NFL 2022 - Off-Season Player News and Updates

[Exe Gesis]

Chiefs sign former Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette to reserve/futures contract​

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 20, 2022, 4:55 PM EST

The Chiefs will take a look at former Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette.

Arnette, a cornerback who went to the Raiders with the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, was a huge disappointment and was released in November of 2021 after a video surfaced of him displaying a gun and making threats. But the Chiefs decided to give Arnette a chance by signing him to a reserve/futures contract today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Unlike standard contracts, reserve/futures contracts don’t put players on the active roster, so Arnette won’t be playing for the Chiefs during the postseason.

Instead, the reserve/futures contract means he will be on the Chiefs’ 90-player offseason roster.
Arnette has talent and may prove to be able to put his problems behind him and contribute in the NFL. The Chiefs think he’s worth giving a chance, in a low-risk move.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Antonio Brown: “There’s nothing wrong with my mental health”​

Posted by Mike Florio on January 20, 2022, 9:50 AM EST

In the aftermath of Antonio Brown‘s in-game exit from the Buccaneers, the organization (including quarterback Tom Brady, repeatedly) suggested that Brown was experiencing a mental-health challenge. Appearing on the new episode of the I Am Athlete podcast, which debuts Monday, Brown insists that he has no such issues.

“Why every time something happens bad, or how someone reacts, ‘Aw, he’s crazy, there’s something wrong with his mental health,'” Brown says in the episode, via TMZ.com.

“There’s nothing wrong with my mental health. Someone told me to get the f–k out of here. I’m not passive-aggressive.”

Brown emphasizes during the interview his contention that coach Bruce Arians tried to get Brown to play when he didn’t believe he physically could, and that Arians then kicked Brown off the team on the spot.

“An NFL Super Bowl team coach told a guy on the team who’s playing hurt ‘get the f–k out of here,'” Brown said.

Brown’s claims take on a different vibe in the aftermath of Sunday’s interaction between coach Bruce Arians and safety Andrew Adams, which resulted in a $50,000 fine.

Still, Brown’s decision to keep talking about the end of his time in Tampa won’t make it any easier for him to get another NFL job.

Yes, talent always finds a way. That said, no coach will want to be the next one to be the target of Brown’s complaint once it inevitably ends.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Louisiana woman accused of defrauding retired NFL players’ healthcare fund​

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on January 21, 2022, 12:21 AM EST

Toni Charles, a Louisiana woman who had a child with former NFL defensive lineman Norman Hand, has been accused of defrauding a healthcare fund for retired NFL players and their dependents.

According to the Associated Press, Charles is accused of submitting false claims to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Reimbursement Account Plan on behalf of Hand’s son to the tune of nearly $60,000.

Charles was arrested on charges of theft of more than $25,000 and forgery. The Upshaw fund allegedly reimbursed Charles for false claims submitted on behalf of their son in 2018.

Hand played 10 years in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. He died at the age of 37 in 2010 due to heart disease.

Former Saints receiver Joe Horn, who played with Hand in New Orleans, pleaded guilty to defrauding the same fund in 2019.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Trench Notebook: 25 takeaways & observations from line play in 2021​

Brandon Thorn 4 hr ago

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/javascript:void(0)

Now that the 2021 regular season is in the books, I’ve compiled some of my notes from studying film of the offensive line to bring you 25 takeaways on players, teams, the upcoming crop of O-line prospects in the draft, and other observations on the state of line play as we approach the off-season.

1. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams should have been an unanimous selection for First-Team All-Pro on the offensive line this season after the show he put on week in and week out. Williams started 15 of 17 games in his 11th season and is operating at the peak of his powers inside a scheme tailor-made to feature his gifts. GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have built a team around a collection of unique, impact players, and Williams is the alpha of the group.
2. The Jaguars had more continuity than any team in the NFL along their offensive line entering the 2021 season, with all five starters and their OL coach returning for the third year in a row, but they were a below average unit at best. Part of that was due to injuries (24 missed games between three starters), but Jacksonville hasn’t developed their ultra-talented tackle duo of Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor into more consistent players either. This led to drafting 2020 third-round pick Walker Little. With Robinson slated to hit free agency this off-season, Little will have a chance to compete for a job in 2022. The Jaguars also have both starting guards entering unrestricted free agency. Luckily, Jacksonville has the first overall pick and a big three at tackle in Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, and Charles Cross to consider adding via the draft. (Right guard A.J. Cann would be my pick if there was one player to re-sign out of Cann, Robinson, or Andrew Norwell).
   
