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Deshaun Watson’s status for the 2022 season may soon be known by the Cleveland Browns. According to ESPN and confirmed by CBS Sports NFL expert Jonathan Jones, Watson’s NFL disciplinary hearing will start on Tuesday. The hearing will be presided over by Sue L. Robinson, the jointly appointed disciplinary officer for the NFL and NFLPA. The NFL and NFLPA may both choose to appeal Robinson’s decision. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, has two options for handling the appeal: he can either decide himself or appoint a third party.

The Houston Texans player, who already faced 24 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault during massage sessions while playing for them, is reportedly facing a “lengthy” punishment from the NFL. Twenty of such suits have been chosen by Watson. Two Texas grand juries earlier this offseason decided not to indict Watson on any criminal charges despite his denial of any wrongdoing.

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry answered inquiries regarding a potential punishment involving their new quarterback at Watson’s opening press conference in Cleveland. Berry stated that the team and the NFL have had and would have open lines of contact. Berry emphasized that Watson’s compensation, which includes a $1 million basic pay for the 2022 season, is intended to give the organization flexibility rather than to shield them from a potential ban. After acquiring Watson, the Browns gave him a five-year, $230 million contract with a full guarantee.

In the event that Watson is suspended, the Browns have a number of options. This offseason, the team added veterans Joshua Dobbs and Jacoby Brissett. In addition, Baker Mayfield, who has publicly requested a trade, is still under contract with Cleveland.

Watson would probably be found to have broken the league’s code of conduct policy if suspended. In an effort to encourage better player conduct off the field, the NFL implemented the policy in 2007. Ezekiel Elliott, a current Cowboys running back, was suspended for one of the most remarkable periods of time. Despite the NFL’s main investigator in the matter apparently advising against a suspension, Elliott was given a six-game ban in 2017. The Cowboys missed the playoffs a year after finishing 13-3 because to Elliott’s injury.

Watson would miss home games against the Jets, Steelers, Chargers, and Patriots as well as road games at Carolina and Atlanta if his suspension is for the first six games. In Week 7, he would play in Baltimore against the Ravens as his first game back. The following weekend, he faced the Cincinnati Bengals, the reigning AFC champions, in his first home game as the Browns’ quarterback.

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In 2018, several draft experts predicted that four quarterbacks—Baker Oklahoma’s Mayfield, USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and UCLA’s Josh Rosen—would go off the board in the first part of the first round.

The best quarterback, though, wasn’t universally agreed upon.

In case you were wondering, I was a Rosen guy.

There were also plenty of teams in need of a QB. It seemed almost clear that the Cleveland Browns would select first overall. The Jets were anticipated to select a player at No. 3. It was suggested that the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills might all trade up in the first round to secure a quarterback.

In 2018, the Bills had two first-round picks, but neither made the top 20. It wouldn’t be simple to get in a position to capture one of the best quarterbacks.

But Brandon Beane, the general manager, did it.

In order to advance to selection No. 12, the Bills first dealt veteran lineman Cordy Glenn and the 21st overall pick to Cincinnati. The Bills later traded that 12th pick and two second-round picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move up to No. 7 overall after the Browns selected Mayfield and the Jets selected Darnold. There, the squad selected Allen, who was thought of by most as a gifted but undeveloped prospect.

Some commentators thought it was a terrible choice.

At the time, USA Today’s Steven Ruiz opined, “The Bills traded up two second-round picks for the chance to draft a quarterback who is nothing more than a good arm.” “Allen is uncomfortable playing from the pocket, imprecise, and has trouble reading defenses. He’s a decent quarterback aside from that.”

To suggest Beane’s schemes have succeeded, though, would be an understatement. In Carolina right now is Darnold. Before the start of Week 1, Mayfield ought to leave Cleveland. Rosen was a complete failure. Allen has two seasons with at least 4,400 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, and he is 39-21 as a starter.

The Bills moving up wasn’t very shocking. Or that, considering the significance of his job, Allen was selected among the top 10 overall. But because of the lack of consensus regarding that year’s top quarterback and Allen’s accuracy issues in college (56.2 percent career completion rate), it’s more than a little surprising that Allen has outplayed Mayfield, Darnold and Rosen by such a staggering margin.

It’s likely that the Browns would have made a different selection if they could go back to the 2018 draft.

