MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Panthers reportedly plan “aggressive” offer for Deshaun Watson, if Watson wants the Panthers



Last year, the Panthers wanted Deshaun Watson. But Deshaun Watson didn’t want the Panthers.

This year, the Panthers once again want Deshaun Watson.


Via David Newton of ESPN.com, the Panthers plan to make an “aggressive” offer for the former Clemson quarterback, if he’ll waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers.

As the trade deadline approached, the Panthers would have traded for Watson despite then-unresolved criminal complaints and still-pending civil lawsuits. Watson declined to waive his no-trade clause, opting to focus on being traded to the Dolphins.

It’s unclear what it will take to get Watson. On one hand, if multiple teams come to the table, the price goes up. On the other hand, if Watson ultimately focuses on one team, the Texans have to choose between getting what they can and keeping Watson, who didn’t play at all in 2021, at a guaranteed salary of $35 million. (He also has a 2023 roster bonus of $17 million. The bonus becomes fully guaranteed later this month.)

Newton reports that the Panthers are willing to part with any player on the roster other than safety Jeremy Chinn. Surely, however, the Panthers — who under owner David Tepper have been obsessed with getting a franchise quarterback — would not kill the deal over Chinn.

Before any of that becomes relevant, Watson has to be willing to play for the Panthers. If he isn’t, nothing else matters.

So will he be? With coach Matt Rhule widely believed to be on the hot seat, and with failed former Giants coach Ben McAdoo serving as the new offensive coordinator, Watson may not be thrilled about the possibility of joining a team that may have a new head coach by 2023.

PFT

 

Im curious about what if anything the NFL is going to do about Watson's situation. I understand there is no criminal suit, but there are civil suits... does or doesnt that warrnt NFL disciplinary actions?

 

I think it's a given that if you can play really good football, the owners will definitely look the other way.

It's not a matter of, "what kind of person are you?"

It's a matter of "Can you help my team win, and if so, at what cost?

 

IIRC. Big ben was suspended a handful of games and was never found guilty... just wonder if this is going to be the case with Watson. There seams to be a lot of hype about him signing somewhere, but i dont think this legal stuff is over yet.

 

Bruce Arians apparently has had his eye on Baker Mayfield for a while



If you’re surprised by the news that the Buccaneers have evaluated Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, don’t be.

As noted by the folks at JoeBucsFan.com, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said in 2018 that he’d only come out of retirement to coach the Browns. The remark, which Arians would later contradict by accepting the job in Tampa, likely had plenty to do with the presence of Mayfield, who at the time was a rookie and was playing very well.


Now that the Browns may be thinking about moving on from Mayfield, or at least the Bucs are preparing for that possibility, Arians could finally get a chance to coach the former No. 1 overall pick.

If the Browns make a change, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Through four seasons, he has yet to fully realize his potential. Last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in Week Two — as a direct result of his own decision to try to make a tackle after throwing an interception.

PFT

 

Kirk Cousins and the Vikings agree to a one-year extension



Kirk Cousins has made it to the playoffs once in four years with the Vikings. He’ll now get at least two more tries.

Agent Mike McCartney has announced that Cousins has agreed to a one-year extension with the Vikings.


Cousins was due to make $35 million in 2022. Via NFL Media, he has signed a one-year extension, at another $35 million. His pay this year increases to $40 million.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Cousins’s cap number for 2022 drops from $45.166 million to $31.25 million.

The deal also has a no-trade clause.

Depending on the structure, the Vikings may end up in the same mess next year, without the option of trading Cousins. Given the reports that they were interested in Deshaun Watson, a trade wasn’t out of the question.

That said, coach Kevin O’Connell praised Cousins at the Scouting Combine.

PFT

 

The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have made trade offers for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and are likely to meet with him soon, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday.

On Friday, a Harris County (Texas) grand jury did not find enough evidence to charge Watson with a crime following allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from massage therapy sessions. Watson, 26, is also facing 22 civil lawsuits, but Friday's news paved the way for accelerated trade discussions for Watson, who remains under NFL investigation and is subject to potential discipline under the league's personal-conduct policy.

