Way too early positional outlooks for 2021 Texas Longhorns season

The 2020 Texas Longhorns football season isn’t quite over but we take a look at potential position battles for the 2021 season.

Texas has one more game left this season as they’ll be facing Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl. However, Longhorns Wire staff decided to look ahead to the 2021 season. In particular, the 2021 position outlook and battles to look forward to this offseason into August. Continue reading “Way too early positional outlooks for 2021 Texas Longhorns season”

The return: Senior tight end Cade Brewer announces he is back for 2021

Texas Longhorns senior tight end Cade Brewer announced that he will be returning to the team in 2021. How will that impact the group?

The Texas Longhorns have seen their fair share of players deciding to leave the Forty Acres for the NFL in recent weeks. However, tight end Cade Brewer was not one of those players as he announced that he would return in 2021. Continue reading “The return: Senior tight end Cade Brewer announces he is back for 2021”

The return: Senior tight end Cade Brewer announces he is back for 2021

Texas Longhorns senior tight end Cade Brewer announced he will return to the team in 2021. How will that impact the group?

The Texas Longhorns have seen their fair share of players deciding to leave the Forty Acres for the NFL in recent weeks. However, tight end Cade Brewer was not one of them, and he announced Monday he plans to return in 2021. Continue reading “The return: Senior tight end Cade Brewer announces he is back for 2021”

6 Saints coaches, staffers who should get buzz in the NFL’s next hiring cycle

The Saints could lose important members of the organization when the 2021 NFL hiring cycle kicks off, from Terry Fontenot to Dennis Allen.

Could this be the year the New Orleans Saints start to lose personnel to rival teams? With coaching staffs and front offices around the league already preparing for turnover in the offseason, it seems likely. Somehow half a dozen teams interviewed Saints assistants last year without hiring any of them away. Expect that to change as new opportunities present themselves to the people working behind the scenes in New Orleans that are hungry for more high-profile jobs in the NFL.

Others, like offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., haven’t shown as keen an interest; his interview for the Packers job last offseason was just the third time he’s seriously considered an opportunity with another team in 12 years with the Saints, having interviewed for head coaching positions with the Raiders and Bears in 2012 and 2013, respectively. It’s possible he puts his name out there again in 2021, but there appear to be other, more ambitious candidates in New Orleans. Here are six names we’ll be watching closely:

News: Cowboys scout Ravens live, Post Malone flaunts ‘#1 Fan’ bling

Also, Dez Bryant’s imminent return to Dallas, which free agents are worth re-signing, and breaking down Randy Gregory’s techniques.

A surreal week in Dallas has hit the halfway mark. The Cowboys took advantage of the unusual opportunity to watch their next opponent play live, with more practices to go in which to adjust to what they saw. That comes as the team prepares to say its final farewell to a beloved member of the coaching staff, and as a fan favorite prepares to come back to town wearing enemy colors. Strange times, indeed.

But some are already looking ahead to next season, either forecasting the status of one of the team’s supposed strengths, making a case for which free agents are worth re-signing, or trying to speak into existence who the club should select with their first-round draft pick. There’s tape to break down on how Randy Gregory has come so far so fast in his football comeback, and words of wisdom from Dak Prescott to NFL rookies as he deals with a season cut short. There’s a mini-history lesson on Wednesday football, a TV ratings win for America’s Team, and a bit of celebrity news as a rap star puts his Cowboys fandom on full display with a pricey pendant. Here’s the News and Notes.

How proposed $175M salary cap in 2021 would affect the Bears

If the NFLPA agrees to the NFL’s proposed $175M salary cap in 2021, it wouldn’t be pretty for the Bears. But still better than some teams.

As the NFL and NFLPA continue negotiations, one of the economic proposals on the table relates to the salary cap. While the 2020 salary cap would remain unchanged, it could definitely be affected next year.

In the NFL’s latest proposal, they’ve asked players to accept a $175 million salary cap in 2021, unless the financial drop-off isn’t as severe as expected. While the salary cap could be higher than that next season, $175 million is the floor at this point. By comparison, the salary cap in 2020 is $198.2 million, which would be a significant cut.

While it has to be agreed upon, how would a $175 million salary cap affect the Bears?

It wouldn’t be pretty, but it also could be worse than other teams around the league, including NFC North foes the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. According to Over The Cap, the Bears would have roughly $10 million in cap space in 2021.

Although OTC is quick to point out that their estimates don’t include “the cap charges for unsigned rookies and don’t adjust the carryover numbers for the change from the top 51 to to the regular season accounting numbers.” So that would make that number even less.

The average salary cap room next year would be around $15 million, says OTC, which is a far cry from the $30-$40 million average cap room over the last few years.

Here’s what OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald had to say about the potential effect on a group of veterans.

If they agree to this I would expect a number of mid level veterans to feel the brunt of this during this summer and next winter. Rookies, especially 1st round picks, may see their extension talks get pushed for a year. The other way teams will deal with this is likely to push money into the future via restructures with their secured veteran players who have high base salaries and use those 2022 and 2023 years as ways to “buy on credit” in 2021. Free agency would also be interesting as players and teams could opt for cheaper short term deals to bide time until the money gets higher in the future.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has always been good at making cap room with restructured contracts, but it would be interesting to see how this pans out with a salary cap roughly $23 million less in 2021.

