document_title: 2018 NFL season

question_text: when does the 2018 nfl free agency start

text: 2018 NFL season

text: Player movements[edit]

text: The 2018 NFL League year began on March 14. On March 12, clubs were allowed to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who were to become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their contracts two days later. On March 9, clubs were allowed to exercise options for 2018 on players who have option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2017 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "Top-51" definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team's payroll must have a collected salary cap hit below the actual cap). The 2018 trading period also began March 14.

text: Free agency[edit]

text: Over 550 players were eligible for some form of free agency during the free agency period.[1] Notable players to change teams include:

text:
Quarterbacks Sam Bradford (Minnesota to Arizona), Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota to New York Jets) Kirk Cousins (Washington to Minnesota), Case Keenum (Minnesota to Denver), and A.J. McCarron (Cincinnati to Buffalo).
Running backs Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland to New York Jets), Carlos Hyde (San Francisco to Cleveland), Dion Lewis (New England to Tennessee), and Jerick McKinnon (Minnesota to San Francisco)
Wide receivers Danny Amendola (New England to Miami), Allen Hurns (Jacksonville to Dallas), Jordy Nelson (Green Bay to Oakland), Allen Robinson (Jacksonville to Chicago), and Sammy Watkins (Los Angeles Rams to Kansas City).
Tight ends Trey Burton (Philadelphia to Chicago), Jimmy Graham (Seattle to Green Bay), and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (New York Jets to Jacksonville)
Offensive linemen Cameron Fleming (New England to Dallas), Andrew Norwell (Carolina to Jacksonville), Mike Pouncey (Miami to Los Angeles Chargers), Justin Pugh (New York Giants to Arizona), Weston Richburg (New York Giants to San Francisco), Nate Solder (New England to New York Giants), Josh Sitton (Chicago to Miami), and Travis Swanson (Detroit to New York Jets)
Defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn (Atlanta to New England), Vinny Curry (Philadelphia to Tampa Bay), Sheldon Richardson (Seattle to Minnesota), Ndamukong Suh (Miami to Los Angeles Rams), and Muhammad Wilkerson (New York Jets to Green Bay)
Linebackers Demario Davis (New York Jets to New Orleans), Trent Murphy (Washington to Buffalo), Tahir Whitehead (Detroit to Oakland) and Avery Williamson (Tennessee to New York Jets)
Defensive backs Malcolm Butler (New England to Tennessee), Morgan Burnett (Green Bay to Pittsburgh), T. J. Carrie (Oakland to Cleveland), Ross Cockrell (New York Giants to Carolina), E. J. Gaines (Buffalo to Cleveland), Marcus Gilchrist (Houston to Oakland), Trumaine Johnson (cornerback) (Los Angeles Rams to New York Jets), Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona to Houston), Rashaan Melvin (Indianapolis to Oakland), Patrick Robinson (Philadelphia Eagles to New Orleans), and Richard Sherman (Seattle to San Francisco)
Punter Marquette King (Oakland to Denver)

text: Trades[edit]

text:
March 14: Miami traded WR Jarvis Landry to Cleveland for a 2018 4th round selection (123rd overall) and a 2019 7th round selection.[2]
March 14: Buffalo traded QB Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for a 2018 3rd round selection (65th overall).[3]
March 14: Buffalo traded T Cordy Glenn, a 2018 1st round selection (21st overall), and a 2018 5th round selection (158th overall) to Cincinnati for a 2018 1st round selection (12th overall) and a 2018 6th round selection (187th overall).[3]
March 14: Green Bay traded CB Damarious Randall, a 2018 4th round selection (114th overall), and a 2018 5th round selection (150th overall) to Cleveland for QB DeShone Kizer, a 2018 4th round selection (101st overall), and a 2018 5th round selection (138th overall)[2]
March 14: Cleveland traded DT Danny Shelton and a 2018 5th round selection (159th overall) to New England for a 2019 3rd round selection.[4]
March 14: Kansas City traded QB Alex Smith to Washington in exchange for CB Kendall Fuller and a 2018 3rd round selection (78th overall).[5]
March 14: Kansas City traded CB Marcus Peters and a 2018 6th round draft selection (196th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2018 4th round selection (124th overall) and a 2019 2nd round selection.[6]
March 14: Denver traded CB Aqib Talib to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2018 5th round selection (160th overall).[7]
March 14: Denver traded QB Trevor Siemian and a 2018 7th round selection (225th overall) to Minnesota for a 2019 5th round selection.[8]
March 14: The Los Angeles Rams traded LB Alec Ogletree and a 2019 7th round draft selection to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2018 4th round selection (135th overall) and a 2018 6th round selection (176th overall).[9]
March 14: The Los Angeles Rams traded DE Robert Quinn and a 2018 6th round selection to Miami in exchange for a 2018 4th round selection and a 2018 6th round selection.[10]
March 14: Seattle traded DE Michael Bennett and a 2018 7th round selection to Philadelphia for WR Marcus Johnson and a 2018 5th round selection.[11]
March 14: Philadelphia traded WR Torrey Smith to Carolina for CB Daryl Worley.[12]
March 15: San Francisco traded C Daniel Kilgore and a 2018 7th round selection (227th overall) to Miami in exchange for a 2018 7th round selection (223rd overall).[13]
March 15: Cleveland traded CB Jason McCourty and a 2018 7th round selection (219th overall) to New England for a 2018 sixth round selection (205th overall).[14]
March 18: Oakland traded WR Cordarrelle Patterson and a 2018 6th round selection (210th overall) to New England for a 2018 5th round selection (159th overall) .[15][16]
March 20: Oakland traded FB Jamize Olawale and a 2018 sixth round selection (192nd overall) to Dallas for a 2018 fifth round selection (173rd overall).[17]
March 22: The New York Giants traded DE Jason Pierre-Paul and their 2018 4th round selection (102nd overall) to Tampa Bay in exchange for a 2018 3rd round selection (69th overall) and a 2018 4th round selection (108th overall).[18]
March 23: Arizona traded T Jared Veldheer to Denver for a 2018 sixth round selection (182nd overall).[19]
March 28: Cleveland traded QB Cody Kessler to Jacksonville for a conditional 2019 7th round selection.[20]
March 29: Washington traded S Su'a Cravens, a 2018 4th round selection (113th overall), and a 2018 5th round selection (149th overall) to Denver in exchange for a 2018 4th round selection (109th overall), two 2018 5th round selections (142nd and 163rd overall), and a conditional 2020 selection.[21]
April 3: New England traded WR Brandin Cooks and a 2018 fourth round selection (136th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2018 first round selection (23rd overall) and a 2018 sixth round selection (198th overall).[22]
April 6: Cleveland traded QB Kevin Hogan and a 2018 6th round selection (205th overall) to Washington in exchange for a 2018 6th round selection (188th overall).[23]
April 26: Pittsburgh traded WR Martavis Bryant to Oakland for a 2018 3rd round selection (79th overall).[24][25]

