An amazing 77 “false positives” from the New Jersey lab.  Otherwise, NFL players are perfect.  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com:

The NFL is regarding its weekend COVID-19 testing problems as an “incredibly rare event,” chief medical officer Allen Sills said Monday, and believes that its existing protocols have already proved effective in paving the way for the 2020 season.

In a conference call with reporters, Sills noted that BioReference, the league’s testing and lab partner, has conducted nearly 200,000 tests since the start of training camp. The league identified 77 false positives among 11 teams on Saturday and Sunday, the result of contamination in a New Jersey lab. All 77 individuals were ultimately cleared to return to team facilities after being retested.

“We all want that [77 number] to be zero,” Sills said, “but it’s a tiny fraction of the overall testing that has been done. And I think it speaks to the fact that, overall, our testing program has worked extremely well. To me, the most important thing is that we’ve gotten through four weeks [of training camp] thus far without any of our clubs having a major outbreak.

“It’s far too early to celebrate that, but I do think we should acknowledge that our clubs have done a terrific job — players, coaches, and staff — in following our protocols. Our protocols are working. I think we’ve shown that they’ve had the results that we want, and the events of this weekend shouldn’t change that view.”

In the most recent testing period, Aug. 12-20, the NFL conducted 58,397 tests on 8,573 players, coaches and staff. No players produced a confirmed positive test over that time frame. There were six confirmed positive test results among other staff members.

– – –

So far, the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins says they will begin the season with a limited amount of fans in the stands.  Twelve teams have not made an announcement.

The Raiders have a hard no fans all season.  Some other teams in big cities (Chicago, the Jets and Giants) seem constrained by government, but want to open.

There are 13 teams that have shutdown in September (or something approximating that) but sound hopeful of opening up later.

This from DKings.com:

Bills: Nothing yet

Dolphins: Will be allowed 13,000 fans per game, roughly 20 percent capacity — Report

Jets: No fans allowed at games “until further notice” — Report

Patriots: No fans in September, which covers Week 1 and Week 2, then will re-evaluate

Bengals: Nothing yet

Browns: Nothing yet

Ravens: No fans “for at least the initial part of the 2020 season.”

Steelers: Nothing yet

Colts: Nothing yet

Jaguars: Will have 25 percent of fans in attendance

Texans: No fans for Week 2 home opener, and will re-evaluated for October —

Titans: No fans for Week 2 home opener, and will re-evaluated for October —

Broncos: No fans for season-opener in Week 1, then will re-evaluate —

Chargers: Nothing yet

Chiefs: Will have approximately 22 percent of capacity for Week 1 opener —

Raiders: No fans this season —

Cowboys: Nothing yet, but Jerry is pushing for fans in stands —

Eagles: No fans for games, but situation is described as fluid —

Giants: No fans allowed at games this season, “until further notice” —

Washington: No fans for the season, but will be re-evaluated if situation improves —

Bears: No fans for season, but will monitor the situation —

Lions: No fans for first two home games, re-evaluated before third home game (Nov 1)

Packers: No fans first two home games, re-evaluated before third home game (Nov 1)

Vikings: No fans for first two home games, then will re-assess —

Buccaneers: Nothing yet

Falcons: No fans for first two home games, will be re-evaluated before third home game

Panthers: Nothing yet

Saints: No fans for Week 1 opener, unlikely for Week 3

49ers: Nothing yet

Cardinals: Nothing yet

Rams: Nothing yet

Seahawks: Nothing yet

NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

Reading between the lines here, the Governor of Minnesota, one of the most extreme Lockdown Governors in the 50 states, has shut down the Vikings:

Based on our conversations and the current Minnesota Department of Health guidelines that specify an indoor venue capacity of 250, we have determined it is not the right time to welcome fans back to U.S. Bank Stadium. As a result, the first two Vikings home games on Sunday, September 13, and Sunday, September 27, will be closed to the public. We will continue to work with the appropriate officials on our plans with the hope of bringing fans back in a safe manner later this season.

