NFL Thread 2019-2020

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Ah. That's my bad. I read his tweet and he had quoted AR.

Yeah I looked into that later.  I've heard a bunch about the Martellus Bennett in Green Bay issue so I don't really know what to say.  It was probably just a bad fit from the get go.

[Pakuni]

Is Jake Fromm elite?

[Jockey]

Is Jake Fromm elite?

At what?

[GB Warrior]

Is Jake Fromm elite?

It struck me as odd that he only apologized the for that term.

[MU82]

It will be fascinating to watch, that is for sure.

I have to agree with Pak on this. I think there will be protests, and hopefully lots of white players will join their black brothers in taking part. But actual boycotts? That would only work if a large number of superstars, both white and black, led one. For example, Brady, Donald, Mahomes, Rodgers, Mack and Watt led several hundred other NFL players in threatening to sit out unless such-and-such took place. Can’t see that happening, though.

[MU82]

Panthers owner David Tepper is not trying to quash his players' activism. In fact, the opposite is true.

https://theathletic.com/1856015/2020/06/04/panthers-owner-to-players-keep-this-movement-going-after-the-hype-dies-down/?source=dailyemail

It's behind a paywall, but I'll share a snippet ...

After marching through a couple of upscale Charlotte neighborhoods Monday evening, Panthers linebacker Andre Smith received a call from the team’s owner.

Were this a few years ago and Jerry Richardson had been on the other end of the line, it likely would have been a different conversation.

But Smith, the third-year player from UNC, said he was emboldened by the message he received from David Tepper, who bought the team from Richardson in 2018.

“After we were out at the protest on Monday, David Tepper called me and just telling me how much he supports us and wants us to stay safe, and how important it was for us to keep this movement going even after all of the hype dies down. I really appreciate it,” Smith said Thursday during a Zoom call with Charlotte media.

“The team owner calling me is pretty cool. But (also) an appreciation for his understanding and knowing that it is a tough time,” Smith added. “And coach (Matt) Rhule did a great job, as well. He gave us the freedom. He said (speak) however you feel. Protest peacefully, be safe. So as far as the staff goes, I couldn’t be any more thankful for how they’ve handled this.”

Smith is one of five Panthers players who marched Monday in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died May 25 when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes.

Tepper willingly brought aboard Eric Reid when nobody else would, and then signed him to a nice contract. I'd be surprised if the Panthers didn't have a few players kneeling this season, and Tepper won't be cowed by the emperor like Richardson was.

[Uncle Rico]

NFL admits they were wrong about not supporting player protests.  This is a monumental moment

[wadesworld]

NFL admits they were wrong about not supporting player protests.  This is a monumental moment

Could be. Or it could be empty words because there’s no other option right now. What will tell us if it’s monumental is how they actually act to make a change in the world, as they actually have that platform.

Now my question becomes...since the NFL will seemingly stand by their players if they protest similarly, do we get another big dollar trip by the Vice President of the United States to show up to a game just to walk out in protest of the peaceful protest?

[Hards Alumni]

Could be. Or it could be empty words because there’s no other option right now. What will tell us if it’s monumental is how they actually act to make a change in the world, as they actually have that platform.

Now my question becomes...since the NFL will seemingly stand by their players if they protest similarly, do we get another big dollar trip by the Vice President of the United States to show up to a game just to walk out in protest of the peaceful protest?

#wordsarewind

[Uncle Rico]

Could be. Or it could be empty words because there’s no other option right now. What will tell us if it’s monumental is how they actually act to make a change in the world, as they actually have that platform.

Now my question becomes...since the NFL will seemingly stand by their players if they protest similarly, do we get another big dollar trip by the Vice President of the United States to show up to a game just to walk out in protest of the peaceful protest?

I understand the doubt, I do.  I’ve been highly critical of the league. 

They could have sat this out.  They pretty much just crushed the union again.  They have the president standing  with the non-kneelers after he says he is ok with non-violent protests.

The league is 75% African-American and they have a hiring problem when it comes to minorities. 

Instead, the league rallied around its players and admitted they were wrong.  I believe the league believes this and wants to make right.  They have to poor no further than the NBA to understand their labor force. 

Will their be owners reticent of player protests?  Absolutely, but the days of quelling it are over.  I truly believe this and as the number one sporting entertainment entity in our nation, they can certainly press their thumb to make positive changes.  Should they choose this, like Nike, they’ll win in the end.

[MU82]

Just saw Goodell read his statement in which “we encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

In other words, whatever peaceful form of protest players want to take, the league not only will be fine with it but also will support it, no matter what any politician says.

