NFL News

[Futureshock]

Report: Ex-Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has revealed epilepsy diagnosis to NFL teams

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ex-o...trk=fb&tsrc=fb

It is under control and they stated he will grow out of it like others in his family has. Good. Maybe he'll fall to us

[Futureshock]

Report: NFL considering changes to scouting combine

Posted by Charean Williams on April 21, 2021, 11:04 PM EDT

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The 2020 scouting combine was the last NFL event held as scheduled, without any changes, before COVID-19 altered the world. The pandemic canceled the 2021 scouting combine.

That has the NFL evaluating potential changes to the annual event in Indianapolis, Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press reports. Maaddi writes that the league seeks “to improve the professional and medical experience for draft prospects.”

The league will obtain input from prospects who participated in previous combines and players in this year’s draft who performed physical testing at their college pro days and conducted interviews and most medical and psychological testing virtually. Earlier this month, 150 draft prospects flew to Indianapolis for in-person medical evaluations.

The NFL also will consult teams and their medical staffs for feedback before making any changes.

The league is assessing all aspects of the combine, including the player experience. The NFL is considering calling prospects by name rather than a number; limiting the number of medical personnel who examine a player; and ensuring players aren’t asked humiliating questions, per Maaddi.

[Futureshock]

Jim Irsay says Colts hope to find starting LT and leave Quenton Nelson at LG

Posted by Charean Williams on April 21, 2021, 6:38 PM EDT

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Quenton Nelson became one of the top offensive guards in the league the day he played his first game in 2018. The Colts left guard has earned All-Pro honors every year of his career.

The Colts, though, have an opening at left tackle after Anthony Castonzo retired.

Castonzo himself mentioned Nelson as his possible replacement, and the Colts have said moving Nelson is one of the options. Joe Thomas and Kevin Mawae have weighed in on the Nelson-to-left-tackle talk, throwing up a caution sign.

On Wednesday, Colts owner Jim Irsay offered his two cents, which is worth more than two cents since he owns the team.

“The general feeling is that if you can leave Quenton at guard, that would be the ideal thing,” Irsay said on 1070 The Fan’s The JMV Show, via Luke Schultheis of SBNation. “But there’s no question that he can play left tackle in my mind and would play left tackle in my mind if it helps the franchise win more games and be a better football team. I think that’s the way Frank Reich looks at it, and that’s the way Quenton looks at it. ‘I’ll do anything you need if it can help the team be better’. And he’s a selfless guy, and that’s the reason he’s such a great leader and a great person and a great football player.

“But again, ideally, his power, his bend, his explosion inside, his ability to move people in a short space, is so, so rare. Probably only matched by John Hannah and I’ll include Chris Hinton in there. . . . He’s such a rare football player.”

The Colts have Sam Tevi and Julién Davenport on the roster as possible options. Right tackle Braden Smith also could make a move to the other side potentially. The Colts hold the 21st overall selection in next week’s draft, so maybe they get a starting left tackle there or later in the draft.

The bottom line is the Colts would prefer to leave Nelson at left guard, where he is the best in the NFL, rather than moving him to left tackle.

“My gut feeling is that we’ll find a tackle and Quenton will stay put, but it’s really nice to know that you have that option because there’s no doubt in my mind that he can play that [left tackle] position unquestionably,” Irsay said. “But I think at guard, he’s one of the top-five offensive linemen in the history of the game, and at tackle, he would be great but not quite to that level because guard just suits his play so well.”

[Futureshock]

Arden Key signing with 49ers

Posted by Josh Alper on April 21, 2021, 4:48 PM EDT

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The 49ers added players on both sides of the ball on Wednesday.

Running back Wayne Gallman signed with the team after visiting earlier this week and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that defensive end Arden Key will do the same. It’s a one-year deal for Key, who also met with the team before agreeing to a deal.

Key was a third-round pick by the Raiders and spent three seasons with the team before being released last week. The 49ers were the first team he was linked with after being released.

Key has 49 tackles, three sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for loss in 37 career games. He will likely provide depth behind Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and others on the 49ers line.

