Chiefs RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif says he'll return to play in 2021

[MahomesMagic]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chiefs&#39; OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opted out of the 2020 season to put his doctorate to use in the fight against Covid-19.<br><br>Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/FedEx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FedEx</a> and others who are transporting vaccines to our communities, Laurent looks forward to getting back on the field next season. <a href="https://t.co/rDIpTotQL9">pic.twitter.com/rDIpTotQL9</a></p>&mdash; #DivisionalRound on NBC (@SNFonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNFonNBC/status/1348466822874619904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[In58men]

Not gonna lie, this helps a lot. Good news!

[Hammock Parties]

trade for a 5th

[alanm]

trade for a 5thI would have thought that someones play might make him expendable. But that never happened. So yeah.. Come on back Larry. :thumb:

[redfan]

Hip hip, hooray!!

[Buehler445]

Hope he stayed in shape.

If not, we're still boned.

[Lzen]

Can someone tell me what is his 2021 salary and how many years are left on his contract?

[KC_Lee]

So this, the pandemic, will all be over by the time training camp starts for the 2021 season?

[Buehler445]

Can someone tell me what is his 2021 salary and how many years are left on his contract?

I think its 4.75M

[Hoover]

So this, the pandemic, will all be over by the time training camp starts for the 2021 season?

Probably night, but he's vaccinated so he can play now.

I do think this is good news. Same with Damien Williams.

[Dull Tools]

Probably night, but he's vaccinated so he can play now.

I do think this is good news. Same with Damien Williams. And Lucas Niang too. Good we are getting much-needed help for next year on the OL before the draft even starts.

[Hoover]

And Lucas Niang too. Good we are getting much-needed help for next year on the OL before the draft even starts.
Still need some investment there, like use one of the 3rd rounders on the line, but yeah things could be much worse.

[Lzen]

I think its 4.75M

Okay, I found this.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/laurent-duvernay-tardif-14611/

So, 4.75M is definitely reasonable if he can still play. I know that sounds weird but you never know with a guy who took a year off from the NFL. Assuming he comes back and is able to play to his previous level I'm good with this.

The only other thing that is weird about how his contract is listed is that it says something about it automatically voids in 2022. Not sure what that's about. Is that saying the 2 million dead cap amount no longer has to be paid by the Chiefs?

[In58men]

Still need some investment there, like use one of the 3rd rounders on the line, but yeah things could be much worse.

One of the 3rd rounders?

We have more than one? Or are you speculating EB becomes HC?

[smithandrew051]

LDT and Niang will great to have. Already adding two nice pieces to the OL without making a single move.

I bet we can find a solid contributor in the mid rounds for the interior. You never know. A decent tackle prospect might fall to the end of the first.

[Dull Tools]

LDT and Niang will great to have. Already adding two nice pieces to the OL without making a single move.

I bet we can find a solid contributor in the mid rounds for the interior. You never know. A decent tackle prospect might fall to the end of the first. Saw a draft with Wyatt Davis going to us in the first round as he thinks most teams will be focussed elsewhere. Think that's a bit optimistic but would take it.

[OKchiefs]

I certainly hope I'm wrong, but my recollection is that he wasn't very good in 2019 the last time he played, and I don't expect him to magically be better after a year off from football at the age of 30. Unfortunately he's probably stuck here due to it costing more to release him than keep him, but I hope they have a backup plan and are not counting on him to lock down a spot on the OL.

[Gravedigger]

Still draft two, if not three, Oline in the draft. Not taking chances with Mahomes, you need two quality linemen.

[Sassy Squatch]

Still draft two, if not three, Oline in the draft. Not taking chances with Mahomes, you need two quality linemen.
This guy has played 30 games the last 4 years. It's time to look at replacing him.

[CoMoChief]

Can the Chiefs sign Osemele for a 6pk of Busch Light and hope/pray his legs can hold up? lol

[dannybcaitlyn]

I’d ship him out. Did not play very well his last year playing. Probably can’t afford his salary anymore and his heart is In the medical field, not the football field.

