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NFL Random Thought of the Day
- Thread starter Wolf
- Start date
Flopping should be an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Not sure who besides Mahomes flops, though.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Mahomes is the singular king. But kickers/punters are notorious for flops. That doesn't exclude other positions who practice for their future acting career..............OSCAR NOMINEES.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Almost sounds like the NFL is mafia-structured............
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How can an owner like Jimmy Haslam be held accountable?
By Mike Florio
Published April 1, 2025 05:38 PM
With only 60 percent of Deshaun Watson’s landmark five-year, $230 million contract concluded, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admitted what everyone already knew. The trade — arguably the single worst transaction in NFL history — was a complete and total failure.
Haslam added that, ultimately, ownership should be held accountable.
OK, fine. They’re accountable. What does that even mean?
Owners can’t get fired, as 49ers CEO Jed York once upon a time aptly observed. And no fan base will collectively deprive itself of attending or watching or following its favorite team long enough to force ownership to sell.
So it’s meaningless. Hold ownership accountable, to no accountability. And no consequence.
Sure, they look foolish. But they already did. The only difference is they’ve admitted to the foolishness. There’s no other negative impact for ownership. Ever.
NFL franchises print money, with no risk. No downside. No possibility that the business will go out of business. Collectively, the NFL is kicking ass, to the point where a franchise couldn’t go bankrupt even if it tried.
This doesn’t change the fact that certain fan bases are stuck with dysfunctional teams led by owners who don’t know how to properly run a team. For 13 years of Browns ownership by the Haslams, that fact is as clear as it can be.
So what will Browns fans do about it? Absolutely nothing. Same as the fans of any other team that can’t find a way to become even accidentally competitive.
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How can an owner like Jimmy Haslam be held accountable?
By Mike Florio
Published April 1, 2025 05:38 PM
With only 60 percent of Deshaun Watson’s landmark five-year, $230 million contract concluded, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admitted what everyone already knew. The trade — arguably the single worst transaction in NFL history — was a complete and total failure.
Haslam added that, ultimately, ownership should be held accountable.
OK, fine. They’re accountable. What does that even mean?
Owners can’t get fired, as 49ers CEO Jed York once upon a time aptly observed. And no fan base will collectively deprive itself of attending or watching or following its favorite team long enough to force ownership to sell.
So it’s meaningless. Hold ownership accountable, to no accountability. And no consequence.
Sure, they look foolish. But they already did. The only difference is they’ve admitted to the foolishness. There’s no other negative impact for ownership. Ever.
NFL franchises print money, with no risk. No downside. No possibility that the business will go out of business. Collectively, the NFL is kicking ass, to the point where a franchise couldn’t go bankrupt even if it tried.
This doesn’t change the fact that certain fan bases are stuck with dysfunctional teams led by owners who don’t know how to properly run a team. For 13 years of Browns ownership by the Haslams, that fact is as clear as it can be.
So what will Browns fans do about it? Absolutely nothing. Same as the fans of any other team that can’t find a way to become even accidentally competitive.
They just need to change the rule back and make it illegal to aid the runner in any way. Pushing is illegal for the defense, make it illegal for the offense too
OMG, Josh Allen is worse than Mahomes. At least when he went down against the Texans it was real.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
On Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones wants to ignore the CBA
By Mike Florio
Published April 2, 2025 10:33 AM
History has a way of repeating itself. Especially when it comes to the team with a 30-year history of not competing for a Super Bowl win.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed on Tuesday a desire to negotiate a new Micah Parsons contract directly with the player, without dealing with his agent, David Mulugheta. Jerry has done it before.
During Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout in 2019, Jones made it clear that he prefers cutting out the middleman.
"[T]hat’s always been the issue with me and my approach to managing the Cowboys,” Jones said in 2019. “When you cut out the people in between the money and the player, we all know that agents, attorneys have their agenda. By the way, they are all taking money out of the pie too when they’re there. The straighter it goes from the source to the one receiving it, nine times out of 10 that’s more efficient.”
The NFL Players Association looked into the issue at the time. It’s unclear whether anything was done. If it was, it didn’t take.
This time around, Jones has been even more strident when it comes to his desire to sidestep the agent and negotiate with the player. Among other things, Jones openly disrespected Mulugheta by saying he doesn’t even know his name.