[Futureshock]

NFL approves pair of rule changes regarding penalty enforcement

Posted by Josh Alper on April 21, 2021, 3:41 PM EDT

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Two proposed rules changes regarding penalty enforcement were approved by NFL owners on Wednesday.

Chicago proposed the first of them and it dealt with enforcing penalties on conversions after touchdowns. The Bears faced the Broncos in a 2019 game that saw the Broncos flagged for delay of game while going for two while down 13-12 with 31 seconds to play. They opted to kick the extra point instead and missed, but the Bears jumped offside and the Broncos converted a two-point conversion from the 1-yard line to win the game.

That placement ignored the initial Broncos penalty and the rule change will ensure the enforcement of all accepted penalties on consecutive conversion tries.

The other approved change was proposed by the Rams based on a situation from their 2020 game against the Buccaneers. In that game, Tom Brady threw a pass that was batted back to him and then threw another completion for eight yards on a third-and-10. The Rams were faced with a choice of giving the Bucs a third-and-15 or a fourth-and-two and proposed adding a loss of down to the penalty for multiple forward passes.

It’s an unusual play, but that’s how it will be ruled if it should happen again.

[Futureshock]

<sighs>

NFL will make taunting a point of emphasis this season

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 21, 2021, 3:41 PM EDT

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Expect more taunting penalties in the NFL this season.

Rich McKay, the chairman of the NFL Competition Committee, said today that the league had become “too lax in taunting” and that the officials will be told taunting is a point of emphasis for them.

“The face to face, the pointing of fingers, the standing over players on the ground,” will be penalized, McKay said.

McKay noted that the NFL is not looking to penalize players for celebrating touchdowns, but that actions that represent poor sportsmanship toward an opponent will be flagged this season, including some that the officials allowed to slide last year.
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Owners approve eliminating overtime in the preseason

Posted by Charean Williams on April 21, 2021, 3:22 PM EDT

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The rule change cheered by everyone Wednesday was the elimination of overtime in the preseason. NFL owners just left us to wonder why it took so long.

Most players who will make regular-season rosters are long gone by the fourth quarter of most preseason games, and the outcome, frankly, is meaningless. So overtime is, was and always has been unnecessary. (You could argue, especially considering last season, that the preseason is unnecessary, but the NFL will resume its exhibition season this year.)

The proposal to eliminate overtime in the preseason was put forward by the Competition Committee, and owners approved it.

Owners had not approved the proposal to eliminate overtime in the preseason in previous attempts to get rid of it. It takes at least 24 of 32 votes for a rule change to pass.

[Futureshock]

NFL approves expanded duties for replay official

Posted by Josh Alper on April 21, 2021, 3:21 PM EDT

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NFL owners voted on proposed rule changes on Wednesday and they approved one dealing with the role of replay officials.

The Competition Committee proposed expanding the duties of the replay officials to allow them to advise the on-field officials on “specific, objective aspects of a play when clear and obvious video evidence is present and/or to address game administration issues.” There were differing reports on the chances that the rule would pass, but the NFL announced on Wednesday that it did.

The proposal was originally on the docket alongside one from the Ravens to create a booth umpire who would be part of the regular officiating crew while working off of a video monitor in the booth. That proposal would have allowed for the official to correct or call penalties based on video evidence, but the Ravens withdrew the proposal and the one that passed does not allow for such changes.

If the measure to increase the duties of the replay official doesn’t stop a clear and obvious officiating error from affecting a game this season, the Ravens’ proposal will likely come up again in 2022.

[Futureshock]

NFL passes rule designed to give kicking team a better chance on onside kicks

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 21, 2021, 3:16 PM EDT

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Although the NFL did not vote on the much-discussed “fourth-and-15 alternative” to the onside kick, it did pass a new rule that will make onside kicks easier for the kicking team to recover.

The rule will require the receiving team to have no more than nine players lined up in the “setup zone,” which is defined as the area between 10 and 25 yards from the spot of the kickoff.

Previously, NFL teams always put either 10 or 11 players in the setup zone when they were expecting the opposing team to onside kick. According to the NFL’s tracking data, receiving teams expecting an onside kick line up with 10 players in the setup zone 87 percent of the time, and all 11 players in the setup zone the other 13 percent of the time.