[ModSocks]

That's nice and all. But the Chiefs still need to draft his replacement. If he holds off his replacement, good for him and better for us.

[OKchiefs]

I’d ship him out. Did not play very well his last year playing. Probably can’t afford his salary anymore and his heart is In the medical field, not the football field.

He has $6.75 million in dead money if we cut him, $4.75 million if we keep him. It will cost more to release him than keep him.

[htismaqe]

They're not going to draft 3 linemen. They might draft 1 or 2.

People need to be realistic about this.

If LDT comes back, at best you're probably looking at him starting at RG with Wylie moving back to left guard.

If they can get a starting center, you could let Reiter go since he's a free agent.

[htismaqe]

He has $6.75 million in dead money if we cut him, $4.75 million if we keep him. It will cost more to release him than keep him.

Yep. He'll be back.

[OKchiefs]

They're not going to draft 3 linemen. They might draft 1 or 2.

People need to be realistic about this.

If LDT comes back, at best you're probably looking at him starting at RG with Wylie moving back to left guard.

If they can get a starting center, you could let Reiter go since he's a free agent.

Agreed they'll take 1 or 2. But in hindsight I think Reiter is the best option at center unless they take one high, I think you can get by with a center who excels at pass blocking but is a little weak at run blocking if you have decent guards. What I do not want to see is both Wylie and LDT starting at guard, that would be one of the worst guard tandems in the NFL. Assuming Allegretti continues to improve I like what he offers at LG over Wylie, who continues to do nothing well.

Agreed that LDT at best can start at RG, but with the hope that a rookie could supplant him by midseason. Knowing LDT's injury history that's probably going to happen at some point whether the backup is ready or not.

[Coochie liquor]

LDT and Niang will great to have. Already adding two nice pieces to the OL without making a single move.

I bet we can find a solid contributor in the mid rounds for the interior. You never know. A decent tackle prospect might fall to the end of the first.

Plus Osmele was doing well before his injury. Although he might have only signed a one year contract, can’t remember.

[OKchiefs]

Plus Osmele was doing well before his injury. Although he might have only signed a one year contract, can’t remember.

That was a significant injury, pretty sure he tore both his knees and I believe without any contact? I'm not sure he returns from that, he was already on the decline.

[Hoover]

One of the 3rd rounders?

We have more than one? Or are you speculating EB becomes HC?
Correct

[smithandrew051]

They're not going to draft 3 linemen. They might draft 1 or 2.

People need to be realistic about this.

If LDT comes back, at best you're probably looking at him starting at RG with Wylie moving back to left guard.

If they can get a starting center, you could let Reiter go since he's a free agent.

Wasn’t Allegretti drafted as a center? He might just slide over.

[louie aguiar]

That was a significant injury, pretty sure he tore both his knees and I believe without any contact? I'm not sure he returns from that, he was already on the decline.

Yeah, I wouldn’t count on osemele coming back at all. If he does great but that may have ended his career. We should be getting rankin back fully healthy though.

[FloridaMan88]

If there are no in-person OTA's/minicamps until training camp, the NFL may need to implement a special PUP status for players returning from opt-out to give them and their teams more time to get them back into playing shape, etc.

Just looking at LDT, it appears he's lost a lot of weight (even tough he was never a big offensive lineman), and will need time to bulk up back into football shape.

And Niang will have been out of organized/in-person football practices/training since the end of his college playing days, more than a year ago.

[htismaqe]

Agreed they'll take 1 or 2. But in hindsight I think Reiter is the best option at center unless they take one high, I think you can get by with a center who excels at pass blocking but is a little weak at run blocking if you have decent guards. What I do not want to see is both Wylie and LDT starting at guard, that would be one of the worst guard tandems in the NFL. Assuming Allegretti continues to improve I like what he offers at LG over Wylie, who continues to do nothing well.