text: Retirements[edit]

text:
Antonio Cromartie: The four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro cornerback, who shares the league record for most yards gained on a play (109 on a missed field goal return) and led the league in interceptions 2008, announced his retirement after an 11-year career. Cromartie played for the then-San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Indianapolis Colts over the course of his career, before spending the entire 2017 season as an unsigned free agent.[26]
Matt Forte: The 32 year old running back retired after 10 years, 8 with the Chicago Bears and 2 with the New York Jets. He was elected to 2 Pro Bowls.[27]
Dwight Freeney: The 16-year veteran defensive end, who spent most of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, retired April 19. He appeared in seven Pro Bowls, was a four-time All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks during the 2004 season.[28]
James Harrison: The 15-year NFL veteran linebacker, four-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler who spent the peak of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers announced his retirement, at the age of 39, on April 16.[29]
Devin Hester: The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro return specialist holds the NFL record for most all-time return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined) and most all-time punt return touchdowns.[30] He is widely regarded as one of the best return specialists in NFL history, and was the first person ever to return the opening kick of the Super Bowl back for a touchdown. Hester, who had spent 2017 out of football, played 11 seasons in the NFL, the majority of them with the Chicago Bears.[31][32][33]
Richie Incognito announced his retirement April 10. The retirement was part of a string of erratic behavior and inconsistent statements on Incognito's part, the only consistent thread being an ongoing contract dispute with his current team, the Buffalo Bills, who have listed him as retired on their roster. Incognito has appeared in four Pro Bowls over the course of a 12-season career with the Bills, Miami Dolphins and then-St. Louis Rams, with most of his success coming in Buffalo. He was released from his contract on May 21 and is free to sign with any team.
Nick Mangold: The seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro retired after 11 seasons, all with the New York Jets. He had spent the 2017 season out of football after the Jets released him in a salary cap maneuver.[34]
Carson Palmer: The 38 year old quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, who had previously played on the Cincinnati Bengals (who drafted Palmer first overall in 2003) and Oakland Raiders, retired after the 2017 season. The 2002 Heisman Trophy winner appeared in three Pro Bowls, was a second team All-Pro in 2015, and led the NFL in passing yards in 2005.[35][36]
Joe Thomas: The ten-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro offensive tackle retired after an 11-year career with the Cleveland Browns, a career in which he spent much of that time as the Browns' franchise player in an era where the team otherwise performed poorly on the field.[37] A deteriorating left knee contributed to Thomas's retirement.[38]
Jason Witten: The eleven time Pro Bowler and two time First-team All-Pro Tight end played 15 seasons, all with the Dallas Cowboys. He ranks second all time among tight ends in career receptions and receiving yards. He will be working for ESPN as their Monday Night Football color commentator.[39]

text: Other players

text:
Rodney Adams
Martellus Bennett[40]
Joe Berger[41]*
Emmett Cleary
C.J. Fiedorowicz
James Hanna
David Harris[42]
Gabe Ikard[43]
Fred Jackson[44]
Vincent Jackson[45]
Donnie Jones
Thad Lewis[46]
Luke McCown[47]
Kellen Moore[48]
Paul Posluszny[49]
Connor Shaw[50]
Devon Still[51]
Zach Strief
Aaron Williams[52]
Eric Wood[53]
Danny Woodhead[54]

text: Draft[edit]

text: The 2018 NFL Draft was held from April 26 to 28. It was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This was the first draft to take place in an NFL stadium, and the first to be held in Texas.[55] The Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.

