Author: nfltalk

Here’s when the NFL could announce the next subject for HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

NFL fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of this offseason’s subject for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documentary.

The documentary goes deep into storylines surrounding the team, gaining insider access to the subject’s training camp to provide quite an insightful and interesting product.

When will NFL and NFL Films announce the next offseason subject of the show?

There’s no surefire answer to the question. But it’s certainly coming soon.

Last year, news broke of the Jets’ participation in the offseason documentary on July 12. In 2022, the NFL announced their selection of the Lions to participate on March 28. The Cowboys’ 2021 selection was announced on July 2.

The Rams and Chargers volunteered to participate in 2020, which was announced on April 7. The Raiders were selected for the 2019 version on June 11. And the Browns’ 2018 announcement took place on May 17.

The previous announcement dates are quite volatile. But seeing as we’re teetering at the beginning of June, the announcement is surely coming soon. But there’s no way of knowing for certain.

The Giants will appear in an all-new version of the documentary on July 2. No, this is not the notorious “offseason” version of the show. This series version aims to go behind the scenes with the Giants from the end of the 2023 regular season leading up to the summer.

Usually, teams show strong disinterest in participating in the offseason version, as they view the documentary as a distraction during training camp. But the NFL has a clause in their contract with HBO to force a team to participate based on their qualifications to certain criteria.

To force a team to participate, a team must meet these three criteria:

1) The team does not have a new head coach

2) The team has not made the playoffs in the previous two seasons

3) The team hasn’t been on “Hard Knocks” in the past 10 years

The three teams who fit the…

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For those who may not have their finger on the pulse of player movement in the NFL, let me be the first to tell you that it’s been a whirlwind of an offseason at the running back position. Several household names are now with new teams, which not only is poised to shake up your fantasy football drafts later this summer but should have an impact on the league itself in 2024.

As these clubs get together over the next few weeks and months for the offseason workout program including mandatory minicamp, it’s a good time to take stock of all these backfield changes and stack them against one another. Below, we’ve collected every backfield in the league and slotted them into one of seven tiers ranging from the “Thoroughbreds” to the “Work In Progress” section. 

Tier 1: Thoroughbreds

Not only will you find stars in this tier, but what separates these teams is the depth behind their stars as well. While Christian McCaffrey is arguably the top back in the league, the 49ers also have capable backs like Elijah Mitchell Jordan Mason, and rookie Isaac Guerendo in their stable along with fullback Kyle Juszczyk. 

As for the rest of the teams in this top tier, they’ve all gone through seismic change this offseason with some of the biggest signings in free agency. Baltimore added Derrick Henry to headline a backfield that also sports Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (recovering from a torn ACL). On top of their impact out of the backfield. Meanwhile, the Eagles added Saquon Barkley and the Packers signed Josh Jacobs, who are both capable of leading the league in rushing if fully healthy. The Ravens and Eagles also have the luxury of having quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) factoring into the rushing attack. 

Tier 2: Quality depth

This is a group that may not have the top-end star power as the group above but possesses plenty of depth to make them a formidable unit. The Lions are knocking…

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The Steelers lured linebacker Patrick Queen from the Ravens in free agency. They apparently didn’t do it by making Queen the best financial offer.

In a recent appearance with Steelers_DB, Queen said he turned down more money elsewhere to sign with the Steelers.

“From all the 15 teams that I was talking to, it came down to like five at the end,” Queen said, via NFL.com. “It was just like five teams in the mix. Some of them were offering some $17 [million per year]. After that it was like, I have a chance to either go win or I have a chance to get paid. For me, the difference was like $4 or $5 million. I’m looking at it like, I’ve never been on a losing team before, and then I also don’t want to be a part of anything being rebuilt because I’m trying to win now. . . . I’m really just trying to win right now, get that out the way and then get paid later.”

Queen signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Steelers. The first year, at $13.84 million, is fully guaranteed at signing.

The deal has no guarantees beyond 2024. Instead, there’s an early roster bonus in 2025 ($6.67 million) and 2026 ($2.5 million) to force the Steelers to make a decision on whether to extend the relationship.

So it’s basically a one-year deal with a team-held option for 2025 and then 2026. Which means, frankly, a one-year deal would have been better. Especially if the Steelers win a Super Bowl this year. Then, Queen could have gotten paid as soon as next year.

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The NFL is ever-expanding and has made a concerted effort over the last few decades to bring the game onto an international stage. This year, the league is set to play games in England, Germany, and Brazil, and it sounds like more countries and cities are being eyed for future regular season games. 

Henry Hodgson, general manager of the NFL’s UK office, told the Irish Star that Dublin and Paris are two European cities. that the league is looking into for potential games. 

“There’s a feasibility study, as we would call it, in a number of different European cities and Dublin is one of those,” Hodgson said. “Looking at the stadiums, taking local meetings … we’ll take away all of that information, digest it and determine what the next steps are.”

He added: “That’s something that’s happening in Dublin, it’s happening in Paris for example, and a number of other cities around the world as well.”

Hodgson noted that the NFL is planning to specifically evaluate Croke Park and Aviva Stadium for games in Ireland. Croke Park previously hosted the Bears and Steelers for a preseason game in 1997 and can seat 82,300 fans. Meanwhile, Aviva Stadium has hosted college football games in the past and has a capacity of 51,700. 

This season, the NFL is slated to have five international games (three in London, one in Munich, and one in São Paulo) in 2024. On top of Ireland and France, the NFL has previously looked into having an international game in Spain as well. 

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