Agreed that LDT at best can start at RG, but with the hope that a rookie could supplant him by midseason. Knowing LDT's injury history that's probably going to happen at some point whether the backup is ready or not.

Wylie and LDT were the starting guards last year and they won the Super Bowl. A lot of the problems come from lack of continuity so yeah, injuries are the biggest concern, especially with LDT.

I just think people are setting themselves up for disappointment if they think this line is going to look significantly different once the dust settles.

[Lzen]

That was a significant injury, pretty sure he tore both his knees and I believe without any contact? I'm not sure he returns from that, he was already on the decline.

And don't forget that he has an injury history. I wouldn't bother with a guy that is injury prone.

[BWillie]

What a guy quite honestly. Somebody on Chiefsplanet told a story about him and how they met him at a bar and he was a total dbag so I really soured on him until he did what he did this year. Maybe that was all smoke and mirrors.

[Bill Brasky]

Agreed they'll take 1 or 2. But in hindsight I think Reiter is the best option at center unless they take one high, I think you can get by with a center who excels at pass blocking but is a little weak at run blocking if you have decent guards. What I do not want to see is both Wylie and LDT starting at guard, that would be one of the worst guard tandems in the NFL. Assuming Allegretti continues to improve I like what he offers at LG over Wylie, who continues to do nothing well.

Agreed that LDT at best can start at RG, but with the hope that a rookie could supplant him by midseason. Knowing LDT's injury history that's probably going to happen at some point whether the backup is ready or not.

Even if we get 2 comp picks for EB? I'm expecting 2 O-line without the comp picks...

[bobhill]

I hope he doesn't, stay being the Dr.

[Bill Brasky]

Wasn’t Allegretti drafted as a center? He might just slide over.

Yeah he was drafted as a guard/center flex in the seventh round.

https://arrowheadaddict.com/2019/04/29/nick-allegretti-brings-nasty-edge-versatility-kansas-city-chiefs-line-2019-nfl-draft/

edit: I'm not convinced LDT is worth the 4.7M on his contract, but having someone who knows the offensive schemes is super valuable. It would be ideal to draft 2 guys who can sit on the second team for a half a year and learn before the injuries happen.

[Kman34]

Wylie and LDT were the starting guards last year and they won the Super Bowl. A lot of the problems come from lack of continuity so yeah, injuries are the biggest concern, especially with LDT.

I just think people are setting themselves up for disappointment if they think this line is going to look significantly different once the dust settles.

Wisniewski was the starter at LG during the playoffs and SB I believe...Wylie needs to be a backup..

[OKchiefs]

Wylie and LDT were the starting guards last year and they won the Super Bowl. A lot of the problems come from lack of continuity so yeah, injuries are the biggest concern, especially with LDT.

I just think people are setting themselves up for disappointment if they think this line is going to look significantly different once the dust settles.

That line also had Schwartz who had one of the most dominant performances in recent memory in the postseason. In 2021 we likely either have a less than 100% Schwartz or a retired Schwartz, in which case you probably can't count on Niang or whomever replaces Mitch to perform at the same level. Long story short, RT is a drop off from what we had in 2019.

And I'd still argue that 2019 line still wasn't all that great, despite the Super Bowl win.

I'm not suggesting that we will see 2-3 new starters, barring injury, but I don't think it's farfetched to suggest 1-2 starters is a real possibility depending on the situation at right tackle. Niang can likely be penciled in somewhere, so that's 1. Maybe not on opening day, but by year end I think it's a good sign if either LDT and/or Wylie have been moved to the bench. And that doesn't even necessarily have to mean a rookie has taken over. Rankin should finally be 100% healthy, and Durant seems to have shown some positives in week 17 when he played. So between Rankin, Durant, and the 1-2 rookies we draft and considering injuries WILL happen, I think we finally will have some decent competition on the OL that we just didn't have this year because of injuries and opt-outs.

Again, I agree that the line won't necessarily be significantly different, at least not by opening day. But by the end of the year I'd like to see some new pieces and progress, enough to know that by 2022 we finally have some long term solutions in place. 2022 should be the year the line finally looks significantly different.

