Around the League: Rule Shakeups, Vaccination Perks, Tebow at QB, Who Wants Julio? More

I received my first invite for a wedding in 2021, which made me realize that I’m not quite there yet. Don’t get it twisted. I love wedding season. The food, drinks, dancing, and fashion gets the juices flowing. But, mentally, I’m just not there yet. I’m sure I’ll get there soon enough.

You know what I am ready for? To dive into some things that are happening around the league.

•   Word came down yesterday that the NFL’s salary cap ceiling for 2022 will be $208.2 million. But it wasn’t the only change that is coming on the horizon. For instance, on the field, clarification for the low-block rule:

Here’s the new low block rule, which expands the prohibition against blocking below the waist. pic.twitter.com/lxxpB6fBrz

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 26, 2021

•   I’m glad there’s clarity here, but I don’t envy linemen and other blockers having to read fine print on how to block.

•   Last year, the NFL trimmed preseason rosters. The move was made to limit how many people could be in a facility at a given time. Starting this year, preseason rosters return to 90 players. But the cutdown process will resemble something we saw in the past:

Owners approved a new cutdown calendar today.

• Aug. 17: Cutdown from 90 to 85.
• Aug. 24: Cutdown from 85 to 80.
• Aug. 31: Cutdown from 80 to 53.

Those three dates are the Tuesdays after the first, second and third sets of preseason games.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 26, 2021

•   Before the league shifted to a one-day cut-down in the preseason, cuts happened in layers. I’m unsure why splitting cuts into three waves makes sense. But it’s what we’re left to deal with (at least for this year).

•   Being an NFL player who gets fully vaccinated will have its perks:

Updated NFL/NFLPA covid protocols — drops most restrictions for fully vaccinated players and staff | @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/R2Hj8gUwdX

— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) May 26, 2021

•   Maybe I’m in the minority here, but a creative package featuring Tim Tebow in a Taysom Hill role could work:

.@diannaESPN says a lot of people around the league aren't buying that Tim Tebow will be used as a TE.

"There are those in the league who think Urban Meyer is bringing Tebow in to play QB at that Taysom Hill role. Using him in that wildcat as we've seen him use in the past." pic.twitter.com/XC7HfFwksz

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 27, 2021

•   To be clear, the Jaguars really should want Trevor Lawrence quarterbacking as much as possible. But if Urban Meyer can create some situations where he can use Tebow’s skills to steal some yards here and there, I can see it working. Especially if this package was near the goal line. Lawrence is athletic and mobile, too. But limiting his exposure to getting hits wouldn’t be the worst thing.

•   So, um, who wants Julio Jones?

The Atlanta Falcons have discussed several trade offers for Julio Jones, including an offer for a future first round draft pick, per sources.

There is a sense around the league a trade could go down as early as next week.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) May 27, 2021

•   Dianna Russini adds the Titans seem like long shots to get the Falcons receiver. If it doesn’t happen, it won’t be for a lack of trying:

Julio to Tennessee now! pic.twitter.com/ixZNV7fApB

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) May 26, 2021

•   Ideally, Jones gets dealt to a team that doesn’t play the Bears this year. In that vein, the Colts make sense:

I really like the #Colts for Julio. Figuring out comp is tricky given conditional value of Wentz deal, but a conditional trade for Julio is possible too as is a combination of 22 and 23 draft picks. And Ballard has shown he’ll move picks for players.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 27, 2021

•   This would be interesting:

Free-agent RB Todd Gurley is in Detroit today to visit with the Lions, per source. If he were to sign with Detroit, Gurley would be reunited with Jared Goff and be in the backfield with another former Georgia standout, D'Andre Swift.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 27, 2021

•   Todd Gurley has ties to the new Lions front office members who took their talents from Los Angeles to Detroit. And as ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out above, Gurley would team up with fellow Georgia product D’Andre Swift if he lands in Motown. Granted, that move would likely mean fewer snaps for the younger player with fresher legs. But fewer snaps for possibly a better player would be okayed by defenses around the NFC North.

•   Aaron Rodgers is really working through it bopping to some Taylor Swift evermore stuff and with Star Wars memes:

It begins…#TheMatch #theforceiswithus # pic.twitter.com/SN9QLMm9Jk

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) May 27, 2021

•   Who does he think he is? Me!?

•   Is Vince McMahon willing to trade SummerSlam for tips from Rodgers on writing dramatic storylines?

Some @WWE news: WWE considering NFL venues for @SummerSlam as well as a possible Saturday date (as opposed to usual Sunday night) in late August https://t.co/XTaTLGgWS1 pic.twitter.com/2WZGUPsA1w

— Bret McCormick (@Bretjust1T) May 27, 2021

•   Let’s take a moment to appreciate a good kicker:

https://twitter.com/nflthrowback/status/1397720394501525504