Phins hit with COVID, but Pats more hurt

Three players — long snapper Blake Ferguson, defensive tackle Benito Jones and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley — were placed on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Those three either tested positive for the illness or have come in close contact with people who have. The first time those who tested positive will be eligible to return to the active roster is in three weeks

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 season, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.‬

Starting offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale and reserve offensive lineman Najee Toran have also decided to opt out of the 2020 season for the Patriots.

white1 wrote:You talking the Hyrdroxychloroquine? Yeah that story is scary on many levels.  Seems like a groundswell of physicians including a double blind trial is being actively buried - they claim they have proof it works in combination with zinc and antibiotics if given early.  If we can cure Covid with already available drugs, then why lock down and why wait for a vaccine?

Star Lotulelei, DT, Buffalo Bills
Lotulelei signed a five-year, $50 million deal with the Bills in 2018 and has started at defensive tackle ever since, operating as one of the team's primary run-stopping defensive linemen. He signed a restructured contract this offseason, guaranteeing him $4.5 million in 2020; his new contract will now activate in 2021.

The reason a lot of players are opting out (besides health reasons) is if you have a lot of guaranteed money this year and the season is cancelled, they risk losing a lot of money

Bill Belichick, meet Trevor Lawrence!

With six — count 'em, six — New England players choosing to opt out of the upcoming season, fans in Foxborough and beyond already are dreaming of seeing the Clemson quarterback's golden locks flowing out of a Patriots cap on draft night next April.

Who can blame them? Belichick, the mastermind of all masterminds, certainly wouldn't allow any of this to happen if he didn't have a brilliant plan up his sleeve to launch the next Patriots dynasty.

Who else would be able to talk Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower into taking a $7.85-million pay cut?

Patrick Chung, Marcus Cannon, Brandon Bolden, Danny Vitale and Najee Toran also appear to be taking one for the team in order for Belichick to snag the next franchise quarterback.

mercury22nathan wrote:having our starting (and only) LS out could present problems.  i wonder if they'll go shopping for another to fill the gap (Taybor Pepper is still out there) or if someone on the roster can stand in?  

The Dolphins announced yesterday that the team had signed 2020 undrafted free agent long-snapper Rex Sunahara from West Virginia to fill the void. Sunahara was credited with handling snaps on field goals, punts and extra points for several seasons with the Mountaineers — and he can now claim an NFL role on his resume as well.

Barring some unforeseen circumstances, Sunahara’s tenure is likely a short stay — a health Blake Ferguson will command that role for the Dolphins. This signing isn’t an indictment of the team’s 2020 draft selection of a snapper, rather it should be seen as a short-term solution to Ferguson’s ineligibility to participate in team activities due to either a positive COVID-19 test or a close call with someone else who tested positive.

mercury22nathan wrote:Jones weren't gonna make the team anyways

Star Lotulelei, DT, Buffalo Bills

JMP wrote:When all is said and done, IF there is an NFL season it may resemble a strike season with all the players that are going to be out.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Allen Hurns announced Tuesday afternoon he is opting out of the 2020 because of COVID-19.

Last season, Hurns played in 14 games with seven starts and was also inactive for two games. He caught 32 passes for 416 yards with two touchdowns.

The Dolphins obviously liked what they saw after they signed Hurns in July 2019 because they gave him a two-year, $7 million contract extension that went through the 2021 season.

That contract will now toll, meaning it is put on pause for this season. Hurns will now be signed with the Dolphins through the 2022 season.

Davon Godchaux... The Dolphins placed the fourth-year defensive tackle on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

the Dolphins will be without the following players for at least the next couple of days: defensive linemen Shaq Lawson, Raekwon Davis and Benito Jones, safety Brandon Jones, offensive lineman Solomon Kindley and wide receiver Kirk Merritt.

It’s possible that Lawson, Davis, Benito Jones and Kindley were red-flagged because they practiced with Davon Godchaux, who went on the reserve list Wednesday. If Godchaux had a positive test, then those with whom he interacted closely in meetings and walkthroughs would likely need to be sidelined, at least for now.