MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

I dont know what the 9ers are doing making this trade at this time, but that is just masterful work by the Dolphins. Sewell may not be there for them at #6 but to pick up a 1st & 3rd rounder and still pretty much own which direction the draft goes at WR/TE is a huge win.

Also pleased with this development as it means Bears idiot Ryan Pace can no longer trade up to #3 now. A small victory but im raising a glass of fine ass single malt to it all the same.

 

Hey, one phoenix from the flames at a time buddy : )))

 

Or now he will be forced to trade up to #2

 

If #2 was on the table its likely the 9ers would've moved there instead of giving up massive draft capital to still not be in control at #3. Given how much the Dolphins rinsed them its pretty likely the Jets price wouldn't have been a huge amount more.

In any event, the cost to move up to 3 from 20 would've been significantly more than from 12. Moving up to #2 just doesnt seem plausible to me. But this is Ryan "no move is too stupid" Pace we're talking about so you never know.

If the Falcons feel they have multiple good years left in Ryan then #4 could still be in play. Ive seen a lot of people assuming they take a QB but they have a lot of holes and a trade down would make a certain sense.

 

The timing of the trade isn't what gets me.

If Lawrence goes 1 then Wilson goes 2--Lynch has mortgaged the next 3 years for the 3rd best QB. That's not smart roster/franchise management unless the QB he picks is the best of the class.

Does he think the Jets will pass on a QB at 2? Also a huge risk because nobody knows what the Jets are doing till they make their move. A big trade like this doesn't happen for anything other than a QB.

Pretty sure we all have PTSD from his trading fetish. Just because he can't get #3 doesn't mean he can't mortgage the future for 10...

 

See, to me that’s the best case scenario, since I think Justin Fields is the second best QB. Think about Kyle Shanahans ability to develop offenses around a QB. Justin Fields is a QB who can run, too many people pigeon hole him as a running QB.

My thoughts are Justin Fields is the next Josh Allen. I didn’t think very highly of Allen coming out of college, but he’s proved me wrong. Fields has a similar game and higher athleticism.

Dont take this the wrong way, Allen has one of the strongest arms in football, Fields isn’t close, but he can make the throws on the run and he sees the field and understands defenses.

I still think Lawrence is the best QB in this class, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Justin Fields ends up being the best pro coming out in 2021.

 

Fields doesn't strike me as a typical Ohio State QB dud waiting to happen, unlike his many predecessors. His transfer to them put the buckeyes in the tier below Clemson and Bama with Georgia. I too believe he's the 2nd best QB and anyone who pigeonholes him as a running QB is an idiot. He was great enough to rebound and beat Northwestern's elite D after 2 and a half quarters of sucking. That's something you want to see.

Most importantly, does John Lynch think that? His trade-up is the move that gets every GM except the Chicago bears' present moron fired if/when he guesses wrong...or in the bears' case, guess wrong 3 straight times and get a 4th chance at finding a QB.

 

Cardinals sign Colt McCoy



There still aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around, so even the average ones find a way to remain employed.

Veteran Colt McCoy has agreed to terms with the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

A third-round pick of the Browns way back in 2010, McCoy started 21 games in his first two NFL seasons and, in the nine years since then, a total of nine.

Last year, McCoy started two games for the Giants. One of the starts became one of the biggest upsets of the year, a win by New York over the Seahawks in Seattle.

For his career, McCoy has thrown 989 passes, completing 600. He has generated 6,455 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. He has a record of 8-22 in his 30 starts.

After three years in Cleveland, McCoy spent 2013 with the 49ers, six seasons in Washington, and last year with the Giants.

McCoy, who played college football at Texas, turns 35 in September.

NBC

 

Robert Kraft: We have to solidify QB position one way or another



The first year of life without Tom Brady was a rough one for the Patriots as they slumped to 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The team has been busy signing free agents that they hope will allow them to rebound in 2021, but there’s one key spot where they haven’t added any players Cam Newton re-signed with the team and to join Jarrett Stidham on a quarterback depth chart that looks the same way it did last season.

It’s not a duo that has anyone convinced that the Patriots should feel comfortable about the position. Team owner Robert Kraft said on Wednesday that he thinks circumstances have worked against both players before adding that the team knows it is a spot that needs to be solidified.

“We have a situation where at this point in time we’re trying to do what the best thing for us is,” Kraft said, via Tom Curran of NBCSportsBoston.com. “Not sure Cam had proper weapons around him. Not sure Jarrett hasn’t really gotten fair shot. . . . This isn’t something where you get algebraic formulas. Think of all the people who passed on Tom Brady. One way or another have to get that position solidified.”