Regardless, the Collective Bargaining Agreement requires Jones and the Cowboys to deal with Parsons’s NFLPA-certified agent.
Whenever a player asks a team to negotiate contract terms with his representative, the team must comply with that request.
That’s because the NFLPA is the ultimate bargaining entity on behalf of the players, and the union has delegated those
responsibilities to contract advisors for individual contract negotiations.
Cutting out the agent means cutting out the union. Which violates the CBA.
The NFLPA currently has no comment on Jones’s latest attempt to sidestep the agent and do a deal with the player. And the union might not need to do anything, because Parsons knows what Jones is trying to do.
“David is the best and I will not be doing any deal without [David Mulugheta] involved!” Parsons said on Twitter. “Like anyone with good sense I hired experts for a reason. There is no one I trust more when it comes to negotiating contracts than David!
There will be no backdoors in this contract negotiation.”
Parsons couldn’t make it any more clear than that. Which means that if Jones doesn’t know Mulugheta’s name, he’d better learn it. Fast. No deal is getting done for Parsons until Jones engages David Mulugheta.
To his credit, Mulugheta has taken the high road.
“I agree with Jerry—it’s never been about me,” Mulugheta told PFT via text message on Wednesday morning. “The only person that matters here is Micah, and, at the end of the day, our goal is for Micah to be able to do for generations of Parsons what Jerry has done for generations of Jones.”
Jones earned his generational wealth in part by doing good deals. He hopes to do even better deals by dealing directly with someone who isn’t an expert in negotiating NFL player contracts. It’s been part of his modus operandi.
It hasn’t worked in the past. As to Parsons, it won’t be working in the present.
By Mike Florio
Published April 2, 2025 10:33 AM
History has a way of repeating itself. Especially when it comes to the team with a 30-year history of not competing for a Super Bowl win.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed on Tuesday a desire to negotiate a new Micah Parsons contract directly with the player, without dealing with his agent, David Mulugheta. Jerry has done it before.
During Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout in 2019, Jones made it clear that he prefers cutting out the middleman.
"[T]hat’s always been the issue with me and my approach to managing the Cowboys,” Jones said in 2019. “When you cut out the people in between the money and the player, we all know that agents, attorneys have their agenda. By the way, they are all taking money out of the pie too when they’re there. The straighter it goes from the source to the one receiving it, nine times out of 10 that’s more efficient.”
The NFL Players Association looked into the issue at the time. It’s unclear whether anything was done. If it was, it didn’t take.
This time around, Jones has been even more strident when it comes to his desire to sidestep the agent and negotiate with the player. Among other things, Jones openly disrespected Mulugheta by saying he doesn’t even know his name.
Regardless, the Collective Bargaining Agreement requires Jones and the Cowboys to deal with Parsons’s NFLPA-certified agent.
Whenever a player asks a team to negotiate contract terms with his representative, the team must comply with that request.
That’s because the NFLPA is the ultimate bargaining entity on behalf of the players, and the union has delegated those
responsibilities to contract advisors for individual contract negotiations.
Cutting out the agent means cutting out the union. Which violates the CBA.
The NFLPA currently has no comment on Jones’s latest attempt to sidestep the agent and do a deal with the player. And the union might not need to do anything, because Parsons knows what Jones is trying to do.
“David is the best and I will not be doing any deal without [David Mulugheta] involved!” Parsons said on Twitter. “Like anyone with good sense I hired experts for a reason. There is no one I trust more when it comes to negotiating contracts than David!
There will be no backdoors in this contract negotiation.”
Parsons couldn’t make it any more clear than that. Which means that if Jones doesn’t know Mulugheta’s name, he’d better learn it. Fast. No deal is getting done for Parsons until Jones engages David Mulugheta.
To his credit, Mulugheta has taken the high road.
“I agree with Jerry—it’s never been about me,” Mulugheta told PFT via text message on Wednesday morning. “The only person that matters here is Micah, and, at the end of the day, our goal is for Micah to be able to do for generations of Parsons what Jerry has done for generations of Jones.”
Jones earned his generational wealth in part by doing good deals. He hopes to do even better deals by dealing directly with someone who isn’t an expert in negotiating NFL player contracts. It’s been part of his modus operandi.
