Rule changes have been made throughout the history of the NFL to improve the game, make it more exciting and reduce the risk of injury. Safety rules are one of the most important and effective ways in which the NFL and its owners can help protect the
health of players. By helping to identify, promote and enforce safe on-field conduct (in concert with off-the-field education and
policies), the league seeks to preserve both the health of players and the integrity of the game.

The NFL has established a strong set of rules through the years focused on player safety, designed to promote fair competition
while attempting to minimize risk of harm to the player. While many of these rules have focused on reducing contact to the head and neck of players, other changes have protected players from orthopedic and other injuries.

The development of a thoughtful and comprehensive set of appropriately protective rules and policies has always been, and
continues to be, an evolving process. The NFL continually evaluates how rules can best be integrated into the game to address
safety and health issues.

Each year the NFL Competition Committee conducts a complete review of player injuries and discusses means by which the NFL
can reduce them through the implementation of new rules, or by clarifying or strengthening enforcement of existing rules.

Rules the league has established or changed for the protection of players have not only had a positive impact in the NFL, but have subsequently been incorporated at other levels of play, including collegiate, high school and youth programs. Through the NFL’s ongoing partnerships and educational initiatives, the awareness of the importance of rules related to on-field conduct and returnto- play, at all levels and ages, is broadened.

To view an interactive timeline of the evolution of rules of the sport, visit www.NFL.com/Evolution.

The following provides a brief overview of NFL rule changes focused on protecting player health and safety over the past 30
years:

1982
Hip pads must be covered by the outer uniform.
It is illegal for any player to use the crown or top of his helmet against a passer, a receiver in the act of catching a pass, or a
runner who is in the grasp of a tackler.

1983
All mandatory player equipment must be designed and made by a professional manufacturer and cannot be altered, except by
direction of the team physician.
A player who uses a helmet he is not wearing as a weapon shall be ejected.
The chop block rule applies to blocks at “thigh or lower.”

1985
During the last two minutes of a half, the play ends when a quarterback kneels or simulates kneeling on the ground.
The ball is dead when any runner slides to the ground feet first, thereby declaring himself down.

1986
Blocking below the waist on punts is prohibited during the entire down.
The “lure” technique is prohibited. When a tackle shows pass set, a teammate lined up outside him cannot chop a defender who is lined up over the tackle, even if the tackle and defender are not engaged (a “lure”).

1987
An offensive lineman may not clip a defender who, at the snap, is aligned on the line of scrimmage opposite another offensive
lineman who is more than one position away, when the defender is responding to the flow of the ball away from the blocker.
Example: A tackle cannot clip the nose tackle on a sweep to the opposite side.
It is illegal for the kicking team to block below the waist after a free kick or punt has been made. (Low blocks by the receiving team became illegal in 1979).
Both teams are prohibited from blocking below the waist after a change of possession.

1989
A defender (approaching from any direction) who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback is prohibited from flagrantly hitting him in the area of the knee(s).

1990
A player who butts, spears, or rams an opponent may be disqualified if the action is flagrant or vicious.

1991
Officials will whistle the play dead whenever a defensive lineman clearly penetrates beyond the neutral zone before the ball is
snapped and continues unabated toward the quarterback.

1992
For the first time, the chop block is illegal on some running plays: It is illegal on a running play for an offensive player who is lined up in the backfield at the snap to deliberately block a defensive player in the thigh or lower (chop) if the defensive player is
engaged by an offensive player who was on the line of scrimmage at the snap. This action is prohibited whether on or behind the line of scrimmage in an area that extends laterally to the position originally occupied by the tight end on either side.
When a defensive player runs forward and leaps in an attempt to block an extra point or field goal, it is a foul only if the leaping
player lands on other players.

1993
It is not intentional grounding when a passer, while out of the pocket and facing an imminent loss of yardage, throws a pass that lands beyond the line of scrimmage, even if no offensive player has a realistic chance to catch the ball (including if the ball lands out of bounds over the sideline or end line).

1994
Defensive players are prohibited from blocking low during a punt, field goal, or extra point attempt (kick), except those defensive players at the snap that are lined up on or inside the normal tight end position. Previously, all players on the defensive team could block low during the field goal or extra point attempt.

1995
Protection for defenseless players is clarified and expanded. Since 1982, a defensive player was prohibited from using the crown or top of his helmet against a passer, a receiver in the act of catching a pass, or a runner who is in the grasp of a tackler.

The clarification provided that:
• Defenseless players included a kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air, and a player on the ground at the end of a play.

• Defensive players are prohibited from lowering their heads to make forcible contact with the facemask, or with the “hairline” or forehead part of the helmet, against an opponent, instead of only with the top/crown.

• Defensive players are prohibited from forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or
facemask.

• Defensive players are prohibited from launching into a defenseless player in a way that causes the defensive player’s helmet or facemask to forcibly strike the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face, even if the initial contact of the defender’s helmet or facemask is lower than the defenseless player’s neck.

When tackling a passer during or just after throwing a pass, a defensive player is prohibited from unnecessarily and violently
throwing him down and landing on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight.

1996
On running plays, a chop block is prohibited by an offensive player who is aligned more than one position away from the engaged defender when the block occurs away from the flow of the play.
A defender cannot be chopped even after he has disengaged from an offensive opponent, if he is still confronting the offensive
player.
Prohibition of the “lure” technique is applicable all along the offensive line, instead of only to a player outside a tackle.

1998
All face shields must be transparent.

1999
Blocking from behind, at, or below the knees in the clipping zone is prohibited.
After a blocking attempt in close line play, a blocker is prohibited from rolling up on the back of a defender’s legs (Unnecessary
Roughness).

2002
The chop block technique is illegal on all kicking plays.
It is illegal to hit a quarterback helmet-to-helmet any time after a change of possession.

2005
It is illegal to grab the inside collar of the shoulder pads to tackle a runner (“horse-collar tackle”).
Unnecessarily running, diving into, or throwing the body against a player who should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent is unnecessary roughness. Previously, the rule only protected a player who is out of the play.
A kicker/punter must not be unnecessarily contacted by the receiving team through the end of the play or until he assumes a
distinctly defensive position. An opponent may not unnecessarily initiate helmet-to-helmet contact to the kicker/punter during the kick or during the return.
An offensive player who is aligned in the tackle box at the snap and moves to a position outside the box is prohibited from
initiating contact on the side or below the waist of an opponent if the blocker is moving toward his own end line and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side (“peel back block”). The near shoulder of the blocker must be in front of his opponent’s body.

