NFL team owners want fans back in the stands so badly. They lost $4 billion in revenue during the 2020 season because of the ban on fans in most places.
It remains to be seen how attendance will work out, but teams are going full steam ahead to have fans in their seats by opening day.
It will mean so much for the bottom line.
Tim Tebow's attempt to play with the Jaguars has prompted some former players to try and get back into the game.
Former Giants RB Brandon Jacobs claims that he could play defensive end. Will someone give him an opportunity?
It's always a case by case basis when it comes to talent evaluation.
Nobody is never safe on any NFL roster. They might be set at 90 for now, but the bottom few spots are like a revolving door for some teams.
Players get signed for various purposes, especially depth. Others get released to make room for someone else.
There is no job security for some.
Coach Belichick spoke to the media today during the team's OTA activity. All four quarterbacks were taking snaps.
Sports talk radio is relentless to find some type of controversy for the starting job and backup.
As the Steelers start their OTA's, the word is that Ben Roethslisberger has arthritic knees. It's no surprise with him being 39 and wondering how much longer he can play.
It's all about the money and salary cap implications with Big Ben and the Steelers. There is no easy financial way out for the team.
You can't blame him for playing and collecting the millions on his contract. He is a better option than trying to find a replacement.
Adam Vinatieri finally called it a career today after 25 seasons. He had such an amazing ride with the Pats for 10 seasons and 14 with the Colts.
His achievements are too long too list. His career says so much about being undrafted from a Division 2 program and making it.
I'm glad to see that many high school football players in Massachusetts were able to play a short season this spring in light of the pandemic. Most teams played 5-7 games. Seniors had their last moment on the field.
It was really strange looking at the All-Star picks by the local newspaper. They usually do this in late November.
Hopefully the fall season is better for everyone.
How will records be looked at with a 17 game season? It's so hard to compare eras. Players have more games while trying to stay healthy and on the field.
Very few players get through the season without missing a game or more.
Jaguars HC Urban Meyer will now be tied to Tim Tebow forever after giving him a chance to earn a roster spot as a tight end,
If they ever do a movie on Tebow, Meyer will have a feature role.
With roster sizes set at 90 right now, there are a ton of players who won't have jobs once the season starts,
It happens every year, but the practice squad gives so many of them a chance to develop and make the team in some capacity.
The Pats have been so successful because they have been able to develop some talent from the squad. Every team tries to do the same.
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With the recent signing of Brian Hoyer, we are now hearing talk about the future of Jarrett Stidham. Will he be on the roster the first week of the season?
Will Coach Belichick keep four quarterbacks in light of the value he places on every roster spot?
They all need to do their job and get ready for the season. They could play at any moment.
Tim Tebow is officially on the Jaguars 90 man roster. Where he goes from here remains to be seen.
He will have every opportunity because of his relationship with Coach Urban Meyer. Some players around the league are already resentful of that.
Nobody knows how this will end.
When Tom Brady was with the Pats, the team was a regular for nationally televised games. From 2014-2020, they had 35 games broadcast.
As a result of a 7-9 record in 2020 and no Brady, they have been relegated to only three games in 2021. They will have night ones on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, but there will be 15 teams with more broadcasts than them.
Boston sports talk shows can now focus some of their time with the recent signing Brian Hoyer again.
He knows the offense from his years with he Pats. He is the fourth quarterback on the roster, in addition to Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Mac Jones.
I'm sure Coach Belichick had his reason for adding him. He doesn't need to tell every detail. That frustrates many in talk radio and the media to the point where they devote too much time to it.
Some in the media feel that Tim Tebow is getting too much attention. They are probably right, but they are the ones talking about him.
He is a very interesting player and has a great story. Whether or not he makes the Jaguars is another story.
He will never have a bigger advocate than head coach Urban Meyer who coached him in college.
Pats WR Gunner Olszewski has drawn comparisons to Julian Edelman in the way they started their careers after being converted to receivers and catching punts.
Edelman had an outstanding career before retiring a few weeks ago. Olszewski is trying to get more balls thrown his way, but he was on the All-Pro team in 2020 as a punt returner.
It remains to be seen where his career goes, but he is off to a good start.
Many players fade out of sight after time, especially the older ones.
The Pats website had a mention of today being the birthday center Guy Moriss who played in the league from 1973-1987.
In this 15 season, he started 173 games, spending his first 11 seasons with the Eagles before finishing with the Pats. He never made a lot of money.
He was the starting center for the Eagles in Super Bowl XV. After retiring, he spent a career as a offensive line coach at the NFL and college level. He had head coaching stints at Kentucky and Baylor from 2001-2007. He is still involved on the secondary level.
The oddsmakers have given the Pats nine wins this season. It make for an interesting bet.
