Tag: Opt-Out

Malcolm Pridgeon becomes the 5th Browns player to opt out for 2020

Pridgeon is the third OG to opt out, joining Drew Forbes and Colby Gossett

The depth chart at offensive guard is looking pretty barren for the Cleveland Browns after the NFL’s opt-out deadline. Young reserve Malcolm Pridgeon became the third guard to exercise his right to opt out from playing in 2020 due to the risk from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pridgeon joins fellow guards Colby Gossett and Drew Forbes on the opt-out list, along with undrafted rookie tackle Drake Dorbeck and defensive tackle Andrew Billings. The deadline passed at 4 p.m. on Thursday with those five Browns the only players taking the option.

Pridgeon is a second-year player out of Ohio State. He spent his rookie season on the Browns practice squad after originally signing as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans.

The Browns depth chart at guard is now Joel Bitonio starting on the left and Wyatt Teller on the right, backed up by Willie Wright and rookie Nick Harris, who is also the backup center. Former starting right tackle Chris Hubbard can also play guard in a pinch, and right now that pinch is a distinct possibility.

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No Steelers players have given ‘strong considerations’ to opting out

As deadline approaches for players to opt-out of season due to COVID concerns, Steelers Mike Tomlin is unaware of any of players doing so.

The deadline for players to opt-out of the season is Thursday at 4 p.m. So far, no Steelers have opted out, and, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, none plan to do so.

Although James Washington and Jaylen Samuels were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week, Tomlin is not aware of any players planning to sit out the season.

“I don’t have any knowledge that anyone on our team has any strong considerations in that way,” Tomlin said Thursday in a press conference. “If that were the case like I mentioned earlier, that is a very individual decision, one that we all would understand, respect and adjust.”

“Secondarily, I don’t know that I’m extremely confident. I respect the challenges that these circumstances have presented to other leagues, some of which we’re witnessing. I think we’re all proceeding with caution and working extremely hard not to become part of that. We’ve got some people in leadership positions, Dr. [Allen] Sills and other medical professionals that have led the charge for us globally in the NFL. We’re working our tails off to adhere to it and hoping that is enough coupled with, obviously, personal decision making that needs to be exhibited continually by our guys throughout the course of this.”

So far, 60 players have opted out. The New England Patriots have the most with eight, including linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung.

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Trojans in the NFL: Marvell Tell III will opt-out of 2020 season

Former USC Trojans cornerback Marvell Tell III, now with the Indianapolis Colts, will opt-out of the 2020 season – likely due to COVID-19.

Just three days after his 24th birthday, Indianapolis Colts defensive back Marvell Tell III informed his team he intends to opt-out of the 2020 season.

Although Tell has not released a statement, it is likely he is opting out due to concerns about his health and safety, and the health and safety of his family and loved ones, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Tell was competing for a backup role in Indianapolis’ secondary, a role he no doubt hopes he will get a chance to compete for once again in 2021.

Tell was originally a fifth round pick by the Colts in 2019. He appeared in 13 games for Indianapolis in 2019, starting one and racking up five passes defended, one forced fumble and 26 combined tackles – doing most of his work on the special teams.

Tell was a four-year contributor for the Trojans from 2015-2019, racking up 127 solo tackles, 13 passes defended, five interceptions and a touchdown.

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Update on NCAA opt outs, scholarship protection for athletes

At least one Texas football player is likely to opt out of the upcoming college football season due to COVID-19 concerns.

There’s been a whirlwind of news this week regarding the upcoming college football season. Continue reading “Update on NCAA opt outs, scholarship protection for athletes”

Former Chiefs draft pick Ukeme Eligwe opts out of 2020 season

Eligwe signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent.

Another former member of the Kansas City Chiefs has chosen to opt out of the 2020 season. This time it’s a former draft pick by the team, linebacker Ukeme Eligwe, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent during the 2020 offseason.

A fifth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2017, Eligwe appeared in 14 games with a single start in Kansas City. He recorded five tackles, one sack, two QB hits and one tackle for loss. The majority of his time was spent playing special teams, but the 6-2 and 239-pound linebacker showed promise in his first season.

During the 2018 offseason, Eligwe faced a competitive linebacker group that included free agents, trade acquisitions and draft picks such as Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland, and Dorian O’Daniel. Eligwe was made expendable once undrafted linebacker Ben Niemann stood out during the course of training camp and the preseason. He was waived during 53-man roster cuts.

In 2018, Eligwe would latch on with the New York Giants, appearing in 10 games. He still played primarily on special teams, recording seven total tackles and a pass defended on the year. During the 2019 season, Eligwe split time between the practice squads of the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets.

Had Eligwe made the Raiders’ 53-man roster he would’ve seen the Chiefs twice during the 2020 season. Alas, we won’t get to see that storyline play out during the upcoming season.

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Browns OL Colby Gossett chooses to opt out for 2020

Browns OL Colby Gossett has opted out for 2020

Offensive lineman Colby Gossett is the latest Cleveland Brown to elect to opt out for the 2020 NFL season. The reserve guard made his decision and informed the team on Tuesday night.

Gossett is the third member of the Browns offensive line to join the opt-out list. He joins Drew Forbes and Drake Dorbeck. Defensive tackle Andrew Billings also opted out on Tuesday.

It’s another hit to the OL depth chart. Gossett was projected to fill Forbes’ spot as one of the top reserve guards. He spent most of the 2019 season on Cleveland’s practice squad but did start four games for Arizona in 2018.

