Author: meghanlhall

Welcome to your Monday edition of The Morning After Huddle! Hope you like waffles because Kareem Hunt and the Browns are serving up changing-by-the-minute contract conversations.

Here’s what you need to know:

• As you are aware, Browns RB Kareem Hunt is no stranger to controversy and it seems asking for a new contract is no different. Just mere days ago, Hunt was ”holding in”, refusing to participate in team drills in hopes of facilitating conversations about a new contract. Things escalated rather quickly Sunday as Hunt asked for a trade. The team said absolutely not and that was that. Hunt showed up to camp and participated in team drills. That has to be the worst bluff in the history of football. Nobody should be shocked that this likely title belongs to a Browns player. Browns gonna Brown.
• Next, Jon Gruden is back in the news cycles again. This time his agent wants all the smoke and is threatening to release what he claims are damning emails of several high-profile people in the NFL. Gruden’s agent says the NFL is executing a “hit job” on his client and if they go to court, it will not be pretty for the league. Newsflash: this is nasty work. Essentially, what Gruden and his agent are saying here is that if Jon has to go down, so should many more people. I don’t think anyone is disputing that there are more, but this is certainly deflecting responsibility from Gruden and his actions. The racist emails still exist. We just can’t unsee those in an effort to take down more people. Tune in for more moving of the goalposts.
• Last but not least, your Key Signings Roundup:
  • FB Reggie Gilliam is signing a two-year extension with the Bills
  • LB Kiko Alonso (after 1 practice) has re-retired
  • Full List of Roster Moves from the Weekend

Thanks for hanging out today with us, teammates. Come back tomorrow for more elite analysis and NFL news you want to know!

Welcome to your Saturday edition of the Morning After Huddle! Add the NFL to the list of your grandma’s favorite soap operas because the storylines this week have shown up in dramatic fashion.

Here’s what you need to know:

• First up, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement will take place at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio today. Eight inductees will become part of the ”gold jacket” club: Tony Boselli, Cliff Branch, LeRoy Butler, Art McNally, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Dick Vermeil and Bryant Young. You can watch the ceremony at noon ET on ESPN and NFL Network.
• Next, the Cardinals are having one hell of a off-season…in the worst way possible. News broke yesterday that RB coach James Saxon is being charged with domestic battery. Saxon’s charges are related to a May incident, and according to the report, involve committing battery in front of a child less than 16 years old. That is a felony. Yikes!
• Finally, your Key Signings Roundup:
  • ICYMI: WR Diontae Johnson signed a 2-year extension with the Steelers, worth up to $39.5 million.
  • LB Kiko Alonzo is signing with the Saints
  • For a list of every roster move within the last few days, click here.

Enjoy your weekend, teammates! Connect with us on Monday for more NFL news you want to know.

Buckle up, friends! Today’s news is hotter than South Beach, but with less chest hair and Miami Vice suits.

Here’s what you need to know:

• First up, the Miami Dolphins will forfeit a first round draft pick in 2023 and a third round pick in 2024 for violations related to integrity of the game. Owner Stephen Ross will pay $1.5 million in fines and is suspended through October 17th. Vice Chairman/Limited Partner Bruce Beal may not attend any league meetings for the rest of the season and will pay $500,000 in fines. In pursuit of investigating the tanking allegations brought by Brian Flores, it was discovered that the Dolphins tampered with Tom Brady and Sean Payton. Furthermore, the league did not find explicit evidence to support the allegations but did uncover that there are differing recollections about if owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 to tank and whether the offer was legitimate.
• Next, while Training Camp is exciting, is not without heartbreak. Injuries are plaguing the league, including several that are season-ending. The Falcons, Broncos, Saints, Bills, Colts, Vikings, and Bucs are all reporting impacted players. The full list is available here. Also, reported yesterday: Saints WR Kawaan Baker, a 2021 7th-round pick, will be suspended six games for violating the league’s PED policy.
• Finally, Your Key Signings Roundup has plenty of action:
  • K Chris Boswell is signing a new 5-year contract with the Steelers
  • LT DJ Humphries is signing a 3-year extension with the Cardinals worth $66.8 million, with $34 million guaranteed
  • TE Chris Herndon is expected to sign with the Saints
  • The Patriots will sign a pair of DBs: Jalen Elliott and Brad Hawkins
  • CB Devin Jones is signing with the Panthers
  • The Colts will re-sign C Alex Mollette who previously spent time with the team
  • OL Rashaad Coward will sign with the Cardinals
  • AFC journeyman Chester Rogers will sign with the Texans

WHEW! Catch your breath. That was a lot, but we have more news you want to know the rest of the week. Brace yourselves. See you tomorrow!