The over would be a record of at least 10-7 while the under would be 8-9 or worse.
It really spans the possibilities.
Now that the 2021 NFL schedule has been released, fans will need to deal with the endless talk about the Week 4 game with the Bucs and Tom Brady.
It will be on SNF and should draw a huge audience. The media will try to make it a contest between Brady and Belichick. Some will create a false narrative to hype it up and make their own viewpoint relevant.
In the end, it's one more game on the schedule for both teams.
There seems to be an issue about the potential signing of 33 year old Tim Tebow by the Jaguars. He probably wouldn't get a chance except for his former college coach Urban Meyer is now the head guy in Jacksonville.
Is he taking a spot from another worthy player? Time will tell, but he will either make the roster or get cut. The issue will resolve itself.
Coach Belichick has no issue with 5th round pick LB Cameron McGrone sitting out the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
He suffered the injury in the 5th game last season. He was expected to go much higher in the draft, but his playing status for 2021 doesn't look that good. That scared off a lot of teams, but the Pats are willing to give him a shot next year.
Owners of sports teams know that they win the financial game no matter how they do with wins and losses on the field.
The Pats have a value of $4.4 billion according to Forbes. They are the second most valuable NFL franchise, trailing the Cowboys with a worth of $5.7 billion.
Teams took a hit in 2020 when they lost ticket sales due to the pandemic, but the Pats have increased 38% in value over the last five years.
Seahawks WR DK Metcalf would like to be a sprinter on the US Olympic team headed to Tokyo for the rescheduled 2020 Summer Games.
He got a dose of reality the other day when he competed against the best sprinters at the US Track and Field Golden Games.
He finished last in his heat in the 100M while running a lightning quick 10.37 seconds. Unfortunately, the qualifying standard to get invited to compete for a spot is 10.05. The winner of Metcalf's race ran 9.96.
Metcalf is known for his blazing sped, but these sprinters are in another class.
The stories we are hearing about this year's group of quarterbacks drafted in the first round will be repeated next year. Another bunch of names will take their place. It happens every year.
Getting drafted in the first round is a big deal. It can mean a lot of money to the player. Their level of success on the field is another story.
When teams want stadium enhancements, they rumble about maybe relocating to a shiny new place.
The Chicago Bears might be doing that with talk about a stadium being built in Arlington Heights at a former horse track.
A big obstacle is the Bears having a lease agreement at Soldiers Field until 2033. The NFL has not supported breaking leases in the past.
Financing of any place is another story.
Will the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers? Rumors have him going to Denver in some type of deal.
If a trade is made, the Packers need to make sure they don't take a big salary cap hit.
Rodgers isn't doing anything new in the NFL in wanting to have financial security. It might not happen if he stays in Green Bay.
This story will be part of the 2021 season. It's already starting.
The University of Alabama tied the record for having six players selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It was a typical year for the Crimson Tide who continue to churn out players. They had a total of ten who made the cut.
The SEC continues to dominate the draft, with 32 of the first 64 picks from that conference. They had 65 of the overall 259 selections, ahead of the ACC and Big Ten which had 43 each.
A total of 89 schools were represented, with 56 having multiple ones chosen.
NFL teams selected 259 players from a pool of 657 who applied to be in this year's draft. Close to the same number will be signed as undrafted free agents. They will be given a chance to make an impression on a team or get their name out there.
Every player will have their own story. Those who were not signed might never play another snap again in their lifetime.
Last year, a record of 1,932 opted for the draft. They were taking a chance by giving up their college eligibility to pursue their dream. It didn't work out for many.
Has the NFL seen the last of Tim Tebow? He recently had a tryout with the Jaguars where his former college coach Urban Meyer is leading the team.
He has not played a down in the NFL since his brief tenure with the Eagles in 2015. Age is working against him at 33.
There was a time when coaches wanted him to switch positions, but he was determined to play quarterback after being the 25th overall pick by Denver in the 2010 draft.
Tebow is a very unique athlete who spent the last five years trying to launch a baseball career with the New York Mets minor league system.
The Jaguars have nothing lose by inviting him to training camp.
The drafting of Mac Jones has already started talk about a potential quarterback controversy with Cam Newton.
This is largely the creation of the media where they see a story. Nobody knows how much he will play this season. It's all conjecture to this point.
Coach Belichick has made a firm commitment that Cam is the starter. Will anything change?
This will be the story that feeds the media.
Teams are one play away from losing any player for the season.
There is a lot of excitement around the selections the Pats made in the draft, especially QB Mac Jones.
Opportunities for some have a direct impact on others.
Former UConn QB Jake Delegala spent the season on the practice squad while getting a year's worth of experience and league service.
The team released him after the selection of Jones. Where he ends up is anyone's guess.
It will happen to many other players.