text: Officiating changes[edit]

text:
Ed Hochuli: At the time of his retirement, Hochuli was the league's longest-tenured referee, having served with the league for 28 seasons, 26 as a head referee. He will be succeeded by his son, Shawn Hochuli.[56]
Jeff Triplette: Triplette had spent 22 years as an official with the NFL, 19 as a head referee, and was pushed into retirement after experiencing confusion in several games late in the 2017 season. Alex Kemp will replace Triplette.[56]

text: Rule changes[edit]

text: The following playing rule changes have been approved by the Competition Committee for the 2018 season:[57]

text:
Make permanent the current rule that changes the spot of the ball after a touchback on a kickoff to the 25 yard line. Prior to 2017, the ball was placed at the 20 yard line.
Update the standards for a "catch" to have:

Two feet down or any body part other than the hands
Control of the ball
Make a "football move" such as making a 3rd step, reaching/extending to the line to gain, tucking the ball away, warding off defensive players, or have the ability to perform such an act.

The rule for receivers who were going to the ground during the catch process has been deleted. This is in response to several issues regarding the "going to the ground" rule, especially catches by Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant in the 2014 NFL playoffs and one by Pittsburgh Steelers TE Jesse James in 2017 that were overturned due to this rule.

Allow a designated member of the officiating department (For 2018, NFL Senior VP of Officiating Al Riveron) to instruct game officials to eject any player who commits a flagrant non-football act on the field for a foul called on the field. This is in response to a situation where New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski intentionally inflicted a late hit on Buffalo Bills defensive back Tre'Davious White causing a concussion to White. Gronkowski was not ejected for the foul on the field, but did receive a one-game suspension after the NFL's review of the play.
Illegally batting a ball on a scrimmage down will incur a loss of down in addition to the previous 10 yard penalty.
In overtime, when a team is ahead by 3 points, a down will run to its conclusion and all applicable points will score, even if there is a loss of possession. Previously, the offense of the trailing team could not legally score if they lost and regained possession and reached the opponent's end zone all on the same play. The rule remains that if there is a double change of possession on a play with one team in the lead, it is the last play of the game.
If a team scores a touchdown on the final play of regulation which gives them the victory, no extra-point conversion try will be needed.[58]

text: The following bylaws and resolutions were passed:[59]

text:
Make permanent the liberalization of workout rules for draft prospects.
For a one-year trial period, liberalize the rules for re-signing a player on waivers.
Players on injured reserve can be traded.
Players with injuries deemed major can be placed directly on injured reserve without clearing waivers.
The 10-day postseason waiver claiming period has been reduced to 1 day.
Players can be activated from injured reserve after eight games instead of eight weeks.
Teams have seven business days to complete an injury settlement instead of five.
Players in certain reserve list categories cannot be reinstated after a team's week 13 game. This restriction was previously applied to the last 30 days of the regular season.
Clarify roster procedures for players with military obligations.
For a one-year trial period, teams may contact a player who has been publicly announced to be released before the NFL lists the transaction on a Player Personnel Notice.

text: The following changes to the kickoff rules were approved at the NFL Spring Owners' Meeting on May 23, 2018:[60]

text:
Players are required to line up for the kickoff as follows:

Five players on the kicking team must be on either side of the kicker
Two players on each side must be lined up outside of the numbers and two additional players on each side must be lined up between the numbers and the hashmarks
Players on the kicking team (excluding the kicker) may only line up within one yard of the kickoff spot (currently this is limited to five yards)
The receiving team must have eight players in a fifteen-yard "set-up zone" (from the restraining line ten yards from the kickoff spot, fifteen yards back)

Wedge blocks are outlawed. Players would only be able to do a double-team block within the "set-up zone".
Blocking is prohibited inside the restraining zone (10 yards from the kickoff spot) until the ball touches the ground or is touched in the field of play.
Once a kickoff lands in the end zone, it would become an automatic touchback. Players will no longer have to "kneel" in the end zone to stop the play.
All ejections of players are now subject to replay review.
It is now a foul (15 yards) for players to lower their helmet to initiate and make contact with an opposing player. The fouling player is subject to ejection if:

Player lowers his helmet to establish a linear body posture prior to initiating or making contact with the helmet
Player delivering the blow had an unobstructed path to his opponent
Contact was clearly avoidable (player delivering the blow had other options)

text: In response to the recent National Anthem protests in the league the past two seasons, any player or staff member who is on the field during the performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" must stand for the duration of the performance. Such players and staff members are not required to be on the field at that time and may wait in the locker room as an alternative. The NFL will not directly fine offending players or staff members for defying the rule, instead fining the teams, who will in turn have power to fine the players or staff members at their own discretion.

text: 2018 deaths[edit]

text: The following people associated with the NFL (or AFL) have died in 2018.

text:
Grady Alderman
Tom Benson
Billy Cannon
Dwight Clark
Bennie Cunningham
Keith Fahnhorst
Jim Garrett
Chris Gedney
Wayne Huizenga
David Humm
Edwin Jackson
Chuck Knox
Jeremy Nunley
Kona Schwenke
Clyde Scott
Frank Varrichione

text: Preseason[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Training Camps for the 2018 season will be held in late July through August. Teams start training camp no earlier than 15 days before the team's first scheduled preseason game.