2006
Low hits on the quarterback are prohibited when a rushing defender has an opportunity to avoid such contact.
Blocks in the back above the waist by the kicking team while the ball is in flight during a scrimmage kick are illegal.
The definition of a “horse collar tackle” is expanded to include grabbing the inside collar of the jersey.
During a field-goal attempt or a try, a defensive player who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap must have his helmet outside the snapper’s shoulder pad.
Personal or unsportsmanlike conduct fouls that occur during halftime or during intermission between the fourth period and an
overtime period will be penalized on the ensuing kickoff.
During a free kick, at least four kicking team players must be on each side of the kicker when the ball is kicked.

2007
A block below the waist against an eligible receiver while the quarterback is in the pocket is a 15-yard penalty instead of a 5-yard penalty (an illegal cut block).

2009
Teams are not permitted to intentionally form a wedge of more than two players on a kickoff return in an attempt to block for the runner.
The “bunch” formation on kickoffs is eliminated. The kickoff team must have at least three players outside each hash mark, one of whom must be outside the yard-line number.
It is an illegal “blindside” block if the blocker is moving toward his own endline and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side, and the initial force of the contact by the blocker’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder is to the head or neck area of an
opponent.
It is an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver if the initial force of the contact by the defender’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder is to the head or neck area of the receiver.

Clarified rule regarding low hits on passers:

• A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being
contacted by another player.

• It is not a foul if the defender swipes, wraps, or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him.

2010
During a field-goal attempt, punt, or try-kick, a defensive team player, who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his entire body outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.
After a half has expired, dead ball personal fouls by either team will be enforced on the succeeding kickoff.
A player who has just completed a catch is protected from blows to the head or neck by an opponent who launches.
All “defenseless players” are protected from blows to the head delivered by an opponent’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder.
Kickers and punters during the kick and return, and quarterbacks after a change of possession, are protected from blows to the
head delivered by an opponent’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder, instead of just helmet-to-helmet contact.
The ball is declared dead at the spot if a runner’s helmet comes completely off.

2011
The restraining line for the kicking team is moved from the 30- to the 35-yard line in an effort to increase touchbacks.
All kicking team players other than the kicker must be lined up no more than five yards behind their restraining line, eliminating the 15-20 yard running “head start” that had become customary for many players.
The list of “defenseless players” is expanded to include a kicker/punter during the kick or during the return, a quarterback at any time after a change of possession, and a player who receives a “blindside” block when the blocker is moving toward his own
endline and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side. Previously, these players were protected against blows to the head, but not against blows delivered by an opponent with the top/crown or forehead/”hairline” parts of the helmet against other parts of the body.
A receiver who has completed a catch is a “defenseless player” until he has had time to protect himself or has clearly become a
runner. A receiver/runner is no longer defenseless if he is able to avoid or ward off the impending contact of an opponent.
Previously, the receiver who had completed a catch was protected against an opponent who launched and delivered a blow to the receiver’s head.

2012
The list of “defenseless players” is expanded to include defensive players on crackback blocks, making it illegal to hit them in the head or neck area.

Players are required to wear protective knee and thigh pads beginning with the 2013 season.

A number of playing-rules changes were approved by NFL clubs for the 2012 season. The primary focus of those changes was enhancing player safety.

“We want to make the game safer both for the player being tackled and the player making the tackle,” says NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations RAY ANDERSON (left). “We have no higher priority than player safety.”

Overtime procedures for the preseason and regular season were also adjusted (see page 71) to be in line with the modified sudden-death system that has been in use for the playoffs the past two seasons.

The 2012 rules changes and points of emphasis:

• UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS:
Two adjustments were made to the unnecessary roughness rule:
o Existing unnecessary roughness rules have been adjusted to expand protections for defensive players with regard to rackback blocks. All players who are protected from crackback blocks will now be considered defenseless players.

In addition to contact below the waist, it will be illegal to forcibly block these players in the head or neck area or make forcible contact with the crown or forehead hairline part of the helmet to any part of body. All unnecessary roughness violations will result in a 15-yard penalty.

o Protections for the recipients of blindside blocks have also been clarified. Prior to 2012, a blindside block occurred when the blocker was moving towards his own end line and approached his opponent from behind or from the side. Beginning this season, the definition has been expanded to include situations in which a blocker is moving parallel with his own end line.

• INSTANT REPLAY:
Only a replay official can initiate a review of certain turnovers, providing more flexibility to coaches in the use of their challenges while maintaining a healthy game pace. This applies if a play results in an interception, if a fumble or backward pass is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds through the end zone, or if a muffed scrimmage kick is recovered by the kicking team (successful onside kick).

“We actually think this change may end up being something that could save time,” says NFL Competition Committee Chairman and Atlanta Falcons President/CEO RICH MC KAY. “More turnovers could potentially be reviewed by the referee, but we will never have a situation in which we have a turnover, go to timeout, come back, the teams come to the line of scrimmage and then a coach challenges.”

• TOO MANY MEN IN THE FORMATION:
In the interest of competitive fairness, penalties for too many men in the formation have been changed to dead-ball fouls from live-ball infractions that did not prevent the snap. If a 12th player is not in the formation, game officials will permit the snap and the penalty will be enforced after the play. Violations of this rule result in five-yard penalties.

There will also be points of emphasis on several existing rules this season (although the rules themselves have not changed):

• All rules that encourage player safety will continue to be strictly enforced, including unnecessary roughness fouls resulting from blows to the head by offensive and defensive linemen during close line play, horse-collar tackles, roughing the passer and hits on defenseless receivers. The goal is to eliminate these tactics from the game.

Officials will also be instructed to pay close attention to situations in which a runner declares himself down by falling to the
ground or kneeling and making no effort to advance the ball, thereby ending the play. A runner who goes to the ground untouched will be considered to have declared himself down if he does not make an immediate attempt to advance. If a runner makes an immediate effort to advance the ball, play will be allowed to continue.

As part of its focus on player health and safety, the NFL has made more rules changes, introduced enhanced sideline concussion
protocols and is continuing its commitment to education and advocacy on concussion prevention and treatment.

During the 2011 season, the league introduced two additional elements to NFL sideline concussion protocol.

Beginning in December, the NFL arranged for a certified athletic trainer to be present in the press box at each game to monitor
play of both teams and provide medical staffs with any relevant information that could assist them in determining the most
appropriate evaluation and treatment. In addition, club medical staffs are permitted to use their cell phones during games for
purposes of obtaining information relating to the care of an injured player.

