in touches for his young head coach.

McVay said he never could have imagined being without Gurley at this point in their careers even a year ago. The coach faces a new challenge in the upcoming season without Gurley to rely upon — although in retrospect, that transition already began last year.

When Gurley’s touches and production declined last season, McVay steadfastly claimed Gurley was healthy and capable of doing whatever the Rams needed, even after Los Angeles finished with the NFL’s 26th-ranked rushing offense behind an injury-riddled offensive line.

On Monday, McVay also expressed disappointment at the way Gurley’s tenure ended in LA.

“There’s a lot of things that went into it, but at the end of the day, this guy has been instrumental in helping create a lot of the good things that are going on in our building,” McVay said. “Think he’ll do a good job for the Falcons, but in a lot of ways, it is a reflection on the confidence that that we have in those guys that are in place with Darrell Henderson, with Malcolm Brown.”

Snead acknowledged Gurley’s departure is a boost to the Rams’ plans to re-sign cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who arrived last season in a trade that sent the Rams’ next two first-round picks to Jacksonville. Ramsey, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

“Anytime you eliminate a large salary, it does help you onboard another large salary,” Snead said. “We’re a team that’s going through it: Usually teams that have success have players with relatively large salaries. You can’t pay everyone large salaries, even though you would like to be able to. But this isn’t college football where maybe you can just continue out-recruiting others. Sometimes you lose players.”

“With Jalen, we’ve communicated with his reps, and we’ll keep those things internal. But we definitely like Jalen, as we said. That would be obvious.”

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

Before the Bears landed QB NICK FOLES and before the Colts inked aging QB PHILIP RIVERS, Indianapolis was trying to get Foles.  Dan Pompei of The Athletic:

The Jaguars weren’t shopping Foles this year, but the Colts were bidding as well as the Bears. And others were in the mix, from what little birdies say.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

We wonder where Scott Pioli, channeled by ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss, got this idea which seems to imply QB TOM BRADY wasn’t good with young receivers.

Scott Pioli was there at the beginning. Before quarterback Tom Brady was Tom Brady.

That’s one reason his perspective on the quarterback situation the New England Patriots find themselves in is especially credible and unique.

Is 2019 fourth-round draft choice Jarrett Stidham the long-term answer? Pioli, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel from 2000 to ’08, doesn’t know for sure — which supports the idea that coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots don’t know for sure, either.

But they both trust enough in the Patriots’ developmental history to think there’s a chance.

“The thing is, what happens sometimes with players who have enough talent and ability, if there are good coaches around them, and a good system that allows them to learn, and be educated, and develop — which is something that happened with Brady … I’m not saying this guy can be Tom Brady, but he has enough of the skills, tools and intelligence to develop,” Pioli said recently on “The Zach Gelb Show” on CBS Sports Radio.

So if it’s Stidham this year, one of the trickle-down effects of that dynamic is how the learning curve within the offense impacts some younger skill-position players whom the team will be relying upon for critical development. Is it possible that could actually be a net positive for the 2020 Patriots?

It’s not hard to envision a scenario where younger receivers such as 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry and 2019 undrafted find Jakobi Meyers acclimate easier with Stidham. Ditto for a potential 2020 draft pick at tight end, which is one of the Patriots’ top needs.

Because of Brady’s Ph.D.-level of expertise in the offense, and a backlog of years to fall back upon, it was often a challenge for rookie receivers and tight ends to bridge the gap with him.

But Brady didn’t start out that way, and the career trajectory of other QBs groomed in New England suggests Stidham will be positioned for success if he wins the starting job.

“… There are other quarterbacks that have come out of that system that have done it,” Pioli said. “The guy that played in the Super Bowl this past [season] out in San Francisco, Jimmy G (Jimmy Garoppolo], did a pretty good job of it. Matt Cassel had a pretty solid run as a quarterback during his time. There have been quarterbacks that come out of that system that learn under that group of people, and are taught by really good coaches, and they become good enough quarterbacks to win games in the National Football League.”

Pioli’s point helps frame expectations for whoever ultimately fills the void created by Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Patriots can’t expect that player — whether it’s Stidham, veteran backup Brian Hoyer or a yet-to-be-added signal-caller — to be what Brady was in recent years. But can that player be like the Brady of 2001? Or the Garoppolo of 2016 in his third season when he started in place of the suspended Brady? Or the Jacoby Brissett of 2016 when the then-rookie was called upon as an emergency starter?