text: The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, which will feature the Baltimore Ravens and the Chicago Bears, will be played on Thursday, August 2;[61] it will be televised nationally by NBC. The Ravens, who will be making their first ever Hall of Fame Game appearance, are represented in the 2018 Hall of Fame class by former linebacker Ray Lewis, while the Bears are represented by former linebacker Brian Urlacher.

text: Regular season[edit]

text: The 2018 regular season's 256 games will be played over a 17-week schedule which will begin on September 6. Each of the league's 32 teams plays a 16-game schedule, with one bye week for each team. The slate also features games on Monday Nights. There are games played on Thursdays, including the National Football League Kickoff game in prime time on September 6 and games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season will conclude with a full slate games of 16 games on December 30, all of which will be intra-division matchups, as it has been since 2010.

text: Under the NFL's current scheduling formula, each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition a team plays against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule are against the two team's in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play which finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in its conference that also finished first in its respective division). The preset division pairings for 2018 will be as follows.

text:
Intra-conference
AFC East vs AFC South
AFC West vs AFC North
NFC East vs NFC South
NFC West vs NFC North

   Inter-conference
AFC East vs NFC North
AFC North vs NFC South
AFC South vs NFC East
AFC West vs NFC West

text: The entire season schedule was released on April 19, 2018. Highlights of the 2018 season include:

text:
NFL Kickoff Game: The 2018 season will begin with the Kickoff Game on September 6 at 8:20 p.m. EDT. The game will feature the Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons and will be televised on NBC.[62]
NFL International Series:

NFL London Games: Three games will be played in London in 2018. This will be the first season of a 10-year agreement to play at least one game per season at the new Tottenham Stadium, where the Oakland Raiders will host the Seattle Seahawks on October 14 at 1:00 p.m. EDT (6:00 p.m. BST) on Fox. Two more games will be played at Wembley Stadium, with the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the Tennessee Titans on October 21 at 9:30 a.m. EDT (2:30 p.m. BST) on CBS and the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on October 28 at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1:30 p.m. GMT) on NFLN. This will be the first time the London games will be played on three consecutive weeks, a move the league has taken to try to streamline their London operations.[63][64][65]
NFL Mexico Game: The NFL will play one game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 2018, in accordance with an agreement the league announced in November 2017 to play one game at that venue each year through 2021. The game will feature the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. The game will be held on Monday, November 19, and will be televised on ESPN.[65]

Thanksgiving Day: As has been the case since 2006, three games will be played on November 22. The 12:30 p.m. EST game will feature Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears on CBS. The 4:30 p.m. EST game will feature the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Washington Redskins on Fox. A third game, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints starting at 8:30 p.m. EST, will be aired on NBC.
Christmas games: Christmas Day, December 25, falls on a Tuesday in 2018. Instead of moving the Monday Night from Christmas Eve, the game will be played at its normal time, marking only the second Monday Night game ever played on Christmas Eve. As is usually the case when a night game is played on Christmas Eve, the host team (the Oakland Raiders) is in the western United States, and thus the game will take place in the late afternoon local time.

text: Saturday flexible scheduling[edit]

text: When the entire season schedule was released on April 19, 2018, the league announced flexible scheduling for Saturday games in weeks 15 and 16. The final kickoff times for these games will be announced no later than week 8:[66]

text:
In week 15, either the Texans–Jets or the Browns–Broncos game will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. EST, while the other will start at 8:20 p.m. EST.
In week 16, two of the following four games will be moved to Saturday, December 22 on the NFL Network, with start times of 4:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. EST, while the other two will remain on Sunday: Ravens–Chargers, Jaguars–Dolphins, Giants–Colts, and Redskins–Titans. This is the first time that games will be rescheduled to a different day (excluding games rescheduled due to severe weather).

text: Postseason[edit]

text: The 2018 playoffs will begin on the weekend of January 5–6, 2019 with the Wild Card Playoff round the four winners of these playoff games will visit the top two seeds in each conference of the Divisional round games the weekend of January 12-13, 2019. The winners of those games will advance to the Conference championship games on January 20, 2019. The 2019 Pro Bowl will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on January 27, 2019. Super Bowl LIII will be held on February 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on CBS.

text: Head coaching and front office personnel changes[edit]

text: Head coaches[edit]

text: Offseason[edit]

text:
Team
2017 head coach
2018 replacement
Reason for leaving
Story/accomplishments

Arizona Cardinals
Bruce Arians
Steve Wilks
Retired
Arians retired from coaching following the 2017 season, finishing the season with a record of 8–8 (.500) and a cumulative record of 49–30–1 (.619) with two playoff appearances.[67] Wilks was hired on January 22, after serving as a defensive coach for the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, and Carolina Panthers since 2006. Wilks' only previous head coaching experience was at Savannah State in 1999.[68]

Chicago Bears
John Fox
Matt Nagy
Fired
Fox was fired after the final game of the 2017 season, finishing the season with a record of 5–11 (.313) and a cumulative record of 14–34 (.292) with no playoff appearances.[69] Nagy spent the past five seasons as an offensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, the last two as offensive coordinator; the Bears hired Nagy on January 8 and this will be his first NFL head coaching job.[70]

