The Daily Briefing Wednesday, April 8, 2020

By admin | April 12, 2020

AROUND THE NFL

Daily Briefing

NFL players have billions of reasons to hope that those in power allow them to play. Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut.com:

The COVID-19 pandemic has largely brought professional sports to a halt with the NBA and MLB suspending their seasons. As the NFL weighs the potential impact the ongoing crisis will have on its upcoming season, the salaries for NFL players could hang in the balance.

An NFL executive told Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline that if the 2020 season is canceled, players will not be paid by their teams this year. While organizations would reportedly try and give their players some compensation, perhaps awarded for offseason workouts or keeping in shape, they will not be paid under their contracts.

As of now, the league still intends for there to be a full 16-game season that will start in September However, team executives and coaches are feeling increasingly skeptical that the NFL season will start on time.

The NFL’s chief medical officer said the season wouldn’t start until widespread testing is available for everyone. While the NBA is looking into rapid COVID-19 tests, which the NFL would also likely need, there still remains a shortage of test kits.

League officials have already discussed playing games without fans this season. It would be a step to ensure the safety of many, limiting their potential exposure to COVID-19. But players and team personnel could still be at risk of getting sick with the league then needing to suspend operations.

While MLB reached agreement on a deal to pay its players during the suspended season and NBA players are still being paid, the same won’t be said if the NFL experiences its own shutdown. It remains likely that NFL games will be played this year, which would ensure that players get paid, but the worst-case scenario just became even more concerning for players.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

The Buccaneers unveiled their new uniforms yesterday (which are basically the return of the original pewter uniforms from 1997).

What do the Falcons have in store? We find out next Tuesday. Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

It’s been 17 years since the Atlanta Falcons dawned new uniforms and now there’s a date set for the unveiling of their new duds.

On Tuesday via the team’s twitter feed, the Falcons announced that they would unveil their new uniforms on April 14.

The Falcons, known for their red-and-black look, announced they’d have new uniforms for the new decade back in January. And now April 14 looms as the start date for the new-look Falcons.

✔

@AtlantaFalcons

For the first time in 17 years, it’s time for a change.

Or at least that was the plan. Than somewhere out in lockdown, the new uniforms were leaked. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY:

The Atlanta Falcons had to make some adjustments in releasing their new uniforms.

Originally, the team did not plan to show off their new designs until next Tuesday. But the unveiling was bumped up to a surprise announcement on Wednesday after photos of the uniform leaked online the previous day.

The franchise will return to wearing black jerseys with black pants at home, and several of the uniforms include an “ATL” logo on the front above the numbers. The uniforms include eight different color combinations, including two with black jerseys, one with white and, most notably, a red gradient jersey in which the lower half is black.

The principal away look will remain white on white.

“Black has been a part of our history since 1966 and both our fans and players have asked us to bring it back,” owner Arthur Blank wrote in a statement. “The ‘ATL’ moniker is known around the world and we now we it proudly as our badge of unity, diversity and togetherness. Something our world needs more of, especially in these tough times.”

Presumably, he means return to black jerseys. Did the Falcons ever wear black over black?

The Gridiron Uniform Database shows black-over-black as a 2003-2007 option of last resort. And here is Michael Vick scoring a TD in a 2006 game wearing black-over-black.

TAMPA BAY

Is QB TOM BRADY liberated, will we see a kinder, gentler, more open, funny, engaging individual once he is out of Bill Belchick’s shadow? Maybe. Did the old Tom Brady ever do an interview with Howard Stern? Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com with a recap of his time with Stern:

Now that Tom Brady is out of New England, maybe he’s letting his guard down a bit.

The Buccaneers quarterback joined The Howard Stern Show Wednesday morning and hit on a number of different subjects.

Here’s a quick rundown of everything he said.

— Brady said he’s already moved down to Tampa Bay into a mansion Derek Jeter built and his family is already there. “We have a beautiful view overlooking the bay,” he said. The house isn’t as private as his estate in Brookline, Massachusetts, which he said is something he will have to get used to.