Every quarterback has to start somewhere, and those early in their careers often need support throughout the locker room. That’s how former Patriots safety Lawyer Milloy remembers the early Brady years, when Brady developed a quick rapport with receivers at all stages of their careers — veterans such as Troy Brown and David Patten, and rookies such as Deion Branch and David Givens.

“I was there at the beginning. Obviously we took advantage of a young guy ready for his opportunity, but at that point we still didn’t know [what he would be],” Milloy said. “We were just looking for that missing piece. We thought we had it in Drew [Bledsoe], but through injury we found out something else.”

It seems likely the Patriots will find out if Stidham is ready for his opportunity.

“That’s what my instincts tell me. They obviously think well enough of him — he’s been in the system, he’s seen it for a year. I think they’re going to give him a shot,” Pioli said in the radio interview.

“I also think the idea of having a backup that also has experience [Hoyer], they’re in a really good situation there right now. I also can see them going out and getting another quarterback, whether it’s a more decorated veteran or in this draft. Their entire quarterback room is not filled, yet. But I’m curious to see Stidham. He was a solid player in college. I was down at Auburn and saw him play in practice when he was coming out, and he was an intriguing prospect.”

THIS AND THAT

PROSPECT PROFILE – JEFF OKUDAH

Mock Drafts that envision the Lions standing pat at #3 often give Detroit CB JEFF OKUDAH from The Ohio State – after QB JOE BURROW and DE CHASE YOUNG who also were in Columbus with Okudah in 2017.  Who is this guy?

All Wikipedia tells us is that he was born in suburban New Jersey (Parsippany Hills) but went to high school at South Grand Prairie High School near Dallas.

He did not have an interception in his first two years at Ohio State.  Then in the 4^th game of 2019, he had one against Miami of Ohio.  Then, two the next week vs. Nebraska.  Then none for the last eight games.  So three INTs in 35 games for The Buckeyes, all in a space of two games.

The defining story about Okudah seems to be his late mother Marie who passed away after a long, long battle with lymphoma in 2017, six days after he set foot on The Campus in Columbus.

This is where Okudah’s mother wanted him to flourish.

But Marie Okudah isn’t here anymore. She died in January 2017, of lymphoma.

Marie was diagnosed with lymphoma when Okudah was 2, and even through her chemotherapy treatments, he remembers a strong figure who loved the son she raised. She’s the reason Okudah had the courage to leave home for Ohio State, the courage needed to leave home to achieve something great.

A week after Okudah arrived at Ohio State, Marie passed away. A week after that, Okudah was back in Texas for the funeral.

“It doesn’t define me,” Okudah said. “But it’s part of who I am.”

Okudah had come so far to get to Ohio State, and losing his mother would have been an understandable reason to lose course. Everyone has his or her own way of dealing with grief, but Okudah faced it head-on, the way his mother would have wanted — with strength. Okudah arrived at Ohio State as part of the star-studded 2017 recruiting class that also featured two other national top-50 recruits from Texas in five-star linebacker Baron Browning and four-star running back J.K. Dobbins. Okudah lived with his friends from Texas, and they made Ohio State feel like home. Browning accompanied Okudah to the funeral.

“I remember when it first happened, I was there for him the whole time,” said Browning, who went to Kennedale High, another Dallas suburb. “Me and Jeff are close. We didn’t meet each other until our sophomore year of high school, I want to say, and we’d hang out at recruiting camps and stuff. But now we’re brothers. We got close through that tragedy, and I was there for him. There’s so much you want to do for somebody when they are going through that, but there’s nothing you can do to bring that person back, especially if it’s your mom. You only get one mom.

“Those are the main people I hang with now. My Texas boys, him and J.K. We lived together last year in the dorms. That’s my guy.”

Shortly after Okudah committed to Ohio State, he wrote a public letter to his mother in The Players Tribune. It was a way to share his recruitment with his mom, which shined through in these excerpts.

“Now that I’ve finally chosen a school, I know that the work is just starting. I don’t want to be just another student-athlete while I’m at Ohio State. I really want to one day be remembered for what I accomplished while I was there. I know that’s saying a lot given all the great players who have come through the program, but that’s exactly the kind of challenge I’m looking for.”