– – –

LB CAMERON SMITH was discovered to have a congenital heart problem.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Vikings offered an encouraging update on linebacker Cameron Smith, who will miss the season as a result of a congenital heart condition.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Smith had successful open-heart surgery. Smith is hospitalized in Philadelphia but Zimmer said he hopes Smith will be able to spend time with the team down the road.

The Vikings selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He played in five games as a rookie last year.

Smith will still receive his salary of $675,000 this season, and he said he hopes to play in 2021.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

The Falcons have parted ways with G JAMON BROWN.  D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The Falcons, who selected a guard in each of the past two drafts, elected to move on from veteran Jamon Brown on Monday.

Brown was signed to provide depth last season. He played in 10 games and made nine starts after Chris Lindstrom, who was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, suffered a broken foot in the season opener.

Brown, who’s 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, returned to practice Monday after clearing the league’s concussion protocol program.

The Falcons drafted interior offensive lineman Matt Hennessy in the third round this year. Hennessy is competing with veteran James Carpenter to start at left guard.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Big bucks for S BUDDA BAKER, even though he has not a single interception to his name as an NFL player.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Arizona Cardinals are making Budda Baker the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Cards and Baker agreed to a four-year, $59 million extension with $33.1 million guaranteed.

The $14.75 million-per-year average in new money on the extension puts Baker atop the safety market, leapfrogging Eddie Jackson’s $14.6 million on his five-year extension. Landon Collins’ six-year, $84 million deal is the top overall deal, which came in at $14 million per year.

Baker entered the final year of his rookie contract set to make $1.396 million in base salary.

The safety market has been depressed for years, and Baker barely outdistancing Jackson’s per-year average didn’t blow the lid off (like George Kittle did for the tight end market). Still, becoming the highest-paid player at his position is a feather in Baker’s cap and underscores his worth to Arizona.

In three seasons, the former second-round pick compiled 323 tackles, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 14 passes broken up. Oddly, Baker, now the NFL’s highest-paid safety, hasn’t had a single INT in three years.

– – –

Beware of precautions.  Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic on RB KENYAN DRAKE:

Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake was in a walking boot at practice on Monday, but coach Kliff Kingsbury downplayed the situation when asked about it afterward, saying Drake was dealing with general training camp soreness and that the boot was precautionary.

“It’s more soreness than anything, just making sure we know what he can do, making sure that he’s feeling good and doing some precautionary stuff with him,” Kingsbury said when asked for an update on Drake and if the tailback might be in any danger of missing the team’s season opener Sept. 13 at the 49ers.

Teams aren’t required to post injury reports during training camp and Kingsbury has never been one to go into any great detail regarding injuries to his players. On occasion, he hasn’t even discussed some injuries until a player has been ruled out of a game or has wound up on injured reserve.

Tight end Maxx Williams, for instance, has missed noticeable time thus far in training camp and Kingsbury has mostly avoided going into any real specifics about what’s ailing the veteran. He was asked about Williams’ situation again on Monday and didn’t provide any details.

“Yeah, same deal. He’s got some soreness, some lingering stuff,” Kingsbury said, adding several players are nursing minor discomforts. “For us, it’s about getting those guys to Week 1, having them feel good, and we’ll take it from there. There’s quite a few vets on this team that we know what they’re about and we want them to be healthy when we play the 49ers and (Williams) is one of those on that plan.”

Apparently, it’s a similar situation with Drake, who is projected to the Cardinals’ workhorse running back in 2020 after averaging 5.2 yards per carry and rushing for 642 yards and eight touchdowns following his midseason trade last year from the Dolphins.

“With Kenyan, it’s just some nicks and bruises, normal camp stuff,” Kingsbury said, “and like I said just precautionary with him knowing what he’ll be able to do.”

AFC WEST

DENVER

Some coaches like Mike Zimmer think it is unfair that their Governor is locking out fans from their home games while others will have some people in the building.  Not Vic Fangio and, reluctantly, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Some coaches, like Sean McDermott of the Bills and Mike Zimmer of the Vikings, have been grousing about a decision the NFL has made and won’t change. At least one coach realizes there’s no point complaining about a decision the NFL has made and won’t change.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio has no complaints about the league’s decision not to apply a blanket attendance policy, preventing all teams from having fans present if one team can’t.