The NFL has notified teams that it will not have a supplemental draft this summer, thus the league will forego doing so once more (per NFL Network). Any team that placed a bid on a player in the supplemental draft had to give up their draft pick in that round the following year (for instance, placing a third-round pick as a bid on a player in the supplemental draft meant giving up a third-round pick in the NFL Draft the following year).

Any player whose draft eligibility altered between the time of the NFL Draft and July, when the supplemental draft was often held, qualifies for the supplemental draft. Safety The Arizona Cardinals made a fifth-round bid on Jalen Thompson in 2019, making him the final player selected in a supplemental draft. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Thompson has 197 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 passes defended while starting 25 of the team’s 37 games.

Let’s examine the top five supplemental draft selections in NFL history since the system was implemented in 1977 since there won’t be one this year.

5. Josh Gordon, Browns WR from Baylor

The Browns selected Gordon in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft, but after a strong start to his career, his off-field problems came to light. Consider Gordon’s 2013 campaign, in which he led the league in receiving yards with 1,646 and averaged 117.6 per game, earning him an All-Pro selection at the age of 22.

With just 1,833 yards since the beginning of the 2014 season, Gordon has missed more than 50 games in his career due to infractions. He broke the league’s substance misuse and performance-enhancing drug standards, which led to his suspension in December 2019. He wasn’t allowed to play again until September 2021. On the field, he has displayed flashes, but the repeated infractions have prevented Gordon from having a successful career.

4. Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar, Browns

Kosar, who was selected first overall in the 1985 supplemental draft, rose to prominence with the Browns in the mid- to late 1980s, a time when the team won three consecutive AFC Championship Games. Kosar won a playoff game in three straight years in Cleveland, made the Pro Bowl in 1987, and led the league in game-winning drives twice (1986, 1988).

In nine years with the Browns, Kosar threw for 21,904 yards with 116 touchdowns to 81 interceptions. He’s third in franchise history in passing yards and passing touchdowns (behind Brian Sipe and Otto Graham in both categories) and was the last quarterback to start the season opener for the team for five straight seasons.

Kosar is one of the most beloved players in Browns history and was a few plays away from getting the franchise to a Super Bowl in his prime.

3. Rob Moore, Syracuse WR, Jets

Moore was a very good receiver in the league for a decade, finishing with 628 catches for 9,368 yards and 49 touchdowns with the Jets and Cardinals. A first-round supplemental draft selection by the Jets in 1990, Moore made the Pro Bowl in 1994 in his final season with the team when he had 1,010 yards and six touchdowns.

Moore starred with the Cardinals after getting traded there in 1995, having two 1,000-yard seasons (1996, 1997) and was one of the league’s top deep-ball receivers. He led the NFL with 1,584 yards in 1997 when he posted a career-high 97 catches.

Leg injuries ended Moore’s career prematurely, as he never played another regular-season snap after the 1999 season (even though Moore was on a roster for two more years).

2. Jamal Williams, Oklahoma State DT, Chargers

A second-round pick of the Chargers in the 1998 supplemental draft, Williams developed into one of the game’s best nose tackles in the mid-2000s. He earned two consecutive All-Pro selections (2005, 2006) and three straight Pro Bowl selections (2005, 2006, 2007).

Williams started 135 of 167 games in a 13-year career (12 with San Diego) and finished with double-digits in tackles for loss twice. The Chargers received excellent value by taking a gamble on Williams.

1. Cris Carter, Ohio State WR, Eagles

A fourth-round pick in the 1987 supplemental draft, Carter is the only supplemental draft pick to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Philadelphia Eagles took Carter in 1987 and he had three productive seasons with the team (caught 11 touchdowns in 1989) before getting released due to substance-abuse issues.

Carter was claimed by the Minnesota Vikings and notched eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 1993 to 2000, leading the league in receptions once (1994) and touchdown catches three times (1995, 1997, 1999). He earned two All-Pro selections, eight Pro Bowl selections, and was a member of the 1990s All-Decade Team.

Carter finished his career with 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 receiving touchdowns. He’s sixth on the all-time receptions list, 13th all time in receiving yards, and fourth in touchdown catches. He’s considered one of the greatest receivers in NFL history.

Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan were two of the big-name transactions made throughout the offseason, each with the aim of completing championship puzzles in Denver and Indianapolis, respectively.

