NFL Notes: 2021 Salary Cap, Deshaun Watson, Odell Beckham

2021 Salary Cap

• Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that a league source has informed him the cap could be closer to $180 million when it’s finally calculated this offseason. 
• Heading into this year with expected revenue losses from the pandemic, the NFL and NFLPA agreed that the cap would drop no lower than $175 million from the $198 million it was last year. The two sides will negotiate a final number this offseason. 
• Florio writes that players and team personnel will want the cap to be as high as possible to avoid massive salary shedding this offseason to get under the lower figure. However, the owners oppose giving what they see as an interest-free loan to the players. 

Odell Beckham

Browns’ HC Kevin Stefanski is excited and hopeful that the team will get WR Odell Beckham to return next season. 

“I texted with him this morning. I know he’s working really hard to get better in his rehab. I’m excited to get him back here,” Stefanski told the media. “I know it was not easy for him being away from his teammates, especially as these games got bigger and into the playoffs. I know he definitely wanted to be a part of it.”

Deshaun Watson

• NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein expects Texans QB Deshaun Watson to formally request a trade soon. 
• While the Texans have interviewed Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said it would be premature to think that hiring him would fix everything with Watson.