The 2020 NFL draft ended up being must-see TV as the first significant live sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic ground everything to a halt. The draft averaged a record 8.4 million viewers over all three days, according to the NFL and Nielsen. The previous high was 6.2 million last year.
Three UAlbany football players signed undrafted free agent deals after the draft’s end on Saturday. Defensive end Eli Mencer signed with the Seahawks, cornerback Jarren Williams inked a deal with the Cardinals, and wide receiver Juwan Green is going to the Falcons. UAlbany football went 9-5 in 2019 and finished second in the CAA. Including Mencer, Williams, and Green, only 18 players in UAlbany history have signed deals with the NFL.
Clifton Park, New York native and kicker Justin Rohrwasser from Marshall University was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round. Masslive.com reports Rohrwasser soon drew criticism, though, for a tattoo of a symbol associated with the far-right group the “Three Percenters” on his left forearm. In a conference call, Rohrwasser called the tattoo a mistake, saying he got it as a teenager and thought it stood for military support at the time. He says he plans to cover it.
In other NFL news, a person familiar with the situation says the New Orleans Saints and quarterback Jameis Winston are working on a contract proposal to make the former Buccaneers starter a backup to Drew Brees. The person says the Saints and Winston are in "advanced" talks. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because negotiations were ongoing. Winston passed for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns last season but also threw 30 interceptions. Tampa Bay has replaced Winston with ex-Patriots QB Tom Brady. Meanwhile, the Saints says reserve QB Taysom Hill has a new two-year contract.
Seattle Seahawks veteran offensive lineman D.J. Fluker said he has been released by the team after two seasons as their starting right guard. Fluker posted on Twitter that he had been informed by coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider of the decision. The move came two days after Seattle drafted Fluker's heir apparent in LSU guard Damien Lewis in the third round of the NFL draft. Seattle has also added several interior offensive linemen this offseason, including B.J. Finney, Kahlil McKenzie and Chance Warmack. The move with Fluker will save Seattle about $3.6 million against the salary cap.
Safety Kavon Frazier, who missed most of last season with a pectoral injury, has signed with the Miami Dolphins. Frazier was limited to four games in 2019 for the Dallas Cowboys before going on injured reserve. In four seasons with Dallas, he played 44 games, starting twice, and also contributed on special teams. Frazier becomes the 11th free agent to join the Dolphins this offseason. He was a sixth-round draft pick in 2016 out of Central Michigan.
MLB
The Cleveland Indians will pay regular salaries to full-time employees through June 30, but the club has had to furlough others due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The team said senior executives took "voluntary salary reductions" to ensure the team could continue to pay staffers. The Indians confirmed they have furloughed many of their part-time employees and interns. Those will take effect on May 1. The Indians are one of the few teams to guarantee full-time workers their salaries through June. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told teams last week he was suspending non-player personnel contracts on May 1. Many teams agreed to pay employees through May. Baseball has been shut down since March 12 and the start of the season remains unclear.
That said, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he can envision baseball games being played without fans this summer at Yankee Stadium and the Mets' Citi Field. The Democrat said "Be creative. Try to figure it out," during his briefing Sunday. Adding that if players could get paid more than staying home and owners would get some revenue versus total shutdown, why not? He'd love to watch. Cuomo says he has spoken with owners of professional sports teams, but he did not identify which ones. They would have to make the economics work without gate revenue but with broadcast revenue.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Florida guards Andrew Nembhard and Tre Mann have declared for the NBA draft while keeping open the option of returning to school.The Gators made the announcement on the final day underclassmen had to decide on their futures. Nembhard hired an NCAA-certified agent so he can retain his college eligibility and potentially return to school. He returned last year after not getting invited to the NBA scouting combine. The sophomore averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 2019-20. Mann, a freshman, averaged 5.3 points off the bench. Nembhard's decision comes after two other Florida starters — guard Scottie Lewis and forward Keyontae Johnson — decided to stay in school. The Gators seem to be equipped to handle both potential departures. They have Ques Glover and former Cleveland State standout Tyree Appleby to play the point next season.
San Diego State forward Matt Mitchell has declared for the NBA draft while keeping open the option of returning to school. The Aztecs made the announcement on the final day underclassmen had to decide on their futures. The school says Mitchell did not hire an agent, allowing him to maintain his collegiate eligibility. Mitchell has until June 3 to withdraw his name from draft consideration and return to SDSU for his final season. Mitchell started the season as the sixth man but started the final 19 games. He was named to the All-Mountain West first team.
South Carolina forward A.J. Lawson is entering the NBA draft for a second straight season. Lawson is a 6-foot-6 sophomore who also went through the process after his freshman season. Like a year ago, Lawson is not hiring an agent giving him the chance to return to the Gamecocks. Lawson started all 31 games for South Carolina, averaging a team-best 13.4 points a game. Lawson had until Sunday to enter the draft. He has until June 3 to pull his name out and return for his junior season.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The Professional Bull Riders returned from a 41-day break this weekend in Guthrie, Oklahoma, for an Unleash The Beast event originally scheduled for Las Vegas. The two-day competition at Lazy E Arena was closed to fans to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Fabiano Vieira won the competition with the only 3-for-3 performance. The 37-year-old Brazilian earned $11,000 and 104 points to jump from 14th to ninth in the season standings. The PBR also plans to stage two-day events at the Lazy E on May 9-10 and 16-17.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says professional sports teams can resume training on May 18. The move means that the Serie A soccer league could resume playing games in June. Serie A has been suspended since March 9, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown. Conte also said that athletes in individual sports can resume training on May 4.
For the first time, the Arkansas Derby will be run in two divisions next weekend. Both will carry the full 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The race was originally set to have a $1 million purse. Now, each division will be worth $500,000. A total of 22 horses are expected to run on Saturday between the two divisions, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Rebel Stakes, Tampa Bay Derby and Louisiana Derby.
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