Given the fact that the NFL’s salary cap is dropping by about 8 percent next year due to the league’s revenue hit from COVID-19, the free agency period was going to be even more of a tightrope act than usual. Some teams managed the process well, while others are less promising, at least at first blush. The Cleveland Browns are one of the biggest winners in free agency so far, as they brought in safety John Johnson III and then added Troy Hill, bringing in two-fifths of the Rams’ secondary to shore up a unit that was a real weakness for the Browns. The Browns made it to the postseason and shocked the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round, and these moves, among other signings, have announced that they plan to contend for a long time now. A team that has its fan base aggravated is the Green Bay Packers, who were asking about Will Fuller V when the Dolphins swooped in and inked him to a one-year deal. The Pack did re-up Aaron Jones, but Aaron Rodgers still needs an elite receiver if Green Bay is going to get back to the Super Bowl.
Check out some other news items from the NFL as you consider your NFL betting options for the coming season.
NFL News: The Rumor Mill
Deshaun Watson’s troubles are just beginning
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson now faces 14 lawsuits alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. The lawsuit filed Monday night makes the claim that Watson “assaulted and harassed Plaintiff by exposing himself to her and touching her” with his private parts. This incident allegedly happened in California; 12 of the lawsuits are based on allegations that happened in Greater Houston, while the other two were alleged to have happened elsewhere.
Watson posted a statement on Twitter on March 16 that said, “I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” but an attorney for the plaintiffs has said he will submit evidence and affidavits to the Houston Police Department. No comments have come from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Houston Texans or the NFL. Just a few weeks ago, Watson’s biggest issues were with the front office in Houston; for now, though, his problems have grown significantly.
Could Washington win the NFC East again?
Washington won the NFC East last year despite a bizarre combination of quarterbacks: Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith and then Taylor Heinicke (after the team unceremoniously cut Haskins and both Smith and Allen were injured). It helped that the New York Giants are still deeply embedded in rebuild mode, Dallas lost Dak Prescott to a fractured ankle, and Carson Wentz decided to do his best Mark Sanchez impersonation in Philly. Now, Wentz is in Indianapolis, which means the Eagles will likely start Jalen Hurts, Dak is back (and with a huge contract) and the Giants are…still rebuilding. However, the huge contract that Dak signed, along with Ezekiel Elliott’s big contract, means that Dallas didn’t have much money to spend retooling a defense that was historically awful in 2020 and will have a new coordinator this season. Washington brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, along with wideout Curtis Samuel. William Jackson III is a shutdown press-man cornerback who will make the Football Team’s defense even better than it was a year ago. With coach Ron Rivera guiding an enthusiastic locker room, is it fair to make the Football Team the East favorites?
Andy Dalton becomes the latest quarterback experiment in Chicago
In the last five seasons, the Bears have played Mitch Trubisky, Mike Glennon and Nick Foles at quarterback. Dalton comes to the Windy City after guiding Dallas fairly well down the stretch, once he got back into the swing of the offense (and overcame his bout with COVID-19 and that concussion). Dallas’ offensive line was porous at times, due to injuries, and Dalton is not a mobile quarterback, and the Cowboys’ defensive woes mean that the offense has to put up a ton to win against top teams. He’s the best quarterback the Bears have put on the field over those last five seasons — can he bring a playoff game to Soldier Field?