Should be interesting.

[Pakuni]

Drew Brees has had an interesting few days.

[MU82]

Drew Brees has had an interesting few days.

Well, one thing we know for certain: Trump does not mind it at all when athletes kneel during the anthem because he just went on national TV a couple days ago and said he is "an ally of all peaceful protesters."

His exact words, and if there's one thing he has proven over and over and over again: He is a man of his word!

[Silkk the Shaka]

I understand the doubt, I do.  I’ve been highly critical of the league. 

They could have sat this out.  They pretty much just crushed the union again.  They have the president standing  with the non-kneelers after he says he is ok with non-violent protests.

The league is 75% African-American and they have a hiring problem when it comes to minorities. 

Instead, the league rallied around its players and admitted they were wrong.  I believe the league believes this and wants to make right.  They have to poor no further than the NBA to understand their labor force. 

Will their be owners reticent of player protests?  Absolutely, but the days of quelling it are over.  I truly believe this and as the number one sporting entertainment entity in our nation, they can certainly press their thumb to make positive changes.  Should they choose this, like Nike, they’ll win in the end.

I honestly believe burning down precinct 3 in MPLS shocked power to its core. They aren't acting out of altruism, but out of fear. Goodell is scared that if he & the owners try to pull the same sh*t as last time, his HQ would be up in flames.

There's more of us than there are of them, and they're starting to realize it.

[JWags85]

Drew Brees has had an interesting few days.

Brees’ wife put out a beautiful and profound statement that was spot on.  It likely can’t undo a lot of the short term damage done, but it was absolutely everything Brees should have said in his initial apology

[MU82]

The Panthers pulled the plug on their long-standing relationship with home-security company CPI after the company's CEO put his foot in his race-baiting mouth. The Hornets, minor-league baseball Knights and several non-sports companies later joined the Panthers in dropping CPI.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article243346791.html?

This is democracy and capitalism at work.

The CEO absolutely had a right to say every word that he did. But he also got a reminder that what you say, especially when you are supposed to be a leader, has consequences.

Those who didn't like what he said took their wallets and went home. This will cost his company big buckaroos.

And it wasn't even worth it to get his thoughts out, because he immediately backtracked like a coward.

[MU82]

Hearing more and more people, in and out of the sports world, saying that for the NFL to "prove" it means what its leaders are saying about ending racial injustice, Colin Kaepernick has to be given his job back.

Obviously, it's not that easy.

I wish Kaepernick had not been shafted, and I do think he is good enough to be on an NFL roster. However ...

Let's completely take his activism history out of it, and let's say that a good but not great QB hadn't played a single down of football for 3 full seasons. missing the prime of his career. He turns 33 in November.

No NFL team would hand that QB a starting job, that's for sure. A backup job probably would be attainable purely on past performance and athletic ability, but even that isn't a simple situation.

It's a two-way street. What kind of guarantee would that QB want in terms of both money and shot at a starting job? Would he be willing to actually earn a job instead of having it handed to him? Would he be willing to take the kind of very-low-salary contract that most players in his situation would take?

For example, Joe Flacco -- the former Baltimore QB whose Ravens beat Kaepernick's 49ers in the 2013 Super Bowl -- just signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Denver and isn't guaranteed anything.

Now, add in that Kaepernick would suck the air out of the room no matter what team he would be on. Kind of like Tebow did, but for different reasons. Even if he was only a third-stringer, he'd be a main focus for the media; his coach and teammates would be asked about him constantly, no matter what else was going on. And that will be doubly true this season, when kneeling during the anthem will be commonplace.

It would take a special team and special coach to want to take that on.

It sucks that he's been railroaded out of the league. But it's not quite as simple as saying, "He should have a job."

I wish the Panthers would sign him. Progressive, outspoken owner who isn't cowed by presidential tweets and who proved it by signing Eric Reid, coach who supposedly is a great "people person," decent but not great QBing situation, frankly could use the attention having Kaepernick would bring. But I doubt very much it will happen, partly because the Panthers wouldn't want to bring in such a distraction with a brand-new coaching staff, and partly because Kaepernick probably wants more money than the Panthers have to give.

[tower912]

I have wanted the Lions to sign CK to back up Stafford for all 3 of those years.    CK wants a chance to start, however, and that isn't happening with Stafford.    And you are right about he would suck all of the air out of the room. 

[Hards Alumni]

Hearing more and more people, in and out of the sports world, saying that for the NFL to "prove" it means what its leaders are saying about ending racial injustice, Colin Kaepernick has to be given his job back.

