NFL News and Notes for April 4th

It's no secret that the NFL would love to put the Washington Commanders in the hands of a new owner. Daniel Snyder has been controversial for years, and is currently in the midst of his second investigation for sexual harassment. That first investigation resulted in a $10 million fine and the removal of Snyder from day-to-day team operations.

This second investigation into harassment in the workplace has also morphed into a look at the financial practices of Snyder and the Commanders, and this might be the issue which finally brings down Snyder.

According to a congressional investigation, Snyder and the Commanders are alleged to have withheld ticket-revenue payments to the rest of the league. Visiting teams in the NFL are entitled to 40% of ticket sales, dispersed through the NFL.

However, according to leaked documents, Congress is looking into allegations that Washington has been underreporting its income, sending less money to the NFL and, presumably, paying less money to the IRS.

There aren’t details on how long the practice of underreporting is alleged to have taken place, or how much Washington owes the NFL in back payments. If this is proven true by the league and Congress, the expectation is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell does everything in his power to remove Snyder.

That would be a welcome result for Commanders’ fans, who have seen the team struggle on the field since Snyder took over the then-Redskins in 1999. In the 1980s and early '90s, Washington won three Super Bowls and was a model NFL franchise. Since 1999, they have just two playoff wins, attendance dropping to 31st in the league. They are currently 22nd on the board to win SBLVII. Considering all of this mess, the Commanders are a generous 50-1 to win the Super Bowl this season.

Dolphins Trade DeVante Parker

With the off-season acquisitions of Cedric Wilson and Tyreek Hill, the Miami Dolphins' wide receiver room was getting quite full. So, Miami traded DeVante Parker and a fifth-round pick this year to the New England Patriots for a third-round pick in 2023.

It's unusual to trade inside a division, but this is one of those deals that makes sense for both sides. Miami will now have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2023 draft, and Parker was expendable.

New England gets a wide receiver who might emerge as the best wideout on the team. He'll also be a good veteran presence to work with young quarterback Mac Jones.

For those longshot players out there, Super Bowl odds have New England at +3300 to win the title, while Miami is at +4000.

NFL Projected Win Totals

The NFL doesn't hold its annual draft until the end of this month, but you can already place bets on projected win totals for the 2022 season.

Leading the way is a trio of teams-the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers - each at 11½ wins for the season.

The AFC has restocked this offseason, but for the most part, the big-name acquisitions have taken place in the West and North. The lack of Eastern division transactions leaves Buffalo with a perceived easier path to the conference's No. 1 seed.

For Tampa Bay, the return of quarterback Tom Brady combined with the rebuilding of the other three teams in the division gives the Bucs an easier assignment in the NFC. There’s no Davante Adams in Green Bay, but the Packers get four relatively soft divisional games against Chicago and Detroit.

At a projected 10½ wins each are the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams. Then, it’s 10 wins apiece for the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are next, each at 9½ wins.

According to NFL odds, 14 teams (nine in AFC) are projected to win more than nine games this season.

Top Remaining Free Agents

Those previously-listed projected win totals could change, depending on what happens at the draft and still-available NFL free agents.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is among those. He's been rumored to be in talks with the Chiefs. All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu is also on the market, linked to the Raiders for a time.

Jadeveon Clowney is coming off a nine-sack, 50-pressure season in Cleveland, while three-time Pro Bowler Melvin Ingram is also available at edge.

On the offensive side of the ball, Odell Beckham Jr. remains unsigned, as does Rob Gronkowski.