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ATLANTA — After a day of loitering…
Snyder: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports; Murray: Michael Chow/USA Today Network; Donald: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
• I wouldn’t expect much movement on the status of commanders Owner Dan Snyder on the two days of the league here in Buckhead. In response to USA Today’s story that the owners were “counting votes,” a manager here said, “We’d need to know a lot more than we do now” for the league to get the 24 votes needed to get Snyder’s team from him take . That does not mean, to put it bluntly, that owner are not Votes are counting – they’re all preparing for the findings of former SEC Chair Mary Jo White’s investigation, which could indeed lead them to know a lot more.
The real problem with getting the votes is about precedent and the bar that the other owners want to set to take away another owner’s team. And the one thing we can all count on is that the bar for that is set very high (or low, depending on your perspective). So stay tuned for the White report; its content likely dictates where this goes next.
• While we’re there, the Commanders’ purchase of land that could be used for a stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, was received in DC like the team moving to Mars. And with the traffic in this area, it’s understandable why this is the vibe. However, compared to other teams, the Woodbridge location, 23 miles from the city, is not too far.
That patriots play in Foxboro, Mass., 28 miles from Boston. That 49ers play in Santa Clara, 42 miles from San Francisco. That cowboys play in Arlington, 19 miles from Dallas. The difference is that these teams are also close to other relatively large cities (the Patriots to Providence, the Niners to San Jose, and the Cowboys to Fort Worth), but the NFL hasn’t exactly shied away from suburban locations (the nozzles and Giants are another example set 11 miles from Manhattan).
Ideally, I would say most of us believe that the RFK Stadium location remains the ideal place for the commanders. But I’m not sure if that will happen if the team isn’t sold.
• It’s hardly a surprise to anyone in Arizona that Kyler Murray wasn’t there for the start on Monday cardinals OTAs. Last year, Murray missed part of the OTAs while training in Texas without a contract dispute. So add Murray’s desire for a new deal and the Cardinals later pushed negotiations into the offseason and it makes sense he wouldn’t be there today (he’s clearly comfortable with his routine in Texas).
Kliff Kingsbury said Monday he’s expecting Murray there for minicamp in June, but obviously a lot could happen before then.
• Accordingly, the Cardinals are the team featured in the in-season version of Hard hits has a chance to get pretty interesting.
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• For me, Aaron Donald is not showing Aries OTAs is probably a little more interesting.
Donald has three years and $55 million in cash left on his existing contract. To repeat the deal, the Rams must work off $21.5 million in cap fees, in addition to de facto credit card debt for the original contract structure and restructuring. Usually, the way to get around all of this is to add a few years to the back end and move money up. But navigating here and getting Donald the $30 million a year he’s making might be a little tricky. And it’s worth noting that Donald hasn’t been afraid to draw a line in the past.
Joe Nicholson/USA Today Network
• That foalThe decision to bring in Nick Foles is a good indication of how they see themselves as a team. Last year they picked Texas QB Sam Ehlinger in the fourth round, and Ehlinger has done well ever since. But with a well-rounded, winning roster and a quarterback in Matt Ryan who they think is a significant upgrade, going out and getting a savvy backup who has the experience in the system is insurance to guard against , which Foles has with Frank Reich Ryan is out for a few games at some point during the season.
And if you’re a championship contender, buying this type of insurance is very valuable as it can make a difference when seeding or even entering the postseason.
• I think we already have evidence of the character portion of Chris Olave’s preliminary assessments upon checkout, based on how he’s previously worked with Saints star Michael Thomas (whom he knew before New Orleans drafted him, since both are in Ohio State played). . A New Orleans official told me the day after the draft that Olave, as her “type of man,” was a factor in the decision to trade for him. So far so good on that front.
• A game I’m looking forward to and I know people in Vegas are too – Darren Waller plays on offense for Josh McDaniels. The tight end was even better than expected, so it’s quite interesting to imagine how he and Davante Adams will look when they play together for one of the sport’s top play callers.
• The difference Matt Ryan made for the Colts culturally was tangible even up to that point. And the pace and detail he’s working with should be good for everyone on the roster – remember the year Philip Rivers was in Indy was the COVID year so most of the players on the team aren’t very have a lot of experience working with a quarterback at the level of Rivers and Ryan.
• Somehow, Monday’s story about Dwayne Haskins got even sadder. Here he hopes for peace for his family.
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