With only nine players in the setup zone, fewer players on the receiving team will be in a position to recover the onside kick, and the kicking team will have a better chance to get to the ball.

Since the NFL changed the kickoff rules to prohibit a running start by the kicking team, onside kicks have become much less successful. This new rule may change that.
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ERIC FISHERT, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT
Chiefs HC Andy Reid said Kansas City has not ruled out re-signing LT Eric Fisher and RT Mitchell Schwartz.


The Chiefs were forced to release both players because of cap constraints this offseason but neither player has signed with a new team yet. If that's an indication that either one can be had on a team-friendly contract, don't be surprised to see one or both return to Kansas City. Both players were graded as above-average starters at tackle by Pro Football Focus. Neither player was available for the Chiefs' Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers and their absences were evident on the field. Patrick Mahomes was constantly under duress and the Kanas City offense was a shell of its usual self. Whether it's through bringing back veterans or the draft, expect the Chiefs to address their offensive line before the start of the 2021 season.

RELATED:

• Kansas City Chiefs

SOURCE: James Palmer on Twitter
Apr 21, 2021, 4:08 PM

[Futureshock]

TERRACE MARSHALLWR, COLLEGE PLAYERNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah reports that some medical issues "popped" for LSU WR Terrace Marshall.


The issues arose at the medical combine held in Indianapolis. The athletic drills of the combine weren't done in Indianapolis this year but players are still getting thorough medical examinations before draft night. Marshall missed time in high school because of foot and leg injuries that would ultimately require surgery. He also spent some time on the sidelines at LSU because of a foot injury. It's possible that teams are simply doing their due diligence on his injury history but any notion of a long-term issue could hurt Marshall's draft stock. At 6'3" and 205 pounds, Marshall running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash puts him in the upper echelon of receiver prospects in terms of athleticism. If the medical issues aren't deemed serious, he should have no problem finding an NFL home on the first day of the draft.

SOURCE: Jonas Shaffer on Twitter
Apr 21, 2021, 2:04 PM

[Futureshock]

JALEN HURTSQB, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni refused to name Jalen Hurts as the team's starter and said there would be a quarterback competition this summer.


Sirianni's announcement of a QB competition in Philadelphia can be seen as a rebuke of owner Jeffrey Laurie's reported desire for Jalen Hurts to get the Week 1 starting job. Beleaguered Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has denied those reports. Right now, Hurts would have the seemingly easy job of beating out Joe Flacco for the starting job, assuming the team doesn't draft a quarterback in the first couple rounds of next week's NFL Draft. "To name a starter at this particular time... we've been working with these guys for two days," said Sirianni, who apparently doesn't have access to film of Hurts' four 2020 starts. Hurts averaged 21.3 fantasy points in those starts -- seventh highest among QBs over the season's final month. He should be the Eagles' starter come September.

RELATED:

• Joe Flacco

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Apr 21, 2021, 11:43 AM

[LightninBoy]

<sighs>

NFL will make taunting a point of emphasis this season

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 21, 2021, 3:41 PM EDT

Getty Images

Expect more taunting penalties in the NFL this season.

Prediction: Lions the first team penalized for taunting when the QB points to the MLB before the snap.

[LightninBoy]

Owners approve eliminating overtime in the preseason

Posted by Charean Williams on April 21, 2021, 3:22 PM EDT

Getty Images

The rule change cheered by everyone Wednesday was the elimination of overtime in the preseason. NFL owners just left us to wonder why it took so long.

Most players who will make regular-season rosters are long gone by the fourth quarter of most preseason games, and the outcome, frankly, is meaningless. So overtime is, was and always has been unnecessary. (You could argue, especially considering last season, that the preseason is unnecessary, but the NFL will resume its exhibition season this year.)

The proposal to eliminate overtime in the preseason was put forward by the Competition Committee, and owners approved it.

Owners had not approved the proposal to eliminate overtime in the preseason in previous attempts to get rid of it. It takes at least 24 of 32 votes for a rule change to pass.

Now they just need to get rid of the preseason "intime".

[chemiclord]

Now they just need to get rid of the preseason "intime".

Only if players are willing to accept a 20 game regular season.