Detroit Lions
Jim Caldwell
Matt Patricia
Caldwell was fired after the final game of the 2017 season, finishing the season with a record of 9–7 (.563) and a cumulative record of 36–28 (.563) with two playoff appearances, but having never won a playoff game as head coach of the Lions.[71] Patricia was hired on February 5, the day after losing Super Bowl LII as the New England Patriots defensive coordinator. He had spent his entire NFL career with the Patriots, starting in 2004 as an offensive assistant before working his way up to defensive coordinator in 2012, winning 3 Super Bowls. This will be his first head coaching job.[72]

Indianapolis Colts
Chuck Pagano
Frank Reich
Pagano was fired after the final game of the 2017 season, finishing the season with a record of 4–12 (.250), his first losing season as Colts' head coach, and a cumulative record of 53–43 (.552) with three playoff appearances.[73] The Colts signed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who was previously a Colts' assistant from 2008–2011. This will be Reich's first head coaching job.[74]

New York Giants
Ben McAdoo
Pat Shurmur
McAdoo became the Giants' head coach in 2016, leading the Giants to a 13–15 (.464) record over parts of two seasons with one playoff appearance. After accruing a 2–10 (.167) record and benching starter Eli Manning during the season, he was fired on December 4, 2017, and replaced in the interim by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was previously the St. Louis Rams' head coach from 2009 to 2011.[75] Shurmur was announced as the Giants' new head coach on January 22. He had previously served as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012, compiling a record of 9–23 (.281), and an offensive coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings since 2013.[76]

Oakland Raiders
Jack Del Rio
Jon Gruden
Del Rio was fired after the final game of the 2017 season, finishing the season with a record of 6–10 (.375) and a cumulative record of 25–23 (.521) with one playoff appearance.[77] Gruden, who previously coached the Raiders from 1998 to 2001, confirmed on-air on January 6, that he would be returning to the team as coach. He had spent the previous nine seasons as an on-air analyst for Monday Night Football.[78]

Tennessee Titans
Mike Mularkey
Mike Vrabel
Mutual decision
Mularkey and the Titans agreed to part ways after they "couldn't come to an agreement over the future," two days after the Titans' playoff loss to the Patriots. Mularkey had a cumulative record of 20–21 (.488) with one playoff appearance in parts of three seasons with the Titans and guided Tennessee to back-to-back 9–7 records in his two years as the team's full-time head coach.[79] Vrabel spent the past three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Houston Texans, the last as defensive coordinator; the Titans hired Vrabel on January 20 and this will be his first NFL head coaching job.[80]

text: Front office personnel[edit]

text: Offseason[edit]

text:
Team
Position
2017 office holder
2017 interim
2018 replacement
Reason for leaving
Notes

Cleveland Browns
VP/GM
Sashi Brown
John Dorsey
Fired
Brown was fired on December 7, 2017. He had been the team's attorney since 2013 and de facto general manager since 2016.[81] Dorsey was named the new general manager hours later.[82]

Green Bay Packers
GM
Ted Thompson
Brian Gutekunst
Reassigned
Thompson, who had been the team's general manager since 2005, became the team's senior advisor to football operations.[83] Brian Gutekunst, who had been the team's director of player personnel since 2016, was promoted to become the team's new general manager on January 7.[84]

Houston Texans
GM
Rick Smith
Brian Gaine
Medical leave
Smith announced that he would take a leave of absence to care for his wife, who is battling breast cancer. He will remain Executive Vice President of Football Operations.[85] Former Buffalo Bills' vice president of player personnel, Brian Gaine, was named the new general manager on January 13, 2018. Previously, Gaine was Texans' director of pro personnel and then director of player personnel from 2014 to 2016.[86]

New York Giants
GM
Jerry Reese
Kevin Abrams
Dave Gettleman
Fired
Having been in the organization since 1994, Reese was the Giants' general manager since 2007, leading them to two Super Bowl championships and several years of success. He was fired on December 4 along with head coach Ben McAdoo. He was replaced in the interim by assistant general manager Kevin Abrams.[87] Dave Gettleman, previously general manager of the Carolina Panthers and a 14-year veteran of the Giants' front office (from 1999 to 2012), was hired on December 28, 2017.[88]

Buffalo Bills
President
Russ Brandon
Kim Pegula
Resigned
Brandon resigned his position on May 1, 2018. A newspaper report claimed that Brandon was the subject of an internal investigation regarding his personal conduct and workplace behavior, which neither the Bills nor Brandon mentioned in separate statements regarding his departure; Brandon stated he is seeking other opportunities after spending 20 years with the Bills franchise. He was immediately succeeded by co-owner Kim Pegula.[89]

text: Stadiums[edit]

text: Two teams, the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders, are entering the final year of their lease agreements with their current stadium.

text: Carolina Panthers[edit]

text: On December 17, 2017, Jerry Richardson, the Panthers' founding owner, announced he was putting the team up for sale.[90][91] Richardson had previously indicated the team would be put up for sale after his death,[92] but Richardson was accused of paying hush money to cover up questionable conduct, including racial slurs and sexually suggestive requests of employees, hastening Richardson's decision.[93] The Panthers' lease on Bank of America Stadium expires after the 2018 season,[94] which would allow any incoming owner to relocate the team out of Charlotte, North Carolina, to another market if they so desired, only being liable for the remaining debt from stadium renovation. At an estimated $35 million, the debt payment would be a small expense compared to the relocation fee the NFL charged for the two teams that relocated in 2016 and 2017.[95] The two most likely candidates to buy the team as of May 2018 were David Tepper, a hedge fund manager with a higher net worth and a minority stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers but fewer ties to Charlotte; and Ben Navarro, a financial services CEO based in Charlotte who had the backing of Richardson's only living son.[96] Tepper was announced as the new owner on May 16, with the announcement coming in time for the league to vote on his bid at the owners meeting on May 19.[97]

