In Baltimore, Mike Preston writes despite a half-filled M&T Bank Stadium at the last two home games, the Ravens "still haven’t gotten the message." Coach John Harbaugh "implied there would be no changes in the team's front office and said the coaching staff would remain the same" next year. The Ravens are "tone-deaf," as they "didn’t hear what the fans were saying or understand their anger." People "weren’t showing up just because of the players kneeling for the national anthem earlier in the season, but mainly because of the poor quality of play most Sunday afternoons." Furthermore, it "wasn't just this year but for the past couple of seasons," as the team has missed the playoffs the last three years (BALTIMORE SUN, 1/5).
PICK YOUR POISON: The Browns hold the first and fourth picks in April's NFL Draft, and ESPN's Tedy Bruschi asked, "How much pushback do you get from these kids if they don’t want to get drafted by Cleveland?” Bruschi wondered if a player would "want to play for a team where your fans are celebrating an 0-16 season and they’re throwing a parade." Players "have to decide that, and players have power" (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 1/4). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon asked of the Browns, “Do you trust the people making the pick?” (“PTI,” ESPN, 1/4). ESPN’s J.A. Adande said the Browns will select either Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold at No. 1 and “make the wrong pick, as they usually do” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 1/4).
JUST FOR SHOW? PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio noted the Raiders have officially "complied with the Rooney Rule by interviewing at least one minority candidate for the vacant head-coaching job." But the Raiders by all appearances "violated the Rooney Rule because they hired a new head coach before the vacancy even existed." Logic suggests that ESPN's Jon Gruden was committed before Jack Del Rio was terminated, which "means that when the Rooney Rule interviews happened there was, as a practical matter, no job to interview for." Proving that would "require the league to launch the kind of investigation typically reserved for teams that the NFL wants to catch red-handed." The league is "fully invested in the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas." Florio: "In other words, don’t hold your breath" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 1/4).