[Hoover]

Chiefs 21 Oline

Here is what we have.

LT - Fisher - Getting an extension right?
G - LDT - final year
G - Allegretti - two years of control remaining
T - Durant - two years of control remaining
T - Rankin - final year
T - Niang - four years of control
G - Wylie - RFA

I imagine Schwartz is done? He has one year left.

The real need on the line is center. You probably sign keep Reiter to a fairly reasonable deal, but damn, that's a giant hole going into next season. For the short term the Chiefs have as ample and decent option at the guard spots. RT is more of a concern, but I think we have decent options in house.

[Dunerdr]

I certainly hope I'm wrong, but my recollection is that he wasn't very good in 2019 the last time he played, and I don't expect him to magically be better after a year off from football at the age of 30. Unfortunately he's probably stuck here due to it costing more to release him than keep him, but I hope they have a backup plan and are not counting on him to lock down a spot on the OL.
This was my thought but Wylie hasnt impressed either. If hes good enough to put Wylie on the bench fuck it.

[Mecca]

Chiefs 21 Oline

Here is what we have.

LT - Fisher - Getting an extension right?
G - LDT - final year
G - Allegretti - two years of control remaining
T - Durant - two years of control remaining
T - Rankin - final year
T - Niang - four years of control
G - Wylie - RFA

I imagine Schwartz is done? He has one year left.

The real need on the line is center. You probably sign keep Reiter to a fairly reasonable deal, but damn, that's a giant hole going into next season. For the short term the Chiefs have as ample and decent option at the guard spots. RT is more of a concern, but I think we have decent options in house.

Durants a G not a T, much more suited there.

[Megatron96]

I certainly hope I'm wrong, but my recollection is that he wasn't very good in 2019 the last time he played, and I don't expect him to magically be better after a year off from football at the age of 30. Unfortunately he's probably stuck here due to it costing more to release him than keep him, but I hope they have a backup plan and are not counting on him to lock down a spot on the OL.

He started the season slow, and really didn't look that good until maybe week 15? But he played pretty well in the playoffs. Considering he was coming back from a broken leg, and all the issues we had on the OL during the season, the fact that the starting OL played just 56 snaps together through week 10, LDT's play and how he trended was probably about what could be expected in 2019.

[htismaqe]

Yeah he was drafted as a guard/center flex in the seventh round.

https://arrowheadaddict.com/2019/04/29/nick-allegretti-brings-nasty-edge-versatility-kansas-city-chiefs-line-2019-nfl-draft/

edit: I'm not convinced LDT is worth the 4.7M on his contract, but having someone who knows the offensive schemes is super valuable. It would be ideal to draft 2 guys who can sit on the second team for a half a year and learn before the injuries happen.

You can't cut him. You save $4.75M in 2021 cap but take on over $7M in dead cap.

[O.city]

Fisher
Big $ FA guard
Drafted C
LDT
Niang

There I fixed it. Leave me alone.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Chiefs 21 Oline

Here is what we have.

LT - Fisher - Getting an extension right?
G - LDT - final year
G - Allegretti - two years of control remaining
T - Durant - two years of control remaining
T - Rankin - final year
T - Niang - four years of control
G - Wylie - RFA

I imagine Schwartz is done? He has one year left.

The real need on the line is center. You probably sign keep Reiter to a fairly reasonable deal, but damn, that's a giant hole going into next season. For the short term the Chiefs have as ample and decent option at the guard spots. RT is more of a concern, but I think we have decent options in house.

This is the correct answer. Center is the QB of the line and it's been a source of trouble for our line since the rare times that Morse suited up to play. Niang likely takes RT and we ought to sign a vet T w/ some experience as a backup.

[RunKC]

I wonder how much they like Darryl Williams? He was a good C in the SEC and should have been drafted

[htismaqe]

That line also had Schwartz who had one of the most dominant performances in recent memory in the postseason. In 2021 we likely either have a less than 100% Schwartz or a retired Schwartz, in which case you probably can't count on Niang or whomever replaces Mitch to perform at the same level. Long story short, RT is a drop off from what we had in 2019.