“I really don’t give a damn about that,” Fangio told reporters on Monday. “If we can play in a stadium that’s full, half full, a third full, home or away, we’re happy. That shows progress with the COVID. Otherwise, I personally don’t care other than I would like to see fans.”

Although the league ensured throughout the offseason that the same rules regarding facility access would apply to all teams, the insistence on consistency went out the window when the time came to minimize the financial harm flowing from the pandemic. Preventing all teams from having fans present if even one team cannot would ensure losses that some have pegged in the range of $7 billion. By allowing teams to host fans based on the specific rules crafted by state and local governments, every dollar earned is a dollar saved.

That’s the way it is. That’s the way it will be. And it’s surprising that the league hasn’t muzzled those who would complain about this issue, in the same way the league told anyone inclined to complain publicly about the decision to proceed with the draft to not do it, or else. It won’t be surprising if the league sends a memo instructing coaches and others to stop complaining about the decision to let teams sell access to seats that otherwise would be empty, and thus would generate no money.

LAS VEGAS

Bad news for WR TYRELL WILLIAMS, but he will try to avoid surgery on a torn labrum.  Paul Guttierez of EPSN.com:

Las Vegas Raiders receiver Tyrell Williams has suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder but will try to play through the injury after rehabbing it, sources have confirmed to ESPN.

Williams, 28, had been noticeable by his absence in recent practices, including Friday at the team’s new Allegiant Stadium, where the Raiders held a pseudo-scrimmage.

The Raiders drafted a pair of receivers in No. 12 overall pick Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards in the third round. Both have been impressive with Edwards getting a lot of first-team reps in training camp. Free-agent signee Nelson Agholor has also flashed, along with returners Zay Jones and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Williams, who signed a four-year, $44 million free-agent contract with a max value of $47 million and $22 million guaranteed last year, got off to a hot start last season with touchdown catches in each of his first five games with the Raiders. But plantar fasciitis slowed him significantly, and he missed two games with the issue. His 42 catches and 651 receiving yards were the second-fewest of his career, respectively.

Still, he said the feet were no longer an issue at the start of camp.

“I feel 100%,” Williams said on Aug, 12. “I’m excited. I feel fast, feel back to myself. So, glad to feel that way, finally kind of past that.”

Plus, there was the Antonio Brown misadventure, which cast a shadow over the receiver group all season.

“As a group we really haven’t had an identity with a lot of stuff that was going on,” Williams said. “We just had a lot of people coming and going and different stuff like that. So, I think now we have a real good core group, some good young guys, guys that we had last year coming back as well. I think if we just kind of gel together and really know what our roles are, I think that will help us a lot as a unit just to be able to play better together and play knowing what everybody is doing and where everybody is at, so that will be a big help.”

Williams’ base salary of $11 million for 2020 was guaranteed for injury only at signing, per ESPN Stats & Information, but became fully guaranteed on the third day after the start of the 2020 league year waiver period in February.

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

Even without any games, preseason can take a toll.  Case in point, Cleveland and S GRANT DELPIT.  Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on how things have Geauxn Wrong:

It was a horrible day day for the LSU Tigers at Browns training camp on Monday.

Second-round safety Grant Delpit, the No. 44 pick out of LSU, suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles and will undergo surgery to repair it, a league source told cleveland.com. An MRI confirmed the injury.

Starting cornerback Greedy Williams, Delpit’s former LSU teammate, also left the field with a shoulder injury and didn’t return. The extent of the injury is unknown.

Just before the start of team drills, Delpit was participating in some interception drills, backpedaling and catching the ball. He went up for a pass and came down in excruciating pain — with no contact. He pounded his fist into the turf as trainers checked him while he was on his back.

They rolled him over on his stomach, and he grabbed at his calf area while grimacing. They called for the cart, and he was helped onto it. He had his head in his hands as he was carted off, just like linebacker Mack Wilson last week when he suffered the hyperextended knee. Delpit was still wincing in pain as he rode into the fieldhouse.

