Tag: NFL preseason

5 Bucs players hurt most by no preseason games

With the NFL cancelling all preseason games, find out which Buccaneers players are hurt most by this.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to kick off training camp next, and for the first time in ages there is genuine excitement and expectations for this team heading into the regular season.

The signing of Tom Brady will easily go down as the greatest free agent signing in franchise history, but Brady’s six Super Bowl rings and three regular season MVPs are part of the New England Patriots’ legacy, not the Bucs’. Hopefully, though, Brady can help bring respectability and stability back to this Tampa Bay franchise.

But the craziness of the 2020 offseason also included something no one saw coming: a global pandemic.

The coronavirus shut down team facilities this offseason and the NFL has decided to cancel all preseason games in an attempt to combat the spread of the disease and keep the regular season on track.

A lack of preseason games could hurt several players looking to get some on-field reps in before the season starts.

With that, let’s look at five Bucs players hurt most by no preseason games.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Broncos not expected to play any preseason games this year

The Broncos are not expected to play any preseason games this summer.

The Denver Broncos aren’t expected to play any preseason games this summer.

After initially planning to trim preseason from four games to two games, the NFL proposed a one-game preseason to the NFLPA. Then, earlier this week, the league proposed a zero-game preseason. That’s what the NFLPA had been lobbying for during negotiations with the league.

It hasn’t been officially announced yet but it sounds like the players’ union has accepted the NFL’s offer of no preseason games.

“NFLPA leadership told players on a conference call a few minutes ago there will be zero preseason games this year,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted on Tuesday evening.

The Broncos were originally scheduled to play the 49ers (Aug. 15), Bears (Aug. 22), Rams (Aug. 29) and Cardinals (Sept. 3) in preseason.

After preseason, Denver will trim the roster from 90 players down to 53 players (here’s our 53-man roster prediction). The Broncos might also trade a few players as the roster cuts deadline draws closer.

[vertical-gallery id=644425]

No preseason is bad news for NFL players hoping to follow Phillip Lindsay’s path

Players hoping to follow Phillip Lindsay’s path to the NFL will have a harder road than usual during an offseason marred by COVID-19.

Phillip Lindsay might not have made the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster if he entered the league during the COVID-19 pandemic. He might not have even made it to training camp.

Because of the coronavirus, many college football programs did not have pro days this spring. So for small-school prospects who weren’t invited to the combine, they didn’t have official 40-yard dash times and face-to-face conversations with NFL coaches leading up to the draft.

Lindsay wasn’t invited to the combine in 2018 but he turned heads with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Colorado’s pro day. Denver signed him as a college free agent in April and he went on to impress at training camp.

Lindsay then made the roster after a strong preseason. He went on to win a starting job and became the first undrafted offensive rookie in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl. This year, the Broncos might miss out on similar diamonds in the rough due to COVID-19.

Denver is not expected to have any preseason games and rosters might be trimmed down to 80 players before training camp even begins. A prospect who didn’t get a pro day might be cut before even getting a chance to shine at camp. Players who do make it to camp won’t have any preseason game film for other teams to view if they don’t make the Broncos’ roster.

This year, it will be even harder for underdogs to follow in Lindsay’s path.

[vertical-gallery id=644425]

Broncos might have to cut 10 players before training camp

NFL teams are expected to have 80 players on their rosters going into training camp. The Broncos currently have 90 players on the roster.

The Denver Broncos might have to make some roster cuts before training camp even begins.

NFLPA leadership informed players during a call on Tuesday that NFL rosters are expected to have 80 players at the start of camp, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That means 10 cuts might be on the way for Denver.

After the draft, the Broncos signed seven college free agents. Some of those players might be in danger of being cut before even getting to camp.

Denver signed wide receiver Zimari Manning, quarterback Riley Neal, wide receiver Kendall Hinton, running back Levante Bellamy, offensive lineman Hunter Watts, cornerback Essang Bassey and safety Douglas Coleman III following April’s draft.

Of those seven players, Bassey and Coleman seemingly have the best chances of making the 53-man roster because of Denver’s (lack of) depth in the secondary. Bassey was one of the top undrafted free agents available this year.