“Where I lived in Chestnut Hill it was pretty private and I forgot that people can drive up to your house. Here, they can can pull right up here to the back to the house,” he said. “… “The nice part is there is a lot of outdoor space. … There are just a lot of good things about it.”

— On New England/Boston: “I will always be going back there and be part of that community.”

— Brady apparently is a big fan of Stern. “I have loved the show for a long time,” he said. “… You make things very special in a way.”

— The 42-year-old discussed his football progression where he did not even play until high school and even when he started he wasn’t the best player. Also discussed was Brady’s time at Michigan when he had to earn his playing time and he admitted there was a point in time he thought about transferring, but he changed his attitude and made a commitment to be the best.

Even though Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos, he said he wasn’t even the best player on his high school baseball team.

— He clarified he did not tell Robert Kraft after the Patriots drafted him in 2000 that it was the best decision the organization ever made. Brady actually said, “You’ll never regret picking me.”

— Brady said dealing with adversity over the course of his career helped make him into the player and person he is today.

— On comebacks: “We were down 28-3 against Atlanta in Super Bowl 51. You can look at that situation and basically quit and say, you know, ‘(Expletive) it. We have no shot of winning,’ or you can say ‘This is going to be an amazing comeback. When we come back from this, this is going to be the defining moment in life,’ or a defining moment in a professional career. “I think when you shift your mind and think that way, it becomes very empowering as opposed to very discouraging. So anytime we’re down in a game, I think, ‘Man, if we come back and win this game, we’re the hero,’ rather than ‘Oh, (expletive), we’re screwed. We have no shot.’”

— The quarterback going to college at the University of Michigan was tough on Tom Brady Sr., as Brady said his dad cried when he told him he was going there, which was halfway across the country.

— Brady: “School was a lot harder for me (than sports) because I didn’t have much of an interest in school. … I was smart enough to get by giving very average effort.”

— He said he never had a backup plan other than football and admitted it was rather naive at the time. “When I got drafted by the Patriots, I knew I was going to be the starting quarterback at some point,” Brady said. “I didn’t know that I would have the professional success that I’ve had, but I never really doubted in myself.”

— On not partying, smoking and drinking much in high school: “I always thought I was letting my dad down.” He acknowledged he did drink and smoked weed in high school at times.

— Brady explained what he told Bill Belichick when a receiver wasn’t able to do what he wanted him to: “I don’t have any trust that this guy can help us win the game. If you put him out there, I’m not going to throw him the ball.” Added: “He saw football in the same way I did. We saw the process of winning the same way.”

— He said he has no resentment towards Belichick and the Patriots for not making him a Patriot for life. He did say he cried when he told Robert Kraft and Belichick that he was leaving New England. “I’m a very emotional guy,” he said.

— On going to Tampa Bay: “I never cared about legacies. I could give a (expletive). … That’s not me, that’s not my personality. Why did I choose a different place? Because it was just time.”

— The 42-year-old doesn’t like the debate of who deserves more credit for the Patriots’ success — himself or Belichick. “I think it is a pretty (expletive) argument, actually. I can’t do his job and he can’t do mine.”

— Brady said no one really knows how Belichick truly feels about him. People are making “wrong assumptions.”

— He said he knew going into last season that it was probably his last year with the Patriots.

— On how he wants the Patriots to do this year: “I have a lot of friends there. I want them to do great. … Well, I want my team to win the Super Bowl.”

— Brady says he is 230 pounds is not a big weight lifter, as he sticks to band work and pool workouts.

— He admitted he’s had concussions while playing.

— A few years ago Brady changed the way he approched his marriage with Gisele Bundchen, as she “wasn’t satisfied.” This was part of why Brady stopped attending OTAs and spent more time with his family. Bundchen wrote Brady a long letter where she spilled out her feelings and he still has it to this day.

Brady added: “I keep it in a drawer and I read it and it was a heartfelt letter that said this is where we are in our marriage.”

— On when he met Bundchen: “When we met, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a relationship, but we hit it off.” Brady said he and Bundchen were each coming out of long-term relationships. Their first meeting was at a wine bar in New York City. “I thought she was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life,” he said.