Shortly thereafter, Williams, the Browns’ starting cornerback and second-round pick last year, was checked on the sidelines by a trainer and then walked into the fieldhouse with one. He didn’t return to the field. Last season, Williams missed the first four games of the season with a pulled hamstring.

Losing Delpit is a tremendous blow to the Browns, who are already trying to figure out how to replace Wilson for an extended period of time. The Browns are hopeful that Wilson can make it back this season and that he won’t need season-ending knee surgery. He’s getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews.

PITTSBURGH

More positivity from QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger‘s return after missing the final 14 games of last season has led to optimism in Pittsburgh, but there’s been another thought rolling through the quarterback’s head.

Roethlisberger said that he has felt pain in his right elbow while throwing for most of his career and that he finds himself waiting for it to return after throwing the ball during practices this summer. The good news for the quarterback and the Steelers is that there’s been no sign of it.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been feeling this pain in my elbow for probably 13, 14 years,” Roethlisberger said, via Terez Paylor of YahooSpots.com. “I’ve had a small tear in there the whole time . . . and I dealt with the pain and literally dealt with it in pretty much everything I do. You just kind of get used to it; I’ve had that pain for so long that every day, I keep waiting for it to come back like, where is it, where is it? And luckily, by the grace of God, it hasn’t come back yet. Hopefully, it never does.”

Roethlisberger has lost weight on his way back to the lineup and said he has “a few more chapters” left to write on the field. A continued lack of pain in the elbow will make it likelier that he’s writing positive ones.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

Bill Belichick, talking to Rich Eisen, has some thoughts on pass interference and college/pro standardization in general:

Out of all of the NFL’s rules, which would Bill Belichick most like to change?

If it were up to the New England Patriots head coach, there wouldn’t be so many discrepancies between the NFL and college football rulebooks. For example, defensive pass interference penalties in college are only up to 15 yards while NFL pass interferences gift the offense a first down and the spot of the foul.

Belichick said during an interview on NBC Sports’ “Rich Eisen Show” that the pass interference rules, in particular, should be more consistent.

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“I think probably the one thing that is worth looking at is just the college pass interference rules,” Belichick said. “I know why it’s what it is, and I also know why it’s different in college, and you could argue both sides of it. But it’s a big penalty, and sometimes those are just tough calls. So I think that’s worth looking at,” Belichick told Eisen.

“I would say just in general, I would be in favor of the NCAA and the NFL trying to consolidate the rulebook to where we can have as many rules be the same as possible so that the fans, as well as the players who come from college, can make a clean transition into the same set of rules instead of different ones.

“So targeting’s targeting, holding’s holding, interference is interference, and so forth. As much as we could do that, I would be in favor of that just for the overall quality of the game. But I think the pass interference rule is not necessarily one I would change, but I would take a look at it, and I think it would be good if it was the same as the college rule – either they change it to ours or we change it to theirs, just from the standpoint of consistency.”

– – –

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com on the Patriots as a family business:

When New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was celebrating on the championship stage after Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, he held his youngest son, Brian, in his arms. Brian was wearing a blue Patriots jersey, a good 15 years away from graduating college.

Older brother Steve Belichick was there, too. Like his dad often does, Steve was wearing a blue hoodie. It would be another 10 years before he would graduate college.

More than 18 years later, both sons work alongside their dad inside Gillette Stadium, and Bill recently opened up about having them on the Patriots’ staff.

“Both Stephen and Brian have grown up a lot, and they’ve come a long way, especially when I’ve had a chance to see them their whole lives,” said Bill, 68, who is in his 21st season as Patriots coach. “They’ve seen a lot of football. They’ve seen things done from a different perspective than other people. They’ve just lived their whole life with this program.”

Brian, 28, is in his first year as safeties coach after spending 2016 as a scouting assistant and three years as a coaching assistant (2017-19). Steve, 33, is in his first year as outside linebackers coach, continuing to work his way up from coaching assistant (2012-15) and safeties coach (2016-19).

The Belichicks have a similar situation to the Carroll family’s with the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll has sons Brennan and Nate on his staff as run-game coordinator and wide receivers coach, respectively.