It hasn’t worked in the past. As to Parsons, it won’t be working in the present.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
John Vella, an offensive lineman who started for the Oakland Raiders when they won Super Bowl XI, has died at the age of 74.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Brown desperate to claim relevancy...........................60 years ago.
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I would trade Parsons if I was Jerrah and got a decent deal. They aren't going to win anything with him so they might as well move on, save the money and hopefully get draft picks to rebuild the team.
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Tush push is really nothing more than a rugby scrum.
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
Agreed. Edge rusher contracts are like QB contracts now. Going to make it really hard to field a well-rounded competitive football team if you are paying an edge rusher and QB after their rookie contract.
Speaking of… clock is ticking on CJ/WA going to the extension bank Houston!
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Was Garret as a "leader" any better than Tunsil?
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Browns have challenged Myles Garrett to become “a real leader of the team”
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Browns have challenged Myles Garrett to become “a real leader of the team”
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The Browns living in the past.
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They let Tunsil go for a reason.
Hopefully they can get CJ/WA signed long term. Letting Howard/Al Shaair walk after this season will help pay for WA and the cap rises enough to pay for CJ. You also can expect guys like Ward/CJG/Cam to be let go. I'm really not that worried because Caserio is very good at managing the cap.
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
Agreed, hopefully the plus starters that can’t be brought back will be traded ahead of time and their replacement is already on the roster ahead of time. Need to create a pipeline of development talent. I’m confident DeMeco’s defensive coaching staff can do this. Need the offensive staff to start developing players. So far we just have Nico having positively developed under the offensive staff.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
So the Eagles (2), Cardinals and Bears actual NFL championships don't count any more? But rewriting history aside, that AAFC franchise is the Baltimore Ravens today, so I guess that gives them 10 titles, right?
TRADE: Patriots Trading QB Joe Milton III To Cowboys
According to multiple reports, the Patriots are trading second-year QB Joe Milton III to the Cowboys on Thursday. Here are the trade details: Cowboys get: QB Joe Milton III Seventh-round pick Patriots get: Fifth-round pick
nfltraderumors.co
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Hall of Fame
NFL announces key offseason program dates for all 32 teams
By Josh Alper
Published April 3, 2025 12:55 PM
Offseason programs will be starting for teams with new coaches next week and the NFL has announced the key dates for all 32 teams.
All teams will open their programs with two weeks of meetings and conditioning work before they can advance to on-field work. That work will include up to 10 organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp. In addition to starting their work ahead of other clubs, teams with new coaches are also permitted to hold a voluntary minicamp.
The dates for all teams are listed below:
Arizona: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Atlanta: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Baltimore: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3, June 5-6, June 9-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Buffalo: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Carolina: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Chicago: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27-30, June 9-11; Mandatory minicamp June 3-5.
Cincinnati: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Cleveland: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-4, June 6, June 16-19; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Dallas: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Denver: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Detroit: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Green Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Houston: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5. Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Indianapolis: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Jacksonville: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Kansas City: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Las Vegas: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Los Angeles Chargers: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Los Angeles Rams: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12; Mandatory minicamp - June 16-18.
Miami: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Minnesota: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
New England: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 22-24; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 9-11.
New Orleans: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
New York Giants: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
New York Jets: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 28-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Philadelphia: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10.
Pittsburgh: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
San Francisco: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Seattle: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9, June 11-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Tampa Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Tennessee: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Washington: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28, May 30, June 3-4, June 8; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
By Josh Alper
Published April 3, 2025 12:55 PM
Offseason programs will be starting for teams with new coaches next week and the NFL has announced the key dates for all 32 teams.
All teams will open their programs with two weeks of meetings and conditioning work before they can advance to on-field work. That work will include up to 10 organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp. In addition to starting their work ahead of other clubs, teams with new coaches are also permitted to hold a voluntary minicamp.
The dates for all teams are listed below:
Arizona: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Atlanta: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Baltimore: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3, June 5-6, June 9-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Buffalo: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Carolina: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Chicago: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27-30, June 9-11; Mandatory minicamp June 3-5.
