Because the Browns announced their intention to release him on Monday, and the NFL’s transaction deadline for a given day is 4 p.m. (ET). The Browns did this to ramp up the bidding process for any potential trade suitors. Read more

Yup. Has to be on the active roster for six games to qualify for an accrued season toward free agency. He’s only done that in 2012 and 2013. Read more

Yeah, you’re right. I took that reference out. Thanks. Read more

This is true. And thank you. Read more

Sure. I mean, there are going to be borderline calls that get judged to be flags that shouldn’t. And people are going to flip shit when one of those gets called incorrectly at a crucial game moment. But I think it’s pretty clear there won’t be flags on every play, as was feared. Read more

I think they’re trying to encourage players to keep their heads up and lead with the facemask and shoulder. The league won’t say it, but Shazier’s injury has everyone spooked. And a lot of guys have been hitting like he did for years. Read more

He did, yeah. But he lowered his head and led with his crown. In the instant the officials have to determine whether to throw a flag, that’s what they see. That’s also what the rule is designed to discourage. Read more

I stand corrected. You’re right. My bad. Read more

The rule says nothing about making contact with the helmet, though. It specifically addresses “lowering the head to initiate contact.” The idea is that dipping the head, in and of itself, increases the risk of injury. The one consistent factor in all nine of the hits shown above is that the flagged player lowered his… Read more

No, he didn’t. He lowered his helmet and launched himself. That’s what the league is trying to eliminate, since it frequently puts the tackler at risk of a head, neck, or spine injury. Had Kazee kept his head up, he’d have been fine. Read more

You’re being bizarrely pedantic about a shitty QB doing shitty things at training camp. I’m having fun here. Read more

Right. Additional context was certainly needed here. Read more

You mean the story I linked to in my kicker? Read more

Crackback blocks are legal from waist to shoulder. Can’t hit the head/neck area or below the waist. That one would have been close, for sure, since the helmet-to-helmet contact was made. But the call on the field was for lowering the helmet. Read more

Ito Smith of the Falcons (No. 25) was flagged for this block last night. He turned his head and led with his shoulder. But his head was down.

You’re correct that the rest of the technique is proper on the Vikings, Rams, and Dolphins plays. But they all dipped their heads and led with the crowns of their helmets—the very thing the rules (as written) say is prohibited. Keeping the head up is crucial to what’s considered proper tackling, yet that’s not what hap… Read more

Derp. Meant to have that there. I do now. Thanks. Read more

You could make an argument that Richard Todd, Chad Pennington, and Mark Sanchez were, too. That’s why I was careful to write “better part of,” Zepset. Read more

Yes. Only the top 20 or so picks get full guarantees across all four years of their rookie deals. What a devastating precedent it might set if teams had to pay what amounts to a rounding error for a mistake at the top of the first round on a pick with no bargaining power on an artificially reduced salary. That… Read more

Thanks! I’m from Pittsburgh, too. Huge Pitt fan. Revis’s punt return against WVU in 2006 is a fave. The one real conversation I had with him during my short time on the Jets beat was about high school football in Western Pennsylvania, which I’m convinced is the easiest ice breaker for anyone from the area who cares… Read more