Each star quarterback will be welcomed with high expectations.

The Broncos and Colts received Super Bowl rings from Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who also knows a thing or two about handling the pressure Wilson and Ryan will face. Manning is certain that they are prepared to face anything comes their way.

“Look, obviously there are expectations when you play quarterback in the NFL. I believe that Russell and Matt have high standards for themselves “At the yearly “Manning Passing Camp” on Friday, Manning stated. “They want to collaborate with the team, establish communication, and do their share to support the team’s success. As a result, I believe they can both manage that.”

Wilson joins a Broncos squad that hasn’t advanced past the regular season since Manning retired following the team’s 50th Super Bowl victory. For the services of Wilson, who oversaw the Seahawks to eight postseason appearances in 10 seasons, including a Super Bowl victory in 2013, the Broncos had to part with a number of first-round picks and valuable players. This ended the team’s six-year playoff drought. Since signing Manning before the 2012 season, Wilson, 33, represents the Broncos’ biggest improvement at quarterback.

After the Colts’ miserable 2021 campaign, which ended with them missing the playoffs due to a Week 17 loss to the league’s worst 3-14 Jaguars, Indianapolis acquired Ryan in the hopes that a seasoned player’s dependability would bring stability to the position. The Colts have experienced a similar situation in each of the last three offseasons, despite having a strong roster at their disposal. Ryan, who is 37 years old, adds 14 seasons of experience to a team that is still strong.

Nobody was surprised when Manning gave advice to Wilson and Ryan as they headed to his old teams.

Manning added, “I kind of talked to both of them during the process and tried to be a resource like I try to be for all quarterbacks. “Particularly for Matt, he hinted that Atlanta would be interested in a deal and inquired about Indy. Simply put, I really enjoyed that match. I thought it would be great for Matt in this second chapter for him, and I thought it would be really good for the Colts, who I think are really close and have a lot of pieces and just could really use a veteran leader. He gets along great with Frank Reich. Russell is similarly affected, right? He is starting a new chapter. Broncos fans and players are hungry — we’ve been in a little bit of a drought the past few years and it’s time to get the Broncos back to where they’re supposed to be.”

The pressure to succeed has yet to even fully emerge in late June, but Wilson and Ryan are doing their due diligence in the meantime. The presence of both veteran QBs was constant throughout OTAs as they got accustomed to their new squads, which is sure to resonate well among their new teammates.

Justin Jefferson, a receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, is off to a blazing start in the NFL. But he’s not content.

On Thursday, Jefferson said to Patrick Claybon of NFL Network that he had his sights set on a gold jacket.

Jefferson remarked on NFL Total Access, “I mean, I want to do so much.” “I have a never-ending list of things I wish to do. I want to go down in history as a Hall of Famer. Therefore, I have a lot more work to do and a lot more goals to make for myself in order to improve myself and actually learn if I want to get to that level. I am so eager to push myself to my absolute limits. Considering that this is only the beginning of my career, I still have a ton to learn and do before I can truly claim the title of “Hall of Famer.”

The most receiving yards in a player’s first two seasons in NFL history are held by Jefferson, who has 3,016 yards since joining the league in 2020. In each of his first two seasons, he broke the record for most yards with 1,400+. To break the NFL record for most yards in a player’s first three seasons, he must accumulate 1,148 yards in 2022. (Randy Moss: 4,163 yards from 1998-2000).

Jefferson has received 27.5 percent of his team’s targets since 2020, averaging 15.4 yards per reception. Only Davante Adams (29.7) and Stefon Diggs (27.7) had a higher proportion.

In 2022, the Vikings are anticipated to become a more pass-dominant club under Kevin O’Connell’s leadership, which might cause Jefferson’s statistics to soar to new heights.

Jefferson stated, “Our offensive style is no longer a run-first offense. “Really, it’s just our ability to distribute the ball to many players in various positions. I’m enthusiastic about this offensive. Just us participating in OTAs, learning the plays, practicing them with our defense, etc.

All of us are eager. Everyone is content to have (O’Connell). With him present, the atmosphere and connection in the building are unquestionably different. Really, we’re just eager to get everything going. We’re interested in how this season actually pans out for us.

Only one division’s favorite changed in BetMGM’s odds between the beginning and end of the NFL draft.

A.J. Brown’s trade was a significant event.

