With NFL camps in full force and the first preseason game (the Hall of Fame Game) done, excitement is in the air as teams get prepared to get the season underway. Let’s take a look at some news stories from around the league amidst that excitement.
Brady Signs Contract Extension
Not that this was ever in doubt, but Tom Brady will not be playing for another team for the rest of his career. Already on the wrong side of 40, Brady has said that he wants to play for a few more years, and it appears that New England is prepared to appease that wish. Brady will be getting an $8 million raise this year to approximately $23 million. The next two years both hit the $30 million mark ($30 million in 2020 and $32 million in 2021). As a quarterback who has consistently taken pay cuts in order to help the team’s salary cap, Brady looks to be trying to maximize his earning value as his career draws to a close.
Still, the future Hall-of-Famer has been solid even in his older years. Last year, Brady was 11-5 during the regular season after completing 375 of 570 pass attempts. He had 4,355 yards for 29 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions. He will look to add to his resume this upcoming season as the Patriots are once again expected to be amongst the elite teams.
Saints, Thomas Agree To Extension
Last week saw another star player get an extension when Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints agreed to a five-year, $100 million extension with $61 million guaranteed. This new deal now makes Thomas the highest-paid receiver (looking at annual salary) of all-time. Thomas certainly deserves it. Last season, in 16 games, Thomas had 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns. It was the best season of his short career, and at age 26, he is poised for another huge season as Drew Brees’ number one receiver. While his salary sets a new record for wide receivers, it will be interesting to see how long it stands, particularly with the likes of Julio Jones still looking for a new deal.
Gordon Requests Trade
This is just sheer speculation, but it will be interesting to see whether Melvin Gordon is the new Le’Veon Bell. As a supporter of Bell’s holdout, Gordon could stick to his guns for either a new deal or a trade from the Los Angeles Chargers. Earlier in the offseason, Gordon demanded that if a new deal (he currently would be paid $10 million for this upcoming season under his current deal) was not struck, that he would like to be traded. Gordon and his agent doubled down on this threat when they requested a trade last week. It does not appear that the Chargers are willing to appease this request, but it also doesn’t appear that Gordon is willing to risk his health for what he deems to be an undervaluation of his worth.
Last season for the Chargers, Gordon played in 12 games, rushing 175 times for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had 50 receptions for 490 yards and another four touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how it plays out, but for now, Los Angeles fans should expect to see a different running back starting come the beginning of the season.
Crabtree Has A Deal, Or Does He?
News circulated just a couple days ago that the Arizona Cardinals were planning on signing wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Now it appears that those talks are dead. After reports of an agreement came out, it appears that the discussions went south and that no deal is in place with an unlikelihood that one will be consummated.
Last season, Crabtree showed he was healthy by playing in all 16 games for the Ravens, although he only had 54 receptions for 607 yards and three touchdowns. Still, the health was important, and his veteran leadership could certainly help rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. It does seem like a good fit, so I wouldn’t call it impossible, but for now, it appears that Crabtree is still looking for a new home.
Elliott Continues Holdout
Similarly to Melvin Gordon, it does not appear that Dallas Cowboys fans should expect their star running back to be on the field anytime soon. With reports out that the Cowboys are frustrated with negotiation talks with Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, and Dak Prescott, Elliott appears to be ready to hold out if no new deal is struck. After playing in 15 games last season where he had 304 rushes for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns, Elliott wants to be the highest-paid running back in the game, surpassing the contract of Todd Gurley. As of right now, it doesn’t appear that the Cowboys are willing to go that high.
It is tough, though, because Elliott has shown that he is not only a workhorse rushing, but he can be valuable in the passing game as well. Last season he had 77 receptions for 567 yards and another three touchdowns. It seems like it would be a public-relations nightmare to not have him on the field, but with the volatility of running backs, it will be interesting to see if Dallas gives in to Elliott’s demands.
Clowney May Wait Until End Of Month To Report
It has already been reported that Jadeveon Clowney was upset when he was not offered an extension from the Houston Texans. With that in mind, he plans to play in the final year of his contract, but he won’t be rushing anytime soon to get to camp. It has been reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that Clowney intends to report after the third preseason game in late August. By doing so, it will give him a couple of weeks to prepare for the first week of the regular season without having to go through all of the rigors of training camp. To his credit, it is reported that he has stayed in contact with both players and coaches about his intentions, but for Texans fans, don’t expect to see him anywhere around the team for the next few weeks.