“I’ve been told I have the talent to one day achieve my dream of playing in the NFL, and that’s great — but that’s not all that I think I have the talent for. In college, I want to take classes that challenge me to reconsider the way I look at the world. I want to intern at Fortune 500 companies, and to gain experience in boardrooms that are just as competitive as any locker room. And one day, I want to start a business that will ensure that my family will always be comfortable, whether football works out or not.”

“Mom, you’ve done such an amazing job raising my sister and me. Now that she’s off at Texas A&M and I’m headed to Ohio State, you might think your work is done. You’ve always said that you would be content with your life once you saw both of us attending college. But just you wait, Mom. You’ve spent your whole life giving me the support I needed to achieve my dreams. Someday soon, I promise you, I’m going to help you live yours.”

Those words were written before he had three interceptions this season. Those words were written before he became one of the most coveted draft prospects in the nation.

Those words were written before Okudah got to this point.

Read those words back to Okudah now, and he still maintains he hasn’t achieved what he came here for. But every time you see him on the field, every time you watch him make a play, every time you envy what he’s about to achieve, remember what it took for him to get here.

“You can’t let it all be for nothing,” Okudah said. “You have to be able to man up quick. I’m out here for a reason. I am not here to sit on the bench. I’m here to be great.”

Want to hear a crazy fact? Okudah came into this season with zero career interceptions.

Okudah said he set a personal goal for interceptions, and now that he has three — “You can say it’s a monkey off my back,” he jokes — he still isn’t giving up the magic number. Maybe when he hits his goal. Or maybe we’ll never know. It doesn’t matter.

It wasn’t his first career interception against Miami (Ohio) that showed Okudah’s high school coach, Brent Whitson, that his former player officially had arrived as a college star. It wasn’t his second interception against Nebraska or the third one he picked up a few drives later while prone that was all over ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

When Whitson was sitting in his house watching the opener against Florida Atlantic, he leaned over to his wife and said, “That’s the Jeff Okudah we know.”

“It wasn’t a spectacular play or anything people will remember,” Whitson said, “He was on a nub tight end and there was a run play that came right at him, and he took on the tight end and shed him. He didn’t make the play, but I saw him be physical with his upper body and keep himself alive.

“A guy who didn’t have confidence may have been more passive in that situation because he didn’t have to make the play. It was his posture and the way he attacked the play. He took care of his responsibility, played physically and opened it up for others to make the play. Some may say he didn’t make the play, but as a coach, I’d say he did.”

This is the Okudah we’ve seen all season, the big, physical cornerback who stars in coverage and also can dart into the backfield and make plays against the run. Okudah has been all over the field all season. He’s playing with poise and leadership, and has grown out of the passive freshman Denzel Ward once had to encourage to stay positive.

“Denzel would say that the longer you’re here, the more confident you get,” Okudah said. “But as a freshman, you don’t know what he is talking about. Then fast-forward three years and you get a sense of what he was talking about.”

NFL scouts are salivating.

During the Nebraska game, one sent me a text message that just said “Okudah” with the lingering eyes emoji. That same scout wonders why Ohio State’s defensive staff ever rotated him off the field during his sophomore season and swears Okudah is going to be a top-15 pick. The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler has Okudah as the No. 3 overall prospect, behind only Ohio State defensive end Chase Young and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“It’s his work ethic,” Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “You know he’s an exceptional athlete. He’s got size, speed. He’s got great feet. He loves football, and he practices hard every single day. … What separates him from other people is his mindset, and that’s what the great ones have. That’s what he does. He works.”

This is all about ascension for Okudah — on the field, and maybe one day onto the banner in the Woody Hayes Center.

If things continue on their current path, there’s no way he will have come all the way to Ohio State for nothing.  Ari Wasserman of The Athletic fills things out pretty well in this report:

This is where Okudah’s mother wanted him to flourish.

But Marie Okudah isn’t here anymore. She died in January 2017, of lymphoma.

Marie was diagnosed with lymphoma when Okudah was 2, and even through her chemotherapy treatments, he remembers a strong figure who loved the son she raised. She’s the reason Okudah had the courage to leave home for Ohio State, the courage needed to leave home to achieve something great.

A week after Okudah arrived at Ohio State, Marie passed away. A week after that, Okudah was back in Texas for the funeral.

