NFL owners approve terms of new CBA

On Thursday, NFL owners approved the terms of a potential new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association. The league released the following statement:

"​​​​​​Following more than ten months of intensive and thorough negotiations, the NFL Players and clubs have jointly developed a comprehensive set of new and revised terms that will transform the future of the game, provide for players – past, present, and future – both on and off the field, and ensure that the NFL's second century is even better and more exciting for the fans.

"The membership voted today to accept the negotiated terms on the principal elements of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Players Association would also need to vote to approve the same terms for there to be a new agreement.

"Since the clubs and players need to have a system in place and know the rules that they will operate under by next week, the membership also approved moving forward under the final year of the 2011 CBA if the players decide not to approve the negotiated terms. Out of respect for the process and our partners at the NFLPA, we will have no further comment at this time."

How compensatory draft picks work

With compensatory draft choices about to be awarded in the near future, here is a refresher on what they are and how teams get them. Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents ("CFA") than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. No club may receive more than four compensatory picks in any one year. If a club qualifies for more than four compensatory picks after offsetting each CFA lost by each CFA gained of an equal or higher value, the four highest remaining selections will be awarded to the club. The Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the number of compensatory selections to the number of clubs then in the League (32).

Last year, the Giants were awarded one compensatory selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. The choice was in the fifth round, the 171st overall pick, which they eventually used on wide receiver Darius Slayton. The Auburn product went on to catch eight touchdowns, tied for the most among all rookies in 2019.

Summary of compensatory draft picks, 1994-2019

NFL clubs totaled 757 years' worth of volunteer time in 100th season

The NFL announced that the Huddle for 100 initiative totaled 397,253,630 volunteer minutes from 1,020,846 volunteers donating their time back to their communities. Huddle for 100 launched at the 2019 NFL Draft to inspire 1 million people to give back 100 minutes of their time, with a goal of 100 million minutes donated to celebrate the NFL's 100th season. In November, the NFL surpassed the 100-million-minute mark and by the culmination of the league's 100th season at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, there were nearly 400 million minutes volunteered.

"We can't thank the NFL family enough – our incredible fans, clubs and players – for the tremendous volunteer work that took place across the country and for helping us to shatter our goal of 100 million minutes, nearly quadrupling that number," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Huddle for 100 brought our fans and communities together and the impact will be felt for the next 100 seasons of the NFL."

A large part of the volunteer minutes through Huddle for 100 were contributed from the 32 NFL clubs, who hosted several volunteer events throughout the season and encouraged their fans to get involved as well.

The 397,253,630 minutes volunteered equates to 757 years' worth of volunteer time and has an economic value of over $168.36 million. Huddles occurred in all 50 states and more specifically in 789 cities – NFL fans were a large part of accumulating these minutes. There were 261,449,800 minutes contributed by players, coaches, cheerleaders, and NFL staff from all 32 clubs, who in total hosted 1,344 Huddle events. The were 1,506 Huddles organized overall, and the National Huddles hosted from 2019 Draft to Super Bowl LIV accounted for of 9,169 volunteers who donated 704,800 minutes of their time through these national events.

Huddle for 100 also united partners including, but not limited to: NBC Universal, Aramark, March of Dimes, and Red Cross of America around mission of volunteerism for a total contribution of 14,264,700 minutes. Overall, over 349 non-profit and community organizations including: United Way, Habitat for Humanity, The Confetti Foundation, Special Olympics and American Heart Association benefited from Huddle events, while over 38 different causes including youth development, military and hunger were supported.

There were also over 206,000 youth, ranging in ages 5-18, from over 45,000 schools that joined Huddle for 100 thanks to partnerships with WE Schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, USA Football and InnerView. We.org alone through their Huddle for Good campaign accounted for 115,217,200 volunteer minutes and 158,852 student volunteers. The NFL's Huddle for 100 partnership with DoSomething.org brought together 33,366 volunteers for 2,602,530 minutes of service.

NFL Network honors Black History Month with marathon of programming

In honor of Black History Month, NFL Network commemorates the iconic and game-changing people and events that impacted the NFL in an unforgettable way. On Sunday, February 23, NFL Network provides a marathon of programming dedicated to those players and events, highlighted by the premiere of _NFL 360: Fritz Pollard – A Forgotten Man _at 8:00 PM ET.

Pollard's lasting efforts are displayed in this documentary as he pushed the NFL toward reintegration and a greater appreciation of the contributions of all its players. As a College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, prolific businessman and civil rights advocate, Pollard's legacy lives on through the Fritz Pollard Alliance, and the continuation of his profound impact has brought together NFL front office personnel committed to equal opportunity.

Sunday's marathon of programming begins at 8:00 AM ET with the broadcast of Super Bowl XXII, the game in which Doug Williams became the first-ever African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Honoring another player who changed the game of football, Jerry Rice: A Football Life airs next at 1:00 PM ET capturing Rice's journey to the NFL and the impact he made along the way. At 2:00 PM ET, the episode honoring Michael Strahan: A Football Life airs showing his success on and off the field, overcoming every obstacle. At 3:00 PM ET, NFL Network reveals the top 10 most legendary NFL players hailing from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and how their contributions have become a rich part of NFL history, impacting countless communities through efforts on and off the field.

HBCU players represent only a small portion of the total football population, yet nearly 10 percent of all players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame attended HBCUs, including three Giants: Roosevelt Brown (Morgan State), Harry Carson (South Carolina State), and Strahan (Texas Southern).