Being the sons of two of the oldest and most successful head coaches might help open initial doors, but players say Belichick’s sons have earned respect through hard work and passion for the Patriots’ program.

Veteran Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty, who — like Steve — attended Rutgers University, noted how the Patriots are truly in Steve’s DNA.

“[Steve has] always been a guy that’s extremely knowledgeable, and he’s been around this organization for so long,” McCourty said. “I know it was cool when I first got here [in 2018] to sit and talk to him about the history of the organization. As he talked about past players and the excitement comes into his eyes. You just see how much he loves and cares about the team and this sport.

“That just carries over into his coaching, the way he’s able to relate to guys, his ability to command a room and stand up there and tell guys what they have. And when questions are fired, [he’s] able to get guys in the right position. That’s carried over for him, no matter where he’s coaching. That’s continued to help us grow as a defense.”

While the Patriots don’t have an official defensive coordinator, Steve has worn a headset and taken a leadership role on the sideline in training camp practices.

“Steve is a very intelligent guy. He knew the whole defense last year, even though he was doing the back end [with safeties],” Patriots outside linebacker John Simon said. “Steve’s been awesome, knows a lot about the game, really giving the ins and outs of what he knows and trying to build our game, as well.”

Fifth-year defensive back Jonathan Jones has noticed how Brian’s voice is becoming heard more in his new role leading the safeties.

“Before, it was more behind the scenes as an assistant. Now, he has the opportunity to take charge and take the lead of that group and put his fingerprint on it,” Jones said. “He’s grown up around ball. His whole life has been football, so you get a lot of knowledge from him, what he’s learned. … He definitely brings that facet to the game — just another set of eyes on the game.”

Asked what it’s been like to grow up around the Patriots, including being on the sideline during games as a youngster, Brian called it “very valuable.”

“It’s been great to spend time around the great players and coaches we’ve had here for 20 years,” Brian said. “Getting to experience being on the sideline of an NFL game is a lot different than the perspective of seeing it on TV. Things happen really fast down there. It helped me a lot just to learn about what’s really going on out there, not just standing behind a glass screen and seeing it …

“Whatever anyone needed help with, I was basically an extra set of hands — it was handing out iPads once those started, or charting the plays with the quarterbacks, tracking stuff on defense. In the beginning, when it was just starting in 2006, 2007 — obviously, didn’t know a lot about the intricacies of the defense and stuff. … I was lucky to get that experience.”

NEW YORK JETS

RB Le’VEON BELL is giving QB SAM DARNOLD lifestyle advice in the age of Covid-19.  Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media:

Le’Veon Bell has been vocal about the difference he’s seen in Jets quarterback Sam Darnold so far in training camp. He has big expectations for Darnold entering his third season.

“Just got to make sure he’s healthy,” Bell said of Darnold.

After a brief pause, Bell then revealed some tongue-in-cheek advice he gave to the quarterback.

“I told him, ‘No bars.‘”

That advice applies to the current state of world, with the coronavirus pandemic still raging across the United States. But Bell’s advice also reference Darnold’s mononucleosis diagnosis from 2019, which cost him three games. Bell doesn’t want to see his quarterback sitting out with an illness again.

For what it’s worth, Darnold is way ahead of Bell on that front. Darnold already said he plans on just staying in his apartment when he’s not at the Jets’ practice facility or at games. The quarterback is prepared to live a boring life to reduce any risk of getting sick during the pandemic.

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Bell revealed his advice after going through the differences the running back has seen in Darnold so far in training camp. Bell reiterated that shift in confidence and comfort displayed by Darnold so far, and Bell expects that shift to be a big benefit for the Jets’ offense.

“He knows like how things are supposed to sound and what guys are supposed to do,” Bell said. “All his checks, his hot routes, how to check the line. He’s taking great command of the huddle, and I think that’s the biggest difference from year two and three.”

THIS AND THAT

EARL THOMAS

If the Cowboys are the “leading contender” for the services of S EARL THOMAS, banished from Baltimore, then he’s not going to get a job.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Earl Thomas has long wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys. The feeling apparently is not mutual.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning that while the Cowboys made some inquiries into Thomas, they are not expected to be among the teams vying for the former All-Pro safety’s services, per sources informed of the situation.

