Tag: testing

NFL, NFLPA could agree on safe reopening protocols as soon as next week

The NFL and the NFLPA could agree on safe reopening protocols as soon as next week to ensure training camps start by the end of July.

Training camps around the National Football League are expected to officially kick-off at the end of the month but the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association have yet to agree on the exact protocols to ensure the openings happen safely.

Those very important decisions could be coming as soon as late next week, according to Mike Jones of USA TODAY Sports.

“The talks continue with the goal of hammering out the most important factors somewhere between July 8 and 10, according to people familiar with the discussions, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter,” Jones writes. “That timeline would give players time to make travel plans to return to the cities of their employment before the start of camp on July 28.”

But with positive cases of COVID-19 rising across most states in the nation, figuring out the logistics of safely bringing together players, coaches and staff could prove to be a daunting task.

Still, the NFL is pushing ahead, with some decisions expected in the near future.

“The NFLPA and NFL are in the same exact place, where we want whatever makes for the safest possible environments for all our constituents, whether they be players, coaches, trainers, medical staff — anyone in that team environment,” NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said via conference call with the owners last week. “We’re going to work very hard together to educate everyone about the steps that we feel collectively are the most effective in reducing risks for everyone.”

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Report: ‘Several Cowboys players’ test positive for COVID-19

NFL insider Ian Rapoport announces that several players on the Cowboys and Texans teams have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The NFL’s plans to move forward with the 2020 season and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have seemingly been on a collision course for months. Despite the necessity for a virtual draft in April, the temporary shuttering of team facilities, and the subsequent delay for teams looking to get back to work, though, the global health crisis hadn’t made a significant impact on the day-to-day world of pro football.

That may have just changed with sobering news from league insider Ian Rapoport, who is announcing that “several” players from the Cowboys and Texans have now tested positive for COVID-19.

Players’ names have not been made public.

Positive player tests have been a distinct possibility as the league moved cautiously toward reopening fully. Just last week, the NFL issued a set of protocols to its 32 teams detailing a plan for players to safely return to team facilities. Coaches had previously been allowed to come back to work.

Coincidentally, the Office of the Texas Governor just released a new public service announcement on the importance of wearing a facemask starring Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith.

“I wear a face mask every single day on the football field to protect myself,” Smith says in the video. “Now I’m switching it up to a different mask to protect myself and others around me. As we open up Texas, it’s crucial that we all do our part in this fight against COVID-19. So when you leave the house, make sure you wash your hands, make sure you practice social distancing, and last but not least, wear a mask. You be safe. Go Cowboys.”

Expect the debate over how- and even if– the NFL should proceed with a 2020 season to reignite with this news.

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Brian Kelly’s SportsCenter Appearance – 5 Things

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly was a guest on SportsCenter Monday night and shared some news in regards to Notre Dame football.

Brian Kelly joined Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter on Monday night and discussed a wide array of topics.  If you didn’t catch the interview don’t sweat it, we’ve got you covered right here with the five things to takeaway.

On Social Issues:

Van Pelt led Kelly to start the conversation by discussing the current state of affairs in the United States in the wake of the unnecessary death of George Floyd.  Kelly offered the following on what went on with his team in the days immediately following that event.

“Dialogue.  It started with getting everyone together and to give them the platform to speak on what happened”

Kelly went on to add that he has “failed as a leader” of young men because he hasn’t done enough with his platform to help change things for the better.

In order to create this change we all claim to want, Kelly stated: “It can’t be talk, it’s got to be action”

Next:  “White men don’t like talking about racism”

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Cowboys, NFL players closer to returning, but protocol questions remain

The league is telling teams to gear up for the players’ return, which could come for certain individuals by the end of June.

Little by little, life is trying to get back to its pre-COVID state. NFL coaches were allowed back into team offices last week. Their players may not be too far behind.

The league on Monday sent out detailed protocols that explain how 2,000-plus players on 32 teams will go about returning to a workplace where social distancing is impossible. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, no dates have been set, but indications are that certain players may be permitted back inside their club’s facilities before the end of the month.

In a subsequent tweet, Pelissero pointed out the following highlights from the new league protocols:

Locker rooms are to be reconfigured to permit people being six feet apart.

Meetings must be conducted virtually when possible.

Helmets, shoulder pads, and similar pieces of gear are to be disinfected after each game.

Masks will be required except when interfering with “athletic activities.”

It’s an encouraging sign for an on-time kickoff to the 2020 season, though some support remains for a delayed October start. Of course, the season itself will be unusual for many reasons, not the least of which is the likelihood of stadiums at half capacity on gameday. That is a key precaution to be implemented in hopes of preventing a resurgence of the coronavirus. But despite the league’s medical protocols for teams, coaches, and players, there is still a monumental question looming.