And I'd still argue that 2019 line still wasn't all that great, despite the Super Bowl win.

I'm not suggesting that we will see 2-3 new starters, barring injury, but I don't think it's farfetched to suggest 1-2 starters is a real possibility depending on the situation at right tackle. Niang can likely be penciled in somewhere, so that's 1. Maybe not on opening day, but by year end I think it's a good sign if either LDT and/or Wylie have been moved to the bench. And that doesn't even necessarily have to mean a rookie has taken over. Rankin should finally be 100% healthy, and Durant seems to have shown some positives in week 17 when he played. So between Rankin, Durant, and the 1-2 rookies we draft and considering injuries WILL happen, I think we finally will have some decent competition on the OL that we just didn't have this year because of injuries and opt-outs.

Again, I agree that the line won't necessarily be significantly different, at least not by opening day. But by the end of the year I'd like to see some new pieces and progress, enough to know that by 2022 we finally have some long term solutions in place. 2022 should be the year the line finally looks significantly different.

I don't think you can pencil in Niang. When he was drafted, Veach talked about his potential to be a tackle but they planned on starting him out as a backup inside at guard. My guess is he's not competing for a starting job next year unless he really comes on strong in camp.

[gblowfish]

He'll have to earn his spot back. I'm afraid Schwartz is done. We're going to need to find a right tackle unless you're cool with Remmers.

[tyecopeland]

Okay, I found this.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/laurent-duvernay-tardif-14611/

So, 4.75M is definitely reasonable if he can still play. I know that sounds weird but you never know with a guy who took a year off from the NFL. Assuming he comes back and is able to play to his previous level I'm good with this.

The only other thing that is weird about how his contract is listed is that it says something about it automatically voids in 2022. Not sure what that's about. Is that saying the 2 million dead cap amount no longer has to be paid by the Chiefs?

This is what several teams have gone to doing to push cap hit into the future. The most notable example is Drew Brees.

There is an extra year on LDT contract so that his signing/restructure bonus could be split into more sections to push the cap hit back. That 2 mil will count on the 2022 cap unless we cut him before the 2021 season, in which case it would move up to that season.

Its money already paid to him so it has to be included in the salary cap at some point.

[duncan_idaho]

If Schwartz is really done, I think the #1 target on the OL in free agency becomes Taylor Moton, at least for me.

He's young, he's really good all-around, and he's athletic (more so than Schwartz). He probably is about the #3 T on the market, so I don't think the contract gets crazy. Probably on par with what Conklin got from the Browns ($14M AAV).

You have to find some money on top of what you owe Schwartz in that case, but it makes sense to me, unless they think Niang can step in right away.

Maybe they try Niang at LG and see how he handles flipping to that side.

[Tribal Warfare]

He'll have to earn his spot back. I'm afraid Schwartz is done. We're going to need to find a right tackle unless you're cool with Remmers.

Lucas Niang was drafted to be Schwartz' replacement

[OKchiefs]

I don't think you can pencil in Niang. When he was drafted, Veach talked about his potential to be a tackle but they planned on starting him out as a backup inside at guard. My guess is he's not competing for a starting job next year unless he really comes on strong in camp.

I've seen you mention that several times, but I really do think that was based on 2020 with him still coming back from the hip injury which likely would have significantly limited his mobility, as well as the limited offseason. Plus, we felt we had Schwartz and Fisher at the tackle spots so barring an injury there was no clear path to playing time at tackle.

In 2021 Niang will have been well over a year removed from the injury, we should have a more extensive off-season available for players, and there is the possibility that Schwartz isn't back. If Schwartz is back then by all means you don't have a spot at tackle available for Niang, so you likely pencil him in on the interior. But if Schwartz isn't back, I'm not sure who else you're going to put at right tackle over Niang? The variables that led to Veach suggesting he'd compete to be a backup at guard in 2020 are completely different in 2021.