“It doesn’t define me,” Okudah said. “But it’s part of who I am.”

Okudah had come so far to get to Ohio State, and losing his mother would have been an understandable reason to lose course. Everyone has his or her own way of dealing with grief, but Okudah faced it head-on, the way his mother would have wanted — with strength. Okudah arrived at Ohio State as part of the star-studded 2017 recruiting class that also featured two other national top-50 recruits from Texas in five-star linebacker Baron Browning and four-star running back J.K. Dobbins. Okudah lived with his friends from Texas, and they made Ohio State feel like home. Browning accompanied Okudah to the funeral.

“I remember when it first happened, I was there for him the whole time,” said Browning, who went to Kennedale High, another Dallas suburb. “Me and Jeff are close. We didn’t meet each other until our sophomore year of high school, I want to say, and we’d hang out at recruiting camps and stuff. But now we’re brothers. We got close through that tragedy, and I was there for him. There’s so much you want to do for somebody when they are going through that, but there’s nothing you can do to bring that person back, especially if it’s your mom. You only get one mom.

“Those are the main people I hang with now. My Texas boys, him and J.K. We lived together last year in the dorms. That’s my guy.”

Shortly after Okudah committed to Ohio State, he wrote a public letter to his mother in The Players Tribune. It was a way to share his recruitment with his mom, which shined through in these excerpts.

“Now that I’ve finally chosen a school, I know that the work is just starting. I don’t want to be just another student-athlete while I’m at Ohio State. I really want to one day be remembered for what I accomplished while I was there. I know that’s saying a lot given all the great players who have come through the program, but that’s exactly the kind of challenge I’m looking for.”

“I’ve been told I have the talent to one day achieve my dream of playing in the NFL, and that’s great — but that’s not all that I think I have the talent for. In college, I want to take classes that challenge me to reconsider the way I look at the world. I want to intern at Fortune 500 companies, and to gain experience in boardrooms that are just as competitive as any locker room. And one day, I want to start a business that will ensure that my family will always be comfortable, whether football works out or not.”

“Mom, you’ve done such an amazing job raising my sister and me. Now that she’s off at Texas A&M and I’m headed to Ohio State, you might think your work is done. You’ve always said that you would be content with your life once you saw both of us attending college. But just you wait, Mom. You’ve spent your whole life giving me the support I needed to achieve my dreams. Someday soon, I promise you, I’m going to help you live yours.”

Those words were written before he had three interceptions this season. Those words were written before he became one of the most coveted draft prospects in the nation. Those words were written before Okudah got to this point.

Read those words back to Okudah now, and he still maintains he hasn’t achieved what he came here for. But every time you see him on the field, every time you watch him make a play, every time you envy what he’s about to achieve, remember what it took for him to get here.

“You can’t let it all be for nothing,” Okudah said. “You have to be able to man up quick. I’m out here for a reason. I am not here to sit on the bench. I’m here to be great.”

Want to hear a crazy fact? Okudah came into this season with zero career interceptions.

Okudah said he set a personal goal for interceptions, and now that he has three — “You can say it’s a monkey off my back,” he jokes — he still isn’t giving up the magic number. Maybe when he hits his goal. Or maybe we’ll never know. It doesn’t matter.

It wasn’t his first career interception against Miami (Ohio) that showed Okudah’s high school coach, Brent Whitson, that his former player officially had arrived as a college star. It wasn’t his second interception against Nebraska or the third one he picked up a few drives later while prone that was all over ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

When Whitson was sitting in his house watching the opener against Florida Atlantic, he leaned over to his wife and said, “That’s the Jeff Okudah we know.”

“It wasn’t a spectacular play or anything people will remember,” Whitson said, “He was on a nub tight end and there was a run play that came right at him, and he took on the tight end and shed him. He didn’t make the play, but I saw him be physical with his upper body and keep himself alive.

“A guy who didn’t have confidence may have been more passive in that situation because he didn’t have to make the play. It was his posture and the way he attacked the play. He took care of his responsibility, played physically and opened it up for others to make the play. Some may say he didn’t make the play, but as a coach, I’d say he did.”

This is the Okudah we’ve seen all season, the big, physical cornerback who stars in coverage and also can dart into the backfield and make plays against the run. Okudah has been all over the field all season. He’s playing with poise and leadership, and has grown out of the passive freshman Denzel Ward once had to encourage to stay positive.

