2020 NFL Off-Season: June Thoughts

Anyone else starting to feel a little worried?

It’s hard to see what’s been going on with the other professional sports leagues in this country and not start to have doubts about whether or not we’ll have football in the fall.

Is it safe to play? Is it even the right time to play? Some tough questions are being asked and there’s no clear answer. And that’s just with the NBA. Don’t get me started on baseball.

On Wednesday, news broke that the league and the players union were nearing an agreement to play the regular season with expanded playoffs. Then they weren’t. Then they were close again. Then Ken Rosenthal got involved. Then Commissioner Rob Manfred said he had spoken to MLBPA chief Tony Clark.

At this point, I’m sick of it. I hope there isn’t a baseball season.

Anyway, as far as the NFL goes, things are still full steam ahead. For now. Who knows what will change between now and the start of training camps.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

WE NEED A HOME FOR KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played since the 2016 NFL season. And aside from the bizarre workout the league planned for Kap that never took place — but did several miles away at a school — many people had started to forget about him.

No longer. With the death of George Floyd and the rise of protests for racial justice across the nation, people have pointed out that Colin was doing the right thing when he took a knee during the national anthem. Roger Goodell admitted the league mishandled the issue of player protests and now, people are pointing to the next logical step (among many).

Colin Kaepernick should be back in the league. But where? Which team should sign him? Let’s break it down.

Rams

No, I haven’t forgotten that the team paid Jared Goff a buttload of money last year. They’re pot committed with him. However, if Kaepernick wants a place where he can work his way back into playing condition while learning under a creative mind like head coach Sean McVay, the Rams check the boxes. The only issue? He would have to sign a team-friendly deal and it’s unknown if he would be willing to do that.

Jaguars

Jacksonville is the most logical landing spot. I enjoy Gardner Minshew. Most people do, too. However, behind him are the likes of Mike Glennon and Josh Dobbs. Kaepernick would fit in just fine here and would have a great chance of at least earning the No. 2 job.

Redskins

Dwayne Haskins did some nice things toward the end of last season when he got some playing time, but he’s far from a finished product and it’s still not a given that he will succeed as a starter. Now, it’s true that Kyle Allen is also in town and he played for new head coach Ron Rivera in Carolina in 2019. However, we saw what Allen had to offer and it was average. Kaepernick could have a shot at playing time at some point in Washington. The problem is, would he want to play for an organization with an offensive name?

Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger will presumably be healthy and ready to play once the regular season begins. Once you get past the big man, there’s a whole bowl of average soup on the roster. Mason Rudolph? Meh. Devlin Hodges? Pass. J.T. Barrett? No thanks. Kaepernick could benefit from being with a players’ coach like Mike Tomlin and from being a part of a strong organization like the Steelers.

Chargers

Wednesday provided ESPN with a few minutes of excitement when word got out that head coach Anthony Lynn said he wanted to bring Colin in for a workout. Alas, the story had to be cleared up. Lynn didn’t actually say that. He said that if everything didn’t work out with the three quarterbacks he already has on the roster (Justin Herbert, Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick), then Kaepernick would definitely be on his workout list. Great. That’s not sexy at all. I have a suggestion: Why not dump Easton Stick, whose name sounds like a type of baseball bat, and just go with a man who has already taken a team to the Super Bowl? Makes sense, right?

Chiefs

You might have heard Fox Sports personality Nick Wright suggest the defending world champions as a solid place for Kaepernick. And he has a point. While there’s no chance Kap would unseat Patrick Mahomes as a starter, the current backup in Kansas City is Chad Henne. Plus, here’s some interesting stats: By the time the 2020 season presumably starts, Henne will have thrown 5 passes in the previous 2,181 days. Kaepernick will have thrown 959. Numbers never lie.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Wait, what? I’ve done a double-take before. Several times, actually. However, it’s rare for me to do a triple-take. And yet, that’s what happened when I saw that headline on Wednesday that said President Trump would “absolutely” support Colin Kaepernick’s NFL return. Huh. Look, I don’t see the point in being the 14,752nd person in the media to bash the president. It’s easy and requires no courage to do so these days. So, I’m going to take him at his word here. If he’s being real, then fair play to the prez.

Nothing positive: Several players have recently tested positive for COVID-19, including Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Man, we haven’t even reached training camp. What’s going to happen when everyone is in close proximity to each other? Will there be a rash of infections during the first week? Ravens head coach isn’t exactly inspiring confidence when he said the NFL’s reopening protocols are “humanly impossible.” Ugh.

Good luck: The Browns new passing game coordinator is a fine gentleman named Chad O’Shea. And he’s confident that Cleveland’s offense can keep both wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. happy this season. “We’re going to try to put the team first and put winning first. I think they’ll embrace that.” Forgive me if I have my doubts, but like Trump, I’m going to take him at his word.

Good news: I’m old enough to remember Dexter Manley when he was a sack specialist for the Redskins. He’s 61-years-old now, but he did something special: He recovered from COVID-19. Whew, that’s a relief. Good job, sir!

Feel for kneel: Baker Mayfield said he plans on kneeling during the national anthem in the fall. So does J.J. Watt. Kyler Murray does, too. People who have a problem with that need to make their peace with it. The protests aren’t going away.

If you say so: Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said QB Mitch Trubisky still has “got a lot of good football ahead of him.” Just not in Chicago, we presume. The team didn’t bring in Nick Foles during the offseason for nothing.

Good move: Team after team have made Juneteenth a holiday. And not just for players. All team employees will be off work to mark the end of slavery in the U.S. Kudos!