The Cowboys have been the top speculated team since the Baltimore Ravens cut Thomas over the weekend citing conduct detrimental.

Thomas once told former Dallas coach Jason Garrett to “come get me.” Now twice the Cowboys have said no when they had the chance to sign the seven-time Pro Bowler.

Coach Mike McCarthy has multiple times dismissed reports of the interest in Thomas. Monday, he cited satisfaction with his 80-man roster and the safety corps. Tuesday, McCarthy again dismissed any Thomas questions and spoke glowingly of safety Darian Thompson.

It’s also notable that McCarthy is close with Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider from their days in Green Bay together. It’s presumable that Schneider could have relayed to McCarthy any other issues the Seahawks had with Thomas in the safety’s waning years with the club.

Rapoport previously reported that Houston and San Francisco were also considering signing Thomas.

The Cowboys must have read this from Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports on all the reason why the woke and sophisticated Ravens didn’t want Thomas:

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has earned universally high accolades for his work since taking over for legend Ozzie Newsome running Baltimore’s roster. For good reason.

His moves have mostly been nothing short of expert, taken on the whole, and, individually as well, it is hard to quibble with his signings and trades and draft picks … with one exception. A high-priced exception who never really fit in there, who failed to ingratiate himself at all off field (and barely on-field) and whose exit this weekend — after just one season — amid scandal and controversy was the talk of the NFL.

Everyone makes mistakes, and this was a big miss.

Kudos for DeCosta, at the urging of his players and coaching staff, for moving on from safety Earl Thomas, the seeming prize of Batimore’s 2019 free-agent class, whose attitude, abrasiveness, tardiness and churlishness came to a head at a practice last week during which he threw a punch at mild-mannered and universally beloved co-starting safety Chuck Clark. Alas, this has been boiling over for quite some time, according to numerous sources with direct knowledge of the situation, with the frustration with Thomas going back to last year.

Then, many around Thomas put up with him, shall we say, showing up not quite ready to practice or missing meetings or doing whatever he cared to do on game day rather than sticking to the scheme or play call. After all, this was a future Hall of Famer who has been the closest thing we’ve seen to Ed Reed during his storied career in Seattle. And this franchise has not shied away from taking on guys with difficult personalities.

But this was different, the sources said. This was personal. There was a sense on that defense that Thomas was not part of the group and did not care to really be part of the group. He had eroded too much trust to really be accepted anymore, and his teammates saw his skills deteriorating and missteps magnifying.

A year ago, with the team winning every week (almost) and the defense improving once Clark took over starting duties and wore the headpiece in his helmet to communicate the calls from the coaching staff, the Ravens were willing to put up with Thomas, because of his track record and because he was coming off a significant injury. Maybe he would get better on the field and play himself into better shape and adapt to the group over time. Maybe he would clean up his act.

But it didn’t work, and things were not getting better. His first few weeks back in the building this summer went largely as they did a year ago, team sources said, and there was a mounting sense among the club’s veterans that they would be better off without Thomas than with him. Addition by subtraction. Cap issues be damned.

“This has been coming for a long time,” said one team source. “Guys have been frustrated about this situation since last year and it was only getting worse. He had to go.”

“Easily the most disliked guy in that locker room,” said one source who has been in contact with a multitude of Ravens about Thomas. “Not even close. They put up with a lot last year but it’s all about trying to win a Super Bowl there now, and guys did not want him around. It was really bad way before the thing with Chuck Clark.”

Indeed, multiple sources said the Ravens’ Leadership Council made it abundantly clear to management last week that they strongly believed the team would be better off without Thomas, as we first reported over the weekend. There was no debate who was at fault in the physical altercation with Clark, and the dichotomy between the universal support for Clark, and the candid remarks from player to coaches about wanting Thomas gone was lost on no one in that organization.

“The Council was pretty unanimous that they were better off without Earl Thomas,” another source added.

