NFL Combine primer, CBA update, franchise tags and more
The NFL Scouting Combine takes place this week in Indianapolis. While the cameras are transfixed on the field, the real action happens behind the scenes.
Millions of fans will turn on their televisions this week and see hundreds of NFL Draft prospects.
Very little of it actually matters in the draft process for most teams.
While many NFL fans and amateur draftniks have been studying the incoming rookie crop for six months, personnel men have been doing so for years. A middling performance on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium isn’t going to impact stock much.
In reality, Indianapolis is a fantastic fact-finding week for all 32 clubs, but not in the obvious way. Front offices care far more about the 15-minute interviews and the medical exams, because those exercises are the missing pieces in their scouting reports.
The interviews are known for their ridiculous questions, a few of which leak out to the media annually. However, most of the inquiries are legitimate, with teams having players — especially quarterbacks — go to the whiteboard and showcase their football IQ. Prospects are grilled on who they are and what they’re about away from the field. Think the most intense meeting of your life packed into 15 measly minutes.
The other facet of Indianapolis is one nobody admits to. The start of free agency.
Clubs and agents are technically not supposed to speak about upcoming free agents until the tampering period on March 16. Of course, that’s only technically.
Agents and team employees are all over Indianapolis, whether it’s for the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s Steak House or a late-night meal at Prime 47. You can find them at the hotel bars and walking down Washington Street. If it’s 3 a.m., the Steak and Shake will resemble an NFL meeting.
Of course, only small talk happens in public. The meaningful conversations happen in hotel rooms, when the two sides meet to discuss business. Last year in a Stacking The Box column, I wrote about such an example.
"One agent detailed how teams will talk to representatives in a hotel suite, discussing a player’s asking price. Then, the agent will hang outside the room watching another agent enter, sometimes repping a different player at the same position. Listen through the door long enough, and a conversation over that asking price can be heard. Translation? Leverage, baby."
NFL Network isn’t showing that.
Come Thursday, legions will watch the 40-yard dash, the bench press clips and quarterbacks launching the ball 60 yards downfield. It’s exciting, it’s fun and it’s a nice window into how talented these youngsters are.
But it’s a small fraction of why NFL teams can’t wait for the most informative week of the year.
Power rankings
Top 10 pre-Super Bowl era teams
1. 1962 Green Bay Packers (13-1, NFL champion)
2. 1934 Chicago Bears (13-0, runners-up)
3. 1949 Philadelphia Eagles (11-1, NFL champion)
4. 1950 Cleveland Browns (10-2, NFL champion)
5. 1958 Baltimore Colts (9-3, NFL champion)
6. 1963 San Diego Chargers (11-3, AFL champions)
7. 1942 Washington Redskins (10-1, NFL champions)
8. 1953 Detroit Lions (10-2, NFL champions)
9. 1945 Cleveland Rams (9-1, NFL champions)
10. 1951 Los Angeles Rams (8-4, NFL champions)
Quotable
"“Me and CeeDee have a great relationship. That’s one of my boys. I would obviously be very fond of that pick. Obviously, I don’t make the choices. … But yeah, if we pick CeeDee, that would be great. We have a very comfortable relationship. I’ve played with him, I’ve been with him for years, so yeah, I don’t think that would be a bad pick at all.”"
– Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray on possibly teaming up again with CeeDee Lamb
The Cardinals pick eighth-overall in the upcoming NFL Draft, and could certainly use help on the outside. Arizona drafted a quartet of receivers in the last two years, taking Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. Thus far, only Kirk seems to be a difference-maker. Giving Murray his former Oklahoma teammate would surely be a welcome choice for both parties.
Lamb is a rare combination of blindingly fast along with being a terrific route-runner. Letting him learn at Larry Fitzgerald’s knee would be a great move, and perhaps a passing of the torch.
Podcast
Random stat
The Miami Dolphins have more cap space ($89.3 million) than the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers ($83.2 million) combined.
Info learned this week
1. Franchise tag window opens on Tuesday
Teams can begin using their franchise and transition tags on Thursday, and expect to see plenty this year.
While the looming CBA negotiations impact whether teams can use only one or both of the tags, it’s a safe bet that around a third of the league will be utilizing the option in some capacity.
FanSided has reported Yannick Ngakoue is increasingly likely to be tagged by the Jacksonville Jaguars. We’ve also reported the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to sign star defensive tackle Chris Jones long-term, but if they can’t, the tag is a mere formality.
Other names in the same situation include Justin Simmons (S – Denver Broncos), Dak Prescott (QB – Dallas Cowboys), Jameis Winston (QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Ryan Tannehill (QB – Tennessee Titans). The latter three are all on teams praying the two-tag offseason doesn’t go away. More on that below.
A few more stars who could get tagged include Matthew Judon (EDGE – Baltimore Ravens), Hunter Henry (TE – Los Angeles Chargers), Bud Dupree (EDGE – Pittsburgh Steelers), James Bradberry (CB – Carolina Panthers) and A.J. Green ( WR – Cincinnati Bengals).
2. Labor talks continue with optimism heading into Indy
The NFL and the NFLPA are close on a new labor deal. Now it’s about putting pen to paper.
The owners agreed Thursday on a new, 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, the Players Association has not yet ratified it, with the executive committee voting 6-5 against the latest proposal. More talks are scheduled for Tuesday.
Without getting into the minutia of the details, here’s the gist:
- The owners want a 17-game schedule early next decade.
- They also want to retain 52 percent of the league’s revenue, down one percent from the deal signed in 2011.
- Minimum salaries will increase immediately by $90,000 and then incrementally throughout the new agreement.