More from Mike Cole at NESN.com:

Brady also talked about the recruiting process as a free agent: “You have this college recruiting process where all the schools come and want to show you their best. That was a fun experience for me to experience that, and I enjoyed that aspect of seeing what other teams could offer and what other teams’ processes were and I learned a lot from it. ” … I wrote down about 20 different things that were important to me and kind of prioritize what was important. I kind of scaled it, and looked at all the opportunities that were out there.”

– – –

And this about Belichick:

More Brady on his relationship with Belichick: “I think he has a lot of loyalty. He and I have had a lot of conversations that nobody has ever been privy to, and nor should they be. So many wrong assumptions were made about our relationship and how he felt about me. I know genuinely how feels about me. I’m not going to respond to every rumor or assumption made other than what his responsibility as coach is to get the best player for the team not only for the short term but the long term as well. … I got into unchartered territory as an athlete because I started to break the mold of what so many other athletes experienced. I was an older athlete, and he started to plan for the future, which is what his responsibility is, and I don’t fault him for that. That’s what he should be doing.”

And this:

Candid line from Brady about how much effort he put into his schoolwork: “If my kids gave the effort I did, I’d be pretty pissed at my kids.”

Good stuff.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

COVID19 has struck the Bengals family. Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Cincinnati Bengals team chaplain LaMorris Crawford laid helpless on his bathroom floor at 3:45 a.m. on March 20 and thought he was taking his final breaths.

“I thought I was going to die,” Crawford told The Enquirer.

Crawford first started feeling under the weather on March 17. He felt fatigued and had a minor cough. The 40-year-old thought it was from the side effects of frequent travel. But in the early hours of March 20, Crawford’s condition took a turn for the worse.

Crawford woke up out of his sleep, attempted not to disturb his wife, and walked to the bathroom. Minutes later he found himself lying on the bathroom floor feeling powerless and thinking about his mortality.

“I literally thought I was going to die. I couldn’t move,” Crawford told The Enquirer. “I had a loss of smell, high fever, chills, loss of taste and fatigue.”

The Bengals chaplain admitted to The Enquirer that he felt at peace with dying, but he was afraid for his wife, Megan, not having a husband and their four children.

At that moment he heard a voice.

“Are you OK?” his wife asked.

Crawford confessed upon hearing his wife’s voice he had a chance at survival. With the help of his wife, he got up and they rushed to the hospital. He was tested for the flu, strep throat and the new coronavirus.

Crawford and his wife returned home after spending the morning at the hospital. He went back to the hospital three days later with less severe symptoms. The doctors told him he tested negative for the flu and strep throat, but still no COVID-19 results.

Crawford returned home and quarantined himself from his kids. Yet, his wife remained by his side. On Friday, his COVID-19 test came back positive. Crawford is one more than 4,000 Ohioans who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. At the time of this post there have been over 380,000 confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The outcome of the test wasn’t jarring to Crawford. His symptoms fit the description of the novel virus. What had Crawford mystified is how he became infected. He washed his hands excessively and practiced other precautionary measures. In his 12 years of marriage, he can recollect only one time that he’d been sick.

Crawford tries to eat healthily and exercise regularly. He doesn’t smoke or drink, which are a couple of the reasons he’s alive to recount his bout with COVID-19. He credits his healthy lifestyle, his wife, medical professionals and his faith for being able to live to tell his story.

Crawford is on the mend. He still feels fatigue and has a slight cough. Although, he sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The worst is behind him.

Crawford has had the role of the Bengals’ chaplain for seven seasons. While Crawford leads the Bengals in prayer, he also wants to advise the general public about the importance of social distancing amid the pandemic. He’s disappointed that some refuse to adhere to guidelines and is aware that Solid Rock Church in Warren County is still having church services despite Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order effective until at least May 1.

– – –

Crawford is in the final stages of recovery. He’s optimistic football will resume by training camp. He’s grateful that he’s on pace to begin another season as the Bengals’ chaplain, a title he didn’t believe he’d retain on March 20 while he laid defenseless on his master bathroom floor.