[lcarus]

Can the Chiefs sign Osemele for a 6pk of Busch Light and hope/pray his legs can hold up? lol

We can just chop both legs off at the knee. He won't be able to move around very well but he'll get great leverage!

[oldman]

This guy has played 30 games the last 4 years. It's time to look at replacing him.

Not entirely true. He played and started in 14 games in 2019, 5 in 2018, 11 in 2017, and 14 in 2016. That's 44. Took 2020 off to practice medicine. FTR, 2018 was the year he broke his leg.

That said, we need to draft an OT that really is an OT, not a G, and a C that is really a C, not a G.

[htismaqe]

Lucas Niang was drafted to be Schwartz' replacement

The Chiefs have never actually said that though. That's pure speculation.

[htismaqe]

I've seen you mention that several times, but I really do think that was based on 2020 with him still coming back from the hip injury which likely would have significantly limited his mobility, as well as the limited offseason. Plus, we felt we had Schwartz and Fisher at the tackle spots so barring an injury there was no clear path to playing time at tackle.

In 2021 Niang will have been well over a year removed from the injury, we should have a more extensive off-season available for players, and there is the possibility that Schwartz isn't back. If Schwartz is back then by all means you don't have a spot at tackle available for Niang, so you likely pencil him in on the interior. But if Schwartz isn't back, I'm not sure who else you're going to put at right tackle over Niang? The variables that led to Veach suggesting he'd compete to be a backup at guard in 2020 are completely different in 2021.

True circumstances have changed. Anything is possible.

[JakeF]

Do we even know what we have in Niang? He hasn't played yet.

[OKchiefs]

Do we even know what we have in Niang? He hasn't played yet.

Same with any rookie you take any year, there’s obviously a lot you don’t know until they actually play

[JakeF]

Same with any rookie you take any year, there’s obviously a lot you don’t know until they actually play People were just acting like Niang was a given. I wondered why. :thumb:

[OKchiefs]

People were just acting like Niang was a given. I wondered why. :thumb:

I don't think he's a given, I just give as much trust as I would any other 3rd round pick and with the credentials he had coming out of college. If we take an OL this year in the 3rd I would think that would be reasonably high enough in the draft that you could expect him to compete to start at some point as a rookie.

Even though he didn't play at all, I assume Niang got the play book and will have a leg up over most "rookies" heading into the 2021 season.

But yes, it's always a possibility he fails.

[Pitt Gorilla]

I certainly hope I'm wrong, but my recollection is that he wasn't very good in 2019 the last time he played, and I don't expect him to magically be better after a year off from football at the age of 30. Unfortunately he's probably stuck here due to it costing more to release him than keep him, but I hope they have a backup plan and are not counting on him to lock down a spot on the OL.

Having another year to recover from his injury/surgery is a great thing.

[Easy 6]

If we're on the hook for the money anyway, yeah come on back it sure couldn't hurt... and maybe I'm wrong to feel this way, but man it'd sure be nice to see him upgraded

[OKchiefs]

Having another year to recover from his injury/surgery is a great thing.

Like I said, I hope I'm wrong. And normally another year would have been a positive if he was actually playing and training in 2020. But he will be heading into 2021 having spent the past year or so working in the medical field. I don't doubt he hits the gym, but I seriously doubt he's been able to train to the level required of an NFL athlete. He's most likely lost size and strength. Can he return and be a positive? I suppose it's possible, but I personally wouldn't count on it. Again, I hope I'm wrong. He's going to be here because of his salary, I truly hope he's not a $7 million dead weight on the roster.

[Oxford]

People were just acting like Niang was a given. I wondered why. :thumb:

I wonder if they are on a strength/conditioning program way from the club because they opt'd out. I guess Opt outs can come back in the new NFL year

[KCJake]

Is it weird I kinda wanna tell this quitter to go *uck himself? Putting our Super Bowl chances in jeopardy to go fight the flu. How'd you do bro? Save any lives ?