The enhanced protocol was welcomed by team trainers.

“It’s all about player safety,” says Pittsburgh Steelers trainer JOHN NORWIG. “To have a trainer who is used to taking care of
players providing another set of eyes upstairs, I don’t have any problem with it.”

The move was also praised by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) for its impact on youth sports.

“Education and awareness is the key to creating change,” says MARJORIE ALBOHM, president of NATA. “The NFL’s concussion
policies have put a spotlight on this and other injuries. That has created tremendous awareness of the importance of proper injury care for athletes and the important role that athletic trainers play in that.”

Last January, teams were permitted to begin using sideline video monitors to assist team medical personnel in diagnosing and
treating injuries. The monitors are made available to team physicians and head athletic trainers to review footage of plays during which a player is injured or appears to be injured. There will be sideline monitors on all sidelines in 2012 for use by team medical staffs.

The video monitors were useful immediately to the New York Giants in last year’s playoffs. Vice President of Medical Services
RONNIE BARNES indicated that they helped diagnose two players who sustained concussions.

“The video replay provided us with evidence that a concussive event had occurred,” says Barnes. “The system worked as it
should have.”

The focus on player safety continued with rules changes proposed by the NFL Competition Committee and ratified by the 32 NFL teams this offseason. In May, owners voted to make thigh and knee pads mandatory for players beginning in the 2013 season.

“There’s no downside, they have to add some sort of protection,” says Atlanta Falcons President/CEO and Chairman of the NFL
Competition Committee RICH MC KAY. “In our football system, everyone wears them up to our game. Common sense tells you it
has to be safer for [protection against] thigh injuries and knee bruises. If players have worn it in Pop Warner, high school and
college, from a safety standpoint, it is time to put it back in.”

The impact of rule changes has been evident on the playing field. Data showed that moving the kickoff up five yards last season
helped reduce the number of concussions players sustained on kickoffs.

“The kickoff rule had an effect on the game,” says McKay. “There was a 40 percent reduction in concussions on that play.”

To ensure that young athletes are protected from head injury and treated appropriately when they are suspected of injury, NFL
representatives, including former players, have advocated for passage of the LYSTEDT LAW. The law is named for ZACKERY
LYSTEDT who, in 2006, suffered a brain injury following his return to a middle school football game after sustaining a concussion.

Zackery, his family and a broad range of medical, business and community partners lobbied the Washington state legislature for a law to protect young athletes in all sports from returning to play too soon after head injuries.

The Lystedt Law contains three essential elements:

• Athletes, parents and coaches must be educated about the dangers of concussions each year.

• If a young athlete is suspected of having a concussion, he/she must be removed from a game or practice and not be
permitted to return to play. When in doubt, sit them out.

• A licensed health care professional must clear the young athlete to return to play in the subsequent days or weeks.

As of July, 35 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted youth concussion laws while two states have passed legislation and are
awaiting respective governor’s signatures.

In June 2011, the NCAA announced that it was supporting the NFL in its advocacy efforts. In January 2012, NCAA Commissioner
MARK EMMERT and NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL joined together to write letters to the governors of states without a
youth sports concussion law. The NFL will continue its advocacy efforts in this matter until each state has passed a Lystedt Law.

“Once people know the potential consequences, it becomes an easy decision,” says VICTOR LYSTEDT, Zackery’s father, about
opting to remove players from the field after a hit to the head. “Most every parent and coach is going to make the right decision
because it can become a catastrophic event thereafter. That awareness became our job after Zack got injured.”

Reaching players at the youth level is a priority for the NFL when it comes to player health and safety. Working with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USA Football, the sport’s governing body on youth and amateur levels, NFL teams
help youth and high school coaches learn the signs of head injury and understand the best methods of treatment and prevention.

Coaches are also educated on the subject during the NFL-USA Football Youth Football Summit, which takes place in Canton,
Ohio each year.

Teams are working to educate local youth league coaches, parents and athletes through health and safety forums. In the last
year, the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts have hosted forums in their communities,
bringing together medical experts from the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and CDC with team trainers, physicians,
executives and players to discuss concussion prevention and treatment, helmet fit and NFL concussion protocol with interested
community members.

At the Chicago Bears health and safety forum, held in February, team chairman GEORGE H. MC CASKEY spoke with a group of
youth football coaches and players.

“There’s a warrior mentality, and this is exactly the reason we are here today,” said McCaskey, addressing the importance of
changing mindsets amongst professional and youth players.

“We, as players and coaches, need to change the culture of concussions,” added Bears long snapper PATRICK MANNELLY.
“This isn’t something where you play hurt. This is your life.”

In addition, this spring, the NFL joined a group of sports organizations, safety equipment manufacturers and a federal agency to
create a youth safety and helmet replacement program for underserved communities (see page 60). The program, which is
supported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), will replace youth league helmets that are 10 years or
older with updated equipment at no cost, and provide coaches with the latest educational health and safety materials.

The NFL, NFL Players Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Operating Committee on Standards for
Athletic Equipment have committed approximately $1 million to the program for its first year. USA Football will lead the execution of the initiative. The CDC, National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt and Xenith have also joined the partnership.

“I am pleased to see the NFL, USA Football and manufacturers working together to make sure our young football players are not
wearing 10-year-old helmets that no longer meet industry safety standards,” says Senator TOM UDALL (D-NM). “Increasing
awareness of equipment safety and sports concussion will help protect young players from injury.”

Recognizing their similar cultures and unique challenges, the NFL and the military are working together to share ideas on
concussion education for their respective populations.

“We have the same ethos,” says U.S. Army Chief of Staff GENERAL RAY ODIERNO. “Soldiers sometimes don’t want to admit
that they have brain injuries. It’s an invisible injury. And the NFL players are sometimes the same way, so we want to come up
with ways to communicate to them that it’s important that if they are having a problem that they come forward because it has longterm impacts.”

As such, current and former NFL players and coaches have joined with members of the military for a series of discussions on
changing attitudes on head injuries in the locker room and on the battlefield.

“It has to start with the kids,” says former running back BRIAN WESTBROOK. “Then they’ll get older and they’ll realize, ‘Hey, this
isn’t just part of the sport. It’s way more serious than that and it has to be treated the right way.’”

For more information, visit http://nflhealthandsafety.com.