THIS AND THAT

PROSPECT PROFILE – CHASE YOUNG

If the Redskins do draft DE CHASE YOUNG with the second overall pick, it would mark the second straight year that team had invested a top 15 pick in a product of a Maryland high school near D.C. who went to The Ohio State University.

Last year, the choice was QB DWAYNE HASKINS from The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

Now, Young seems to be the Redskins target, more so after these comments from Coach Ron Rivera this week. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Washington coach Ron Rivera never mentioned Chase Young by name during his video conference call with team beat reporters Tuesday. But Rivera certainly sounded as if the team has made up its mind with what to do with the second choice, via JP Finlay of NBCSportsWashington.com.

Rivera was asked specifically about trading the second overall choice.

Young, though, likely won’t be available if Washington trades the pick.

“If you’re going to make a trade and you’re going to go back, that guy you’re going to take at that spot has to be able to make the kind of impact you need to validate missing an opportunity to take a player that’s a high-impact guy,” Rivera said. “In other words, if you’re going to pass up Player A and you go back, and you’re going to take Player D, Player D has to be equal to Player A because if Player A is going to play for you for 10 years and Player D may not, then did you really get value or did you just get a whole bunch of picks? You’ve got to be able to sit there and say that the next guy that I’m going to take is going to be that high-impact guy, and that’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I believe we need is we need a guy that’s going to come in and really change our football team. To me, there’s a few guys on that board that are those kind of players.”

Young is one of those impact players that Rivera referenced without calling the Ohio State edge rusher by name. Gil Brandt of NFL Media calls Young “the surest pick in the first round.”

Young had 16.5 sacks and six forced fumbles last season.

So what do we know about Young? Well, first of all Young is young. He will celebrate his 21^st birthday next week, so he played in 2019 as a true junior when he racked up 16.5 sacks.

Young has always been an amazing athlete, first at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, Maryland where he played two years (he started at quarterback as a freshman, before moving to defense for good during the year). As a junior, he emerged at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville and led the Stags to a state title as a senior. He also played basketball at both schools. One of his teammates at DeMatha was Markelle Fultz who was the first overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the 76ers (although he has been a disappointment and now is the property of Orlando).

If Young were to go 1^st overall, would high school teammates be first overall in different sports for the first time? We think so, depending on your definition.

The NFL’s Sam Bradford and the NBA’s Blake Griffin were teammates during their high school years but that was on an Oklahoma City area AAU basketball team. The two friends actually attended different high schools.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford formed a high school baseball battery (and center-quarterback football combo as freshmen) with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw at Highland Park High School in Dallas, but while Stafford went first overall in the NFL draft, Kershaw was chosen seventh in the MLB draft.

Back to Chase Young. He was a criminal justice major at The Ohio State as the son of a now-retired sheriff’s deputy. This from a story at Cleveland.com:

“My dad and both my uncles were in law enforcement,” Young told cleveland.com. “It was always something close to me that my family did. It was something I wanted to do growing up, just because I saw the people in front of me do it.”

The former five-star recruit is a criminal justice major. He’s taken all of the introductory classes. There are plenty of resources in his own home to be drawn upon. He has seen up close and personal the various avenues he can take.

“Really going inside and seeing what you really have to know about your job,” Young said. “It’s a lot of information I didn’t know about.”

That starts with his father, Greg Young, a retired police deputy from Virginia. His uncle, Bernard Joseph, has had a variety of jobs in law enforcement and is currently an investigator.

“It’s in his blood,” Joseph told cleveland.com of Chase. “His dad was in law enforcement, and he has two other uncles besides me that are in law enforcement. He’s been around it his whole life. He respects what we did. That’s just something he’s always wanted to do watching us.”

Joseph feels that the best part of the job is the freedom and career choices within the profession. He spent time under the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

“Chase saw all of that, and that’s what he liked,” Joseph said. “The freedom to move around. You’re not stuck behind a desk from 9-5. You’re out communicating and working with people.”

Young wouldn’t be the first former NFL player to take this route. Charles “Peanut” Tillman played 13 years — 12 with the Chicago Bears — in the league. He’s now an FBI agent after retiring in 2016.

