#218: Latest NFL News and Notes with Hal Bent (CBA, Combine, Tom Brady, Free Agency, etc.)

1. Yesterday morning, lawyers from the NFL and NFLPA completed the 456-page document of the proposed CBA, and shortly thereafter, the full populace of players began a week-long vote on the proposal. The deal, if ratified, will bring uninterrupted labor peace all the way through the 2030 season, expand the regular season from 16 to 17 games by as early as 2021, expand the playoff picture from 12-14 teams, raise minimum salaries, and strip Roger Goodell of most of the disciplinary powers that he has under the current CBA. While that may sound good on the surface to some, it is obviously way more complicated than that. And those of you who have been listening to the pod and reading my tweets and Facebook posts in recent weeks know very well that I firmly believe the players did NOT receive enough in return for a 17th game. What are your thoughts on this proposed CBA, Hal? Do you buy the argument that if the players reject this deal that the overall pie will shrink in a year or two leading to a substantially worse offer? 2. Even with most league business currently on hold until the CBA vote ends at 11:59 PM ET on March 12, two trades went down this week. First, the Jaguars traded CB A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round pick, which means nearly all of that star-laden 2017 Jaguars defense is no longer in Jacksonville. Next, the Carolina Panthers traded Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner to the Chargers for LT Russell Okung. It is clear both the Jaguars and Panthers are having a fire sale and will treat 2020 as a rebuilding year. Which of those teams do you think is trying harder to tank for Trevor Lawrence like the Dolphins supposedly did for Tua last year? 3. Tag and Trade…or Tag and Keep? -Yannick Ngakoue -Chris Jones -Shaquil Barrett -Matt Judon -Arik Armstead  4. Biggest Combine Takeaways -Me: Henry Ruggs will be WR1, Justin Jefferson and Denzel Mims now at the top of the second tier of WR’s. Combine format will have to be changed back to the previous one where workouts and drills occurred early in the morning as opposed to mid-to-late afternoon/evening. -Hal: More and more amazing athletes are coming into the NFL 5. Word out of New England is that Patriots owner Robert Kraft is fiercely trying to convince Bill Belichick to keep Tom Brady regardless of the cost whereas Belichick is indifferent. Bob Kraft has rarely, if ever, undercut a decision made by Bill Belichick. How good of a chance is there that Kraft will actually do so here? 6. If Tom Brady does leave New England as ESPN’s Jeff Darlington anticipates, would the Titans or the 49ers make more sense for him? 7. Ideal landing spots for the following (non-QB) free agents: -Byron Jones: Eagles -Chris Harris, Jr.: Lions, Titans -D.J. Reader: Dolphins -Jadeveon Clowney: Colts -Cory Littleton: Broncos, Jets, Raiders -Anthony Harris: Dolphins, Raiders -Joe Thuney: Jets, Lions -Jack Conklin: Browns -Robby Anderson: Jets, Raiders, Patriots -Austin Hooper: Packers, Patriots, Texans, Steelers