text: Oakland Raiders[edit]

text: The Raiders, prior to the 2017 season, committed to relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, once a new stadium is constructed for them in 2020. In 2016, the Raiders signed a three-year extension with the Oakland Coliseum.[98] The Raiders could choose to stay in the Oakland Coliseum for 2019 with another year-to-year extension or move to Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, which is undersized but (because of the Los Angeles Chargers' use of the even smaller StubHub Center) would not be the smallest stadium in the NFL. Management at the Oakland Coliseum has indicated they are unwilling to extend their agreement with the Raiders after 2018, which could force the team to move to Sam Boyd Stadium in 2019.[99] In order to secure another season in Oakland, California, Coliseum management indicated in September 2017 that the Raiders would need to offer major concessions to compensate for the financial losses the Coliseum incurs by hosting Raiders games.[100]

text: Naming rights agreements[edit]

text: Denver Broncos[edit]

text: The Broncos hope to resolve the two-season long naming rights situation for the field at Mile High Stadium II by the start of the 2018 pre-season; in the meantime, all exterior and interior signage for the defunct sporting goods chain Sports Authority has been or is in the process of being removed from the stadium, though ticketed events will continue to print the name "Sports Authority Field at Mile High."[101][102]

text: Jacksonville Jaguars[edit]

text: On February 16, EverBank Field, the home field of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was renamed TIAA Bank Field, after TIAA's 2017 acquisition of EverBank. The naming rights agreement was for 10 years and $43 million.[103]

text: Uniforms[edit]

text: Color Rush discontinuation[edit]

text: The Color Rush program has been discontinued, and teams will no longer be required to wear the special uniforms for Thursday Night Football. Initial plans, which will be finalized at the league's owners meeting in May, are for teams to have the option to continue using the existing designs that were designed by Nike for the program as standard third jerseys. [104] [105]

text: Uniform changes[edit]

text: The Tennessee Titans introduced new uniforms on April 4. Most prominent among the changes is the helmet, which is changing from the white color the team had used since the 1970s (as the Houston Oilers) to navy blue. The color patterns are also simplified, with a new number typeface inspired both by Greek lettering and the shape of the state of Tennessee.[106]

text: On April 19, the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars both unveiled new uniforms. The Dolphins altered their jerseys to more take after their classic aqua-and-orange look, while Jacksonville simplified their uniforms to resemble their original teal blue jerseys used in their early years.[107][108]

text: Throwback uniforms[edit]

text: On May 23, the San Francisco 49ers unveiled a new all-white throwback uniform, that was worn back in 1994, the year the team won its most recent Super Bowl. The team also announced that they will wear them twice in 2018.

text: A week later, the Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled a throwback uniform, that was worn in the late 1970s. Team owner Art Rooney II, announced that the team will wear the uniforms for one game.

text: On June 15, the Chicago Bears brought back their orange alternate jerseys to replace the throwbacks worn from 2012 to last season. The team announced that the orange uniforms will be worn twice in 2018. The Bears previously wore the orange uniforms from 2004-2009, and again in 2011.

text: Patches[edit]

text: On April 9, the Green Bay Packers unveiled a patch to commemorate their 100th season[109]

text: Media[edit]

text: Broadcast rights[edit]

text: Television[edit]

text: This will be the fifth year under the current broadcast contracts with ESPN, CBS, Fox, and NBC. This includes "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season (regardless of the conference of the visiting team). NBC will continue to air Sunday Night Football, the annual Kickoff game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN will continue to air Monday Night Football and the Pro Bowl. CBS will broadcast Super Bowl LIII.

text: On January 31, the NFL announced that Fox had acquired the broadcast television rights to the Thursday Night Football package under a five-year deal (aligned with the remainder of the NFL's current broadcast contracts). Fox will air 11 games, along with the 2018 NFL Draft (the first time the event has ever aired on over-the-air television),[110] in simulcast with NFL Network,[111][112] with the remaining games in the package airing exclusively on NFL Network to satisfy its carriage contracts.[113] CBS and NBC had made bids to renew their previous contracts (CBS had held the rights since 2014, joined by NBC since 2016), but were reluctant to pay a higher rights fee due to the league's ratings downturn.[114]

text: Digital[edit]

text: After several years in which Verizon held exclusive rights to carry NFL Internet broadcasts on mobile devices 7 inches (18 cm) or less in size (opting to only make them available to its own wireless subscribers), the 2018 season will be the first in which any device will be allowed to access those broadcasts. Verizon will still hold rights to stream all nationally televised games, as well as in-market Sunday afternoon games; instead of only distributing them to its own subscribers, its numerous Internet brands (such as Yahoo!, which exclusively carried two International Series games in 2015 and 2017, along with AOL, go90, complex.com) will carry the games to all devices.[115]

text: On April 26, 2018, the league announced an extension with Amazon Video that will simulcast the eleven Thursday Night Football games that are simulcast on Fox to its Amazon Prime subscribers. The agreement, which increases Amazon's rights fee by 15%, is for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. To fulfill a request that the Internet broadcast be made available freely, the games will also be made available on twitch.tv, an Amazon subsidiary.[116]