[Tribal Warfare]

The Chiefs have never actually said that though. That's pure speculation.

Occum's Razor, Niang played RT at TCU and Schwartz is 33

Then as said before if Niang didn't have the injury he'd be in the discussion of a 1st round selection in the 2020 Draft

[htismaqe]

Occum's Razor, Niang played RT at Northwestern and Schwartz is 33

Then as said before if Niang didn't have the injury he'd be in the discussion of a 1st round selection in the 2020 Draft

We can always hope but I'm not expecting Niang at RT until 2022.

[OKchiefs]

Is it weird I kinda wanna tell this quitter to go *uck himself? Putting our Super Bowl chances in jeopardy to go fight the flu. How'd you do bro? Save any lives ?

I'd prefer he retired, but I still can respect his decision. Not too terribly mad at any of the opt outs, but if I was to tell any of them to fuck off it'd be Niang. How many rookies opted out? But at the end of the day, it's his choice and he has to live with the consequences. I do believe Niang will have to do more to earn the trust of the team than LDT will, hopefully he can earn his way into their good graces and earn some respect.

[Chris Meck]

Well, unlike nearly everyone else, I think the year off from taking a beating may be a good thing and extend LDT's viable career.

Many linemen can play well into their 30's if they can stay healthy. I think the day in, day out beating they take is what wears them down.

LDT's had some injury issues, so the year to actually get fully healthy may pay dividends.

As for Niang, I'm willing to bet that the full year to actually get healthy was part of the plan, and not what some of you have painted. Taking the opt out is actually a bad deal for him financially. I doubt his agent or Veach would've encouraged it if it wasn't basically red-shirting him to get healthy.

[Dunerdr]

Like I said, I hope I'm wrong. And normally another year would have been a positive if he was actually playing and training in 2020. But he will be heading into 2021 having spent the past year or so working in the medical field. I don't doubt he hits the gym, but I seriously doubt he's been able to train to the level required of an NFL athlete. He's most likely lost size and strength. Can he return and be a positive? I suppose it's possible, but I personally wouldn't count on it. Again, I hope I'm wrong. He's going to be here because of his salary, I truly hope he's not a $7 million dead weight on the roster.

You dont think a millionaire doesnt have his own world class gym? He's probably not in game shape but im sure hes still strong.

[Skyy God]

Is it weird I kinda wanna tell this quitter to go *uck himself? Putting our Super Bowl chances in jeopardy to go fight the flu. How'd you do bro? Save any lives ?

Weird? No.

On brand for you maskless, Rona-denying assholes? Absolutely.

[OKchiefs]

You dont think a millionaire doesnt have his own world class gym? He's probably not in game shape but im sure hes still strong.

I don't doubt he has some facilities, but it's not just about have the equipment but also the time. He's supposedly off fighting Covid, whereas a normal NFL athlete generally has no other working responsibilities besides staying in shape and playing football. There's also something to be said for the difference between weight lifting and actual functional football training.

Who knows, maybe he is in fine shape and the year off has helped him recover. I'm just very skeptical that's the case. As I've said, I do hope I'm wrong and he comes back and kicks ass.

[dlphg9]

Is it weird I kinda wanna tell this quitter to go *uck himself? Putting our Super Bowl chances in jeopardy to go fight the flu. How'd you do bro? Save any lives ?

Is it weird that I hope you get decapitated?

[JakeF]

LDT wasn't that good last year.

[MahiMike]

Quitter.

[ping2000]

If there are no in-person OTA's/minicamps until training camp, the NFL may need to implement a special PUP status for players returning from opt-out to give them and their teams more time to get them back into playing shape, etc.

Just looking at LDT, it appears he's lost a lot of weight (even tough he was never a big offensive lineman), and will need time to bulk up back into football shape.

And Niang will have been out of organized/in-person football practices/training since the end of his college playing days, more than a year ago.He can prescribe himself steroids and growth hormone.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk