2020 NFL: Off-season Updates

We’ve all done things we’d rather not revisit. That’s a fair statement to make. If you’re an adult, you can look back to at least a handful of memories that make you cringe. I have at least two handfuls.

This is one of the benefits of not being famous. Unfamous, if you will. Our moments of shame most likely won’t be a part of the public record. At least mine won’t. I grew up in the pre-social media era. Thank the lord.

Which brings us to Myles Garrett. The Cleveland Browns defensive end had arguably his life’s worst moment — at least that we know about — on national television. The football viewing audience on that Thursday night last year saw Garrett, while in a tussle with the Steelers’ Mason Rudolph, rip the quarterback’s helmet off and hit him in the head with it.

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

The reaction was instantaneous. And not kind. The friendliest calls were for a lengthy suspension. The ones at the extreme thought he should be banned for life, or possibly charged with a crime. Even I got into the act. While I didn’t call for a suspension, I retweeted someone who said that Rudolph was lucky that he wasn’t seriously hurt or even killed.

The league acted fast and suspended Garrett indefinitely. He didn’t play another game for the Browns in 2019. But things calmed down. And the histrionic calls for an end to his career began to fade away. Shortly after the Super Bowl, the NFL reinstated Garrett.

“We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms,” Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said in a statement released at the time.

That should come as no surprise. After all, Garrett was in the top five in the league in sacks when he was suspended and is barely scratching the surface of his considerable talent. Jump cut to Tuesday and Garrett is now swimming in cash. The team signed him to a 5-year, $125 million extension. Wow.

Some people might be upset by this. That’s understandable. The last time they laid eyes on him, he was swinging a helmet like a battle ax. Maybe the Browns throwing massive amounts of money sends the wrong message to the nation. I mean, when will someone PLEASE think about the children?!

Come on, stop it. Garrett served a suspension and the league reinstated him after he met with Commissioner Roger Goodell. Good ole Rog must have liked what he heard in that meeting because had no problem letting him play football again. That’s good enough for me.

But, will he act out again? Well, let’s hear it from Garrett himself.

“I’m going to keep playing my game and not worry about what people are going to say and do,” he told Cleveland.com. “I’ll walk away if people come after me.”

That sounds promising, right?

“It won’t happen again,” Garrett added. “Now I’m prepared.”

That’s all we should need to hear. We all witnessed the man at his low point. He’s still young, hopefully he’s learned his lesson and it appears that he’s ready to move forward. Let’s give him a chance to redeem himself.

By the way, if the Browns hadn’t paid him, somebody else would have.

WHAT’S UP WITH DAK?

Nothing, that’s what. It seems clear that Dak Prescott is betting on himself, which is admirable. However, what’s amazing is the fact that Prescott has made just shy of $5 million over four years in the NFL. That’s despite finishing in the top five in Total QBR in three of those seasons.

So yeah, maybe it’s a shame that he doesn’t have a long-term deal in Dallas yet. But there’s no doubt he must be somewhat happy to be earning $31 million under the franchise tag in 2020. What’s more, if Prescott can take this loaded roster on at least a deep playoff run or possibly reach a Super Bowl, his price tag will go through the roof.

Remember, Patrick Mahomes just landed a half a billion dollars from the Chiefs. And while it’s not fair to compare the two quarterbacks because Mahomes is clearly a better option, there’s no reason to believe that Prescott can’t land half of Mahomes’ money with a solid 2020 season. That will make the supposed $100 million in guaranteed cash that the Cowboys recently offered look like tip money.

NICE, BUT NOT WISE?

Running backs used to be the NFL’s glamor position. I remember watching football in the 1980s (yes, I’m old, shaddup) and the likes of Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton and Marcus Allen were the show. Back in my day, people didn’t throw the ball 65 times a game. Three wide receiver sets were for the truly brazen, for offenses with Dan Marino and John Elway at quarterback. And we mocked them because they would never win Super Bowls (I know, Elway eventually did). Those were simpler times.

Nowadays, being a running back is a hellscape. They’re taken for granted, used up for their natural resources and then cast aside like the scrapings off a dinner plate. People who pay running backs big money are often viewed as simple-minded fools. Remember the Rams making Todd Gurley the NFL’s highest-paid running back? Seemed like a nice idea until he got hurt a few games into 2018 and was never the same. The team released him this offseason and he ended up signing with the Falcons on a one-year, $5.5 million deal.

But the Titans thought differently. They just gave Derrick Henry, who is the definition of a workhorse running back, a four-year, $50 million deal with $25.5 million guaranteed. It was a surprise as the team had placed the franchise tag on him and most expected he would play out the season under it.

And it’s still a bit of a bargain. Henry won the rushing title last season with 1,540 yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry, also tops in the league. And he’s still relatively fresh, as he split carries over his first two NFL seasons. He’s undoubtedly the focal point of an old-school Titans offense. And yet, with his deal, Henry will be just the fifth-highest paid running back. That’s not bad at all.

It’s hard not to be worried about his running style, as he seems to seek contact, but it’s easy to imagine Tennessee will get at least two solid seasons of work out of him. That’s good enough for what they’re paying him.

WILL THERE ACTUALLY BE A SEASON?

My belief in the reality of the 2020 NFL season is a roller coaster. I’m going up, down and flipped upside down. If you asked me this question two weeks ago, I would have felt pretty good. But things have changed drastically.

The coronavirus is spiking. California is on the brink of going back to a restrictive quarantine. Florida is in a lot of trouble. Several other states can say the same. NFL owners are scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss a myriad of topics. One wonders if delaying the start of training camps or the regular season will come up.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Something big: The Washington team has moved away from the name “Redskins.” That is a good thing that has been long overdue. But there is potential drama on the horizon. Rumbles in the media say The Washington Post is about to unveil a big story focused on the team’s culture. The team is trying to get ahead of it by hiring an outside attorney to “review the organization’s protocols,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Will owner Dan Snyder survive this?

Deal is made: The league and the players union have reached an agreement that any player who tests positive for the coronavirus will be placed on the IR for three weeks. The players will be paid their full salaries during the time they are out. The move will also free open a roster spot for a player that isn’t infected. That sounds about right.

K.C.’s best: The Chiefs don’t just have their quarterback locked down for the foreseeable future, they were also able to pay star defensive tackle Chris Jones $85 million on a four-year deal. This team isn’t going anywhere. One wonders, however, in this current climate will a team name change be coming down the pike?

I did it: This has nothing to do with football, but I just wanted to share that I got tested for the coronavirus. It came out negative. I didn’t have any symptoms, but I had gone camping recently and just thought it would be good to find out, just in case. Anyway, carry on …

Sorry, peeps: The league announced that fans will not be allowed at training camps this year. Man, 2020 has been a bummer. I think it’s amazing that some teams are talking about allowing a reduced number of fans in stadiums for games in the fall. But that’s another story for another time.