Cincinnati: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Cleveland: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-4, June 6, June 16-19; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Dallas: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Denver: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Detroit: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Green Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Houston: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5. Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Indianapolis: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 28-30, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Jacksonville: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Kansas City: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Las Vegas: First day - April 8; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 19, May 21-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Los Angeles Chargers: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 3-5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Los Angeles Rams: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12; Mandatory minicamp - June 16-18.
Miami: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Minnesota: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
New England: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp April 22-24; OTAs - May 19-20, May 22, May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 9-11.
New Orleans: First day - April 14; OTAs - May 20-22, May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
New York Giants: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
New York Jets: First day - April 7; Voluntary minicamp - April 21-23; OTAs - May 20-22, May 28-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Philadelphia: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10.
Pittsburgh: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-29, June 3-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
San Francisco: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-11.
Seattle: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27, May 29-30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9, June 11-12; Mandatory minicamp - June 17-19.
Tampa Bay: First day - April 21; OTAs - May 27-30, June 2-5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Tennessee: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
Washington: First day - April 22; OTAs - May 28, May 30, June 3-4, June 8; Mandatory minicamp - June 10-12.
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
Bears To Sign QB Case Keenum
Journeyman quarterback Case Keenum's next NFL gig will come with the Bears. Read more at Pro Football Rumors.
www.profootballrumors.com
Cardinals make McBride NFL's highest-paid TE
The Cardinals are making Pro Bowl pick Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.
In regards to the tush push:
In Goodell's April 1 news conference, he said he supports the Packers' plan to broaden the proposal and remove pushing and pulling from the game.
"That makes a lot of sense in many ways because that expands it beyond that single play," Goodell said. "There are a lot of plays where you see people pushing or pulling somebody that are not in the tush push formation that I think do have an increased risk of injury. So I think the committee will look at that and come back in May with some proposals."
link
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
The lack of Stingley or Anderson makes this list invalid:
Most everything Bucky Brooks does is invalid
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Julio Jones has called it quits before he can no longer walk.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
RIP! An amazing trip to the NFL.
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Ray Seals, who became an NFL starter without going to college, dies at 59
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Ray Seals, who became an NFL starter without going to college, dies at 59
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The NFL is not known for thinking things thoroughly through.
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Todd Bowles: We’ll see if the team that wins the overtime toss can run out the clock
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Todd Bowles: We’ll see if the team that wins the overtime toss can run out the clock
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
I’m fine with the “Tush-Push” since every team could use it, if they so choose.
But, if helping the player score by piling up behind him to push across the end zone…..I don’t see any difference in having a DB using a DL as a ramp to run up in order to improve their chances of blocking a FG. They could call it the, “Ramp-Up”.
But, if helping the player score by piling up behind him to push across the end zone…..I don’t see any difference in having a DB using a DL as a ramp to run up in order to improve their chances of blocking a FG. They could call it the, “Ramp-Up”.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
NFL anticipates being a “target” for more antitrust claims
By Mike Florio
Published April 5, 2025 06:09 PM
The NFL has a new top lawyer. The NFL expects to have some old legal problems.
During the recent league meetings, owners were informed that Ted Ullyot will succeed Jeff Pash as the NFL’s general counsel. And even though the business of pro football continues to boom, challenges will persist.
“We’re at the top of the heap,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. “We’re going to be a target in antitrust, and in a lot of other ways, we’re going to need legal representation that knows how to go on the offensive and play defense to protect where we’re going.”
Last summer, a massive civil antitrust verdict was entered against the league over the Sunday Ticket product. The presiding judge scrapped the outcome based on perceived deficiencies in the calculation of financial losses.
The issue that gave rise to the jury’s decision lingers, along with other potential antitrust issues. The proliferation of streaming, for example, falls beyond the broadcast antitrust exemption contained in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1960.
Ullyot, a Republican operative for whom Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh submitted a letter of recommendation, could tasked with lobbying for an adjustment to the current exemption — and possibly an elimination of the 65-year-old prohibition on broadcasting games on Friday nights and Saturdays from the second weekend in September to the second weekend in December.
Regardless, the NFL continues to consist of 32 independent businesses that work together in many ways. Kraft’s comments show that the league anticipates more challenges to the concerted action of its franchises in the coming years.