At No. 15 in the first round, the Patriots may have to trade up to have a shot at one of the quarterbacks regarded as the top players in this draft but, as Kraft notes, they’ve had some success later in the draft as well. Assuming they don’t make a deal for a veteran before the draft, their choice on that front will be watched closely in New England and around the league.

NBC

 

Patrick Mahomes still in protective boot, says foot “all good”



Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes underwent surgery to repair a toe injury after Super Bowl LV and gave an update on his recovery on Sunday.

Mahomes’ fiancee shared an Easter picture of the couple with their daughter that showed Mahomes is still wearing a protective boot on his foot. Former Colts punter Pat McAfee replied with a tweet asking how Mahomes’ foot was doing.

The quarterback fired off “yeah all good” in response.

Early last month, Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said that the expectation is that Mahomes will be ready to go at training camp and that there’s hope he can get on the field before the end of the offseason program. That program will begin with remote work, but the league told teams last week that they anticipate in-person work later in the year.

NBC

 

With Watson directly involved in a formal police investigation... when the the hell does the NFL (Goodell) finally man-up and address this?

 

Just read an article (can't find it again or I would post the link) that, in essence, says that now that a criminal complaint has been filed with the Houston PD - Goodell has no choice to (at the minimum) place Watson on the "Commissioners Exempt List".

 

Here is one article talking about Watson and the exempt list. Might not be the one Lyman saw but it gives it good coverage.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/the-desha...-roger-goodell-to-a-crossroads-043620234.html

 

Yep . . . that's the one !

 

Tony Buzbee announces Tuesday press conference in Deshaun Watson case

Attorney Tony Buzbee had nothing to say in response to the news that a criminal complaint has been filed against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Buzbee will have something to say about Watson on Tuesday.

“Our team will hold an in-person press conference at our Houston office on the 73rd floor of Chase Tower downtown Houston, Texas, on Tuesday at noon,” Buzbee announced on Instagram. “This press conference will address important and significant developments in the Deshaun Watson case. We will take a few questions, but only from those present, and we will also distribute information to those assembled. We will, of course, live stream the press conference here on this platform. For those that attend, security will be strict; if you have no press credentials, you won’t attend.”

Buzbee’s firm has filed 21 civil lawsuits against Watson. It remains unclear whether the person who made the criminal complaint against Watson is one of the 21 plaintiffs represented by Buzbee.

Given the lingering vacuum (beyond the terms of the 21 lawsuits) when it comes to the facts and circumstances of the claims against Watson, the gravity of the situation hasn’t fully registered. It is, without question, a very serious matter. And it most likely will not be resolved quickly and quietly, not with so many people now accusing Watson of wrongdoing.

NBC

 

Well, it seems that the Jets have completed their QB evaluations and are moving on from Sam Darnold.

Darnold has been traded to Carolina for a 6th this year and two mid-round picks in ‘22. Perhaps they did well, but it’s a long step down for the former #3 o/a. It also means the Jets must invest in a QB at #2 this year, losing a golden opportunity to strengthen their roster for a run at QB in a year.

As a Bills fan I like to see a divisional foe flounder. But I have more respect for Darnold than what his onfield performance merits. I’ll happily wish Sam best wishes and good luck upon being freed.

 

I thought Sam would be a bust out of college. Then early on he showed promise and then quickly fell back down to what I expected. We may never know if it was his fault.

 

What’s next for Teddy Bridgewater?



The Panthers quickly fell in love with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during the 2020 offseason. After only one year, the Panthers have quickly fallen out of love with Bridgewater.

The obvious takeaway from Carolina’s trade for quarterback Sam Darnold is that Bridgewater likely won’t be a Panther in 2021.

The problem for the Panthers is that the contract given to Bridgewater last year includes $10 million in fully-guaranteed salary for 2021, with another $7 million in non-guaranteed salary on top of that. Bridgewater would surely need to re-do his deal to facilitate a trade, but with $10 million in guaranteed pay, why would he?

There’s one important reason for considering a reduced salary. The Panthers could squat on Bridgewater and cut him in August, making it hard for him to land elsewhere with a real chance to contribute in 2021. By taking less now (maybe $12 million for the season and free agency in 2022), Bridgewater gets a landing spot and a chance to become fully ensconced.

The best two options for that kind of a trade would be the 49ers and the Broncos. San Francisco could make Bridgewater the starter until the rookie is ready, at dramatically less than the $25 million Jimmy Garoppolo is due to receive. Then, the 49ers could either trade or cut Garoppolo, saving millions in cap space and avoiding any potential locker-room issues as veterans line up behind the incumbent.

