Amid all the sporting events that are being cancelled or postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the NFL forges on, or it seems. Word is the NFL is waiting for the final CBA vote to decide if the beginning of the NFL league year will be pushed back. Since my last blog there have been changes in some deadline dates. The deadline for the players vote on the CBA was pushed back to Saturday March 14 at midnight eastern time. The legal tampering period still starts on Monday March 16 at noon eastern time, and the deadline to tag players is now also March 16 at midnight eastern time. The league year will still start on Wednesday 18 at 4:00 pm eastern time. I still think the CBA will pass, but like I said last week barely. I like the sound of labor peace for ten years.
So, if you’re a fan of the NFL off season and all Browns fans are, then all day Sunday and Monday morning will be rumor heaven. It will be fast and furious. Make sure you’re following the right people on twitter and watch out for fake accounts. Look for the blue check mark. I’ll be retweeting any news I hear from my twitter account @ctownthug. Since my last blog the news broke that Christian Kirksey was released. This, with the Schobert release, creates a major hole at linebacker. I hope the Browns are talking to some free agent linebackers, because now that position becomes another need, whether it be in free agency or the draft. I have a feeling they’re talking to a lot of linebackers. The last two players to watch for release are Olivier Vernon and Chris Hubbard. As for Hubbard, he might be a trade candidate. He has two years left on his contract at a very friendly price tag and the free agent tackle market after Jack Conklin is very weak. I’d take a fifth for him in a heartbeat. Remember Andrew Berry worked for a front office that once traded a punter for a fourth round pick.
As for Vernon, his release would create another large hole on the roster, but at 15.5 million that’s too much to pay. The Browns have been connected to Atlanta’s Vic Beasley and the Bills are not picking up the option for Shaq Lawson. The Browns could get both Beasley and Lawson for around 15.5 million. I still think the Browns will go big on one free agent, either in the secondary of the offensive line. The Kirksey release increased the Browns cap to around 66 million, so Vernon’s release would push the Browns cap to over 81.5 million. If the CBA passes, then more money will be added to the cap. As for trades, there maybe more than Browns fans expect. John Dorsey built the current roster using the trade route and I think that’s a real possibility. No, OBJ will not be traded, unless some team makes an offer the Browns can’t turn down.
As of Friday, players are being tagged, resigned or released. The Bears resigned LB Danny Trevathan, leaving fellow Bears LB Nick Kwiatkoski as a possible target. Today the Vikings released DT Linval Joseph and CB Xavier Rhodes. Joseph would be a great addition to the Browns DL. As Friday and Saturday roll on, more of these transactions will occur as teams attempt to get below the cap. This kind of tells me the NFL thinks the CBA will pass and the league year will start on time. Lets face facts, the NFL is the 900 lb. gorilla in the sports room, so they do as they please when it comes to a pandemic. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the other major professional sports league suspending their seasons, better safe than sorry. But the perimeters for most deals were worked out at the combine and even though team facilities will not be preforming player physicals, they can still be done elsewhere. If a team wants to fly in a big name free agent, I think the owners jet will be available. Keep in mind,the Browns coaches will want to sign players they are familiar with.
As sports fans start to have withdrawals for any athletic event, the NFL can provide a needed distraction for the reality of the current COVID 19 pandemic. As Mike Polk Jr. said in his “factory of sadness” video, “I know there are more important things in life than football, but you’re supposed to be our pleasant distraction from those things.” Even though large amounts of money are going to be talked about during a time when the majority of Americans are really worried about the economy, a little distraction would be nice. So remember, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and don’t touch your face. Man, all this talk about not touching your face has really made me hot for my face. But anyway, on to the NFL off season and Go Browns.