First Google+ Hangout Integration Into Fantasy Game Only on NFL.com
NFL.com Fantasy Football Presented by Verizon Introduces First-Ever Tablet Version of Draft Client

Fantasy Football just got a lot more social. In a first for any fantasy league, NFL.com Fantasy Football will be integrated with Google+ Hangouts, it was announced today. NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon will be the only fantasy game to integrate Google+ Hangouts for the 2012 season, making it the first fantasy game to incorporate multi-party video chat.

Google+ Hangouts allow friends to connect face-to-face-to-face via group video chat. NFL.com Fantasy leagues now may host their drafts “face-to-face-to-face,” even if participants are half a world apart. League rules changes can now be settled through live video chat, replacing lengthy e-mail chains. During the season, NFL.com Fantasy players may hang out while watching games.

A Google+ Hangouts button will appear throughout NFL.com Fantasy Football leagues. Users who click the Hangouts button will launch their fantasy league’s unique Google+ Hangouts page. Live notifications and other features will be added to the experience throughout the season.

Other new features on NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon include:

· The first draft client for tablets. NFL.com Fantasy users now may begin their drafts at their computers and then take their draft with them into another room or on the go. NFL.com is the only fantasy site to have draft client for tablets.

· Roster Options, which give fans a chance to allocate backups on their roster in the event they are unsure if their starter will have a good game. Each league must decide rules and regulations for using Roster Options. When using Roster Options, NFL.com will assign a fantasy team the higher number of points scored between the team’s starter and backup. NFL.com is the only fantasy site to offer Roster Options.

· Auction Draft option gives fans an even deeper GM experience than before allowing leagues to set fake salary cap numbers and draft players through an auction style assigning values to them.

Also new this year, fans may play Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® featuring a $1 million prize for picking the “perfect” fantasy lineup in any week of the 2012 NFL regular season. Fans may register for the free game now at www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball. The new offering puts experts and beginners both in the game with a shot at the ultimate fantasy prize. The Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® features an eight-player roster each week – with one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams unit. To qualify for the $1 million prize, fantasy team owners must pick that week’s highest-scoring player at each position (top two players at running back and wide receiver). Scoring is based on the standard fantasy scoring in NFL.com’s Fantasy Football game. Each week is scored separately and fans may join at any point during the season. The Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® also offers weekly prizes.

For fans on-the-go, NFL Mobile only from Verizon enables fans to track their NFL.com Fantasy Football teams and leagues. NFL Mobile delivers live scoring on game day, plus up-to-the-minute player news, injury updates and official inactive reports. Plus with live NFL games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, NFL RedZone, and live NFL Network coverage, fans will stay up-to-the minute on the latest game action and player news.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon continues to be the only site that has NFL highlights, including instant in-game highlights. Once a big play happens involving a player on a certain fantasy team, the video highlight will appear on the screen in as quickly as 30 seconds.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon makes available two free platforms. NFL Custom League provides fans the opportunity to customize a league for their friends. Fans who sign up for NFL-Managed League (NFL.com Fantasy 2012) will be in a league run by NFL.com and be eligible for a chance to win official NFL prizes including a trip to Super Bowl XLVII.

NFL.com is the first place to get the game-day inactives & regular injury reports. In addition, NFL.com Fantasy Football provides users with a drag-and-drop function to simplify roster adjustments.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon will provide a comprehensive ‘Activity Feed’ for each player and league. The unique feed contains breaking news, transactions, injury reports, discussions, and league-manager changes all in one place. Fans can see all league activity in one area and make comments on activity as it happens.

Verizon is the presenting sponsor of NFL.com Fantasy Football. Associate sponsors of the game include Dodge Ram, Miller Lite, Snickers and USAA.

In August 2007, NFL brought the operations of NFL.com in-house and re-launched the site. In June 2010, NFL brought operations of NFL.com Fantasy Football in-house and launched its game. NFL.com is the home for the most NFL highlights and video on the web.

Following is the training camp list of sites and rookie and veteran reporting dates:

NEW WEEKDAY MORNING SHOW KICKS OFF JULY 30 ON NFL NETWORK

“NFL AM” Starts Your Weekdays at 6:00 AM ET with Namath author Mark Kriegel, former Super Bowl-winning 49ers CB Eric Davis, Brian Webber, Nicole Zaloumis & Steve Wyche.

4-Hour Live Morning Show

Fans can now start their day with the NFL like never before – with a new, live weekday morning show on NFL Network.

Debuting Monday, July 30 just as training camps open, the new four-hour “NFL AM” kicks off at 6:00 AM ET each Monday through Friday. NFL AM will blanket the world of the NFL with seasoned and opinionated talent who will report and debate news and examine the personalities that play the game. The show’s discussion will cover a wide-range of NFL-related topics including the cultural convergence of sports, entertainment and music. Each morning, NFL AM will collaborate with NFL.com to take a look at the latest in fantasy football news and information.

NFL AM’s talent roster features Mark Kriegel from FOXSports.com, former San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl-winning cornerback Eric Davis, Brian Webber from FOX Sports Digital, Nicole Zaloumis from Comcast Sports Net-New England, and Steve Wyche from NFL Media. The show will be based at NFL Network’s Culver City, CA studios. No other sport is the sole focus of a show of this length each and every weekday morning.

“NFL AM will give fans a great reason to look forward to the morning,” said Mark Quenzel, NFL Network senior vice president of programming and production. “We know that our fans are looking for more football and we are excited to provide a personality-driven show which focuses on football and everything around it. There will be no better way to start their day.”

Mark Kriegel (@MarkKriegel), the author of two New York Times best-sellers (Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich), joins NFL Network from FOXSports.com where he spent five years as a national columnist and host of the bi-weekly “Bar Fly on FOX” chat with athletes, celebrities and media. Previously, he was a distinguished media voice on the New York sports scene for 10 years as a columnist for the New York Daily News and the New York Post. He also served as a contributing editor for Esquire magazine. Kriegel’s upcoming book on boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, titled The Good Son, will be released in September.

Eric Davis (@_ericdavis_), who played 13 NFL seasons at cornerback, comes to NFL Network after spending last year as co-host of “Tierney and Davis” weekdays on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. In addition, Davis will begin his second season as the radio analyst for 49ers games this fall. Previously, he served as an NFL analyst for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and for KPIX-TV telecasts of 49ers preseason games. A two-time Pro Bowler, Davis played six seasons (1990-95) in San Francisco, helping the team to a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. A second-round draft choice from Jacksonville State, Davis also played for Carolina (1996-2000), Denver (2001) and Detroit (2002).

