Sports Krunch W/dkrom

1. Yesterday morning, lawyers from the NFL and NFLPA completed the 456-page document of the proposed CBA, and shortly thereafter, the full populace of players began a week-long vote on the proposal. The deal, if ratified, will bring uninterrupted labor peace all the way through the 2030 season, expand the regular season from 16 to 17 games by as early as 2021, expand the playoff picture from 12-14 teams, raise minimum salaries, and strip Roger Goodell of most of the disciplinary powers that he has under the current CBA. While that may sound good on the surface to some, it is obviously way more complicated than that. And those of you who have been listening to the pod and reading my tweets and Facebook posts in recent weeks know very well that I firmly believe the players did NOT receive enough in return for a 17th game. What are your thoughts on this proposed CBA, Hal? Do you buy the argument that if the players reject this deal that the overall pie will shrink in a year or two leading to a substantially wors

1. Yesterday, the Broncos traded the 4th-round pick they acquired from the 49ers in the Emmanuel Sanders trade to the Jaguars for CB A.J. Bouye. It was a move that makes sense on the surface given that Bouye likely would’ve commanded a higher salary if he was released plus the fact Chris Harris, Jr. is likely headed elsewhere in free agency. What are your thoughts on this trade and based on what you’ve seen on film so far, how much does Bouye bring to the Broncos secondary?  2. Of all the Broncos in-house free agents, retaining All Pro S Justin Simmons is the team’s top priority. All signs point to him getting the franchise tag by the March 12 deadline next week. That said, every player who’s received the tag under John Elway’s stewardship of the front office eventually ended up getting a long-term deal. Do you anticipate a similar outcome with Simmons or do you have a feeling this case could be different? 3. Some other notable Broncos coming out of contract include Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris, and Will

1. Earlier this week, Benjamin Allbright (Pro Football Network) reported that the Bears are looking at veteran QB options. While Trubisky is still going to get a shot to prove he’s the guy, his leash will be VERY short like Marcus Mariota’s was last season. He also noted that if the Raiders were to trade or release Derek Carr ($21.5M cap hit, $7.9M in dead money), they’d be interested. And another name he mentioned that the Bears are discussing is Andy Dalton. The Bears salary cap issues aside, which one of those two QB’s would be the best get for the Bears and why? 2. In order to get those QB’s, the Bears will likely need to free up more salary cap space. While they did just that yesterday by releasing Taylor Gabriel and Prince Amukamara, that only puts the Bears at an estimated $18M and change under the cap according to OverTheCap.com. Two other such moves that will net them more cap space are Leonard Floyd ($13.222M savings, $0 dead), Akiem Hicks ($8.8M savings, $3M dead). Do you see the Bears releasing o

1. Today, the NFL owners approved the terms of a potential new Collective Bargaining Agreement and the NFLPA will discuss those terms and perhaps vote on a conference call tomorrow. The terms of the deal include the expansion of the regular season from 16 games to 17 games (along with reducing the preseason by one game) and the expansion of the playoffs from 12 teams to 14 teams (seven per conference). As bargaining chips, the owners have increased the player’s share of revenue from 47% to 48.5% (which could go up to 49% with new TV $$), raised minimum salaries across the board, COMPLETELY took away the “judge/jury/executioner” role from Roger Goodell with the exception of matters concerning the “integrity of the game”, and put in more safety measures, particularly in training camp practices. Still, if I was a player, I’m not sure this would be enough for me to approve the proposal currently on the table. I said previously that unless I got SIGNIFICANT concessions such as receiving 50%+ of total revenue, an e

1. CeeDee Lamb is usually mentioned in the same breath as Jerry Jeudy as a serious candidate to be the first WR taken off the board. However, the expectation is that Lamb will run in the 4.5s in the 40 yard dash. While I constantly, passionately stress that 40 time isn’t the end all, be all for WR’s, the NFL has a history of letting uber-talented receivers who post such a result slide much farther than they should. A notable recent example of that is Michael Thomas, who is now arguably the best WR in the NFL. Based on the tape alone, do you think Lamb is worthy of a top-10 selection? 2. The WR that’s likely to generate the most buzz in Indy is Henry Ruggs. Many believe he will break the record for fastest 40 time ever recorded at the Combine, which was recently set by John Ross three years ago. Ross ended up being the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft. Do you think Ruggs is a better prospect? If so, what makes him so and do you think his film alone should put him in the conversation along with Lamb and Jeu

We kick off our 2020 NFL Draft Coverage with a special interview with Nick Gauna, who was a placekicker on the 2015-16 University of Alabama National Championship football team!! He discussed how his inspiring journey led him to Tuscaloosa, his experience playing for Nick Saban, and shared his thoughts on the top prospects the Crimson Tide have in the 2020 NFL Draft