text: Radio[edit]

text: Both of the NFL's national radio contracts, Westwood One for English language[117] and Entravision for Spanish language,[118] expired after the 2017 season. Westwood One's parent company Cumulus Media filed for bankruptcy in November 2017[119] and began terminating national broadcast contracts and sports agreements in January 2018,[120][121] putting any contract extensions on hold. The company emerged from bankruptcy on June 4, 2018.[122]

text: With the release of the 2018 schedule, NFL.com listed ESPN Deportes Radio (which had shared NFL rights with Entravision in 2017 and had carried Super Bowl LII[123]) as the league's national Spanish-language broadcaster. The national English-language broadcaster was still identified as Westwood One, although no press release has been issued in regard to a contract extension with that network.

text: Personnel changes[edit]

text: ESPN will introduce a fully new broadcast team for Monday Night Football. Joe Tessitore will replace Sean McDonough as lead play-by-play man; McDonough will remain with ESPN as a college football announcer.[124][125] With previous color analyst Jon Gruden returning to coaching, Monday Night Football will return to its traditional three-person booth, with Jason Witten and Booger McFarland joining the broadcast team as analysts, while Lisa Salters, the sideline reporter, carries over from the previous broadcast team.[126]

text: Fox initially had planned to hire a new broadcast team for its Thursday Night Football, making an overture to Peyton Manning to serve as color commentator. Since Manning declined the offer, the network announced that it will be placing its existing lead broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the package, while reducing the number of games the duo will call on Sundays.[127] A version of Fox NFL Sunday will serve as the lead-in to Thursday Night Football, albeit without Curt Menefee or Jimmy Johnson; the show will instead be hosted by panelist Michael Strahan from New York City, displacing Rich Eisen, the studio host for Thursday night pregame since the package's inception in 2006.[128] Strahan will be joined by fellow Fox colleagues Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long.

text: Start time changes[edit]

text: The start times for Thursday, Sunday, and Monday Night Football broadcasts will be moved up 5-15 minutes. Thursday and Sunday Night games will now kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET, while Monday Night games will now kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET.[66]


document_title: Hermia

question_text: who says though she be little she is fierce

root

text: Hermia

text:
Hermia
A Midsummer Night's Dream character
Hermia and Lysander by John Simmons (1870)Created by
William ShakespeareDate(s)
Shakespearean timesInformationFamily
Egeus (father)

tag: table

text: Hermia is a fictional character from Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. She is a girl of ancient Athens named for Hermes, the Greek god of trade.

tag: p

text: Hermia is caught in a romantic entanglement where she loves one man, Lysander, but is being courted by another, Demetrius, whose feelings she does not return.

text: Though she loves Lysander, Hermia's father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius and has appealed to Theseus, the Duke of Athens, for support. Under Athenian law, Hermia's refusal of her father's command would result in her being put to death or being banished to a nunnery.

text: Lysander and Hermia flee into the forest, meeting Demetrius' former fiancé, and Hermia's lifelong friend, Helena. Demetrius had abandoned Helena to woo Hermia but Helena is still hopelessly in love with him. Hermia tells Helena not to worry; Hermia will elope with Lysander and Demetrius will no longer see her face. Helena relates Hermia's plan to Demetrius in the hope that he will realize her love for him, but Demetrius pursues Hermia and Lysander into the forest with Helena in pursuit.

text: Demetrius tries to persuade Helena to stop following him but Helena declares her love.

text: Oberon is the king of the fairies. He is invisible to humans and has been watching the story unfold. He orders his sprite, Puck, to place a drop from a magical flower on the sleeping Demetrius' eyelids so that he will fall in love with Helena when he wakes, and everyone will be content. However, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius; when Lysander awakes, he sees Helena and falls deeply in love with her, forsaking Hermia. After discovering the mistake, Oberon places a drop of the magical flower on Demetrius' eyes. Demetrius awakes and his love for Helena is now rekindled; he joins Lysander in the quest for Helena's hand.

text: With both Demetrius and Lysander pursuing her, Helena becomes angry. Because Lysander's love for Hermia was so great and Demetrius had been wooing her in accordance with her father's wishes, Helena believes that they are cruelly mocking her. When Hermia returns to the scene, Helena accuses her of being part of the joke. Hermia feels betrayed by the accusation and asserts that she would never hurt her friend that way. Accusations and challenges fly between Lysander and Demetrius and between Helena and Hermia. Hermia now thinks the two swains prefer Helena because she is taller and offers to fight Helena. Helena asks for protection because Hermia was a scrapper in their younger years, saying, "And though she be but little, she is fierce."

text: Lysander and Demetrius resolve to settle their rivalry with swords and separately head further into the forest.

text: Wearied by the conflict and the chase, and with Puck providing some magic assistance, the four young Athenians fall asleep in the forest. Puck places the antidote on Lysander's eyes but not on Demetrius'. The four wake up the next morning when Theseus, Hippolyta, his betrothed, and Egeus find them.

text: This is the day Hermia is to make her choice: marry Demetrius, enter a nunnery or die. However, the lovers wake up dazed; Unable to explain how they fell asleep, they talk about a strange dream.

