The Awesome World of NFL 2020 NFL

[Bandit]

As expected it is looking more and more like the college season will be cancelled. Big 10 and Pac 12 seasons postponed.

Derrius Guice has been cut by the Washington team following a whole heap of domestic assault charges.

According to the Washington Post, the charge sheet says he strangled his girlfriend until she was unconscious.

 

[Dylan]

'Creative' is a term that is troubling when it comes to the cap (or most types of job involving numbers), especially when it is a consistent trend.

Restructures rarely reduce the amount a team owes a player so the same number is going to hit their cap at some point. It is like relying on your credit card to supplement your income, sometimes you can just stay ahead of it but if any problems with your income (like the NFL is seeing this year) and things come crashing down quickly.

Take the Eagles, 2 names listed as potential cuts are Jeffery and Jackson. Despite being older players and 2021 being the last year of their deals, where a team usually should be able to get out easily from a deal, due to both being previously restructured they would cause more dead cap than cap savings if cut - Jeffery ~$10m dead vs ~$8m saved and Jackson ~$6m dead vs ~$5m saved. Aside from dropping Barnett before his 5th year becomes guaranteed, I don't see a clean cut of players they've had on their team for a while. Sure they can do further restructuring but that bill becomes due eventually.

People can point to the Chiefs management this offseason as an example of how things can be done but they are an outlier, as out of the 3 key players extended - 2 were already under contract for the next 2 seasons and the 3rd was already on the franchise tag. Their cap hits were already included in the cap number for 2020 prior to the deals and the players accepted contracts that didn't change it. They are another team that will be in some trouble next year if the cap falls but as they haven't been 'creative' for several years, like the Eagles, they have much more flexibility to cut for greater savings or restructure guys.

 

[David76]

'Creative' is a term that is troubling when it comes to the cap (or most types of job involving numbers), especially when it is a consistent trend.

Restructures rarely reduce the amount a team owes a player so the same number is going to hit their cap at some point. It is like relying on your credit card to supplement your income, sometimes you can just stay ahead of it but if any problems with your income (like the NFL is seeing this year) and things come crashing down quickly.

Take the Eagles, 2 names listed as potential cuts are Jeffery and Jackson. Despite being older players and 2021 being the last year of their deals, where a team usually should be able to get out easily from a deal, due to both being previously restructured they would cause more dead cap than cap savings if cut - Jeffery ~$10m dead vs ~$8m saved and Jackson ~$6m dead vs ~$5m saved. Aside from dropping Barnett before his 5th year becomes guaranteed, I don't see a clean cut of players they've had on their team for a while. Sure they can do further restructuring but that bill becomes due eventually.

People can point to the Chiefs management this offseason as an example of how things can be done but they are an outlier, as out of the 3 key players extended - 2 were already under contract for the next 2 seasons and the 3rd was already on the franchise tag. Their cap hits were already included in the cap number for 2020 prior to the deals and the players accepted contracts that didn't change it. They are another team that will be in some trouble next year if the cap falls but as they haven't been 'creative' for several years, like the Eagles, they have much more flexibility to cut for greater savings or restructure guys.

I don't think there is any denying that the Eagles are in a very tough spot. You would have to assume that they are fully aware and that there is a plan, albeit it's hard to make out what it is right now. You are right in that there is no silver bullet for them, in fact, most of the big earners would have a net negative impact on the cap if cut in 2021. Cut Jackson, Jeffery, Ertz and rescind the option on Barnett along with some restructures would get them compliant or at least very close, depending on if course on the final cap number for 2021. There will be a tonne of dead money on the books but so be it.

The cap was due to balloon in 2021 before Covid-19 put paid to that and it seems that some teams including the Eagles made long term plans around that expected increase. The Steelers operate a bit like the Eagles, they are not in nearly as much trouble but they have important guys like Juju Smith Schuster hitting free agency next offseason that I expect they won't be able to keep now. I'm sure many are in the same boat.

That said, we have seen so many big extensions in recent weeks that I don't think the teams are as worried about the cap falling as fans are. Teams would surely be a lot more conservative if they thought the cap was due for a sharp and prolonged decrease.

 

[Micro Dave]

Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera said Thursday he has been diagnosed with cancer.

