Ten Thoughts on the NFL

1) This could suck.

NFLPA is warning players to start saving money now for a 2021 lockout

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire after the 2020 season, so the NFLPA is readying for a work stoppage. If the NFLPA can get the players to save and be financially ready, just in case, then it will give the NFLPA more bargaining power to get what they want for their new CBA.

According to NFLPA executive George Atallah, the players weren’t prepared the last time they went to the bargaining table and that forced the union to bend in their negotiations. It was widely believed that the owners won the last lockout, so the players may be ready to dig in this time.

2) When I saw this come across my twitter feed, Brandon Jacobs vows to get Jim Harbaugh fired, I didn’t even remember the two having a beef.

What ever the beef is, and how ever angry Jacobs is at Harbaugh, I can’t imagine him being able to get Michigan to fire their head coach who has a 20-6 regular season record in two years. Jacobs is pissed that Harbaugh didn’t play him when the two were in San Francisco in 2012 and for some reason he’s holding on to the hatred.

If Harbaugh does leave the Wolverines, count me among those that would like to see him coaching the Chicago Bears some day.

Here’s a Fanpost about that very subject, from WCG member Mateo A.

3) I know it’s early.

It’s really, really early.

But so far, quarterback DeShone Kizer is looking good at Cleveland Browns’ OTAs. “Kizer demonstrated superior physical skills to the other quarterbacks in regards to arm strength and mobility,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “If he can combine that with a grasp of the offense and an ability to read defenses, he'll be right in the mix for a chance to start on opening day.”

The number one QB for the Browns is currently Cody Kessler, with Brock Osweiler and Kevin Hogan also in the mix for a roster spot.

4) When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted a kicker in the 2nd round last year, it raised a few eyebrows. Roberto Aguayo didn’t have a very good rookie season, which prompted the Bucs to bring in some competition for him. Veteran Nick Folk may do more than just push Aguayo, he might take his job.

Things got off to a rocky start for Aguayo; during OTAs last week, the second-year kicker went just 1-of-4 on field goal attempts. The good news: The goal posts were narrower than regulation goal posts so Aguayo was aiming at a smaller target. The bad news: Folk went 4-of-4.

The Buccaneers are a popular pick to make the leap to the postseason, but if they have a shaky kicking situation, maybe they come up a game short.

5) Jonathan Stewart, the 30 year old running back for the Carolina Panthers, has never had a problem sharing the load, so why would that be any different in his tenth season?

Stewart was asked about first round draft pick, Christian McCaffrey.

"Stop talking about that. Who cares?" Stewart said. "We want to win the Super Bowl, right? That's the bottom line. It's not about people getting carries. It's not about people getting catches or touchdowns.

"It's about what can you contribute to get us to the Super Bowl."

I’m excited to see how Carolina incorporates McCaffrey into their offense.

6) The Seattle Seahawks could have a divided locker room in 2017.

In a recent ESPN The Magazine article, it was reported that some Seahawk players believe that Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson doesn’t receive the same type of criticism from the coaching staff that other players do. If the defensive players believe Wilson is coddled, I wonder how long til the rift starts to affect the team.

7) The NFL relaxed their rules on touchdown celebrations, but the part about not mimicking the use of a weapon remains. Washington’s Josh Norman, who wants to pretend he’s shooting a bow and arrow, doesn’t understand. “Whatever. It is what it is. Hopefully, I can shoot my arrow, and they still say we can’t. Who the [expletive] knows,” Norman told the Washington Post. “I don’t see how a fake bow and arrow is a weapon. But, hey, I don’t make the rules.”

Oh, so he’s not mimicking the use of a bow and arrow, he’s mimicking the use of a “fake” bow and arrow. Someone get this clarification to Roger Goodell stat.

8) One more Josh Norman nugget, he recently said to expect “bad blood” when his Redskins play the Dallas Cowboys and wide out Dez Bryant, and they play the New York Giants and receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.

“You think the NFC East didn't like each other before? This year right here? There's going to be a lot of fines and maybe some suspensions. I'm going to be honest with you: This [expletive] is going to get really ugly. Because I do have a safety that don't give a [expletive] and I definitely don't. And I know they don't have that many people on the offense who do on their side.”

Norman seems a little angry.

9) Jay Cutler and his wife, Kristin Cavallari, placed their Lake Forest home on the market over the weekend. For a cool $4.75 million, you can live like the former Bears quarterback.

I’m thinking we start a WCG gofundme page, and make this our headquarters. We’ll make Kev the caretaker and we’ll throw a party every weekend!

10) We’re going to hear a lot about Chicago Bears’ wide receiver Kevin White this offseason, and hopefully it won’t be because he’s spending time in the trainer’s room. When he was drafted, he was a high ceiling/low floor type of player, so he has a lot to prove in year three.

We talked about him in my Thoughts last week, when CBSSports.com picked him for their, ‘player on the spot for each team’ article, and now it’s ESPN that mentions White in their latest article titled, Which players on each team have the most to prove in 2017?

Bears’ beat writer Jeff Dickerson was tasked with picking the one Bear with the most to prove and he picked White.

White, the seventh overall pick of the 2015 draft, has appeared in only four regular-season games because of leg injuries. He caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns for West Virginia in 2014, but he has just 19 career receptions in the NFL. The Bears need White to step up more than ever, especially after the club's former No. 1 wide receiver, Alshon Jeffery, signed with Philadelphia in free agency.

While I’m not expecting White to evolve into a special player, the physical tools are there.

Fingers-crossed...