How (and how often) players will be tested and what happens if a test comes back positive are still issues to be resolved. But the league is asking everyone to maintain their current practices in the meantime.

Pelissero notes- and SI‘s Peter King has a source who agrees- that team minicamps are not expected to happen, “but the NFL and NFLPA are discussing the possibility of certain players — such as rookies, and veterans who changed teams and need physicals — returning to club facilities on a limited basis before June 26, per sources.”

King gives more detail on the possible timing of players reporting in his MMQB column:

“The new CBA dictates that teams can report 47 days before their first regular season game (a change from the old 14-day rule), meaning the report date for most teams would be July 28. Meanwhile, the joint committee on health and safety is recommending an acclimation period before camp, given the lack of football activity these guys have had, of at least a week or two (and up to three). The good news is, the new CBA builds in a five-day acclimation period. The bad news is players may need more than that under these unique circumstances. So the league has floated the idea of an earlier report date closer to the middle of July, to give players a better chance to get their feet underneath them.”

It’s a fluid situation, and there are still plenty of details to be ironed out. But we are getting closer to football.

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Yellowstone testing employees for COVID-19; so far so good

Initial COVID-19 testing among Yellowstone National Park has not turned up a single positive case.

Yellowstone National Park is welcoming tourists who might be relieved to learn that initial COVID-19 testing among employees has not turned up a single positive case.

The park announced Thursday that it tested 43 non-symptomatic employees who hold front-line positions on May 28-29. All tests came back negative.

Yellowstone, which spans portions of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, opened its two Wyoming entrances on May 18, and its three other entrances (in Montana) on June 1.

The park, utilizing a phased-opening approach, is presently open for day use only.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Investigation launched after black bear hunters kill grizzly bears

Part of the reopening plan calls for surveillance testing of National Park Service and concessions employees who deal directly with the public.

About 100 tests will have been conducted by the end of this week, the park stated Thursday, and surveillance testing will occur through the summer.

“This is the most aggressive employee surveillance testing being conducted in the National Park System,” said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly. “We couldn’t do this without our partners in the states and counties.

“Our goal is to detect positive COVID-19 cases as early as possible, so we can isolate and support those employees, while reducing chances of spreading the virus. Information gained from this program will inform management decisions.”

Yellowstone reported that vehicle traffic through the two Wyoming entrances from May 18-31 was 70% of traffic during the same period in 2019.

Vehicle traffic through the three Montana entrances from June 1-3 was 45% of traffic during the same period in 2019.

–Images captured in the park after it reopened are courtesy of NPS/Jacob W. Frank

Dr. Fauci on NFL this fall: ‘The virus will make the decision for us’

Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked about the potential impact of COVID-19 on NFL football this fall – “The virus will make the decision for us.”

NBC Sports’ Peter King had the rare opportunity to interview the country’s leading expert on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci. King was looking to get his thoughts on whether or not NFL football would be played this season.

“The virus,” Fauci said, “Will make the decision for us.”

King posed Fauci a hypothetical, curious as to what would happen should a plyer test positive before gameday.

“Suppose,” King asked, “You test a team of 53 players on a Saturday night and four are positive. Is there a level at which . . .”

Fauci was quick to interrupt.

“You got a problem there,” he said. “You know why? Because it is likely that if four of them are positive and they’ve been hanging around together, that the other ones that are negative are really positive. So I mean, if you have one outlier, I think you might get away.”

“But once you wind up having a situation where it looks like it’s spread within a team, you got a real problem,” Fauci continued. “You gotta shut it down.”

The NFL is carefully monitoring the pandemic but has already revealed its schedule for the 2020 season. Hopefully, the league continues to listen to the scientific experts before any major decisions are to be made.

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Possible Saints draft target Brandon Aiyuk undergoes core-muscle surgery

Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is a target for the Saints in the 2020 NFL Draft, but his recent surgery might complicate things.

One prospect the New Orleans Saints may be eyeing in the 2020 NFL Draft just went under the knife. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk went through a core-muscle procedure on Tuesday. The injury this surgery repaired has dogged Aiyuk throughout the pre-draft process, but he gutted it out to finish athletic testing at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

While he described as a minor issue, Aiyuk did sit out Senior Bowl practices and the all-star game itself out of an abundance of caution. “If the Senior Bowl was next week, I would have been fine,” he told The Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran back in January.

Garafolo’s report added that the surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers, a Philadelphia-based specialist who is well-regarded in NFL circles for his work on groin muscle issues and sports hernia injuries. Given Meyers’ track record and Aiyuk’s own admissions, this shouldn’t be expected to develop into a long-lasting problem.