Brian Webber (@bwwebber), a former anchor and reporter for Fox Sports Net and a sideline reporter for NFL games on FOX, joins NFL Network after six years as lead host of Fox Sports’ digital media programming. With Fox Sports Digital, he anchored studio coverage of the NFL, MLB and NASCAR, as well as on-location coverage of the Super Bowl, Final Four and Stanley Cup Final. For the past nine years, Webber has also served as studio host and play-by-play announcer for the Tennis Channel. A graduate of Stanford University, Webber began his broadcasting career began at Fox Sports Net-Bay Area 19 years ago and later included stints as a play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports Net, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network and NCAA Productions.

Nicole Zaloumis (@nicolezaloumis) comes to NFL Network with more than a decade of sports broadcasting experience, most recently as an anchor and reporter for Comcast SportsNet New England since January 2011. Previously, Zaloumis worked for the Big Ten Network, where she co-hosted “The Friday Night Football Report” and “The Women’s Show,” and was a sideline reporter for football games. Earlier in her career, Zaloumis worked for Fox Sports Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix and the NBC affiliate in Washington, DC.

Steve Wyche (@wyche89) begins his fifth season with NFL Network and NFL.com, providing reports from team facilities and games on a variety of programs including NFL GameDay Morning and NFL Total Access. Additionally, Wyche is a regular columnist on NFL.com and is the co-host of the site’s ‘Cover Two’ podcast. Previously, he covered the Falcons for four seasons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Wyche has more than two decades of sports journalism experience including posts with the Washington Post covering the Wizards and the NBA, and the Miami Herald on the Dolphins, Heat and University of Florida beats.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 3, NFL AM will encore each weekday at 7:00 AM PT for West Coast fans.

NFL AM will be streamed live on NFL Mobile only from Verizon and will feature companion programming including fantasy info and lifestyle content on NFL.com and NFL digital platforms.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Tuesday was Day 1 for Andrew Luck in working with his veteran Indianapolis Colts teammates, but if you didn't know that beforehand, you'd probably have missed it.

Yes, he threw one up for grabs down the middle of the field during 11-on-11 drills. He had a couple balls batted down at the line, too.

Still, it wasn't hard for anyone to see what they were looking at here: a rookie in official designation only. Luck came as advertised. When I asked his Stanford-turned-Colts teammate Coby Fleener how he, who was allowed to attend organized team activities because he had already graduated from The Farm, would describe Luck to teammates, he said simply, "The best I've ever played with. The best I've ever seen in person."

The older guys now have that perspective -- having seen Luck in person themselves. The best they've seen? For those who've shared a field with guys named Brady and Rodgers, or the guy Luck happens to be replacing, the answer would be no.

But they'd all quickly add that, mere hours into his full NFL ingratiation, he already looks the part of a pro.

"Like we've said all along, he is off the charts, as far as football IQ," coach Chuck Pagano said. "There are no mental errors. The same thing we saw at rookie minicamp with what we gave him until coming back now, he hasn't missed a beat. He is a really bright kid. He is really focused and he is really driven. Obviously, the success he has had to this point, there is a reason behind all of that. It is because football is very, very important to him."

That much was always clear at Stanford. It was clear in the pre-draft process. And it's been clear in the five weeks that he's been forced to stay away from his Colts teammates, according to those who've been around him.

NFL rules forbade Luck from being at the club's facility or talking football with any of his coaches until he finished up classes last week.

It created a bind for the quarterback, sure. But it wasn't something he couldn't deal with, and Luck had two pretty valuable resources at his disposal in Fleener, who was allowed to attend OTAs and was commuting back and forth from Palo Alto while working on his master's degree, and undrafted rookie Colts receiver Griff Whalen, who was in the same boat as his quarterback.

Whalen was Luck's guy, day to day. And Fleener was their spy, keeping both up to date on what was happening in their new home.

"It was a little different without a coach there. We would go through stuff, and kinda guess -- 'It's probably something like this,' " Whalen explained. "And then we'd go with that for then, and come back here and find out we were wrong on this and this and this. But it's a million times better to have one other person talk about it with, than to just be by yourself."

Whalen and Luck would study the playbook over breakfast every day. Then, depending on class schedules, they'd try and get about 90 minutes of field work in, with normal conditioning and weight lifting. When Fleener could pick up things and bring them back to Palo Alto, all the better. The main objective was learning new terminology, which is markedly different under Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians than it was in Stanford's West Coast system.

Luck said he thinks over the five weeks, "I've managed to learn the playbook a good bit," with Whalen adding that "we did as much on the field as we could, just getting used to the terminology -- using the new terminology rather than the Stanford stuff. We'd simulate adjustments, since there was no defense out there."

And, Whalen continued, in addition to getting the new nomenclature down, the group focused on practicing hot reads -- basic blitz adjustments for quarterbacks and receivers -- because those weren't emphasized as much at Stanford.

What's scary is that, for Luck, the work really starts now. Pagano agreed on Tuesday that the success of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton as rookies last year, without the benefit of an offseason program, is heartening for the Colts. But everyone here is convinced Luck is a different animal anyway.

After his first walk-through, safety Tom Zbikowski told me he was impressed by Luck's confidence. How could the big-hitting former Raven tell in such a low-impact environment? The quarterback was already making adjustments at the line.

"I'm in awe sometimes, when he's changing the play at the line of scrimmage, given that this is his fourth official practice, or whatever it is," Fleener said. "Then again, it's not surprising."

Not to those who know him.

"He's come in and just taken over the offense," Whalen said. "He's telling guys what to do, directing things as much as he can, without stepping on anyone's toes. He's still learning a lot. But everyone else on the team is too. And he can pick things up as quickly as anyone."

That much, even mere hours into Luck's full integration as Colts quarterback, hasn't been hard for anyone to see.

This article was written by Albert Breer and appeared in NFL.com.
Image Joe Robbins/Getty Images

ASHBURN, Va. -- Yes, I watched practice in the new bubble. And yes, I spoke with several different players on the roster. But Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III gave a news conference at the end of the day, and they told us it was his final interview before training camp. So, while there will be a lot more Redskins topics addressed on this blog in the coming days, right now you're getting RG3...

"You kind of know which guys are good at which routes. Of course, they're all good at all of them and they're all always open. But as a quarterback, you can kind of pick out and see what guys can really do great things. Pierre [Garcon] had a great catch today, just showing that skill he has.

(Note: It was an incredible one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone on a ball that appeared to have been overthrown and destined for the arms of a defensive back.)

