Media by Associated Press – FILE – Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Jan. 3, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Mayfield’s rocky run with Cleveland officially ended Wednesday, July 6, 2022, with the Browns trading the divisive quarterback and former No. 1 overall draft pick to the Carolina Panthers, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
For all the criticisms of the Olympics — there are many that are valid and more than fair — one that always seems unfair is when they try to include new sports.
Sure, breakdancing seems like a silly addition to the 2024 Paris games, but at least the organization tries to keep people engaged. The NFL is hoping the IOC will keep an open eye to adding flag football in the future.
Next week, flag football will be played in an international format for the first time during the World Games in Birmingham, Ala. The NFL believes the sport will be an important part of the future of football.
That’s why the league partnered with the International Federation of American football to bring flag football to the World Games. The league hopes they may be able to push for sports inclusion for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Can the USFL provide a pipeline to the NFL?
It’s hard to believe any prospects go unnoticed in the NFL Draft these days. Everyone and their grandmother has a mock draft, and many people post videos and try to break down tape.
When the eight-team USFL was launched this spring, there was a collective sigh over yet another attempt to make spring football viable. With the first season in the books, there are some players from the league attempting to make the jump to the NFL.
Chris Odom, an edge rusher who played with the Houston Gamblers, excelled in the spring league by hauling down the quarterback 12.5 times. He led the league in sacks by 3.5 more than his closest competitor.
Odom, who has played 11 games in the NFL in 2019, is hoping this will get him a second chance to stick. His agent reported that he has workouts with three different teams.
Panthers get their man
Baker Mayfield’s final season in Cleveland was tumultuous for a man who helped the Browns win their first playoff game since they returned to the league as an expansion team in 1999.
Mayfield struggled with turnovers and inconsistent play in 2021 due to playing through an injury. He finished with 3,010 passing yards along with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Now Cleveland, which signed DeShaun Watson to replace him, found a trading partner by sending Mayfield, a former first-round pick, to Carolina.
The Panthers, who were dissatisfied with the performance of Sam Darnold last season, were eager to bring in a veteran quarterback to help right the ship. Carolina dealt a conditional fourth or fifth-round pick to acquire Mayfield.
Hanging it up
Former reserve defensive lineman Beau Allen announced his retirement following a career spanning from 2014 to 2020.
Allen, who was on the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LII team, recorded 117 tackles and 2.5 sacks during his career. A former seventh-round pick out of Wisconsin, Allen was able to carve out a solid NFL career.
Allen also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots.
Probably best to stay in the booth
Former first-round pick Robert Griffin III has been saying in recent interviews that he is ready to come back and play football should anyone call him.
Griffin, who last served as the backup quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, has been working with ESPN as a college football and NFL analyst.
Injuries took a toll on Griffin’s career. He came into the league with a bang, passing for over 3,000 yards in his first two seasons with Washington.
However, Griffin would never play more than nine games in a season for the rest of his career, which included stops in Cleveland and Baltimore. Griffin passed for 9,271 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions before going unsigned following the 2020 season.
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