OTC says that a smaller group of veteran players will most likely take the brunt of this potential cap hit. Superstars and rookies are cut-proof and minimum salary vets can’t make any less, it leaves about 10-15% of veterans that will likely feel the ramifications if this comes to pass.

Then again, if there aren’t any significant revenue losses this season, this won’t be as big of an issue.

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News: Dak’s no-deal fallout, Aldon Smith’s hand workout, NFLPA talking opt-out

In addition to dissecting Prescott’s no-deal, we check names to know in training camp and a high school visit by Ezekiel Elliott.

So… anything happening in Cowboys Nation?

In this edition of News and Notes, get up to speed on what went down between the Joneses and Dak Prescott as Wednesday’s deadline came and went. Of particular interest: reports of a last-minute Hail Mary attempt, social media reactions from fans (including Prescott’s own blood), winners and losers, and the chances of Prescott staying with the organization beyond 2020.

In non-Dak developments, an update regarding players who may be considering opting out of the COVID-19 season, Aldon Smith’s impressive handwork, names to know as training camp nears, and Ezekiel Elliott going back to high school. Here’s what Cowboys fans need to know today.

Dak deadline passes: Cowboys’ Prescott to play 2020 under tag :: Cowboys Wire

The biggest news of the day was the thing that didn’t happen. Now any long-term contract discussions between Prescott and the front office are on hold until the 2020 season is over.


Report: Cowboys tried at ‘last minute’ to do long-term Prescott deal :: Cowboys Wire

NFL Network’s Jane Slater revealed shortly after Wednesday’s deadline that there was an eleventh-hour conversation between the two sides.


Twitter reactions: Prescott’s brother doesn’t know how much longer he’ll root for Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire

Opinions flooded the Twittersphere upon news of the contract impasse, with Dak’s older brother offering one of the more notable takes regarding the team’s loyalty to his star sibling.


Cowboys don’t have cap space to tag Prescott again in 2021 :: Cowboys Wire

K.D. Drummond breaks down the Cowboys’ cap situation for next season. Contrary to what many are saying, tagging Dak Prescott again may not be in the cards after all.


No deal for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys: Picking winners, losers, and dominoes :: ESPN

Among those Bill Barnwell thinks have to be pleased with Wednesday’s signing snafu: the Colts, Patriots, Jaguars, and the rest of the NFC East. Losers? Deshaun Watson, Cam Newton, and us. (Dak Prescott himself makes both lists.)


Ranking tagged players based on who’s most likely to stay put in ’21 :: NFL.com

Guess who’s number one? “The most tiresome debate in sports television just got renewed for another season!” says Around the NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal about the Prescott/Cowboys soap opera.


NFLPA makes key demands for opt-out, guarantee stipends :: Cowboys Wire

With training camps set to begin in a couple weeks, the NFLPA makes specific demands of the NFL for the 2020 season.


Aldon Smith is working on his hands in this training video :: Blogging The Boys

Aldon Smith is looking to make a monster comeback after a five-year absence, and he showed off his hand workouts in a recent training video.


Film room: 3 Cowboys you shouldn’t forget about heading into camp, including a young safety with upside :: Dallas Morning News

John Owning talks about how Donovan Wilson, C.J. Goodwin, and Ventell Bryant may be names to remember as training camp draws near.



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QB Justin Field to Bears in 2021? B/R sure thinks so.

No one knows what the Bears QB situation will look like this time next year. But they could wind up drafting a QB in the 2021 NFL Draft.

We’re barely two days removed from the 2020 NFL Draft — and five months, presumably, from the start of the 2020 NFL season — but early mock drafts for 2021 are popping up all over the place.

Obviously it’s premature, but when you’re on a draft hangover, perhaps some feel it’s best to treat it with an early peek into what awaits us in 2021.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller projects the Bears will be drafting 13th overall — which doesn’t bode well for 2020 — where they land Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

Mitchell Trubisky is likely on his way out of town after his rookie contract expires following the 2020 season, and there’s no reason to trust Nick Foles as the long-term starting option. The Bears could be drafting a second first-rounder at quarterback in 2021 if the current regime gets another chance to find a signal-caller.

Fields had an impressive breakout campaign in 2019 with 41 passing touchdowns and only three interceptions while adding 484 yards on the ground with 10 more touchdowns. He could propel himself even higher up the board if he builds upon the traits he showed in his first year starting. For the Bears, an upgrade in terms of athleticism and arm strength is much needed.  

No one knows what the Bears quarterback situation will look like this time next year ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. Whether Mitchell Trubisky pulls off a miracle and salvages his career in Chicago or Nick Foles becomes the Bears quarterback of the short-term future or whether they turn to a young quarterback in the draft remains to be seen.

The common theme with these way-too-early mock drafts is that the Bears are doomed to repeat another disappointing season. When analysts are projecting you to draft within the top-15 picks, it says a lot about their confidence — or lack thereof — in your team.

Not that projections mean a darn thing before teams take the field. Heck, we saw that with the Bears last season, when a lot of people had them pegged to be contenders in the NFC.

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