One of the best receivers in the NFL, Brown, was moved to the Philadelphia Eagles by the Tennessee Titans because they didn’t want to pay him. They selected receiver Treylon Burks with their first-round pick from the deal, but as a rookie, it’s unclear whether Burks will be as good as Brown.

Due to this, the Titans went from being the AFC South betting favorite to being in second place.

Colts and Titans are the favorites in the AFC South.

After the Titans moved Brown, the Indianapolis Colts surpassed them as the favorite in the AFC South betting odds. The AFC South betting odds from BetMGM are as follows:

Colts +105

Titans 125

Jaguars of Jacksonville +650

the +2500 Houston Texans

The Titans didn’t fall too much, but it’s important that they are no longer considered favorites. You can’t write the Titans off after they won the AFC South last year despite suffering numerous significant injuries, but they need depth in the passing game. Derrick Henry will return, but it’s worth considering whether his injury from the previous season is a warning sign for a running back who has had a staggering number of touches during his career and is now 28 years old.

The Colts had a disappointing 2021 season, missing the playoffs with an astonishing loss in the finale to the Jaguars, but they think they fixed a problem by swapping quarterbacks. Carson Wentz is out and Matt Ryan is in. The Colts have a good roster and if the quarterback change is an upgrade, they’re a rightful favorite in the division.

Derrick Henry and the Titans are trying to repeat as AFC South champions. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images )

Jaguars, Texans still building

Picking the AFC South is easier than some divisions because you can reasonably eliminate two teams.

Maybe you are a believer in the Jaguars, and that’s fine. Trevor Lawrence was a generational prospect for a reason. Jacksonville has added talent in the offseason. The Urban Meyer hire was such an unmitigated disaster that perhaps all the bad things that happened last season can be attributed to a coach that has already been fired, and new coach Doug Pederson can completely turn things around. It still feels like any big jump for the Jaguars is a year away, but a bet on them at their odds isn’t crazy.

It’s a lot harder to talk yourself into the Texans being a big surprise. They were probably fortunate to go 4-13 last season with a severely undermanned roster, then fired coach David Culley to replace him with Lovie Smith. There wasn’t a huge infusion of talent in the offseason. It would be a surprise — and likely an indictment of the direction the Jaguars are headed — if the Texans don’t finish in last place.

Unless the Jaguars make a huge leap (again, Meyer was so bad that it’s possible the Jaguars are six or seven wins better just by removing him), the AFC South looks like a two-team race. The difference in who wins might be the receiver the Titans shipped off to Philadelphia.

On May 8, 2022, at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan (2) participates in drills during the team’s required mini-camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are more prepared than they have ever been to challenge for the AFC South championship this season. Frank Reich will keep this team playing hard until the final whistle with Matt Ryan starting at quarterback in lieu of Carson Wentz and Jonathan Taylor being the best rushing back in the league.

The strength of Indianapolis’ roster from top to bottom is where they can distinguish themselves from the rival Tennessee Titans. A defense led by Matt Eberflus may actually perform better this season because to a number of high-profile additions on that side of the ball.

Even with all of this great energy flowing toward Indianapolis, it seems that some people are still skeptics about what Chris Ballard is erecting there. The Colts are sometimes seen as a.500 club rather than a contender for the championship.

The Colts were ranked No. 16 in NFL Spin Zone’s ranking of the rosters of all 32 NFL teams. Even though the Colts and Ryan had the greatest rating of any AFC South club, it appears that the national media isn’t giving them the attention they deserve.

Over at @NFLSpinZone, I evaluated every roster in 2022 from worst to best: https://t.co/dzSukDOjWr June 11, 2022 — Sayre Bedinger (@SayreBedinger)

How good is the roster for the Indianapolis Colts?

On the offensive side, Indianapolis is complemented by one of the strongest offensive lines in football in addition to the ageless Ryan and powerful Taylor. That cannot be overemphasized or underestimated, particularly given that Ryan is an elderly quarterback who has never been very agile.

Darius Leonard and newly acquired Stephon Gilmore will give the defense two immediate All-Pro team possibilities. Even while the defensive line may not be very strong at the moment, it would benefit the group much if Kwity Paye developed into a future Pro Bowler.