   Jacksonville is an interesting study in how continuity can be a bit overstated for quality line play while having a tremendous amount of pressure to revamp and improve what’s in front of a top overall pick at quarterback to ensure the value of playing on his rookie deal is maximized. I would strongly consider drafting at least two linemen (one tackle and one guard) while signing at least one starter-level player in free agency to help speed up the process. Time is ticking for the Jaguars to get their line to play at an average or above-average level starting in 2022.
3. Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater were the first two tackles selected in the 2021 draft. While Sewell had a good season, Slater played at an All-Pro level. This can lead to a lot of observers tabbing the Chargers getting more value than the Lions out of the two picks, which is true after year one, but patience and time will determine the true winner. Sewell is a year and a half younger than Slater and had to move from right to left and back to right tackle in 2021, while Slater had the luxury of settling in one spot right away. Both players look like decade long starters. Slater was better as a rookie, but the overall ‘winner’ will need to be reassessed over the next couple of seasons. How will Sewell look early in 2023 when he is close to the same age as Slater is now? Based on my evaluations of Sewell and Slater coming out of college, it’s reasonable to expect Sewell being further away from reaching his ceiling than Slater. Fully refining the technical areas of his game is by no means a guarantee for Sewell but monitoring and contrasting these two alongside one another to see how they develop will be one of the more interesting and revealing storylines for me over the next couple of seasons.
4. The 2022 free agent crop of offensive linemen looks strong right now, with a pretty clear top group of impact starters consisting of Terron Armstead, Brandon Scherff, Ryan Jensen, Duane Brown, Trent Brown, and Ben Jones. This isn’t a young group of names either. They’re likely short-term fixes for a line, but they are all still playing at a high level with at least one to two seasons of above average or better play left in the tank.
5. The Bucs interior trio of Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa have been together for three seasons with seven combined missed games between them over that span. They are arguably the best interior grouping in the NFL right now. The coolest part? None of them went to a Division I school. No other team can say the same over at least the last 7-8 years that I’m aware of, which is a nod to the Bucs front office’s ability to identify hidden talent along the line.
6. It was painful to watch the Bears offense this season despite serviceable years from Jason Peters and Cody Whitehair on the left side. The entire offense continually looked disjointed, with players taking turns missing assignments, culminating in the 26th overall offense in DVOA. I recently spoke with Bears legend Olin Kreutz about the line on The No Name Football Podcast. With three starters slated to hit free agency (Peters, center Sam Mustipher, and right guard James Daniels), the team is in position for a hard reset up front. I would consider moving rookie tackle Teven Jenkins back over to his most comfortable position at right tackle while working fellow rookie Larry Borom in either at right guard or having him backup the entire right side (guard and tackle). This would leave left tackle and center open with another potential starter needed at right guard.
   
   With the 12th most projected cap space this off-season, Chicago should be in position to make competitive offers to the likes of Terron Armstead and/or Ryan Jensen, which, along with spending at least one draft pick on the position, could transform the line and offense as a whole. This is a team desperately in need of a new approach on offense, and they are in position to retool the trenches quickly with a few key additions.
7. The Chiefs successful transformation of their offensive line this season came after replacing all five starters and represents an interesting case study for how to approach building the position. Conventional wisdom says that continuity on the offensive line is extremely valuable, which on a general level is usually true, but quality of players matters most, along with the level of coaching and system they’re operating in.
   
   The Chiefs are the latest example of this house cleaning approach to building the line working out. Having an excellent offensive line coach in Andy Heck, with an elite quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, and an OL-friendly scheme under Andy Reid are all key ingredients for such dramatic turnover working out smoothly. Credit should also go to the personnel department for shrewdly using a combination of the trade market (Orlando Brown Jr.), free agency (Joe Thuney), and the draft (Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith) to execute their plan.
   
   Another similar blueprint was utilized when the Bills retooled their line prior to the 2019 season. Buffalo added four new starters that off-season largely through free agency but also used the draft (Cody Ford in the second round) and added a new line coach in Bobby Johnson. They instantly improved and have maintained a solid to good level of play since.
   
   Kansas City and Buffalo each have elite level quarterbacks with forward-thinking systems and quality line coaches, so they were able to go about building their line using unorthodox approaches. It’s important to remember that while continuity can be an asset for the line to function at a high level due to the amount of direct and indirect communication needed for five guys to operate as one, wholesale changes with the right infrastructure around the line can also be a viable team-building strategy.

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[drd23]

 

[Exe Gesis]

Aaron Rodgers: I’ll “take some time” but then make a decision before free agency​

Posted by Mike Florio on January 23, 2022, 12:12 AM EST

The clock is ticking on Aaron Rodgers‘s next move, sooner than he expected.