...on plans to work with the receivers off-site in the down period between minicamp and training camp:

"We're all going to get together. We haven't planned it yet, but we are going to get together and throw. It's important for us to be successful as a team, and working together like that is what you have to do. It's not to a massive scale or anything, but I've talked to a couple of the receivers to try to see if we can hook up and throw together just to stay in tune. But it's not official yet."

...on working with offensive veterans like Rex Grossman, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley:

"It's been great. Little tips like, 'Let guys get set on motion,' and 'This is what you need to look for versus this defense' is what Rex is a big help with. That's what you need. You need guys that are on your side, guys that aren't looking to stab you in the back, guys who are looking to build the whole franchise up. Santana's definitely one of those guys. It's a dream to play with guys like him and Cooley, so I'm just going to try and make the most of it."

...on measuring risk when taking off and running past the line of scrimmage as a quarterback:

"One thing I won't do is play with fear. You have to play fearless. That doesn't mean I'm going to go try and run over linebackers and safeties, but I'll be smart. If I need to slide, I'll slide. If I need to run out of bounds, I'll run out of bounds. But if it's third-and-3 and a crucial point in the game, don't expect me to be sliding. If it's at the end of the game, I won't slide. Don't expect that. But if it's early in the game, I don't have a problem with it. It's not a shot at my manhood. I've slid before. I've run out of bounds before too. I've been laid into out of bounds before too. That's 15 yards. Keep them coming."

I like listening to Griffin talk. He's confident without being overly arrogant. He's genuine. He's good and he knows it, but he's got just the right amount of humility about the whole thing. You believe him that he'll know when to slide. His coach believes it, too.

"In college, he carried the ball close to 700 times," coach Mike Shanahan said. "And when you carry the ball close to 700 times, you get a feel for when to slide and when to run out of bounds. I think he's got a natural feel for that. But he's very quick and he'll make some plays that are off-schedule, and that should be a big advantage for us."

That is the idea, of course. What these next few months are about is learning and preparing. It sounds as though Griffin doesn't plan to take a break from any of that.

"I live a blessed life," Griffin said. "And I'm going to go out there and make sure I continue to live that blessed life."

This article was written by Dan Graziano and appeared in ESPN.com.

For all the attention paid to Andrew Luck missing time in Indianapolis, perhaps no team lost more to the league’s quarter-system rule than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Their top two picks, first-round guard David DeCastro (Stanford) and second-round tackle Michael Adams (Ohio State) had on-field debuts delayed until Tuesday because of the rule that prevents rookies from joining teams until their college class graduates. And perhaps because of that rule, they started working with the second team.

“I’m comfortable with where they are and what they were able to display today,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “They’re working on limited time. They need to hurry up to catch up.”

Tomlin, as every coach does, cautioned not to read too much into June depth chart notes. DeCastro will almost certainly be starting at right guard this year, while Adams has a chance to be the Steelers’ left tackle.

Pittsburgh opened minicamp with Marcus Gilbert at left tackle, Willie Colon at left guard, Maurkice Pouncey at center, Ramon Foster at right guard and Trai Essex at right tackle.

Gilbert started 15 games at right tackle last year, and could switch back, as Tomlin was hinting he could change the rotation soon.

Both DeCastro and Adams were given playbooks and video to study even though they couldn’t be with their team on the field, though they seemed to understand the silliness of the rule.

“I’m so happy to get here with these guys,” Adams said. “I kind of checked out of school a while ago. I just wanted to be here, be back with my team.”

That quote, as much as anything, exposes the silliness of the rule, which only seems to protect colleges’ desire to hang onto the illusion of the student-athlete.

This article was written by Darin Gantt and appeared in profootballtalk.nbcsports.com.

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still has a soft spot in his heart for Terrell Owens, but not a spot on his team's roster.

Owens is unemployed after being released by the Indoor Football League's Allen Wranglers last month but still hopes to get another shot in the NFL. Jones would be happy to give some advice to the receiver he released after the 2008 season if Owens wants it.

"First of all, he really can reach out to me at any time, because I consider him a friend," Jones said Tuesday at the Cowboys' minicamp. "We would feel good if he reached out. I think that he really, without having first-hand knowledge of what kind of physical condition he is in, I know he has the right stuff and could help someone."

Owens, 38, was let go by the Cowboys after the best statistical three-year stretch by a receiver in franchise history. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 2009 and has been out of the NFL since catching 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010.

"I have actually looked at some of the things he did last year," Jones said. "He has the ability to be quite a threat as a receiver. I would advise him if that he still has got the heart -- and he does -- to continue to try to get on with an NFL team."

Jones, however, said that team won't be the Cowboys, who are trying to find a No. 3 receiver behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant from a group of unproven young players.

"Again, we are not planning on doing anything at receiver," Jones said.

This article was written by Tim MacMahon and appeared in ESPNDallas.com.

Disgruntled CB Mike Jenkins back with Cowboys, behind in his rehab, will not be traded

Irving _ Disgruntled cornerback Mike Jenkins returned to the Dallas Cowboys Tuesday for the start of the team’s three-day minicamp.

Jenkins, who boycotted the voluntary offseason program and onfield team activities after demanding a trade, was subject to be fined up $60,000 if he didn’t show for the mandatory minicamp.

Jenkins, who was unable to workout because of offseason shoulder surgery, declined to comment, even apologizing for his silence to the Star-Telegram by saying “it was nothing personal.”

Clearly Jenkins’ beef is not with the media but with the Cowboys.

He demanded a trade through his agent Drew Rosenhaus after the team signed free agent Brandon Carr to a five-year, $50.1 million deal and then drafted LSU standout with the sixth overall pick turning Jenkins from a starter to the third cornerback at best.

Cornerback Orlando Scandrick said he was glad to see his friend and teammate back. He said Jenkins was making a business decision but he is a professional and will act accordingly going forward.

From the Cowboys point of view, their moves in the offseason were not personal but business as well. They saw an opportunity to upgrade their football team and did so with Jenkins still a huge part of the equation.

Owner Jerry Jones said he was happy to see Jenkins back and reiterated his offseason long stance that the Cowboys view the former 2008 first round pick as a valuable part of the cornerback situation and have no interest in trading him.

“We’re not going to trade Jenkins,” Jones said. “I’m excited about the fact that we’ve got this kind of corner situation. We’ll maximize it for our team and it gives us all the things we want at a position that’s critical for us.”

Coach Jason Garrett was of a similar mindset, saying he was happy to Jenkins back on the field.