Obviously, it's not that easy.

I wish Kaepernick had not been shafted, and I do think he is good enough to be on an NFL roster. However ...

Let's completely take his activism history out of it, and let's say that a good but not great QB hadn't played a single down of football for 3 full seasons. missing the prime of his career. He turns 33 in November.

No NFL team would hand that QB a starting job, that's for sure. A backup job probably would be attainable purely on past performance and athletic ability, but even that isn't a simple situation.

It's a two-way street. What kind of guarantee would that QB want in terms of both money and shot at a starting job? Would he be willing to actually earn a job instead of having it handed to him? Would he be willing to take the kind of very-low-salary contract that most players in his situation would take?

For example, Joe Flacco -- the former Baltimore QB whose Ravens beat Kaepernick's 49ers in the 2013 Super Bowl -- just signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Denver and isn't guaranteed anything.

Now, add in that Kaepernick would suck the air out of the room no matter what team he would be on. Kind of like Tebow did, but for different reasons. Even if he was only a third-stringer, he'd be a main focus for the media; his coach and teammates would be asked about him constantly, no matter what else was going on. And that will be doubly true this season, when kneeling during the anthem will be commonplace.

It would take a special team and special coach to want to take that on.

It sucks that he's been railroaded out of the league. But it's not quite as simple as saying, "He should have a job."

I wish the Panthers would sign him. Progressive, outspoken owner who isn't cowed by presidential tweets and who proved it by signing Eric Reid, coach who supposedly is a great "people person," decent but not great QBing situation, frankly could use the attention having Kaepernick would bring. But I doubt very much it will happen, partly because the Panthers wouldn't want to bring in such a distraction with a brand-new coaching staff, and partly because Kaepernick probably wants more money than the Panthers have to give.

CK could use a reparations package from the NFL as a whole.

[tower912]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/03/21/colin-kaepernick-settlement-amount-withdraws-collusion-case-eric-reid

He had a 7 figure one.   

[ZiggysFryBoy]

And he walked away from a guaranteed contract with the 49ers.

[tower912]

I supported CK kneeling long before it was cool.     And I believe, as did the court, that there was collusion to keep him out of the NFL.   He did receive a large settlement from them.   

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

And he walked away from a guaranteed contract with the 49ers.

They told him he was going to be cut with the new GM and coach wanting to bring in more of a traditional, drop back passer.  He opted out of his last year so he could enter free agency earlier and get a larger deal.  I don't believe any of it was guaranteed.

This is something that players do pretty regularly if they have player options.

https://www.businessinsider.com/colin-kaepernick-record-49ers-contract-2017-8

[MU82]

Most NFL contracts are not "guaranteed." They usually are front-loaded with a signing bonus, but then have little to no guarantees.

For example, McCaffrey becoming the "highest paid back in the NFL" sounds impressive. But he still has 2 years left on his current deal, his new one doesn't kick in until 2022, and he will be 30 by the time it ends. Heck, it's possible that he won't even play Year 2 of his new contract, let alone for the entirety of it.

So yeah ... Kaepernick declined his 2017 player option, but he was not guaranteed anything for that 2017 season anyway, and it appeared he would get cut to save salary cap and to rid the team of an "agitator."

As the Business Insider article said:

The contract gave Kaepernick a $12.3 million signing bonus and a 2014 salary of just $645,000. Those were the only truly guaranteed portions of the contract, despite reports that Kaepernick's deal included a record $61 million in "guaranteed" money. It turned out the $61 million was only guaranteed if he were to suffer a career-ending injury.

Each year of the contract after the first, the 49ers were free to cut Kaepernick and not owe him any more money.

That's SOP in the NFL. Anytime anybody reads about an NFL contract, eyebrows should be raised about what it actually pays the athlete.

Kaepernick was blackballed, plain and simple. Of course he "brought it on himself." It was his decision to lead a movement, one the NFL was not yet ready for, and he wasn't always a great spokesperson for that movement. But let's not pretend he wasn't blackballed because of it.

[JWags85]

Kaepernick was blackballed, plain and simple. Of course he "brought it on himself." It was his decision to lead a movement, one the NFL was not yet ready for, and he wasn't always a great spokesperson for that movement. But let's not pretend he wasn't blackballed because of it.

Bingo.  “NFL owners/the league conspired to keep Kaepernick out of a job” and “Kaepernick didn’t always play his cards right or truly take the right steps if he indeed wanted to play again” don’t have to be mutually exclusive statements.

I’m also of the mind that his GF’s statements about him and his mission were probably a key point in escalating the avoidance of him by the league