Speaking of which…

It’s “time”.

NFL training camps have opened, more or less.  Players are actually reporting.  A number of players, including some prominent names, have opted out for the season due to individual COVID-19 concerns.  Those still dithering have until Thursday to decide their  – and their team’s, in some cases – fortunes.  The next few weeks will be crucial to the 2020 season happening at all, as it will provide some indication of how far COVID-19 has infected the NFL community, and which teams will be most heavily affected by (likely) in-season roster changes.  Speaking of which…

The Ravens have shelved C Matt Skura for the time being.  With his position being one of the deeper on the roster, and with capable 2019 backup Patrick Mekari healthy and ready to play, there was little sense in rushing Skura into action.  The fact he’s ready to participate at all is somewhat remarkable, as his catastrophic knee injury was deemed career-threatening immediately after it happened.  Given the protection issues the Ravens are sure to experience in the wake of G Marshal Yanda’s retirement, Skura’s availability may become paramount sooner rather than later.  I would guess he’ll be on the field to start the opener.  Speaking of which…

Browns newly-reinstated DE Myles Garrett will definitely be on the field for week 1, having brokered a blockbuster deal with new GM Andrew Berry.  Locking up one of the game’s premier pass-rushers for five years (seven under team control) would seem to be a no-brainer, but Berry, sensing the need, acted quickly – something Browns GMs have recently not done in allowing prominent young players to depart after their rookie deals expired.  Berry seems to understand the urgency of roster building in the NFL; team “windows” for success are fleeting and have to be maintained with young, capable talent.  There’s little question Garrett qualifies as a generational find – a likely 100-sack career contributor, should he remain healthy.  Speaking of which…

Apparently, the Bengals are – inexplicably, in this author’s opinion – the betting favorites to land troubled (and suspended) WR Antonio Brown, whose off-field exploits have netted him eight games off this season, with the marked possibility of several more, pending the outcome of his ongoing sexual assault allegations/investigation.  Brown’s all-encompassing narcissism would be disastrous to a Bengals locker room attempting to build continuity with a rookie QB, a second-year coach, and a roster containing just five players age 30 or over.  Pairing Brown with longtime Bengals WR A.J. Green may seem like a great idea on paper; let’s hope paper statistics don’t guide the Bengals’ roster decisions.  Speaking of which…

Longtime Steelers LB Chad Brown produced many statistics during his playing career, and the Steelers hope 2020 third-round pick Alex Highsmith is able to provide the same level of production as his distant predecessor.  As the link notes, Highsmith flashes the same sort of versatility that marked the Steelers’ LB corp during Brown’s tenure.  Given the Steelers’ long history of solid LB play, the hit-or-miss nature of recent picks there (T.J. Watt, Jarvis Jones) is surely galling; Brown may be the first LB addition since longtime swingman Vince Williams to provide the level of flexibility Steelers fans were previously accustomed to.

Enjoy the week!