Following Saturday night’s upset loss at home to the 49ers, Rodgers said he’s going to figure things out, and that he’ll make a decision before free agency begins.

“I’m gonna take some time and have conversations with the folks around here,” Rodgers told reporters after the game. “And take some time away and make a decision . . . It’s fresh right now. It’s a little shocking for sure.”

He added that he thought he’d have more time to being the process of contemplating his future, and that he’s “a little numb” that things ended so quickly. He plans to talk to G.M.Brian Gutekunst within the next week.

Will how the last three seasons ended factor in the decision-making process? “I mean of course it does,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers also made it clear that he doesn’t want to be “part of a rebuild” in the event the team decides not to keep some of the key players who are due to become free agents.

Rodgers created the impression that his decision will be to stay or retire. Would he play for another team?

“It’s tough to say at this point,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think it’s fair to anybody or myself to really go down those paths at this point.”

At some point soon, those paths will become relevant. Rodgers will win the MVP award for the fourth time in his career, and for the second straight year. If he wants to play but not for the Packers, he’ll need to identify a new football home.

 

[drd23]

GG putting Aaron Rodgers news in the off-season thread 2 hours after he loses a play-off game is cold

 

[aussiedude]

This kind of stuff always happens. Like if the Rams rip apart the Bucs tomorrow there will be think pieces on "will Brady retire"

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Rodgers wanting to take his time is the biggest no surprise ever.

 

[aussiedude]

if Mahomes looks poor again tomorrow it will be can KC win paying so much at QB.
and the Bills only won because Allen is still on his rookie deal or if they lose, the Bills need to go all in for 22 before his new money kicks in on the deal he signed this season to get over the final hurdle

 

[aussiedude]

Rodgers wanting to take his time is the biggest no surprise ever.

Depends if you trust him at his word. Because he has said it all season. He will take some time after the season but make a decision before March.

But he might want to make the team squirm and go the Favre road and drag it out till camp again.

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[Exe Gesis]

Report: Tom Brady “remains noncommittal” to playing in 2022​

Posted by Mike Florio on January 23, 2022, 8:56 AM EST


Consider Bruce Arians potentially shocked.

The smoke regarding a potential Tom Brady retirement after the 2021 season is building, even though he previously had said — on multiple occasions — that he’ll play through 2022, the year in which he turns 45, and then decide what to do after that.

Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington of ESPN report that sources with the Buccaneers and sources close to Brady “all recognize” that Brady “remains noncommittal” to playing beyond this season. Schefter and Darlington call Brady playing in 2022 “currently far from a given.”

The possibility of Brady leaving, per the report, has “quietly come up” within the Buccaneers’ organization “for weeks now,”with “internal uncertainty” about what the future holds.

The outcome to the current playoff run will be a factor, per the report. If the Bucs win another Super Bowl, Brady becomes more likely to call it quits.
The team’s head coach said Friday that he’d be “shocked” if Brady retires. That could be wishful thinking, if the reporting about the feelings within the team is accurate.

It’s shocking that it’s gotten to this point. The phrase “remains noncommittal” implies that he became noncommittal at some point. When did that happen?
In late September, Brady said he’s definitely playing through 2022, with questions about his future arising in 2023. “Maybe it’s another year after [2022]; maybe it’s two,” Brady said. “I’ll have to see where I’m at with my family. That’s probably the overriding factor — what I’m missing out on.”
Earlier that month, Brady said he wanted to play for the Buccaneers for a long time. “Hopefully, I’ll be here a long time,” Brady said at the time. “For many years.”

Before the season, Brady made it crystal clear that he’ll play through 2022.

“I felt for a long time I could play until I was 45 years old,” Brady said during a SiriusXM town hall. “This year, I’ll be 44. Which naturally takes me to next year, and I’ve got a two-year contract. We’ll see what happens beyond that.”

So how does Brady go from being so certain about playing through 2022 as recently as late September to thinking seriously about retiring? Maybe it’s a family issue; as recently mentioned, no NFL player has missed so much of his family’s life cycle, because no one has been all-in for football so deep into his life. It could be physical. Even though he doesn’t look 44, he quite possibly feels every bit of it — especially after a 17-game regular season (which he opposed) and a playoff game.

He may have been lying to the media about playing through 2022 (he said in June that 90 percent of the things he says publicly aren’t true), in order to avoid a full season of “will he or won’t he?” chatter, along with what could have become a potential farewell tour. Finally, it could be some sort of motivational tactic, aimed at getting everyone in the organization fully focused on capping what could be Tom Brady’s last ride with a Super Bowl win.
Surely, he wants to leave on top if he can. It would be the perfect ending to a perfect career. Actually, it could be the only ending that allows his career to be regarded as truly “perfect.”