Another team source put it this way: “If you don’t make doing things the right way a priority, the players don’t appreciate it at all and neither do the coaches.”

So, at that point, the Ravens had no choice. Thomas had to go.

Veteran players spoke up passionately in favor of young safety DeShon Elliott, whose career has been sidetracked by injuries. They would continue to help coach him up with Thomas gone, and the unit would have better cohesion and chemistry.

“It’s his time, so let’s go,” coach John Harbaugh told reporters of Elliott after practice Sunday, while opting not to comment on Thomas’ release (I think the statement speaks for itself).

And the fact that veteran corner Jimmy Smith, who was already looking at more of a hybrid role, showed up in tremendous shape, with the ball skills to work at safety, doesn’t hurt, either. The secondary, even without Thomas, has the potential to be as good as any in football, still.

Yes, there will be a messy grievance over Thomas’ salary, which Baltimore contends Thomas defaulted on by violating language in his contract about conduct detrimental to the team (as made clear in the team’s brief press release announcing the move). Yes, it would further compromise their cap space. Yes, it would be a quick admission of defeat about this signing. But it had to happen.

The moment Thomas was sent home from that practice he was most likely done as a Raven. The emphatic support for cutting him in the locker room, and then Thomas putting practice video on his social media, further cemented it. Picking an unpopular and highly paid player over the collective (that is comprised overwhelmingly of guys far outplaying their rookie deals), was impossible.

It remains to be seen how much of Thomas’ $20M signing bonus the team might recoup and how much of that $10M “guaranteed” salary Thomas actually gets. This move always seemed slightly desperate; it was well known around the league the Ravens were big on adding a safety with Eric Weddle nearing the end in 2019 and the pass defense an issue.

At the time I believed Tyrann Mathieu was the best possible fit for them, and they were very interested, but lost out to the Chiefs for his services. Baltimore also dropped out of the bidding on some top receivers when the prices got too high for their liking, and while they had landed Mark Ingram to boost the run game, the reality last March was that they still had money to play with in a thinning crop of impact players, waning options to fill their needs, and Thomas still waiting for a partner.

The first wave of free agency was crashing on the shore, and, not even Jerry Jones was willing to meet Thomas’ asking price at the time, despite the player and that team flirting (often in public) with one another for months. And while the successive major injuries were a big issue and the safety’s antics in Seattle wore out even Pete Carroll, whose thresholds are quite high, Baltimore made a massive free agent splash, anyway, in DeCosta’s first offseason.

Anytime you go where Jones won’t go on a player with some warts, it should probably give you pause. In retrospect, wooing Mathieu may have put Baltimore over the top last year in the way he helped Kansas City break its Lombardi hex. He was the right guy all along — a shapeshifting, multi-faceted defender who meshes perfectly with what coordinator Wink Martindale wants to do and was younger, more athletic and came cheaper than Thomas. He’s been a perfect role model in K.C.

No one wins them all; not even DeCosta.

But to continue their failed experiment with Thomas any longer would have been folly, and this staff can coach up and move around players in ways few can. The Ravens will be just fine. For all of his star power and prowess in the past, Thomas wasn’t close to that guy in Baltimore.

Buyer beware, again, to those who might think the Ravens overreacted. Best do all of your homework on this one. Bringing Thomas back to Texas, where his wife was arrested on a felony charge in connection with a domestic incident in the offseason, might not be the smartest decision for myriad reasons, and Thomas might not be the best guy to bring into a locker room that has had no shortage of drama on its own.

Thomas couldn’t get his act together in nearly 18 months as a Raven. I’m not sure that’s changing anywhere else, soon. And trust me, they weren’t the problem.

2021 FANTASY DRAFT

Here are the top 10 picks, per Nathan Jahnke of ProFootballFocus.com, in your Fantasy Draft:

These rankings are based on PPR scoring and a typical starting roster. Rather than blindly following the rankings, it’s important to keep an eye on trends at certain positions and take advantage. I typically wait until shortly before Week 1 to pick up a defense and kicker in order to draft more high-upside players who could see their stock improve before the start of the season, but defenses and kickers can all be found at the bottom.

