Clayton: Seahawks and NFL have unanswered questions ahead of camps opening
Jul 17, 2020, 3:05 PM | Updated: 3:10 pm
It's unclear how many preseason games the Seahawks will play in 2020. (Getty)
(Getty)
Even though there are many differences between the NFL and the NFLPA on how safe it is open training camp, it appears the schedule is going to proceed as planned for the Seahawks and the rest of the league.
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NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and president J.C. Tretter held a media conference call Friday and pointed everyone in the direction that camps will start on time. As planned, rookies and some quarterbacks for the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs will be reporting on Monday. Rookies and some quarterbacks for the Seahawks and other teams will be doing the same in the next couple of days.
There are still plenty of unknowns. Will it be two preseason games, one or zero? You start to get the feeling it’s going to be one or none. The NFLPA estimates that each team would be looking $70 million of revenue but there is no mechanism negotiated on how they can try to keep the cap flat at $198.2 million. That’s still to be negotiated.
Perhaps the biggest news is that the NFLPA heard from NFL team doctors that it is safe to start camps on time even in virus-raged states such as Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Georgia.
Some things have been worked out. Players who have COVID-19 will go on a COVID-19 list and be quarantined three weeks, but they will not lose pay. The practice squads could go to 16 and a practice squad player can come off that list to fill in until the player is healthy.
If a player wants to opt out for the season the player must notify the league by Aug. 1 that he will miss the season because of worries about the virus. The player’s contract will toll to next season, but his benefits will still be honored.
The fact that rookies will report next week means we should watch for the quick escalation in draft choice signings. Only 93 of 255 draft choices have deals. The Seahawks have two of their eight choices signed. The reason things will pick up is draft choices can do their deals and get physicals.
The Seahawks may not get any word on the playing status on cornerback Quinton Dunbar, who has four charges of robbery against him, but you start to get the feeling he might be able to play. Miami and Dade County, Fla., is the epicenter for the virus. The area hasn’t had any trials since March and it is likely they won’t have any trails the rest of the year.
That could mean it could take a year or two for Dunbar and Deandre Baker to have a trail date. Figuring you are innocent until proven guilty, it might be hard for the NFL to levy a suspension, but it is still possible. For the Seahawks, the best thing to do is wait to see what the league might due.
Dunbar might be been the team’s best veteran addition this offseason and will be a vital part of the secondary. We are in unchartered territory know how long it will take for Dunbar to have his day in court.
Don’t be panicked in what could be a lot of positive tests for the virus. As of July 10, the NFLPA says 72 players who have tested positive. Expect about 140 to 150 to test positive.
Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth told the story Friday that a family member had lunch with someone. The family member home and infected Whitworth, his wife, his kids and his father-in-law, who was in and out of the hospital.
Though it looked shaky for while, the NFL training camp schedule should start on time.
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