Young is intrigued by pursuing a position as a street-level detective. He grew up surrounded by those opportunities.

“It was always something close to me that my family did,” Young said. “It was something I wanted to do growing up, just because I saw the people in front of me do it. I would want to be a special agent out in the street. Like a detective.”

We certainly would fear for an evildoer who Young had to, ahem, chase down and capture as you see so often in TV shows.

So it seems like he comes from a big, close knit family. This from The Athletic after a four-sack game against Wisconsin:

Young wasn’t surprised at himself or his sacks. He was feeling something much deeper.

“I felt my grandfather with me,” he said. “I just felt his presence randomly out of nowhere. That was me putting my arms out acknowledging him.”

Young’s grandfather, Carl Robinson, passed away a few years ago. He was known to be a screamer during Chase’s high school games at DeMatha Catholic in suburban Washington, D.C. He wasn’t there Saturday to see his grandson put on one of the most dazzling individual displays by a Buckeye in recent memory. He wasn’t there to see his grandson declare in a top-15 game against one of the nation’s best offensive lines that he is, in fact, the best player in college football.

Young has a tattoo on his arm in memory of his grandfather.

There was a family-related “scandal” around Young when the NCAA snooped into the travel payment of a girlfriend to see Chase play. It was a story that says more about whoever turned him into the NCAA than it does about Young. The New York Post:

Ohio State may be without Heisman Trophy contender Chase Young the rest of the regular season amid an NCAA investigation into the star defensive end accepting a loan to help pay for his girlfriend’s flight to the 2018 Rose Bowl.

The top-ranked Buckeyes expect Young to be issued a four-game suspension, according to ESPN, for borrowing money from a family friend not believed to be tied to the Buckeyes program.

The NCAA prohibits student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, but it’s unclear exactly what rule Young violated. Young, who is said to have repaid the loan in April, already is missing Saturday’s game against Maryland due to the NCAA violation.

After Saturday, the top-ranked Buckeyes have three regular-season games left against Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan — the penultimate game against the No. 4 Nittany Lions is expected to have major College Football Playoff implications, with the winner potentially paving its path to the four-team playoff.

“I made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend I’ve known since the summer before my freshman year at OSU,” Young tweeted Friday.

He added that he was “working with the University and NCAA to get back on the field as soon as possible.”

The NCAA’s Board of Governors in late October voted unanimously to allow student-athletes to make money off their names “in a matter consistent with the collegiate model” beginning no later than January 2021.

He ended up with a two-game suspension.

As for Young the player – he is a pure edge rusher. Peter Halley at NBCSports.com:

Well, to answer that question, the Redskins Talk podcast brought on Ohio State beat writer Bill Rabinowitz for a scouting report on the 20-year-old (yes, he’s just 20). Rabinowitz, like most others, has a hard time finding a flaw in Young’s game.

“You’re getting pretty much a finished product,” he said. “He’s not a project, he’s the real deal.”

“He’s everything you want in a defensive end,” Rabinowitz continued. “He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s a very good technician. He cares. It’s about as no-brainer of a pick as you’re going to find, honestly.”

It’s hard to argue with Rabinowitz’s assessment when you look at Young’s numbers from the 2019 season. In 11 games — he had to sit out two for a suspension that Rabinowitz said shouldn’t be a concern for any pro evaluators — Young racked up 16.5 sacks and forced six fumbles.

That’s more than high impact production. That’s the highest impact production.

Now, some detractors (the few out there that exist) will point at Young’s two tackle, no sack effort against Clemson in the College Football Playoff. Rabinowitz acknowledges that wasn’t the best way for the Buckeye to end his Columbus career, but he also wants people to know it’s not like the guy completely disappeared in that matchup.

“[Clemson was] very conscious of him,” Rabinowitz said. “Yeah, you’d still like for him to blow them up, have one of those kind of games where it doesn’t matter if there are five guys blocking, but that’s generally unrealistic.”