text: Demetrius, now permanently under the love flowers spell, says that he loves only Helena. With Demetrius out of the picture, Theseus overrules Egeus, freeing Hermia from her obligation. Hermia and Lysander marry each other at the wedding

text: As Hermia's name comes from the god of trade, there may have been an economic reason for Demetrius' courtship and Egeus' insistence on their marriage. [1]

text: In film versions, Hermia was played by Olivia de Havilland in the 1935 version and by Anna Friel in the 1999 release.


document_title: President of the Republic of Texas

question_text: the most prominent political leaders during the republic of texas years were

text: President of the Republic of Texas

text: History and duties[edit]

text:
Part of a series on the

History of Texas

Timeline

French Texas
1684–1689

Spanish Texas
1690–1821

Mexican Texas
1821–1836

Republic of Texas
1836–1845

Statehood
1845–1860

Civil War Era
1861–1865

Reconstruction
1865–1899

State of Texas

 Texas portal

v
t
e

text: The Republic of Texas was formed in 1836. In the midst of the Texas Revolution, Texan settlers elected delegates to the Convention of 1836, which issued the Texas Declaration of Independence and elected David G. Burnet as interim president of the new country. In May 1836 Burnet and Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna, who was at the time a Texan prisoner-of-war, signed the Treaties of Velasco officially recognizing Texas's break from Mexico.

text: The authority and responsibilities of the president was similar to that of the President of the United States: to serve the people of Texas, and to serve as the head of the military and the state. These were detailed in the Constitution of the Republic of Texas of 1836. The Constitution specified a term of two years for the first elected president (Sam Houston) and terms of three years thereafter; the president could not succeed himself, but there were otherwise no term limits. The president was elected separately from the vice president, by popular vote, and there was no requirement to be native-born. A strict reading of the Constitution provided for women's suffrage (that is, both men and women were citizens and could vote for Congress, president, and other offices), but women and preachers or priests were not allowed to serve as president or in Congress. Indians and Africans and those of African descent could not be citizens.

text: The president lived in different towns during the life of the Republic, as the capital was relocated, especially during and immediately after the Texas Revolution. Washington-on-the-Brazos was Texas' first capital in 1836 (provisional), followed quickly by Harrisburg 1836 (provisional), Galveston 1836 (provisional), Velasco 1836 (provisional), Columbia 1836–37, Houston, 1837–39, and finally Austin, the modern capital, 1839–46.

text: The position was abolished with the annexation of Texas, largely due to President Anson Jones, who received the nickname "The architect of Annexation" and served only one year and three months. The amount of power wielded by occupants of the office varied tremendously during the nine years of Texas' independence. Particularly in the beginning, there was a larger military need than in the 1840s, and the president therefore had considerably more power and influence than during years of relative peace. However, there is no record of any president violating or changing the Texas Constitution.[citation needed]

text: As the United States and other countries such as France recognized Texan independence, presidential power functioned without interference from the outside world, though the Republic generally allied itself informally with the United States. Several presidents supported annexation of the Republic by the United States, with direct admission as a state.

text: Under the Constitution the vice president was to succeed the president in the event of the latter's death, resignation or removal by impeachment; however this never happened. The vice president was also the President of the Senate, and had a casting vote in the event of a tie.

text: Oath of office[edit]

text: The oath or affirmation of office for the president was established in the Constitution of the Republic of Texas and was mandatory for a president 'before entering upon the duties' of the office. The wording, very similar to that of the United States' version, was prescribed by Article VI of the Constitution, as follows:

text: "I, A. B., President of the Republic of Texas, do solemnly and sincerely swear [or affirm, as the case may be] that I will faithfully execute the duties of my office, and to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Republic."

text: List of presidents and vice presidents[edit]

text:
Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Republic of Texas

№
Portrait
President
Term of office
Party
Term
Previous Office
Vice president

—

David G. Burnet
(1788-04-18)April 18, 1788 – (1870-12-05)December 5, 1870
(aged 82)
March 16, 1836
–
October 22, 1836
Nonpartisan
Interim
[1]
Delegate to the
Convention of 1833
Lorenzo de Zavala

1

Sam Houston
(1793-03-02)March 2, 1793 – (1863-07-26)July 26, 1863
(aged 70)
October 22, 1836
–
December 10, 1838
Nonpartisan
1
(1836)
Commander-in-Chief
of the Texian Army
(1836)
Mirabeau B. Lamar

2

Mirabeau B. Lamar
(1798-08-16)August 16, 1798 – (1859-12-19)December 19, 1859
(aged 61)
December 10, 1838
–
December 13, 1841
Nonpartisan
2
(1838)
1st
Vice President of the
Republic of Texas
(1836–1838)
David G. Burnet

3

Sam Houston
(1793-03-02)March 2, 1793 – (1863-07-26)July 26, 1863
(aged 70)
December 13, 1841
–
December 9, 1844
Nonpartisan
3
(1841)
1st
President of the
Republic of Texas
(1836–1838)
Edward Burleson

4

Anson Jones
(1798-01-20)January 20, 1798 – (1858-01-09)January 9, 1858
(aged 59)
December 9, 1844
–
February 19, 1846
Nonpartisan
4
(1844)
11th
Secretary of State
of the Republic of Texas
(1841–1844)
Kenneth Anderson
December 9, 1844 – July 3, 1845