Rivera made the disclosure to ESPN's Adam Schefter after informing the team. According to Rivera, the cancer is in its early stages and is "very treatable and curable." The coach added, however, that there is a "Plan B" in place should he need to step aside during treatment.

Schefter later reported that Rivera has a "squamous cell cancer" in his neck. Squamous cell carcinoma is a treatable form of skin cancer.

To be clear and specific, Washington HC Ron Rivera has Squamous cell cancer of his neck. He was diagnosed with it two weeks ago. He told his team about it tonight. He plans to go on coaching this season, but has set up backup plans as well.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)

Washington hired Rivera, 58, last January to replace Jay Gruden. The longtime NFL coach was available after he was fired by the Panthers following Week 13 last season.

Carolina tweeted its support for Rivera after learning the news, using the saying "Keep Pounding." Rivera turned those words into a mantra during his nine-year tenure with the club.

Rivera has become a key figure in the Washington organization over the past 7 1/2 months. In addition to his coaching work during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has led a culture change within the franchise and assisted majority owner Daniel Snyder in deciding on a new team nickname.

 

[Dylan]

Don't think it's been mentioned that there's a couple of fail-safes in the schedule in Weeks 2, 3 and 4 if there are any problems/changes that need addressing after Week 1. Week 1 presumably a test week to see what works or not.

Whoever your opponent is in Week 2 is a team you share the bye-week with, so a postponement here can be subsequently made up in the bye-week without affecting the rest of the schedule.

Weeks 3 and 4 have been set up such that a) there are no games against a team within your division and b) every team has a home game and an away game.

So if necessary they can be cancelled and expunged from the schedule without being completely unfair (still a bit unfair as e.g., the Pats would avoid a trip to Kansas).

It gives the NFL the flexibility if needed to have a 14 game season but still have everyone playing their 6 division games and with a 7H7A schedule.

 

[David76]

Don't think it's been mentioned that there's a couple of fail-safes in the schedule in Weeks 2, 3 and 4 if there are any problems/changes that need addressing after Week 1. Week 1 presumably a test week to see what works or not.

Whoever your opponent is in Week 2 is a team you share the bye-week with, so a postponement here can be subsequently made up in the bye-week without affecting the rest of the schedule.

Weeks 3 and 4 have been set up such that a) there are no games against a team within your division and b) every team has a home game and an away game.

So if necessary they can be cancelled and expunged from the schedule without being completely unfair (still a bit unfair as e.g., the Pats would avoid a trip to Kansas).

It gives the NFL the flexibility if needed to have a 14 game season but still have everyone playing their 6 division games and with a 7H7A schedule.

Interesting. Given how few cases have come up during camp during the intense testing I don't see the start of the season being the problem. It'll more likely be as the season goes on and players get more exposure due to travel and become fatigued of staying in (especially for guys on teams that are out of the running).

 

[Bandit]

Interesting. Given how few cases have come up during camp during the intense testing I don't see the start of the season being the problem. It'll more likely be as the season goes on and players get more exposure due to travel and become fatigued of staying in (especially for guys on teams that are out of the running).

I guess when they came up with the schedule in May it was important to have early safety nets. In hindsight, the 'no division games' weeks might have been better later in the season alright.

Probably not much you can do anyway if you get a situation at the tail end of the season, other than unfairly eliminate teams or extend the season.

 

[Tom]

There were 77 positive covid tests reported from a lab on Sunday. It was later reported that all 77 positives were false positives. Imagine that happens during the season

 

[Fraser]

Has there been any more word about games being played on Saturdays also? Would be great to get a few games in on a Saturday and not be hanging tired in work on a Monday

 

[Birdman]

Part 1 of a short documentary series on Big Ben's return from injury for anybody that hasn't seen it, nicely put together. He is supposedly throwing and feeling very well in training camp which is good.

Not sure about the Steelers going into this season. I can see a realistic scenario where everyone stays relatively healthy including Ben, the defence continues where it left off in 2019 and the offence takes a step forward. They are a playoff team in that scenario, possibly even a championship contender if a few things fall their way.

Equally, things could come off the rails entirely if they have a bad injury meltdown like last year and/or Ben comes back and is clearly no longer at a high level. I'd be very cautious about making any type of win/loss prediction this year.

Either way, I am looking forward to seeing some football at this stage. It looks like a season is going to start in any case.