1. Initial thoughts on Super Bowl LIV Me:  -Opposite styles attract!    Hal: Both teams have good offensive lines, especially at OT…and good DL too 2. Truth/Exaggeration -The 49ers ground game will be even more difficult for the Chiefs to stop than that of the Titans -The Chiefs wide receivers against the Niners DB’s is the biggest mismatch in favor of the Chiefs -Jimmy Garoppolo will have to throw for at least 250+ yards and 2 TD’s for the Niners to win -The Chiefs will have to allow less than 150 rushing yards for them to win -The 49ers will start the game throwing it over the yard with the Chiefs anticipating the run -Andy Reid should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day REGARDLESS of Sunday’s outcome -A Niners win means that Kyle Shanahan’s father Mike will be enshrined in Canton within the next five years 3. David and Hal’s picks of the Modern Era Finalists for the Pro Football HOF Class of 2020 -Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater, John Lynch, LeRoy Butler, Edgerrin James, Isaac Bruc

Ohio State WR KJ Hill was another player who made himself some money at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. I caught up with him after the final day of practice and he talked about why Brian Hartline, his position coach in college, is such a masterful teacher, discussed the strengths of his game aside from his superb route running skills, the advice his former Buckeye teammate and current star Redskins WR Terry McLaurin is giving him as he goes through the draft process...and more!!!

Texas WR Collin Johnson was another player that stood out to me at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. We spoke after practice and he discussed why he's running routes better than most 6-6 receivers, what makes the comeback route so difficult (he ran a great such route in practice that day), the amazing feeling he got from getting to conclude his college career in Mobile playing with fellow Longhorn Devin Duvernay...and MORE!!!

Wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden from Liberty University is one of the more inspiring stories of the 2020 NFL Draft. I spoke to him after one of the practices at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl to discuss his story and game. He talks about growing up in Chicago's impoverished Englewood neighborhood and the inspiration he takes from NBA star Derrick Rose (who also grew up in Englewood). We also discussed the parts of his game he felt he improved during the week in Mobile, his favorite NFL wide receivers and more!!!

Utah DB Terrell Burgess is one of the most versatile players in the 2020 NFL Draft. He can play all four secondary positions. I interviewed him at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl after practice and he discussed which position he's most comfortable at, what he's learned from watching similarly hybrid defensive backs like All Pro Tyrann Mathieu of the Chiefs...and MORE!!!

Baylor WR Denzel Mims was another big standout at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. I spoke to him after the second day of practice, and he discussed why his track background helps him play the wide receiver position, why his coach at Baylor, Matt Rhule (now the head coach of the Panthers) will be successful in the NFL, what makes him admire Saints All Pro WR Michael Thomas so much...and MORE!!!!!

Ohio State is a defensive line factory for the NFL and an underrated DL prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft is Davon Hamilton. I talked to him after practice at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl and we talked about what makes Buckeyes DL coach Larry Johnson such an effective teacher, what advice he's seeking from former Buckeye DL-mates Nick Bosa (2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year!) and Dre'Mont Jones...and MORE!!!

Freakish, athletic Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. I spoke to him after one of the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl practices, and we discussed what makes his game so unique, what it was like playing for such a legendary head coach like Nick Saban, the latest on his college teammate and friend Tua Tagovailoa...and MORE!!!!

LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry III was another one of the big winners at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. I caught up with him after practice and he talked about his versatility (he can play guard as well as center), what it was like playing with 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, why having Ed Orgeron, a former DL coach as his college head coach helped get him pro ready and more!!!

Houston OT Josh Jones was one of the star performers at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl, and he could very well end up a first-round pick as a result. In this interview, he describes his game, why going up against fellow Houston Cougar and current Buffalo Bill Ed Oliver (the 9th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft) in practice helped make him a better player, why he would be an asset to an NFL club on and off the field and more!!!

I was fortunate to run into North Carolina OT Charlie Heck at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. We talked about his father Andy (former guard for the Seahawks and Bears and current OL coach for the Chiefs), what he taught Charlie about football and life, what it would mean to his family if the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV, his thoughts on the big game and more!!!

In this deep and insanely talented 2020 WR draft class, Devin Duvernay is arguably one of the best possible options on Day 2. I spoke with him at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl and he talked about why he's much more than a "deep threat", who he credits for his 106 reception season in 2019 and more!!!!

Offensive weapon Antonio Gibson, who played running back AND wide receiver at Memphis, joined me at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl. He discussed which of the two positions he thinks he plays the best, what NFL players he tries to model his game after, and more!!!!

One of the stars of the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl was Lenoir Rhyne safety/linebacker Kyle Dugger. I caught up with him there and he discussed what positions he played in college, why versatile, hybrid players like him are increasing in value, what NFL players he looks up to, and what aspects of his game he wanted to improve on during the week