Right now, the Broncos have 90 players on the offseason roster. At the end of training camp, the roster will be trimmed down to 53 players ahead of the regular season. Here’s our 53-man roster prediction for Denver.

[vertical-gallery id=642416]

No preseason is a big problem for the Lions’ rebuilt offensive line

Detroit will have at least two new starters on the offensive line in 2020

Every NFL team will lose some benefits by not having preseason games. The Detroit Lions continuity on the coaching staff and at the offensive skill position players puts the team in a better spot than many of their opponents.

The offensive line, however…

Detroit is breaking in two new starters on the right side. Rick Wagner and Graham Glasgow are both gone. Big-ticket free agent Halapoulivaati Vaitai will be the right tackle, a role he played with a limited degree of success as a reserve in Philadelphia. At least he’s a known commodity.

Right guard is a complete mystery right now. It was the only real open spot on the starting offense entering camp. Kenny Wiggins figured to have the best chance, and his chances are augmented by the lack of proving-ground competition that the preseason would have provided. It’s going to be that much harder for rookies Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg to try and crack the starting lineup.

[lawrence-related id=42327]

Left guard was poised for competition, too. I’ve often predicted Jackson, the team’s third-round pick from Ohio State, would win the starting left guard spot over holdover Joe Dahl, or Wiggins, or veteran Oday Aboushi, or newcomer Joshua Garnett. Now I can’t hold to that prediction with any sort of confidence. Even though I do expect the guard rotation experiment from last season to continue, there should be a first amongst equals. Jackson’s opportunity to earn that first status is severely hampered by the preseason cancelation.

The uncertainty at those spots negatively impacts the two established, quality starters up front in left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow. Don’t forget the Lions are breaking in a new offensive line coach in Hank Fraley, who takes over for Jeff Davidson after being an assistant last year. Fraley is familiar with the players and the blocking scheme is expected to remain essentially the same, but it’s still another card that can collapse the whole offensive house.

It’s a lot of moving parts that need to come together quickly to keep the Lions offense flying high with Matthew Stafford and his weapons. Losing the chance to play together in preseason is a major hit to the Detroit offensive line.

[vertical-gallery id=47172]

Watch: NFL, NFLPA agree to no preseason games this year

Watch: NFL, NFLPA agree to no preseason games this year

There will be no preseason games played this year after the NFL and the NFLPA came to an agreement to cancel them. Watch Ian Rapoport at NFL Network talk about this latest development. Also, rosters will be bigger this season to accomodate players who will need to be quarantined.

While this is great news for beat writers, it’s not so much for younger teams around the league like the Panthers who are lacking in experience and continuity.

Teams who have been together a while and are returning a lot of snaps will have a distinct edge over those who made a lot of changes this offseason. The teams who are best poisted to take advantage are the reigning champion Chiefs, the Bills and the Colts.

[lawrence-related id=626396]

[vertical-gallery id=626368]

No one will miss the canceled NFL preseason (except team owners)

The preseason will be canceled this season, and we promise you: The only people who will remember or care are team owners.

The NFL and NFL Players’ Association have agreed to cancel all four preseason games for every team this year, as reported by USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Jones.

The move allows time for players to and teams to better develop health and safety protocols within their organizations, limits unnecessary travel, and doesn’t put players at extra risk during a global pandemic for exhibitions games.

Team owners at first wanted fewer preseason games this year, then relented and agreed to cancel all of them, according to Jones.

This is a big win for the NFLPA, which has sought to eliminate some of (if not all) preseason games for years, citing them as an unnecessary burden on the players’ health and their time, in games that serve as essentially nothing but a chance for coaches to get a look at some bubble players. (A scrimmage can do that, too, by the way.)

Actually, that’s not the only thing the games serve as. They serve as another way to make money for team owners.

These are the only people who will miss preseason games, I promise you. For team owners who have big stadiums that sit empty much of the time, preseason games allow them a chance to get some people at least in there, and spending money. That won’t apply this time, due to the pandemic.

So why do they care, then? Why did they fight to keep a few preseason games? Because it also gives them something to sell to TV networks.