Watson requested to be traded from the Texans prior to the allegations, and he was inactive for all 17 of the Texans' games during the 2021 NFL season.

The Panthers have been interested in potentially acquiring Watson, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, since the QB first requested a trade out of Houston, while Rapoport noted that the perpetually cash-strapped Saints have the ability to fit Watson's contract under the salary cap. New Orleans restructured cornerback Marshon Lattimore's contract on Saturday, which cleared $18.45 million in cap space and got the team closer to the league's $202.8 million salary cap for the 2022 season.

Pelissero reported that the Texans' asking price for Watson has not waivered -- three first-round picks and additional assets -- and multiple teams currently are willing to meet that price.

NFL.com

 

So, Ridley, while not playing gets a whole year suspension for gambling on games where his play didnt effect anything... makes me wonder what the NFL will do to Watson. They must keep a standard, but as the past indicates, they (NFL) usually screw that up.

Im not 'hating' on Watson, I just want equal accountability when it comes to disciplinary processes against players.

In my opinion... if Calvin Ridley got a whole year, Watson's actions (alleged) should bring something substantial also.

 

What I would like to see is transparency on the findings in his case. It's hard to pass judgement on someone that a grand jury deems not enough evidence to charge, however, if there was impropriety involved with these women (with the sheer number of complaints, it is hard for me to believe there wasn't), then I don't want him playing for the team I support. I just don't have room in me to support someone who doesn't respect women. Typically that kind of behavior escalates, especially if the individual isn't held accountable. With exoneration, he probably would feel vindicated and I wouldn't be surprised to see something else pop up within the next few years. I don't care how talented he is, it seems to me that he needs help and I haven't heard ANYTHING from him that makes me believe he is taking any responsibility. This may be due to his ongoing case and not wanting to jeopardize that by admitting ANY guilt in this. It may turn out to be less of an assault and more of an exposure deal, which isn't right in any sense either, but if he actually touched them inappropriately, I would wish for him to be out of the league completely...forever.

 

There’s a report circulating that the Browns are/were indeed actively taking calls on Baker in an attempt to upgrade at passer.

At least one of these scenarios was Cleveland inquiring about Watson.

 

End of the day... Baker is still in Cleveland starting in 2022

1) Browns probably feel Baker's stock is higher than some others do
2) Texans probably will want to trade out of conference
3) Watson will probably not want to play in Cleveland (no trade clause)
4) Berry will not give up (3) first round draft picks for ANY player.
5) Watson isn't out of hot water just yet, and most likely ends up with a 2022 suspension. The length will determine who is still interested in trading for him THIS offseason.

 

I quoted myself more as a callback to my point that it was reasonable to assume that the Browns could be shopping Baker, and there is some insight to be gleaned through those scenarios.

 

Old news but it wasn't that he was not guilty. It was that there wasnt a crime. The prosecutor was pretty open about the case. Don't remember his exact words but something along the line of 'we prosecute crimes, not morals'.

 

The Steelers may consider shopping Mason. The interest will probably be similar to that of Baker.

 

Gonna be tough to shop your starting quarterback, considering the idea that I expect Mason to win that spot in an open competition.


And that’s not tongue-in-cheek. I honestly see Rudolph as the better option and expect him to start week one (under the current circumstances ie: QB room).

 

If the QB room remains the same for training camp... I could see Dwayne Haskins winning the job.

OK...maybe a little tongue and cheek, but I think it will be an open competition, he is physically more gifted than both the others and knows the system better than Trubisky.

 

Dwayne has the arm, but his accuracy/inconsistency failings start from an area between the ears.

That problem is very difficult to correct and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his career path follow another passer with the same gray matter deficiency - Josh Rosen.

 

Would be cool if he plays well enough to do that. But I'm not counting on it. I don't even see a competition. The contract numbers will likely suggest otherwise.

 

That doesn’t strike me as the kind of coaching staff or front office that will base that decision on the contract cash rather than having them play it out.

You could be right, but it would be difficult to justify giving Trubisky the nod over monetary concerns if Rudolph out plays him in camp and the preseason.