- Fifth-year options for first-round picks will be fully guaranteed upon being exercised instead of only for injury.
- Benefits will improve, including players finally having vision insurance.
- Marijuana tests will no longer trigger a suspension
The sticking points for the players? Perhaps the biggest is having a $250,000 cap on their respective paychecks for a 17th game. In some cases, that’s a massive reduction in salary, and a lower income for any player making less than $4.25 million per year. Frankly, the players are right to push for a prorated check. Hell, the owners aren’t making any less.
That said, there’s real momentum. And while labor talks are volatile and anything can happen, there’s reason to believe the NFL and its players will have a new deal before the new league year begins on March 18.
One last point … the franchise and transition tags. Currently, teams can exploit a loophole in the CBA, allowing them to use both tags this offseason. With a new deal the loophole goes away. Teams like the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Titans must scramble to sign their big-name free agents (think Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry and Shaq Barrett) or risk losing them on the open market.
3. Bears open up space, potentially eyeing QB options
On Friday, Chicago general manager released cornerback Prince Amukamara and receiver Taylor Gabriel. In a blink, the Bears’ cap space jumped from $16.5 million to $30 million. Magic.
While it’ll never admit it, the current regime understands its need for competition at quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky has been underwhelming in his three years. Another poor campaign, and changes may be upon Halas Hall.
The Bears may look at the Titans for a blueprint. Marcus Mariota was entering the final year of his pact when general manager Jon Robinson brought in Tannehill via trade. Tannehill sat for six weeks, Mariota faltered, the former entered and led Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game.
With its new-found cap room, Chicago has ample options. Andy Dalton is expected to become available and is scheduled to make $17.7 million. Dalton’s former coordinator with the Bengals, Bill Lazor, is now in the same post with the Bears. There’s also Teddy Bridgewater, Philip Rivers and potentially Cam Newton, who would be a fantastic fit in Matt Nagy’s offense.
Chicago took care of some expected bookkeeping with the aforementioned released. It also opened up a litany of possibilities.
4. Cap casualties are coming soon, and here are names to watch
An ugly part of the NFL offseason is coming. The cutting of quality players due to the cap.
We’ve already seen a few. The Washington Redskins parted with Josh Norman and Paul Richardson, while the Detroit Lions moved on from Damon Harrison. More are coming.
So who’s next? The Jaguars are the only team over the projected $200 million threshold, which could mean the end of Marcell Dareus in Duval County. His release would save Jacksonville $20 million. In Kansas City, it’s difficult seeing Sammy Watkins back with a $21 million cap hit. It’s either an extension or release there. Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins played well in New Orleans after signing there late last season, but represents $11.2 million off the books if cut.
Then there’s Cam Newton in Carolina. A few weeks ago, owner David Tepper wouldn’t fully commit to Newton without seeing him healthy. With a potential savings of $19.2 million if the Panthers go in another direction, the 2015 NFL MVP is facing the real possibility of a new home this season.
5. NFL should give ’22 Draft to Green Bay
On Saturday, reports emerged claiming the NFL had awarded its 2022 Draft to Green Bay. The team has since released a statement denying any decision has been made by the league.
While no conclusion has been reached, commissioner Roger Goodell should reward the small Wisconsin town. The NFL is a big-city business but it was born in the midwest among passion fanbases in less populated areas.
Green Bay doesn’t have a big downtown or a massive convention center. What it has is history, tradition, an iconic stadium and a bunch of larger NFL cities around it. People from Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit would make the trip, along with other football diehards looking to make the pilgrimage.
The logistics would be challenging, but putting the draft in Green Bay would be a wonderful gift to the locals who have kept Lambeau Field sold out for generations.
History lesson
The NFL’s playoff expansion plan to 14 teams is rankling many, but those people should take a quick… history lesson.
The league used to have two postseason participants squaring off in the title game. In the 1960s, the NFL added the Playoff Bowl, giving the second-best teams in each conference a consolation game to partake in.
By 1967, then-commissioner Pete Rozelle realigned the league into four divisions and the champions of each played in the playoffs. In 1970, the American Football League merged with the NFL, and eight teams — four per conference — were playoff-bound.
Come 1978, a fifth team was added to both the AFC and NFC brackets, creating a third round prior to the Super Bowl. Then, in 1990, we gained the most-recent format with a sixth team in each conference.
The notion of the playoffs being cheapened is overblown. Since realignment in 2002, not a single below-.500 team would have been either the AFC or NFC seventh seed. In fact, a majority of the teams would have had winning records, including the 2008 New England Patriots, who missed the postseason at 11-5.
It’s new, and change is both awkward and hard, but all this means is two more playoff games and an increased race for the top seed. Tough to argue with either.
Parting shot
The Bengals, Dolphins and Chargers are continuously being given quarterbacks in mock drafts.
Beware the Las Vegas Raiders.
Moving to a new city, owner Mark Davis will want a prominent face to plaster across billboards. Additionally, head coach Jon Gruden has been lukewarm on Derek Carr since coming to the Raiders two years ago, and was intrigued by Kyler Murray last year during the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Armed with two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 19), it’s the perfect time for general manager Mike Mayock to contemplate a big move. Going over Jimmy Johnson’s famed value chart, Las Vegas could package those selections and move up to fourth-overall if the New York Giants prove to be willing partners.
Should the Miami and Los Angeles be holding pat at fifth and sixth with the Giants on the clock, the Raiders would conceivably have their pick of Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert by leapfrogging them.
It’s the draft, and everything is fluid, but don’t be surprised if the Raiders aim to make a play.