Now, will it impact his draft stock? Last-minute surgeries can cause a highly-rated prospect to fall down the draft board as teams look for rookies who can play right away, rather than sit out part of their offseason program. That’s what happened with Ryan Ramczyk, who the Saints drafted at No. 31 a few years ago despite the top-15 grade they’d awarded him. Ramczyk underwent hip surgery after Wisconsin’s 2016 bowl game, and ended up in a great spot with New Orleans.

However, we aren’t in a typical draft cycle. The NFL has already canceled lengthy stretches of its offseason calendar in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, including team workouts and organized activities, so Aiyuk won’t be missing more than other rookies around the league while recovering from surgery. In fact, Garafolo reported that the NFL’s adjustment played a direct part in Aiyuk’s decision to have surgery now.

So, it feels like this shouldn’t impact Aiyuk’s draft odds much at all. He could still slip a bit further than expected given the wealth of receiving talent in this year’s draft class, but we shouldn’t anticipate as big a drop for Aiyuk as might be expected in another year. He should very much be in play for the Saints at the end of the first round, as we projected in our latest 2020 mock draft:

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Daniel Jeremiah’s post-combine mock draft has Saints picking Brandon Aiyuk

Daniel Jeremiah connected the New Orleans Saints to Arizona State prospect Brandon Aiyuk in his updated post-combine mock draft on NFL.com.

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Wide receiver prospects remain the trendy pick for the New Orleans Saints in NFL mock drafts following last week’s combine in Indianapolis, with NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah connecting the team with Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Jeremiah is a fan of Aiyuk’s ability to pick up yards after the catch, which he speculates could be featured well in the Saints offense.

That’s difficult to disagree with. While Aiyuk is currently seen as a fringe prospect to be selected in the first round, that speaks more to the depth and quality of this draft class than any flaws in his scouting report. Aiyuk was held out of Senior Bowl practices with a core muscle injury, but he completed athletic testing at the combine and put on a show.

Tipping the sales at 6-foot-flat and 205 pounds, Aiyuk sets himself apart with a remarkable catch radius — his wingspan measures in at 80 inches, just shy of the 81-inch wingspan boasted by Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, who stands nearly 6-foot-4. For added context, Michael Thomas measured in with a 78-inch wingspan when he came out of the college ranks.

That expansive catch radius allows Aiyuk to compete on off-target passes, giving him opportunities to make a play that opponents may underestimate or not expect. And as Jeremiah alluded to, he’s a terrific threat after the catch. He averaged 10.9 yards after the catch per the Pro Football Focus draft guide, forcing 14 missed tackles on just 65 catches. That raw speed and lower-body strength carried through into Aiyuk’s combine testing; he timed the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds exactly, and placed inside the top six competitors in both the vertical jump (40 inches) and the broad jump (128 inches).

He has the tools to help the Saints fill the role vacated by Willie Snead a few years ago, as their dynamic slot receiver. While Cameron Meredith’s body was too broken down to give him a real shot at it, the carousel of other candidates (ranging from Austin Carr to Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall, as well as Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Krishawn Hogan) has been uninspiring.

Aiyuk specifically asked the Arizona State coaching staff to let him run more routes from the slot in his senior year, and that was reflected in his alignment. Per the PFF Draft guide, Aiyuk ran 102 slot snaps (out of 642 total) in 2019 after running just 26 snaps (of 402) from the slot back in 2018. He correctly diagnosed that his best shot at making a career in the NFL will come from the slot, and that’s something the Saints should keep in mind on draft day.

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NFL Scouting Combine to feature 16 new drills in 2020

They’ve also eliminated some older and outdated drills at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NFL announced last Friday that they’ll add 16 new position-specific on-field drills and eliminate some outdated drills from the NFL Scouting Combine. The idea behind this is to put players in more situations they’d find themselves in during NFL games. This gives general managers and scouts more evaluation tools to help influence their decision on draft day.

Players won’t begin their on-field testing until Thursday, February 27 when the QB, WR and TE groups get on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here’s a look at the new drills coming to the combine and their corresponding position:

  1. QB: Timed smoke/now route drill
  2. QB: End zone fade routes
  3. RB: Duce Staley drill
  4. RB: Angle routes with c.o.d.
  5. WR: End zone fade route
  6. TE: End zone fade route
  7. OL: New mirror drill
  8. OL: New screen drill
  9. DL: Run and club drill
  10. DL: Run the hoop drill
  11. LB: Shuffle, sprint, change of direction drill
  12. LB: Short zone breaks drill
  13. DB: Line drill
  14. DB: Teryl Austin drill
  15. DB: Box drill
  16. DB: Gauntlet drill

You can find complete descriptions of each drill here. The drills named after coaches sound like they’ll be pretty interesting. You can bet that Andy Reid will be paying close attention to the new screen drill. Fade routes being added to the route tree in on-field testing was long overdue. The same goes for the gauntlet drill for defensive backs. Which of the new drills are you most excited to see in action? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.