Trade comp, via @JordanRaanan: the Bengals will receive DT Dexter Lawrence in exchange for Thursday night’s 10th overall pick, straight up. Lawrence still needs to pass his physical and finalize a contract with Cincinnati.
The NFL informed clubs today that the league’s officiating staff has begun onboarding potential replacement officials and will conduct training sessions next month in preparation for assigning the officials to offseason practices starting June 1, according to a memo obtained by NFL Network.
Several officials have already completed required background checks and will soon be given physical exams. The league reiterated in the memo that it “remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the NFL Referees Association but will be fully prepared should the current agreement expire” on May 31.
This won’t matter next yr but I blame every college football coach in America who didn’t think this point of view was true and didn’t push the envelope the exact day this perspective was delivered by Coach Leach in 2017. Well now you have what you have.
Statement from Michael Alford, Vice President and Athletics Director, Florida State University
"The consequences of giving in to a narrative of the moment are destructive, far reaching, and permanent. Not just for Florida State, but college football as a whole."
"The argument of whether a team is the 'most deserving OR best' is a false equivalence. It renders the season up to yesterday irrelevant and significantly damages the legitimacy of the College Football Playoff. The 2023 Florida State Seminoles are the epitome of a total TEAM. To eliminate them from a chance to compete for a national championship is an unwarranted injustice that shows complete disregard and disrespect for their performance and accomplishments. It is unforgiveable."
"The fact that this team has continued to close out victories in dominant fashion facing our current quarterback situation should have ENHANCED our case to get a playoff berth EARNED on the field. Instead, the committee decided to elevate themselves and 'make history' today by departing from what makes this sport great by excluding an undefeated Power 5 conference champion for the first time since the advent of the BCS/CFP era that began 25 years ago. This ridiculous decision is a departure from the competitive expectations that have stood the test of time in college football."
"Wins matter. Losses matter. Those that compete in the arena know this. Those on the committee who also competed in the sport and should have known this have forgotten it. Today, they changed the way success is assessed in college football, from a tangible metric - winning on the field - to an intangible, subjective one. Evidently, predicting the future matters more."
"For many of us, today's decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff. And, saddest of all, it was self-inflicted. They chose predictive competitiveness over proven performance; subjectivity over fact. They have become a committee of prognosticators. They have abandoned their responsibility by discarding their purpose – to evaluate performance on the field."
"Our players, coaches, and fans - as well as all those who love this sport - deserve better. The committee failed college football today."