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/bxytCo7JJF Jonathan Taylor loses everyone and runs 67 yards to the house — SportsCenter, December 19, 2021 (@SportsCenter)

The greatest gaps for Indianapolis are still at tight end and wide receiver. It’s reasonable to enter this season with some pessimism regarding that portion of the squad until youngsters like Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods immediately begin to live up to their potential. Do they rank 16th after that?

Saying that the Colts aren’t even in the top half of teams throughout the NFL despite their outstanding offseason is a little harsh because they might not finish the season with a ring on their finger. Reich and the Colts have more than enough weaponry to make the critics retract their statements if Ryan is as good as he was in Atlanta.

It’s time for the NFL to make improvements to the way it awards compensatory selections.

The NFL isn’t the only big sports league that employs this strategy; it’s a case of good idea, lousy execution. The MLB also gives teams extra draft money for players they lose to free agency or qualifying offers, and the league can take away draft money from teams that exceed the luxury tax thresholds.

The rationale behind these compensatory draft awards is that the league should provide greater draft capital to smaller market teams in order to maintain competitive balance as they might not have the resources or ability to sign players in free agency.

But in reality, the NFL operates differently, or at least that isn’t how things have played out recently.

The compensating formula has been effectively used by teams like the Los Angeles Rams in their team building. Leonard Floyd, Eric Weddle, Ndamukong Suh, Bobby Wagner, and other players with expiring contracts are just a few examples of how LA prefers to sign players who have been dismissed over those who reach free agency. The Rams are able to hire the best talent available thanks to owner Stan Kroenke’s huge riches and the allure of the Los Angeles market. As a result, the team now has an all-star roster and a Super Bowl ring for 2021.

The Rams take advantage of the system’s openly visible rules since it is unbiased and equally fair. Do the rules need to be altered if the formula frequently rewards major market teams with unlimited funds?

And the Rams are not the only ones; this is not meant to paint them as villains. Why do the compensatory draft picks seem to be continually given to the top teams in the NFL if the goal is to restore competitive balance?

Compensation Awards for 2022

based on 2021 free agency spending

The following teams were awarded multiple compensatory choices ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, with the notation of their record in 2020.

Of the 31 total picks outlined above, a solid majority went to teams that won at least 8 games (18 or 58%). If you count the Chargers at 7-9, who also have the Los Angeles market to recruit top talent, the percentage jumps to 75%.

The Lions were awarded 3 compensatory selections for the 2021 draft, but where were the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Houston Texans, or the Minnesota Vikings? These are all smaller market teams that you’d expect the compensatory formula to benefit as a means of restoring competitive balance, but they are notably absent from the list.

2023 Compensatory Awards**

Based on free agency spending in 2022

The following teams are projected to earn multiple compensatory choices ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, with the notation of their record in 2021.

Arizona Cardinals: 3rd round, 5th round, 6th round (3); 11-6

Dallas Cowboys: 4th round, 2 6th round (3); 12-5

New England Patriots: 3rd round, 6th round (2); 10-7

New York Giants: 5th round, 7th round (2); 4-13

Kansas City Chiefs: 2 6th round (2); 12-5

Las Vegas Raiders: 5th round, 2 7th round (3); 10-7

Los Angeles Rams: 2 5th round, 6th round, 7th round (4); 12-5

Minnesota Vikings: 2 6th round (2); 8-9

San Francisco 49ers: 5th round, 6th round, 7th round (3); 10-7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5th round, 7th round (2); 13-4

Washington Commanders: 3rd round, 6th round (2); 7-10

28 projected compensatory selections are listed above, with 24 picks (86%) slated to go to teams that won at least 8 games this past season.

What’s changed?

Savvy teams understand the benefit of gaming the compensatory selection formula, and for the most part these additional draft picks are being distributed to already well-run organizations.

While these draft choices are intended to level the playing field and restore competitive balance, in recent years they have only widened the gap between the have’s and have not’s. Teams like the Rams and Cowboys use their large markets and deep pockets to attract the best talent – and year in and year out they stretch the salary cap to its maximum constraints.

Meanwhile the organizations at the bottom of the barrel seem to stay there, and the Jaguars, Lions, and Texans are still swirling the drain.

Is the system fixable?

The NFL has awarded compensatory picks since 1994, though the idea of approaching free agency with the intention of maximizing future draft capital seems to be new. The disparity in outcomes is probably not enough to warrant ending the practice altogether, but changes need to be made in order to strike a balance.

Should the NFL begin accounting for a team’s win/loss record in the compensatory formula? The draft is mostly a crapshoot even for the most adept organizations, so why not give the worst teams more darts to throw?

One of the most exciting aspects of professional football is the parity that occurs year in and year out. Each season comes with a renewed sense of optimism, even for teams that had no shot at contention a year ago.

The way to grow the game is to ensure this parity continues to take place, and perhaps even throw gasoline on the fire. Giving the bad teams a nudge could help them turnaround their roster build quicker – and it would make the NFL more competitive overall.

The Raiders had a terrible draft in 2019 because they failed to select any of the three fifth-year options for the players they selected in the first round. Josh Jacobs did, however, provide them with some quality performance, and even Jonathan Abram has had his share of moments with the team.

The first round of the 2020 draft was much worse for the Raiders because both Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette were cut in the middle of the 2021 season. Arnette had a number of incidents with the team both on and off the field, and Ruggs was charged with DUI causing death.

Therefore, with their first of two first-round picks in 2020, who ought the Raiders to have chosen?

Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus just redrafted the whole first round of that draft in an essay. He selected USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for the Raiders over Ruggs at No. 12 overall. What he had to say about the choice is as follows:

Pittman improved significantly in his second season after graduating from USC last year for the Colts, improving his PFF grade from 62.8 as a rookie to 79.9 in 2021. He has excellent route running skills, especially considering his size, and just had a season in which he caught 64.3% of his contested targets (second among wide receivers with at least 25 contested targets). Pittman has a case for being the top receiver still available in a talented class, even if he isn’t the vertical threat that Las Vegas was looking for with the Ruggs decision.

The Raiders had their pick of any receiver in the class when they went on the clock at No. 12. But in this re-draft, Tee Higgins, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb were all selected in the top ten. Pittman, a receiver they received from Linsey, is still quite effective.

During the 2021 season, Pittman caught 88 catches for a total of 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. Given that the Colts will now be led by Matt Ryan, one of the league’s most physical receivers, he might have a breakthrough season in 2022.

Linsey gave them LSU’s Kristian Fulton with their other first-round pick. Many people believed Trevon Diggs or Fulton would be alternatives at No. 19 since the Raiders desperately needed secondary assistance. Instead, they chose Arnette, who many thought would be a Day 3 mid-player.

Drafting is always simple in retrospect, but these two selections seemed like big risks at the time. Both failed to produce with the Raiders for very different reasons.

Getty Pictures

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Reform purposefully or accidentally scheduled the hearing for June 22—one day after the league’s deadline for submitting a motion to compel arbitration of the Brian Flores lawsuit—on which Commissioner Roger Goodell will testify. However, the league’s attempt to move the entire matter into the NFL’s secret, rigged kangaroo court is still in the works as Congress gets ready to question Goodell.

This year’s timetable was established by the presiding judge. By June 21, the supporting documents for the motion to compel arbitration must be submitted. It has been filed, according to Danel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com.

The contracts the three identified plaintiffs signed with the Dolphins, Titans, and Cardinals, respectively, serve as the threshold effort to compel Brian Flores, Ray Horton, and Steve Wilks to submit to the NFL’s internal dispute-resolution procedure. The teams in the league frequently include broad, take-it-or-leave-it language necessitating arbitration in their coaching contracts.

And while that is becoming more and more prevalent in American company (mostly because they never want to have to explain for their behavior before independent judges and juries), the majority of businesses rely on an outside arbitration agency. Coaches and other club personnel are required to allow the guy recruited and paid by the owners of the teams to settle accusations made against those owners as part of the NFL’s fixation with micromanaging every element of its business.

Fairness? Justice? Yes, Jan.

The league acting in this manner is absurd. That the league was given permission to do that is absurd. The NFL’s unfair attempt to manipulate the system in its favor will hopefully be addressed in this case by applying fundamental principles of equality.

Of course, Flores has complaints about other clubs. According to Kaplan’s piece (we’re in the process of collecting the raw court records), the league seems to have made the identical claim regarding the NFL’s Constitution & Bylaws that was rejected by a Nevada judge last month in the Jon Gruden case.

One month from today, the motion answer is due. The final say will then be given in writing to the NFL. A ruing will eventually be created. Appeals will unavoidably be submitted (if the NFL doesn’t get what it wants).