 

NFL, NFLPA set deadline for players to opt out for COVID-19 concerns

The NFL and the NFLPA have officially agreed to the deadline for players to opt out of the 2020 season for COVID-19 concerns.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have now settled all remaining issues related to the Collective Bargaining Agreement “side letter,” which details how to go forward with the 2020 season in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the major sticking points for the two sides was the deadline for players to opt out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. That deadline has now been set and agreed upon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Players must give notice of their intention to opt out of the year by Thursday, Aug. 6 at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Pelissero also noted that there are two specified situations during which a player may opt out after the deadline. The first involves a player receiving a new high-risk diagnosis and the second scenario relates to the death, hospitalization or treatment of a family member as a result of a coronavirus-related condition.

As of this post, over 50 players around the NFL have already confirmed they will be opting out of the 2020 season. Guard Chance Warmack is the first and only Seahawk to opt out so far.

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Andrew Billings has opted out from playing in 2020

Billings’ one-year contract tolls to 2021

One of the Browns top free agent additions this offseason has elected to instead opt out of playing. Defensive tackle Andrew Billings was placed on the NFL’s opt-out list by the Browns on Tuesday.

Billings is the third Browns player to opt out, joining offensive linemen Drew Forbes and Drake Dorbeck. His one-year contract tolls to 2021 without penalty, per the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA that allows players to opt out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 25-year-old nose tackle was expected to see extensive action along the revamped defensive line. Billings spent his first four seasons in Cincinnati, though he missed his rookie campaign with a torn knee ligament.

His departure leaves the Browns thin on the defensive interior behind starters Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi. Rookie Jordan Elliott and seldom-used vets Daniel Ekuale and Eli Ankou represent the current depth.

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Cowboys won’t profit much as NFL adds Covid cap space to 32 teams

The landscape for the NFL is constantly changing amid the coronavirus pandemic and the rules being put in place to try and have a full regular season. Among the many things in constant flux surround the changing of roster rules with opting out …

The landscape for the NFL is constantly changing amid the coronavirus pandemic and the rules being put in place to try and have a full regular season. Among the many things in constant flux surround the changing of roster rules with opting out presented as an option to all players. While they try to finalize a date, there are cap ramifications that come with players having their contracts tolled to next season.

For the Dallas Cowboys, there will not be much cap space gained financially from a new rule that pushes salary cap proration forward a year just like the base salaries.

When a player signs a contract with a signing bonus, that amount is prorated over the life of the contract, up to a maximum five years. So when Amari Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million contract that included a $10 million signing bonus, here’s how it worked.

Cooper’s base salary for 2020 is $10 million, meaning that he’ll receive $20 million in 2020. However the $10 million in signing bonus is spread out (for cap purposes) evenly across the five-year deal. That means only $2 million of that money hits the 2020 cap. Cooper gets $20 million in 2020, but his cap hit is only $12 million. When he makes $20 million in base salary in 2021, his cap hit is going to be $22 million because of the prorated bonus.

For teams that have big money signings who are opting out, getting their bonus proration pushed ahead along with the base salary could be a big deal. That’s not the case for Dallas.

Thus far, only three players have opted out of the season for Dallas, with fullback Jamize Olawale, CB Maurice Canady and UDFA WR Stephen Guidry comprising the list. None of these players have what most would consider large contracts by NFL standards.

Olawale’s base salary was $1.05 million in 2020, with a prorated bonus amount of $600,000 and $100,000 in roster bonuses for a total cap impact of $1.75 million. Canady, who signed as a free agent on a one-year deal, was to count $1.121 million against the cap. Guidry, who got a $10,000 signing bonus, was a minimum salary player for $660,000 in base pay on a three-year deal, so he would’ve counted $663,333 against the cap if he had made the team.

In total, that’s just over $3.5 million of cap space that won’t be on the books, including $803,333 in bonus proration that was just added as of the recent agreement.

But the Cowboys won’t get another $3.5 million in space.

During the offseason, the team can have up to 90 players on their roster (with a newly instituted cutdown to 80 by August 17 first practices). However only the highest 51 salaries are computed for offseason cap purposes.

That means that when a player drops out of the formula, another player takes his place.

Olawale’s $1.75 million in savings is reduced by a player who costs $.75 million against the cap. The net savings is $1 million.

Canady’s $1.1 million is reduced by a player who costs $.74 million against the cap. The net savings is approximately $380,000.

Guidry wasn’t even part of the Top 51 calculation to begin with.

So the opt outs, even with the prorated bonuses now removed from the cap, gives the Cowboys just under another $1.4 million in cap space. According to OverTheCap, that brings Dallas to around $10.9 million of cap space remaining.

For those hoping the opt outs would create enough room to go out and sign additional help, it’s probably not enough to move Dallas towards bringing in any of the bigger names still out in free agency.

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NFL, NFLPA agree on deadline for players to opt-out of 2020 season

NFL, NFLPA agree on deadline for players to opt-out of 2020 season

The NFL and the players association have come to an agreement on the last remaining CBA changes for this year due to the pandemic.

According to a report by Tom Pelissero at NFL Network, the deadline for players to opt-out of the 2020 season is set for Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Players will also be able to opt-out later in the case of specified situations due to family or medical circumstances.

So far, the Panthers have had two players opt-out. Rookie linebacker Jordan Mack decided to take the voluntary opt-out, and second-year defensive end Christian Miller is taking the high-risk opt-out.

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