Those who still aren’t satisfied by that explanation can look at what Young did against then No. 13 Wisconsin and then No. 8 Penn State in the latter half of the Big Ten calendar. How does seven combined sacks and three combined forced fumbles sound? Clearly, he can handle major moments.

And this from Dane Brugler of The Athletic opined to NewYorkJets.com:

“Sack numbers are great, but that persistent disruption is better than any production numbers you can find in the box score,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said. “Chase Young is consistently disruptive, he can beat you in multiple areas with his power, quickness and his hands.

– – –

Young, according to Brugler, has a higher ceiling than the Bosas, but his pass-rush craft isn’t as refined yet. Young is, however, a superior athlete than his predecessors in Columbus, OH.

“I think what’s so impressive for a player that size is that he keeps his hips, his hands and his feet in sync at all times,” Brugler said. “His balance mid-rush really allows him to expand his bag of tricks. He can quickly read blockers, adjust mid-play to decide how he’s going to attack. A lot of pass rushers will predetermine what they’re going to do. We talk about that with quarterbacks. They predetermine their reads and where they’re going to go on the field ⁠— the same with pass rushers. The special rushers like a Chase Young will adjust mid-rush based on what the blocker is showing him and his reads during the play.”

Brugler said Young is a tireless student of the game, which has benefitted him most against the run. He’s an alert player and an above average run defender. Young was the top prospect entering the college football season and leaves school as Brugler’s No. 1 prospect entering the 2020 NFL Draft. So what does he need to improve at the pro level?

“It’s expanding the technique, the mechanics of the position,” Brugler said. “The Bosas were further along with how they used their hands and their plan of attack. I think that’s where Chase Young can continue to grow. He has all the freaky tools and now it’s just up to him to expand that bag of tricks and become a little more refined with what he does with his hands and his overall pass rush.”

This makes it sound like Young will be off the board in a hurry and won’t get past a stand-pat Lions team.

Chase Young is viewed by most scouts as the top non-quarterback prospect entering the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranks Young as the top overall player this season.

Teams are assuming the Ohio State edge rusher won’t be on the board long. Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that no teams past the Detroit Lions, who hold the No. 3 overall pick, have reached out to Young.

Either teams are lying in wait or realize they have no shot at landing Young.

The prevailing assumption remains that after the Cincinnati Bengals take a quarterback at No. 1 overall (presumably Joe Burrow), the Washington Redskins at No. 2 will snag Young.

While the Redskins have been open to the possibility of taking a quarterback with the second pick, or possibly trading down, coach Ron Rivera’s comments Tuesday further fueled the belief that Young could be headed to Washington.

Outside of a quarterback, Young represents the closest thing to a Nick Bosa-type impact defender in the draft.

With teams not lining up to talk with Young as we get closer to the draft, it seems most of the NFL world is certain he’ll be taken in the top-3 and are spending their virtual meeting hours with more realistic candidates.

2020 DRAFT

The virtual NFL Draft may not run on a strict timeline if science fails. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

It’s one thing for the league to take the position that there generally will be no reason to delay the deadline for getting picks made when the first-ever (and hopefully first-only) home-office draft happens in 15 days. It’s quite another for the league to take the position that the clock will continue to run if a legitimate technical collapse occurs.

Per a league source, the NFL will be prepared to show flexibility in the event that a genuine technical breakdown happens. In late April, for example, thunderstorms tend to happen on a fairly regular basis. Chances are that, somewhere in the U.S., a storm will be firing at some point during the first round of the draft. If a G.M. or head coach or owner temporarily lose all connections due to a lightning strike, the NFL won’t tell them, “Sh-t happens.”

Whatever form it takes, it must be a real breakdown, not an inconvenience or an annoyance or an actual or feigned inability to figure out how to use the available technology. The league is working with all relevant sponsors (like Verizon, Amazon, and Bose) to ensure that, despite everyone taking the office to the home, a legitimate workplace will emerge.

The NFL chose to proceed with a draft in these unusual times. The NFL has a huge responsibility to ensure that it works. If real glitches happen, the NFL won’t simply shout, “Next!” The NFL will find a way to help a team that finds itself in the wrong technological place at the wrong technological time.