And while Garrett was clearly disappointed the Jenkins chose not to participate in the voluntary off season program he is ready to move forward with him.

“It was good to see him,” Garrett said. “Good to have him back here. The offseason program in NFL is voluntary. We had 90 guys on our roster and 89 of them attended

Mike Jenkins decided to not be here for voluntary part. He is here for the mandatory part.

He is rehabbing his shoulder. It’s good to have him back in the building with our football team. Hopefully he will be ready to play football for us.”

The big question now is when Jenkins will be ready to play.

His rehab from shoulder surgery is slower than some of his other teammates, including running Felix Jones, linebacker Dan Conner and linebacker Alex Albright.

Garrett doesn’t know if he will be ready when training camp starts.

“I can’t make that judgment,” Garrett said. “He has a long way to go. He has a serious injury. It’s hard to compare to compare those (other) guys. They had shoulder injuries but they had different shoulder surgeries. He is certainly behind them. But he had a complicated surgery that was done after the season. Hopefully he will be ready by camp.”

The Cowboys believe he will be there ready to go after an offseason of discontent. His teammates plan to be behind him.

"There's always a business side to the game," quarterback Tony Romo said. "Personally, you just want to play football. I think Mike understands there's a time for business and there's a time to play. I think that stuff he's going through is for everybody. I think for him, he's got to do what he thinks is right. But at the same token, he understands that he's part of the team.

"I expect Mike to have a great season. He's been a great player for us and I'm excited about having him back."

This article was written by Clarence E. Hill Jr. and appeared in sportsblogs.star-telegram.com.

A lighter Antonio Gates is looking toward the future.

The Chargers tight end has chosen to trim his playing weight this season, he said Tuesday, cutting it down by five pounds.

It's not just something Gates wants to do.

It's something, he believes, he must.

"I've always felt deeply that as you get older, you have to lose a little weight," said Gates, who turns 32 next week. "I've always played at 260 (pounds). I felt like this year, I can play at 255 ... That's just the key. When I watch guys who have longevity and played for 15, 16 years, one thing I continuously hear is guys maintaining health, maintaining weight. They control their weight."

Gates, naturally, knows his 6-foot-4 body better than anyone, and he's noticed it doesn't burn calories as it once did.

In the earlier years of his career, to play at 255 pounds would mean weighing 265 or 270 in the offseason months. Then, during the summer training camp, the extra pounds would drip away.

The eight-time Pro Bowler goes about things differently now.

Taking a slower metabolism into account, Gates says he's currently about 258 or 259 pounds, much closer to his target weight for the Sept. 10 season opener in Oakland.

"It's got to be a good weight, too," Gates said. "I don't want to walk around and feel like I don't have power, or fatigue sets in because you've lost too much weight.

"I see these commercials of people who lose 10 pounds in one day and all this crazy stuff. I ain't on that plan. I'm at one pound a week where when I eat, I'm still at a good weight. I don't want to be 255 on weigh-in day and then eat a sandwich and be back to 263."

This isn't the first time an elite NFL tight end made a diet change at age 31.

In 2007, the Falcons' Tony Gonzalez made a dramatic shift, becoming vegan for a short time before turning to a less strict but still plant-based diet.

For Gates, the diet change is constant but less complex: maintain moderation over every meal and portion.

He can still eat like himself.

And, he's proving this offseason, he can still look like himself, too.

At the Chargers' organized team activities, Gates is running strong and stringing together consecutive practices, something that rarely occurred when dealing with plantar fasciitis the past two seasons.

"You can't discredit the fact that I've played going on 10 years," Gates said. "The aches and pains of playing are always there. But in terms of my foot, I'm able to get to practice at a rate that I wasn't able to do in the past. From that standpoint, I'm feeling great."

This article was written by Michael Gehlken and appeared in utsandiego.com.

The opened their offeason mini-camp Tuesday at Halas Hall without Brian Urlacher, who still is recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of the 2011 season finale against the Vikings.

Urlacher suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament and partially sprained posterior cruciate ligament in the victory over the Vikings at the Metrodome. At the time it was reported he would require 10 weeks of rehabilitation without surgery. He attended Tuesday's practice but did not participate. But coach Lovie Smith said the 34-year-old Urlacher will be ''good to go'' for training camp, which begins July 26 in Bourbonnais.

''It's not a lot to explain. He's not ready to go yet,'' Smith said after Tuesday's practice. ''He's on pace. Our plan was to take it slow with him.

''We know what Brian can do. It's not like he's going to tell us an awful lot out here. He's right on pace [and] he should be able to get a good rest of his offseason in and be good to go for training camp.''

This article was written by Mark Potash and appeared in the blogs.suntimes.com.

Rookies To Coach Local Youth at PLAY 60 Football Event at Browns Facility.

WHAT:
2012 NFL Rookie Symposium PLAY 60 Youth Football Clinic

WHERE:
Cleveland Browns Training and Administrative Complex
76 Lou Groza Blvd/Berea, OH 44017

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 26 (NFC Rookies); 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Friday, June 29 (AFC Rookies); 9:30AM – 12:00PM

WHO:
300 local children

All 253 members of the 2012 NFL Draft Class (NFC Rookies – Tuesday, June 26; AFC Rookies – Friday, June 29)

MORE DETAILS:
As part of the 2012 Rookie Symposium, which introduces rookies to life in the NFL and their new positions as ambassadors of the league and their local communities, all rookies will spend time with children from the Cleveland area at the Rookie Symposium PLAY 60 Youth Event, where they will lead the group in interactive games and teach them football skills and drills, followed by a healthy barbeque. The event supports the NFL’s commitment to the community and encourages kids to lead an active lifestyle with the NFL PLAY 60 program.

ABOUT THE 2012 ROOKIE SYMPOSIUM
On June 24, the NFL kicks off its 15th annual Rookie Symposium. The four-day orientation held at the Bertram Hotel in Aurora, Ohio will introduce the 2012 NFL Draft class to life in the NFL prior to the rookies reporting to training camps. NFC rookies will attend from June 24-27, and AFC rookies will attend from June 27-30.

The purpose of the Rookie Symposium is to help prepare players for the opportunities and challenges they will encounter during their NFL experience and to teach them an appreciation for the history of the game as well as the role that they will PLAY in the league’s future. To enhance this teaching, all the rookies will be visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of their overall Symposium experience. The NFL and its teams are committed to providing the rookies with the best resources to achieve success both on and off-the-field.