1 Christian McCaffrey (RB1) – Unquestionably the top overall pick, McCaffrey has averaged eight more fantasy points per game than any other running back. If his targets were cut in half last season, he still would have had the eighth-most targets for a running back. If there is any concern, it’s having a new coach, but that could potentially help him instead.

2 Alvin Kamara (RB2) – Kamara was in the top eight in fantasy points per game, and there is reason to believe he will be running more in 2020. The Saints only had 119 rushing attempts in the fourth quarter, which was around league average and is unexpected for a top team. From 2015-2018, they had 545 fourth-quarter carries, which was the most. When New Orleans was within five yards of scoring, they ran 41.9% of the time — the was 25th most. From 2015-2018, it was 54.5%, which was eighth-most. With more goal line and fourth quarter carries, Kamara could have his best fantasy season.

3 Ezekiel Elliott (RB3) – Elliott has been a top-five fantasy back each of the last two seasons, but there is reason to be concerned about his touches in Mike McCarthy’s offense. From 2016-2018 when the Packers were losing, they ran 24.6% of the time, which was second lowest. When they were winning, that only increased to 38.3%, which was the lowest. Elliott did see 68 targets (ninth-most), so even if he sees fewer carries, he could see more receptions as a result.

4 Saquon Barkley (RB4) – Barkley was the best fantasy back in 2018 but took a step backward in 2019 largely due to a high ankle sprain. Despite missing three games, he was still top 10 in scoring. If he can perform as a top-10 back with a high ankle sprain, he should rebound to be a top-five back this year. One concern that is keeping him from ranking higher is his offensive line, which ranked 20th earlier in the offseason, and that was before Nate Solder opted out for the season.

5 Michael Thomas (WR1) – Thomas had 45 more catches than any other wide receiver as well as four more 100 yards games than any other. It’s clear that Thomas should be the top wide receiver off the board, but where he should be drafted depends a lot on league format. Because we don’t have a preseason this year, roughly half the teams have more question marks than usual regarding how playing time at running back will be distributed. That has pushed Thomas’ value down some as drafters are picking the sure things at running back higher.

6  Dalvin Cook (RB5) – Last year, Cook had the second-most fantasy points per game at 21.2. If he can repeat last season, then picking him at six is a steal. His main concern is that he’s yet to play a 16-game season in his three years. The running backs above him were all top-five fantasy backs in 2018 and top-10 in 2019.

7 Aaron Jones (RB6) – Jones was RB2 last year with 319.8 fantasy points and his 90.7 PFF grade was second-best among all backs. He had 14 touchdowns in the red zone, which was the most for backs, but only on 34 red zone carries, which was 15th most. His red zone efficiency will regress to the mean, but he should see more red zone carries. His head coach, Matt LaFleur, had backs in the top five in red zone carries in 2017 and 2018 as offensive coordinator with the Rams and Titans. While A.J. Dillon might cut some into Jones’ playing time, he should cut into Jamaal Williams‘ more. The Packers have the luxury of easing Dillon into action while they get all they can out of Jones before he becomes a free agent next offseason.

8 Julio Jones (WR2) – While Michael Thomas is the clear top wide receiver option, Jones should be a clear second. He had 40 explosive catches last year, which was second and six more the receiver in third. He’s finished as WR2 in three of the last five seasons and was at worst the WR7 over the last six. There is at least some risk to each of the other wide receivers situations, but Julio remains with the same quarterback and coaches.

9 Miles Sanders (RB7) – For the first half of 2019, Sanders was fighting Jordan Howard for playing time. Howard missed most of the second half of the season with injury, so from Week 11 to 16 we got a look at how Sanders as the lead back. Over those six games, he had 112.5 fantasy points, which was third-best for all running backs. The main concern is the small sample size — and Sanders is currently week-to-week with a lower body injury.

10 Austin Ekeler (RB8) – Last year, Ekeler led all backs in fantasy points per snap at 0.52. He finished with the fourth-most fantasy points at running back, and the Chargers are now without his main competition in Melvin Gordon. His value differs a lot from PPR leagues to standard, as his 92 catches were second-most last year.