Most of us have participated in some kind of online draft – usually for Fantasy Football. Has your technology ever collapsed?

– – –

As is his style, Manish Mehta of the New York Post delves behind the NFL’s front on the conduct of the draft.

The NFL’s insistence that the 2020 draft go on as scheduled April 23-25 has prompted some team decision makers to voice their displeasure behind closed doors.

The Daily News has learned that Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told league officials on a conference call that teams should be awarded three extra draft picks given the inherent challenges posed by the coronavirus restrictions. The lack of Pro Days, private workouts and visits to team facilities have thrown some organizations for a loop.

The Steelers typically place great value in pre-draft in-person interactions with prospects. Colbert ostensibly suggested the idea because he believes that teams will be prone to more mistakes without the additional evaluation time. Colbert’s stance is that a 10-round draft would widen a club’s margin for error. He declined comment for this story.

All teams are permitted to conduct hour-long videoconference interviews with prospects up to three times per week with each prospect. Decision makers can interview an unlimited number of prospects as long as they disclose their list to the league office. However, the inability to conduct private on-field workouts is viewed as a significant setback by some team evaluators.

Colbert, who conveyed his proposal before Roger Goodell threatened league discipline to anyone publicly speaking out against the scheduled draft date, will be drafting from home like everyone else. The NFL sent a memo Monday to all teams announcing that this will be a “fully virtual” draft with all team facilities closed indefinitely.

Some team decision makers believe that late-round picks and undrafted players will be impacted much more than Day 1 or 2 prospects by the amended process.

A truncated pre-draft evaluation process could result in more dart throws on the third day of the draft and immediately thereafter when teams attempt to sign undrafted players.

– – –

Let’s take a look at the latest Mock Draft from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com:

With the 2020 NFL Draft a little more than two weeks away, here’s my third look at how teams will draft when Round 1 begins on April 23.

1 – CINCINNATI

Joe Burrow – QB

School: LSU | Year: Senior (RS)

I’m sure there will be several teams interested in trading up for Burrow, but I can’t see the Bengals passing up the opportunity to land their top QB.

2 – WASHINGTON

Chase Young – Edge

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

I understand the Redskins already have depth on the defensive line, but Young is too good to pass up.

3 – DETROIT

Jeff Okudah – CB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

Okudah is the premier player at his position in this draft and fills a massive need on the Lions’ defense.

4 – NY GIANTS

Tristan Wirfs – OT

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

The Giants have needs all over their defense, but I still believe protecting Daniel Jones is the top priority.

5 – MIAMI

Justin Herbert – QB

School: Oregon | Year: Senior

I have Tua Tagovailoa rated higher than Herbert, but I think there’s a legitimate chance the Oregon QB goes ahead of Tua.

6 – LA CHARGERS

Tua Tagovailoa – QB

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

The Chargers have a talented roster and now they have a point guard to distribute the ball for the next decade-plus.

7 – CAROLINA

Derrick Brown – DT

School: Auburn | Year: Senior

The Panthers have a bunch of intriguing options with the seventh pick. I wouldn’t rule out a trade down from this spot, either.

8 – ARIZONA

Jedrick Wills – OT

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

The Cardinals addressed the WR position with the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins. Wills would slide right into the RT spot, opposite D.J. Humphries.

9 – JACKSONVILLE

Mekhi Becton – OT

School: Louisville | Year: Junior

The Jaguars have a multitude of needs on defense, but this pick helps them upgrade two spots. Becton takes over at LT and Cam Robinson slides inside to guard.

10 – CLEVELAND

Isaiah Simmons – LB/S

School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)

The Browns need another offensive tackle, but Simmons might be too good to bypass. He is the perfect defender to match up with the division’s most dangerous playmaker, Lamar Jackson.

11 – NY JETS

CeeDee Lamb – WR

School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior

The Jets need to continue to upgrade the O-line, but they must weigh taking the fourth-best OT versus the top wideout. Sam Darnold needs some dynamic players around him.

12 – LAS VEGAS

Jerry Jeudy – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

This decision would likely come down to Jeudy versus Javon Kinlaw. I would applaud either choice.