The core teaching principles of the Rookie Symposium are NFL history, experience, player expectations and professional and social responsibility. The program includes presentations, videos, and workshops focused on these principles as well as other topics including Player health and safety, decision making and maintaining positive relationships.

Speakers this year will include members of the NFL league office and clubs, the NFL Players Association, professionals in specialized fields, and current and former NFL players.

*In the event of rain, the clinic will be held indoors at the Browns practice facility.

Tom Coughlin’s contract extension was expected. (It’s also to be expected that some fans will call for him to be fired if he goes 6-10 next season.)

But the beginning of this quotation from the team president, John Mara, was a little surprising on Wednesday:

“I wanted Tom as our head coach going all the way back to the early ‘90s. So it was with great confidence that Ernie Accorsi and I recommended to my father and Bob Tisch in 2004 that we hire Tom. Of course, my father didn’t need to be convinced. He saw what we have all seen, a man who has a singular focus and incredible dedication when it comes to his work. In so many ways, Tom represents to me who and what the head coach of our franchise should be.”

Here’s the background on the Giants’ failed recruitment of Coughlin, after the disappointment of the Ray Handley years, via an article by The Daily News in February.

The first call following the 1992 season went to Boston College head coach Tom Coughlin, a Giants assistant from 1988-90.
“No,” he said. The Giants were shocked.
Coughlin had great respect for the Giants, but he said he had unfinished business as a college coach. The next year, he felt he had reached a goal — turning around Boston College with a victory over Notre Dame. He wound up with the expansion job in Jacksonville. The Giants wound up with the Dan Reeves and Jim Fassel eras.

Did he ever think he would get a second chance? “No, that wasn’t any thought that I had,” he said. “Staying at BC was an easy decision at the time,” Coughlin said.

“He had success in Jacksonville. I never thought we would ever have an opportunity to get him,” Mara said.

This article was written by TONI MONKOVIC and appeared in fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com.

Contrary to popular belief, Monday’s ruling in Bounty Grievance No. 2 has yet to release Stephen Burbank from currently active service to the NFL and NFLPA. Last week, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the NFLPA filed a grievance regarding the question of whether the Saints would have to pay quarterback Drew Brees 120 percent of his 2012 salary or 144 percent of it under the franchise tag in 2013.

The May 29 request from lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, a copy of which PFT has obtained, argues that use of the franchise tag by the Saints on Brees in 2013 would trigger the higher tender, on the basis that it will be the third time the franchise tag has been applied to Brees.

It’s a difference of more than $3.9 million in 2013.

The filing came four days after Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports flagged the issue. The timetable for a hearing and an eventual resolution isn’t known, but Kessler has requested that the issue be expedited.

For those of you (there may be two or three) who are interested in the potential issues that will be raised, you are cordially invited to continue reading.


The most immediate problem with the grievance is that the dispute isn’t, as the legal types would call it, ripe, because the amount of Brees’ 2013 franchise tender isn’t relevant until 2013. Though Kessler explains that the disagreement over Brees’ 2013 franchise tender is affecting negotiations on a long-term deal, concern that the Saints have dug in on their position as to what the tender would be in 2013 when making multi-year offers doesn’t compel a resolution now.

If the Saints use the franchise tag on Brees in 2013 and their interpretation is incorrect, Brees will be entitled to nearly $4 million more in 2013. For 2012, the question has zero bearing on Brees’ compensation.

Apart from whether the issue regarding 2013 pay should be resolved before 2013, the language of the CBA doesn’t seem to support the argument that the 144-percent tender applies when a player is tagged for the third time in his career, even if he has only been tagged once or twice by his current team. Kessler argues that the key phrase in Article 10, Section 2(b) — “Any Club that designates a player as a Franchise Player for the third time” — isn’t specific to one team because the CBA uses the word “a” instead of “its.” But that may not be enough of a difference to expand the phrase “for the third time” beyond the team that currently holds the players rights. If the calculation were driven by the number of times a player had been tagged during his career, the language easily could have been crafted to make that more clear, with wording like, “If a player is designated as a Franchise Player for the third time.”

Also cutting against Brees’ argument is a separate portion of Article 10. Section 15(c) sets forth the procedure the season after a player sits out the entirety of a season under the franchise tag. In the next league year, the franchise-tagged player is subject to compensation of only a first-round pick and a third-round pick, and the exclusive tag cannot be used. Then, Section 15(c) says this: “If such a player is designated as a Franchise Player for a third time, the terms of Section 2(b) above shall apply.”

It’s a subtle point, but reading Section 15(c) in conjunction with Section 2(b) points to a conclusion that the analysis is based on use of the tag by the team, not on the total career use of the tag on the player.

That interpretation also meshes with a key portion of Section 2(b) that never will be relevant to quarterbacks. In 2006, the CBA was amended to dissaude teams from squatting on one player for more than two straight years by escalating the franchise tender to quarterback money when the tag is used the third time. That’s how linebacker Karlos Dansby escaped Arizona after two years under the franchise tag. Under Brees’ argument, however, Dansby would be entitled to quarterback money the first time the Dolphins would use the tag on him. That outcome doesn’t seem to mesh with the spirit of the franchise tag.

Of course, and as usual, what I think doesn’t matter. Burbank will have to resolve this one, subject to review by the Appeals Panel. The best news for the Saints remains that, if Brees is worried about the amount of his franchise tender in 2013, he must be planning to show up in 2012, even if he doesn’t get a long-term deal.

This article was written by Mike Florio and appeared in profootballtalk.nbcsports.com.

When NFL Network unveiled its list of the Top 100 players as voted on by their peers last year, one of the biggest subjects of debate was why Eli Manning didn’t make the list. When Manning won the Super Bowl MVP in February, it was obvious that Manning would make the list this year, and he has made it: Manning checks in at No. 31 on this year’s list.

That ranking is already drawing criticism in New York, where some are wondering what more Manning could have done than lead the Giants to another Super Bowl title to get himself into the Top 30.

Among quarterbacks, Manning ranks fifth, a year after he was criticized by some for saying he considers himself one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL. The Top 30 players haven’t been revealed yet, but it’s obvious from looking at the players whose spots in the Top 100 haven’t come up yet that Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady (in some order) will be the top three quarterbacks, and Ben Roethlisberger will be the fourth quarterback ranked ahead of Manning.

The whole Top 100 thing is just supposed to be a fun exercise in seeing how NFL players rate their fellow players, but it’s something for fans to talk about during the offseason. We’re sure PFT Planet will have plenty to say about Manning’s ranking.

Posted by Michael David Smith
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com