ICYMI: Tuesday – August 2, 2022 Edition

Welcome to your Monday edition of The Morning After Huddle. It pays to have good friends who can hold you down when life hits. After an unexpected illness last week, D.A. was kind enough to help me out. I’m back with all of your important updates on all things NFL…and unlike your Uncle Steve’s hairline, we are progressing rapidly. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• The soap opera that is “Days of Deebo Samuel” finally has an ending. Samuel and the 49ers agreed to a 3-year extension worth $73.5 million, with 58.1 million guaranteed late Sunday. It seems that money covers a multitude of wounds and long gone are the days of wanting to be ex-communicated from the family. Deebo gets his respect and the Niners get their guy.
• Today, we expect news on the Deshaun Watson front. NFL disciplinary officer Sue Robinson will hand down her decision this morning. The NFLPA is not expected to appeal and has encouraged the NFL to do the same. Several outlets are reporting that the suspension could be in the neighborhood of 4-8 games. Apparently, Watson and his camp tried to engage in settlement talks with the NFL in recent days, but neither side seemed happy with the outcome. They are far apart, with Watson’s camp wanting no more than 6-8 games, and the NFL wanting 12 games and a $8 million fine.
• Switching gears, here is your Key Signings Roundup:
  • TE Sage Surratt is signing with the Chargers. Surratt most recently played in the USFL for the Birmingham Stallions. 
  • OT Darryl Williams is signing with the Jaguars. Williams went undrafted in 2020 and spent the last two seasons with the Chiefs and Patriots.
  • Ryan Kerrigan will sign a one-day contract to retire a Washington Commander. Kerrigan is hanging up his cleats after 11 seasons.

Thanks for sticking around today for all things you want to know. Catch us Tuesday for more news, hot takes, and insanely terrible analysis that you can’t help but love.

Welcome to your Football Friday edition of The Morning After Huddle. Back up the Brinks truck! It’s not Friday night, but Kyler Murray just got paid. (Shoutout to you if you caught that song reference.)

Here’s what you need to know:

• There are 230 million reasons why Kyler Murray is the happiest man in Arizona. Murray and the Cardinals agreed to a five-year $230 million dollar contract that includes $160 million in guarantees. This ties Kyler to the organization through 2028 and his yearly average will amount to a whopping $46+ million. This is quite the haul for a QB who’s only been in the league 3 years, but teams are quickly finding out that you need to pay your key pieces or someone else will.
• Training camps are underway and so are the injuries. The Giants, Jets, Pats, Falcons, Saints and Raiders are lining up to place players on the PUP list, including 5 players in Foxboro alone (They can’t blame this on the TB12 program). Some key names to watch will be Michael Thomas of the Saints, James White of the Pats, and Mekhi Becton of the Jets. A full run down of injuries can be found here.
• Finally, your Key Signings Roundup has plenty of action:
  • The Browns are signing QB Josh Rosen to a 1-year deal.
  • OT David Sharpe is signing with the Ravens
  • TE Sal Cannela will sign with the Green Bay Packers
  • The Raiders are signing Safety Matthias Farley
  • DB Craig James is signing with the Jets
  • The recently retired Jason McCourty is joining “Good Morning Football” starting Monday, July 25th.
  • Andrew Whitworth, who also recently retired, is joining Aqib Talib on “Thursday Night Football.”

Thanks for breaking down the huddle with us today! You know the drill: grab your Saturday morning coffee and join us for more news you want to know tomorrow.

ICYMI: Thursday – July 21, 2022 Edition

Welcome to your Thursday edition of The Morning After Huddle, bringing you all things NFL. In the words of Logic, “I’ve been gone for a minute, but I’m back now!”. A huge thanks goes to my partner-in-print, D. A., for stepping in while I was on vacation. There is news to be reported. Let’s get right to it. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• Of course, as we all suspected, the Niners have finally given Jimmy Garoppolo the permission to seek a trade. If you’ve been paying attention to off-season storylines, this was absolutely coming down the pipeline. Now the question remains: where will he end up? We’ll keep tabs on this one. Seattle could be a potential option, but the Browns are also in the mix.
• Sadly, we have some unfortunate news picking up in NFL circles. Former Steelers first-round pick, Charles Johnson, has passed away. Johnson played nine NFL seasons — five with Pittsburgh, two with the Philadelphia Eagles, one with the Patriots (where he won a SB) and his last with the Buffalo Bills. He was 50 years old.
• Finally, your Key Signings Roundup:
  • Kyle Rudolph is signing with the Bucs to be Tom Brady’s new TE. Rudolph is signing a one-year deal.
  • The Raiders are signing CB Isaiah “Ike” Brown to the roster. The UDFA  previously played for the USFL, totally 16 tackles and two interceptions for 98 yards, including one returned for a touchdown.

Thanks for breaking down the huddle with us today! I know you missed me. So, we’ll be back for Football Friday with more news you want to know ahead of your weekend. 

Welcome to your Weekend Edition of the The Morning After Huddle. There is tragic news out of the league this morning.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Sadly, Former Seahawks CB and co-special teams captain Jimmy Williams has passed away at 43. News broke late Friday evening that Williams was battling some sort of illness. In recent years, Williams had been coaching in his hometown of Boston as an assistant football coach and teacher at Episcopal High School.
• Unfortunately, Former Oilers player Ira Valentine has also passed away. Texas A&M announced that Valentine died of a heart attack, on Wednesday, at the age of 59. He was a 12th round selection by the Oilers and played 1 season in the NFL.
• Finally, Your Key Signings RoundUp:
  • The Cowboys will sign LB Christian Sam and kicker Lirim Hajrullahu to the team. Sam was drafted in 2018 by the Patriots, but most recently played for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. Hajrullahu Is signing to compete with rookie free agent Jonathan Garibay for the kicker job.

Thanks for joining the Huddle today. Connect with us on Monday for more news you need to know.

ICYMI: Friday – July 8, 2022 Edition