The football may be terrible. The TV product may be all but unwatchable. Stars may only play one drive, if that. But it’s all money to the owners. Desperate NFL fans will demand it’s televised, then complain the whole time when they have to watch the third string QB sail passes over an undrafted rookie’s head for much of the game. But owners don’t care. The check’s already cashed.

I’m telling you, fans: You won’t miss it. Teams will get creative and find ways to live stream intrasquad scrimmages, and the diehards will get their fix that way, and come Week 1, none of us will even remember that there wasn’t a preseason.

The only people who will miss it are owners, and you know what? They’re all bazillionaires. They’ll be fine.

[jwplayer 6y88qKpU-q2aasYxh]

Broncos might not have any preseason games this year

The Broncos might not have any preseason games this summer.

It’s been hard to keep up with the NFL’s seemingly ever-changing preseason schedule.

First, the league planned to trim preseason from four games down to two games. Then the NFL proposed a one-game preseason for each team. It now appears that there might not be any preseason games this year.

“NFL offered the NFLPA today to play zero preseason games this summer,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on Monday. The players’ union had been lobbying for no preseason games during discussions with the league about returning to play this season.

The NFL has not yet made any announcements about any updates to the preseason schedule. The league offering to play zero games doesn’t guarantee no games will be played, but preseason games seem unlikely this year.

The Broncos were originally scheduled to play the 49ers (Aug. 15), Bears (Aug. 22), Rams (Aug. 29) and Cardinals (Sept. 3) in preseason.

After preseason, Denver will trim the roster from 90 players down to 53 players (here’s our 53-man roster prediction). The Broncos might also trade a few players as the roster cuts deadline draws closer.

[vertical-gallery id=644127]

NFL and NFLPA officially cancel all preseason games

There will be no preseason games this season.

[jwplayer QlRLGWXT-ThvAeFxT]

From the beginning of negotiations, getting rid of preseason games was a goal of the NFLPA. And it appears they have gotten their way. The two sides came together on several resolutions on Tuesday one of which was to cancel all preseason games this season.

The NFL had tried desperately to cling to two games. This was in large part because the league needs to generate as much revenue as possible in a year when losses are on deck. Stadiums won’t be full even if fans are allowed in and owners understand how this impacts the bottom line.

the NFLPA argued the risk of traveling for preseason outweighs the benefits of the games. A strong case could be made this mentality actually undercuts the players as many guys who make NFL rosters based on those games will now have an even longer road to an NFL roster.

Is canceling the preseason a good move for everyone involved? Or should the NFLPA have conceded two games to help the league make money and to give young players a better shot to impress the coaches? Let us know in the comments below.

[vertical-gallery id=471914]

[lawrence-related id=472086]

Report: NFLPA informs players that there will be no 2020 preseason

The NFL and NFLPA have continued to work together on issues to solve before football returns and made more progress Tuesday.

Fans already were expecting the return to football to look significantly different because of COVID-19, and that especially will be the case now. Both the NFL and NFLPA have been working hard to prepare guidelines for the 2020 season and now the upcoming preseason has been eliminated as a result.

Prior to Tuesday, the league had narrowed the preseason down to just Weeks 2-3, however, the players wanted to proceed with zero games. With talks ramping up this week due to the players being unsatisfied with the conditions they were returning to, both sides once again have found common ground. Now, the next key thing to figure out will be how to orchestrate workouts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were scheduled to take on the Tampa Bay Bucs and Washington’s NFL franchise, but now their coaches will solely have to evaluate the team in practice. They will also have to base their final roster cuts solely off practice as well.

This news comes after the NFLPA and NFL met to discuss the frequency of testing this weekend. That resulted in the two sides agreeing to daily testing for the first two weeks of camp on Monday.

It was also announced that rosters will be reduced to just 80 players, which means teams will have to make some cuts soon with most rosters consisting of 90 players at the moment.

This could effects young teams like the Jaguars more than others because they currently have 30 rookies under contract and some may not get the shot they deserve. Once the rule becomes official, the Jags and the rest of the NFL will then have to make 10 cuts, putting approximately 320 players on the free-agent market before the regular season.