By Mike Florio
Published April 5, 2025 06:09 PM
The NFL has a new top lawyer. The NFL expects to have some old legal problems.
During the recent league meetings, owners were informed that Ted Ullyot will succeed Jeff Pash as the NFL’s general counsel. And even though the business of pro football continues to boom, challenges will persist.
“We’re at the top of the heap,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. “We’re going to be a target in antitrust, and in a lot of other ways, we’re going to need legal representation that knows how to go on the offensive and play defense to protect where we’re going.”
Last summer, a massive civil antitrust verdict was entered against the league over the Sunday Ticket product. The presiding judge scrapped the outcome based on perceived deficiencies in the calculation of financial losses.
The issue that gave rise to the jury’s decision lingers, along with other potential antitrust issues. The proliferation of streaming, for example, falls beyond the broadcast antitrust exemption contained in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1960.
Ullyot, a Republican operative for whom Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh submitted a letter of recommendation, could tasked with lobbying for an adjustment to the current exemption — and possibly an elimination of the 65-year-old prohibition on broadcasting games on Friday nights and Saturdays from the second weekend in September to the second weekend in December.
Regardless, the NFL continues to consist of 32 independent businesses that work together in many ways. Kraft’s comments show that the league anticipates more challenges to the concerted action of its franchises in the coming years.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The Dolfins LT Terron Armstead has retired.
Errant Hothy
Hypermediocrity
Got the feeling its going to change draft strategy for them
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Art Modell Law applies to Bengals, too
By Mike Florio
Published April 6, 2025 10:20 AM
You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati. But you still benefit from a law aimed at keeping Cleveland from losing the Browns, again.
The Art Modell Law, passed in 1996 after the Browns became the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland was left without an NFL team for three seasons, applies to all professional sports teams in Ohio.
And while multiple pieces of Modell Law litigation are currently pending in connection with the Browns’ ongoing effort to exit downtown Cleveland for suburban Brook Park, the Modell Law hovers over the stadium situation in Cincinnati.
Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn said it this week. The team has an option on a two-year lease extension. If the option isn’t exercised by June 30, 2025, the team’s lease at Paycor Stadium will expire before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
“We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year if we didn’t pick the option up,” Blackburn said.
Some have tried to downplay the remark or dismiss those who put a spotlight on it. Whatever. It’s a big deal whenever any owner publicly declares that their team could, in theory, move away.
Beyond the terms of the lease, the Bengals would have to deal with the Modell Law, if/when they try to move. The Bengals, if the law applies, would have to give local groups a chance to buy the team before moving it out of town.
But the law might not apply. The Browns’ current attack against the provision would, if successful, benefit the Bengals.
That doesn’t mean the Bengals will move. Wiping out the Modell Law, however, would give them even more leverage in their ongoing talks with Hamilton County over upgrades to their current stadium.
By Mike Florio
Published April 6, 2025 10:20 AM
You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati. But you still benefit from a law aimed at keeping Cleveland from losing the Browns, again.
The Art Modell Law, passed in 1996 after the Browns became the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland was left without an NFL team for three seasons, applies to all professional sports teams in Ohio.
And while multiple pieces of Modell Law litigation are currently pending in connection with the Browns’ ongoing effort to exit downtown Cleveland for suburban Brook Park, the Modell Law hovers over the stadium situation in Cincinnati.
Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn said it this week. The team has an option on a two-year lease extension. If the option isn’t exercised by June 30, 2025, the team’s lease at Paycor Stadium will expire before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
“We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year if we didn’t pick the option up,” Blackburn said.
Some have tried to downplay the remark or dismiss those who put a spotlight on it. Whatever. It’s a big deal whenever any owner publicly declares that their team could, in theory, move away.
Beyond the terms of the lease, the Bengals would have to deal with the Modell Law, if/when they try to move. The Bengals, if the law applies, would have to give local groups a chance to buy the team before moving it out of town.
But the law might not apply. The Browns’ current attack against the provision would, if successful, benefit the Bengals.
That doesn’t mean the Bengals will move. Wiping out the Modell Law, however, would give them even more leverage in their ongoing talks with Hamilton County over upgrades to their current stadium.