In Denver, former Vikings assistant G.M. George Paton is looking for a Drew Lock upgrade. Bridgewater was on the brink of a breakout in 2016 in Minnesota, before a fluke knee injury. Paton could be intrigued by the possibility of giving Bridgewater a chance to grow into the job with the Broncos while otherwise looking for a long-term fix — if they need one. (Bridgewater is still only 28.)

The Panthers have a real incentive to work out a trade given the possibility that, if Bridgewater is cut, he’ll end up in Tampa Bay, as the backup to Tom Brady. Last year, Bucs coach Bruce Arians said that his top targets at quarterback were Brady and then Bridgewater. If/when the Panthers dump Teddy, he could sign with the Bucs for the minimum of $1.075 million — and the Panthers would be on the hook for the remaining $8.925 million.

Thus, it makes plenty of sense for the Panthers to trade Bridgewater instead. It also could make sense for the Panthers to pay some of Bridgewater’s fully-guaranteed salary in order to get a late-round draft pick or two for Teddy.

NBC

 

Obviously every year someone rises to the top of the college QB world and the QB needy teams fall in love..out of need.

Personally, I wouldn't be looking to 2022 if I was a QB needy team. I don't see one with the caliber of Justin Fields...I am not on the Kyle Wilson bandwagon, even though I think he has a better skill set than Bo Nix, whom I currently think will be the best out of the 2022 rookie class. Wilson and Fields have different attributes. The Jets need to figure out which one works with their current coaching staff otherwise they will all be out of a job very soon. They don't have the luxury of adding around a QB that they may choose in 2022.

As for the Panthers, they weren't getting the top three QBs.. If for some reason Fields or Wilson drop within their reach, they can still take a QB. But, for me, the top 3 QBs are obvious and will be gone in the top 3 picks. This actually helps the Panthers. If the Jets had stayed at #2, with Darnold, they probably would have went LT with that #2 pick. They have a HUGE need on their offensive line. Reality is, whomever the Jets take, they will be running for their lives week one.

Darnold is 23 years old. I don't think the book has closed on him yet. What he gets in return is one of the top offensive players in the NFL in Christian McCaffery and (3) better than average WRs in DJ Moore, Robby Anderson and David Moore.

The Panthers sitting at #8 have a better than average chance to have one of the top talents in this draft slide right to them.

1. Trevor Lawrence
2. Justin Fields (or #3)
3. Zach Wilson (or #2)

4. Atlanta (Ryan will be there at least the next 2 years with that contract, they may be willing to trade down though to collect draft capital to deal with their cap situation)
5. Cincinnati (has their QB, potential trade down)
6. Miami (has their QB, potential trade down)
7. Detroit (if no one trades ahead of the Lions, they could take a QB here. I'm not sure anyone is convinced Goff is the answer...If the Lions brass are, then most likely one of the offensive weapons is taken in this spot)

Bottom line, I believe one or both of Mac Jones and Trey Lance are going in the top ten. There are too many QB needy teams out there to not take a chance on one of them. There are also teams ahead of them that will be willing to trade down in Cincy and Miami, possibly even Atlanta..

If only one trade happens, that leaves 3 players going ahead of the Panthers that aren't QBs.

My top 10 players in this draft..

Trevor Lawrence
Ja'Marr Chase
Jaylen Waddle
Kyle Pitts
Justin Fields
Penei Sewell
Caleb Farley (may drop because of his surgery, but judging on talent, he should still be considered a top 10 pick)
Micah Parsons (I wouldn't touch him with his back ground, but NFL teams won't care)
Devonta Smith
Patrick Surtain

WHERE is all the defense man?? Only (3) of my top 10 are on defense. Truth is, this draft is LOADED with defensive talent. It just happens to be one of those years where the top prospects overall are on the offensive side of the ball. There will be great value deep into the second round of defensive talent that will have a first round grade.

Point is.. With QB hungry teams like Denver and New England, there is a better than average chance someone will over draft a QB ahead of the Panthers and a talent like Sewell might drop right into their laps. That is best case scenario, which would strengthen the Panthers line for years to come...consolation prize?? How about a talent like Waddle or Pitts? Not too shabby...

I think the Panthers definitely made out on this deal, however, if the Jets manage to take Fields, I believe their QB situation improved. I feel bad for Fields, but the Jets get an improved asset that can at least manage to move with bad line play. That should be priority #1 no matter who they draft though. Improve that line at any cost.

 

Honestly Irish, I feel that teams wanted Lawrence or Wilson and that the 49ers have a 3rd guy they like. The Panthers probably don't want Fields. Panthers wouldn't make this move if they liked a 3rd guy as the 49ers could go any of 3 guys.