“Denzel would say that the longer you’re here, the more confident you get,” Okudah said. “But as a freshman, you don’t know what he is talking about. Then fast-forward three years and you get a sense of what he was talking about.”

NFL scouts are salivating.

During the Nebraska game, one sent me a text message that just said “Okudah” with the lingering eyes emoji. That same scout wonders why Ohio State’s defensive staff ever rotated him off the field during his sophomore season and swears Okudah is going to be a top-15 pick. The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler has Okudah as the No. 3 overall prospect, behind only Ohio State defensive end Chase Young and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“It’s his work ethic,” Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “You know he’s an exceptional athlete. He’s got size, speed. He’s got great feet. He loves football, and he practices hard every single day. … What separates him from other people is his mindset, and that’s what the great ones have. That’s what he does. He works.”

This is all about ascension for Okudah — on the field, and maybe one day onto the banner in the Woody Hayes Center.

If things continue on their current path, there’s no way he will have come all the way to Ohio State for nothing.

Here is a little bit about his family background from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette back when the Razorbacks were recruiting the nation’s top high school cornerback prospect:

Okudah takes academics seriously and it shows with a 3.7 grade-point average.

“Someone is going to have to come at him with a very, very strong academic plan and academic program to secure him,” Whitson said. “That part I know.”

Okudah’s maturity and approach to life are beyond his years.

“I just got it from my family’s background coming from an African ethnicity,” Okudah said of his parents, who moved to America from Nigeria in the 1990s. “That’s one of the things they focus on, just presenting yourself well because he have to make yourself look good in front of other people.”

He said his parents come from the Igbo tribe that stresses strong values. Being humble is also a trait his parents emphasize.

“Everything is based around school and how you can honor your family’s name,” Okudah said. “That means a lot to me. Not many people have the last name Okudah.”

The closest thing to a scandal is that a question to Okudah at the Combine got a reporter fired:

During the week of the NFL Combine, a reporter’s question to former Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah went viral.

Okudah, who is projected to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft, was asked about his “sloppy” play.

“Sometimes you have a tendency to get kind of sloppy. How are you looking to kind of improve that?” the reporter asked. Okudah put the reporter in his place by responding, “I had zero pass interferences, zero holdings, so cut the tape on again. I think you might see something else.”

The Checkdown

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Jeff Okudah had the perfect response when someone questioned his technique 😤 @jeffokudah @OhioStateFB

(h/t @gmfb)

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It was a great response, and a good moment for social media. But about a week after the conclusion of the NFL Combine, the reporter who asked the question was fired specifically for how he addressed Okudah.

The reporter, Pranav Rama, revealed himself as the person who asked the question Friday, saying he opted to leave The Scorecrow and pursue other opportunities.

@TheScorecrow

Official Statement: We have let @PranavRama1 go from our site. His error in judgment and lack of research involving @jeffokudah at the Combine was inexcusable. We understand that people make mistakes, but Pranav not only embarrassed himself and us, he also doubled down.

@TheScorecrow

Instead of apologizing for the lack of preparation and moving on, he made the situation worse. It was unprofessional and does not reflect our values here at The Scorecrow. We strive to be accurate and give intelligent analysis in our sports coverage.

@TheScorecrow

Again, we apologize to Jeff Okudah along with our fans and readers. We will continue to bring you top-notch sports analysis, Fantasy articles, and DFS advice on a daily basis. We appreciate all of our followers and readers. Thank you.

The closest thing is a chronic shoulder injury that he played through for three seasons.  He had surgery after the 2017 season that kept him out of spring ball.

Here is a recent summary from Robert Mays of The Ringer:

Heading into the combine, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s CJ Henderson were considered the consensus top two cornerbacks in this year’s class. That shouldn’t change after both had strong showings in Indianapolis. Okudah took a nasty fall during on-field drills, but that didn’t stop him from coming back and posting a 41-inch vertical leap later in the day. The 205-pounder also ripped off a 4.48-second 40-yard dash. Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Chase Young are likely to be the first three players off the board in late April, but Okudah isn’t far behind. While there’s no such thing as a perfect prospect, Okudah is pretty close. A team like the Giants will be very happy if Burrow and Tagovailoa go 1-2 and Okudah falls into their lap.