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
Eagles Unlikely To Retain TE Dallas Goedert Absent Pay Cut
The Eagles are unlikely to retain TE Dallas Goedert without some sort of pay cut, per ESPN. Philadelphia is more likely to trade him.
www.profootballrumors.com
Goesdert is going to get paid and he's got an extensive injury history. Good player though.Eagles Unlikely To Retain TE Dallas Goedert Absent Pay Cut
The Eagles are unlikely to retain TE Dallas Goedert without some sort of pay cut, per ESPN. Philadelphia is more likely to trade him.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Commissioner wants revamped playoff seeding, to make late-season games more compelling
Published April 6, 2025 08:35 PM
So why did the league office ask the Lions to propose playoff seeding based on record, regardless of division championship? Because the Commissioner wants it.
Per multiple sources, it became clear during last week’s league meetings that Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eliminate the guaranteed home game for teams that win their divisions.
Goodell’s preference became clear during the meeting regarding the proposal that was made by the Lions (at the prompting of executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent). One source in the room for the session said Goodell became visibly irritated at the resistance to the measure.
The goal is to make more late-season games interesting. But there’s no guarantee that will happen. In 2024, for example, the final game of the regular season between the Vikings and Lions would have had lower stakes, since the loser still would have hosted a playoff game the following weekend.
The Lions’ proposal was tabled to May. As one source put it, items that the league supports get tabled when “the [Competition Committee] or Rogers didn’t want the L.”
Whether Goodell can eat a W on this one remains to be seen. The compromise could be that division winners with sub-.500 records won’t host a Wild Card game. Another possibility is to re-seed after the Wild Card round.
Regardless, the NFL wants to change the status quo. More specifically, Goodell wants to change the status quo. On one hand, it’s for the owners to determine their rules. On the other hand, it’s Goodell’s name on every football.
Published April 6, 2025 08:35 PM
So why did the league office ask the Lions to propose playoff seeding based on record, regardless of division championship? Because the Commissioner wants it.
Per multiple sources, it became clear during last week’s league meetings that Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eliminate the guaranteed home game for teams that win their divisions.
Goodell’s preference became clear during the meeting regarding the proposal that was made by the Lions (at the prompting of executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent). One source in the room for the session said Goodell became visibly irritated at the resistance to the measure.
The goal is to make more late-season games interesting. But there’s no guarantee that will happen. In 2024, for example, the final game of the regular season between the Vikings and Lions would have had lower stakes, since the loser still would have hosted a playoff game the following weekend.
The Lions’ proposal was tabled to May. As one source put it, items that the league supports get tabled when “the [Competition Committee] or Rogers didn’t want the L.”
Whether Goodell can eat a W on this one remains to be seen. The compromise could be that division winners with sub-.500 records won’t host a Wild Card game. Another possibility is to re-seed after the Wild Card round.
Regardless, the NFL wants to change the status quo. More specifically, Goodell wants to change the status quo. On one hand, it’s for the owners to determine their rules. On the other hand, it’s Goodell’s name on every football.
I didn't really care which way the playoff seeding went. Until I realized Goodell was pushing it. Now, I'm adamantly opposed to the seeding change.
TheRealJoker V2
Veteran
Walker’s career very similar to Clowney’s. He’s a good, solid player. Is he #1 overall good? Not quite. And not his fault he was drafted ahead of a legit DPOY candidate in Aidan Hutchinson who plays the same position.
Or in Clowney’s case future HOFers Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald.
Or in Clowney’s case future HOFers Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald.
Another reason you have uninteresting games at the end of the season is because some teams are focused on draft seeding. To prevent tanking, they need incentive for the worst teams to do something different. Maybe have a scoring modifier to who gets the 1st round pick,
Something.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The primary tush push alternative might go too far
By Mike Florio
Published April 7, 2025 07:18 PM
The Green Bay tush push proposal was tabled until May. And it’s likely to return in a very different form.
The Packers’ original proposal (which may or may not have been instigated by the league office, like the Lions’ playoff reseeding proposal) was badly flawed. It prevented an “immediate” push of the player who received the snap. Which, if it had passed, would have opened a can of worms regarding officiating consistency as to what is and isn’t “immediate.”