13 – SAN FRANCISCO (from Indianapolis)

Henry Ruggs III – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Let’s take a minute and just imagine Ruggs in the hands of a creative play-caller like Kyle Shanahan.

14 – TAMPA BAY

Andrew Thomas – OT

School: Georgia | Year: Junior

The Bucs are all in on Tom Brady. Adding some protection for him is a good idea.

15 – DENVER

Javon Kinlaw – DT

School: South Carolina | Year: Senior

The Broncos could go receiver here, but they also have a need on the D-line. Kinlaw has unlimited potential.

16 – ATLANTA

C.J. Henderson – CB

School: Florida | Year: Junior

The Falcons have plenty of firepower on offense, but the secondary needs help. Henderson has the greatest upside of any cornerback in the draft class.

17 – DALLAS

K’Lavon Chaisson – Edge

School: LSU | Year: Sophomore (RS)

Chaisson would be an ideal fit on the opposite side of Demarcus Lawrence. He is still a little raw, but he’s very explosive.

18 – MIAMI (from Pittsburgh)

Yetur Gross-Matos – Edge

School: Penn State | Year: Junior

Gross-Matos would give the Dolphins some much-needed edge rush. The more I studied him, the more I liked him.

19 – LAS VEGAS (from Chicago)

A.J. Terrell – CB

School: Clemson | Year: Junior

Terrell would reunite with his college teammate, Trayvon Mullen, to give the Raiders two tall, long and rangy CBs to build their secondary around.

20 – JACKSONVILLE (from LA Rams)

Justin Jefferson – WR

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Jefferson has outstanding hands and route polish. He excels on third down and in the red zone.

21 – PHILADELPHIA

Kenneth Murray – LB

School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior

The Eagles need to add receivers, but they can afford to wait a round or two. Murray would give them a dynamic playmaker in the middle of their defense.

22 – MINNESOTA (from Buffalo)

Jaylon Johnson – CB

School: Utah | Year: Junior

Johnson is rock solid on tape and he has the tools to fit perfectly in the Vikings’ scheme.

23 – NEW ENGLAND

A.J. Epenesa – Edge

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

The Patriots love size and power on the edges. Epenesa isn’t an elite tester, but he’s a very productive football player.

24 – NEW ORLEANS

Patrick Queen – LB

School: LSU | Year: Junior

The Saints don’t have many glaring needs. They can afford to simply take the best player available.

25 – MINNESOTA

Tee Higgins – WR

School: Clemson | Year: Junior

Higgins would bring some size and red-zone ability to the Vikings’ offense.

26 – MIAMI (from Houston)

Joshua Jones – OT

School: Houston | Year: Senior (RS)

The Dolphins must address the offensive line in this draft. I could see them doubling up in the next round.

27 – SEATTLE

Austin Jackson – OT

School: USC | Year: Junior

Jackson was very up and down last season, but he’s an outstanding athlete. He should continue to improve as a pro.

28 – BALTIMORE

Zack Baun – LB

School: Wisconsin | Year: Senior (RS)

The Ravens need more edge rush. Baun has the athleticism to drop and cover, as well.

29 – TENNESSEE

Brandon Aiyuk – WR

School: Arizona State | Year: Senior

I love Aiyuk’s game and his toughness would fit the culture in Tennessee.

30 – GREEN BAY

Jordan Love – QB

School: Utah State | Year: Junior (RS)

It’s tough to find the right spot for Love. He could go in the top 10 or fall to this neighborhood of the draft. The Packers would be a great fit for him to sit, learn and develop.

31 – SAN FRANCISCO

Ross Blacklock – DT

School: TCU | Year: Junior (RS)

The 49ers will likely trade down to stockpile selections, as they currently don’t hold a pick in Rounds 2-4.

32 – KANSAS CITY

Cesar Ruiz – C

School: Michigan | Year: Junior

The Chiefs could have their choice of the top running backs, but they also need to get younger/better along the interior of their offensive line.

The Daily Briefing Wednesday, April 8, 2020

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