However it plays out, something that wasn’t even on the radar screen a week ago is now smack dab in the middle of it, beeping loudly

 

[Exe Gesis]

ESPN’s Mike Wells doesn’t expect the Colts to re-sign LT Eric Fisher.​

Signed to a one-year, $8 million contract last offseason, Fisher returned from a January torn Achilles to start 15-of-17 games for the Colts. His pass protection dropped off while playing injured, allowing seven sacks and struggling throughout the season. Re-signing Mark Glowinski and extending Quenton Nelson are considered priorities over keeping Fisher. The Colts don’t have a first-round pick or in-house replacement at left tackle if they let Fisher walk.
SOURCE: ESPN
Jan 23, 2022, 12:10 PM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Steelers plan to place an original-round tender on restricted free agent QB Dwayne Haskins.​

The first-round tender would count $2.5 million against the salary cap. It's an expected move with Ben Roethlisberger retiring and confirms that Haskins showed enough as the third-string quarterback to return for another season. The Steelers have talked up Haskins and Mason Rudolph as potential Roethlisberger replacements, but it would be surprising if Haskins was more than a backup in 2022.
SOURCE: ESPN
Jan 23, 2022, 11:25 AM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

Patriots FS Devin McCourty could retire this offseason.​

McCourty, 34, has spent the last 12 seasons with the Patriots. There were no signs of a dropoff last year, with McCourty playing in all 17 games and finishing with his most pass breakups (10) since 2012. An unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year extension in 2020, McCourty is likely to return with Patriots if he doesn’t retire.
SOURCE: WEEI
Jan 23, 2022, 10:06 AM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

Browns TE David Njoku has “expressed interest” in re-signing with the team.​

Njoku rebounded from a down 2020, starting 11 games and posting a career high 13.2 YPR and 68% catch rate. His 475 receiving yards were the third highest on the team behind Donovan Peoples-Jones (597) and Jarvis Landry (570). The Browns have a crowded tight end room with Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant under contract, but can get out of Hooper’s deal, who has no guaranteed money left, if they bring back Njoku.
SOURCE: ESPN
Jan 23, 2022, 11:07 AM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports "it is possible" Tom Brady retires at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.​

"According to a source close to Brady, the public chatter about Brady's potential retirement at age 44 is, at least, an issue to be concerned about and paid attention to," were the words of Rapoport's report. "And no one has swatted it down." Rapsheet's article comes the same week that some of Brady's former teammates have actually begun to float the possibility this could be the end. Coach Bruce Arians has said he would be "shocked" if Brady hangs it up, though OC Byron Leftwich was more circumspect. PFT's Mike Florio reports that Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, has "wanted him to stop playing since Super Bowl LI." That was in 2017. It goes without saying that Brady is still playing at the highest level, but that he has also proven everything there is to prove. We suppose he might actually walk away, but Brady still ultimately seems like someone who will have to be dragged off the field.
SOURCE: NFL.com
Jan 23, 2022, 10:01 AM ET

 

[Exe Gesis]

Texans OL Justin Britt said he wants to re-sign with the team this offseason.​

Britt was limited to 11 games in his first year with Houston, missing five games on IR. The longtime Seattle starter battled through a lingering knee injury for most of 2021 and also spent time on the COVID list. 30-year-old Britt played last season on a one-year, $5 million contract and will need to prove he’s healthy to return under a new coaching staff.
SOURCE: SportsTalk 790
Jan 23, 2022, 9:36 AM ET

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports "it is possible" Tom Brady retires at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.​

"According to a source close to Brady, the public chatter about Brady's potential retirement at age 44 is, at least, an issue to be concerned about and paid attention to," were the words of Rapoport's report. "And no one has swatted it down." Rapsheet's article comes the same week that some of Brady's former teammates have actually begun to float the possibility this could be the end. Coach Bruce Arians has said he would be "shocked" if Brady hangs it up, though OC Byron Leftwich was more circumspect. PFT's Mike Florio reports that Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, has "wanted him to stop playing since Super Bowl LI." That was in 2017. It goes without saying that Brady is still playing at the highest level, but that he has also proven everything there is to prove. We suppose he might actually walk away, but Brady still ultimately seems like someone who will have to be dragged off the field.
SOURCE: NFL.com
Jan 23, 2022, 10:01 AM ET

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

More like Tom trying to motivate his team. "Do it for me guys! This could be my last chance! "

 

[J Shuttlesworth]