The most obvious fallback, as mentioned last week by Commissioner Roger Goodell (who seems to want the rule to change), is a return to the pre-2006 rulebook. More recently, Packers president Mark Murphy mentioned it as the likely alternative.
In those days, pushing and pulling of the ballcarrier was prohibited. The league removed the ban on pushing a teammate, because it was never called. (As we understand it, assisting the runner — by pushing or pulling — has not been called since a 1994 divisional round playoff game between the Bills and the Chiefs. During the 2024 postseason, we reported that the league would not instruct officials to call fouls for pulling a runner, given that it hasn’t been called.)
As one source with knowledge of the dynamics explained it, however, the 2006 adjustment happened as part of a broader set of changes to the rules regarding blocking. Simply prohibiting pushing without making other adjustments to the blocking rules could have, as the source put it, unintended consequences.
Frankly, it’s unnecessary to prevent a downfield shove. While it’s regarded as unnecessary roughness for a player to charge down the field and barrel into his teammate with the ball (it’s called, we’re told, five or six times per year), there’s no specific concern about a teammate pushing a teammate with the ball spontaneously.
The best approach could be to ban pushing in limited circumstances. Basically, within the tackle box and/or five yards (or some other specific distance) on either side of the line of scrimmage.
The problem is that the league doesn’t want to create the impression that it’s changing the rules to target one specific team.
But we all know that’s what’s happening. Why play games with it?
If it’s a safety risk and/or aesthetically problematic, cut with a scalpel and not a chainsaw. Green Bay’s proposal from last week, bad as it was, started the conversation. The best way to finish it, if Goodell is able to twist 24 arms, is to make a change that focuses on the technique that causes concern, without trying to fix unrelated maneuvers (like a downfield push) that aren’t broken.
By Mike Florio
Published April 7, 2025 07:18 PM
The Green Bay tush push proposal was tabled until May. And it’s likely to return in a very different form.
The Packers’ original proposal (which may or may not have been instigated by the league office, like the Lions’ playoff reseeding proposal) was badly flawed. It prevented an “immediate” push of the player who received the snap. Which, if it had passed, would have opened a can of worms regarding officiating consistency as to what is and isn’t “immediate.”
The most obvious fallback, as mentioned last week by Commissioner Roger Goodell (who seems to want the rule to change), is a return to the pre-2006 rulebook. More recently, Packers president Mark Murphy mentioned it as the likely alternative.
In those days, pushing and pulling of the ballcarrier was prohibited. The league removed the ban on pushing a teammate, because it was never called. (As we understand it, assisting the runner — by pushing or pulling — has not been called since a 1994 divisional round playoff game between the Bills and the Chiefs. During the 2024 postseason, we reported that the league would not instruct officials to call fouls for pulling a runner, given that it hasn’t been called.)
As one source with knowledge of the dynamics explained it, however, the 2006 adjustment happened as part of a broader set of changes to the rules regarding blocking. Simply prohibiting pushing without making other adjustments to the blocking rules could have, as the source put it, unintended consequences.
Frankly, it’s unnecessary to prevent a downfield shove. While it’s regarded as unnecessary roughness for a player to charge down the field and barrel into his teammate with the ball (it’s called, we’re told, five or six times per year), there’s no specific concern about a teammate pushing a teammate with the ball spontaneously.
The best approach could be to ban pushing in limited circumstances. Basically, within the tackle box and/or five yards (or some other specific distance) on either side of the line of scrimmage.
The problem is that the league doesn’t want to create the impression that it’s changing the rules to target one specific team.
But we all know that’s what’s happening. Why play games with it?
If it’s a safety risk and/or aesthetically problematic, cut with a scalpel and not a chainsaw. Green Bay’s proposal from last week, bad as it was, started the conversation. The best way to finish it, if Goodell is able to twist 24 arms, is to make a change that focuses on the technique that causes concern, without trying to fix unrelated maneuvers (like a downfield push) that aren’t broken.
The downfield push is broken... that crap should never be allowed
KoolAid Sipper
AFCEVET
Todd Bowles: I never want to bypass a good offensive player to satisfy defensive needs
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles was a safety during his playing days and he made his bones as a coach as a defensive coordinator, but that doesn't mean he's looking at building up the defense in Tampa as the team's top draft priority.
www.nbcsports.com
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