With training camps prepared to start at the end of the month, the NFL and Player’s Association still have a bit to work through, including testing policies, preseason length, expansion of practice squads, and other issues surrounding a season during a pandemic.
Still, optimism remains high that a season can happen, and organizations are trying to put the final touches on their rosters as they prepare for the 2020-21 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest news stories from the last week.
Extension for Dak in Doubt
While the two sides have been negotiating for months, it appears that Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys may not be able to strike a deal by the deadline. According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, it seems likely that Prescott will instead play out the year on the Franchise tag.
There is no concern of a holdout as Prescott has already signed his franchise tag (worth a bit over $31 million), but the two sides had been hoping that a deal could be worked out. It would be interesting to know how Patrick Mahomes’ new deal has impacted talks. There was a lot of belief that Prescott was looking to surpass Russell Wilson as the highest-paid quarterback, but with Mahomes’ deal shattering that of Wilson, it may have complicated things even further.
Last year with Dallas, Prescott led the team to a 8-8 season while throwing for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Additionally, he rushed 52 times for 277 yards and another three touchdowns.
According to FanDuel.com, there are high aspirations this year for both Prescott and the Cowboys. Dallas currently is tied for the 6th best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1700 (tied with the New England Patriots). For Prescott, FanDuel has him as the 4th most likely to win the MVP this year at +1200 (trailing only Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Russel Wilson).
Washington Redskins Will Be Changing Name
On Monday, the Washington Redskins officially announced that they will be changing their name and switching to a new logo. In their statement, they indicated that they are looking for a new nickname and logo that “…inspires our sponsors, fans, and community for the next 100 years.” This is interesting wording as it was pressure from sponsors that officially pushed them over the edge in terms of changing the logo.
For instance, FedEx, the sponsor of the team’s stadium, indicated that they felt it was important for the team to change its name. After years of tension given the representation of their nickname as it relates to Native American culture, the team has finally decided to move on.
While no official decisions have been made on a new name, suggestions ranging from the Red Tails to the Warriors have been mentioned. On the field, new head coach Ron Rivera will look to turn around a franchise that has struggled and one whose odds sit at +15,000 (only ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars) to win the Super Bowl.
Patriots Get More Cap Space
After settling a couple of grievances, the New England Patriots have opened up about $6.5 million in cap space for the upcoming season. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Field Yates, the organization gets about $4 million from a settlement with Antonio Brown and $2.5 million with the estate of Aaron Hernandez.
For Brown, the grievance stems from the team refusing to pay his signing bonus after being released. For Hernandez, the team was fighting the state (and the Player’s Association) after the team did not pay his guaranteed signing bonus years ago.
Regardless, the team now has a bit of extra cap space; however, they are not expected to make any additional moves as this cap space will likely be used for things like Cam Newton’s per-game bonuses, among other things.
