MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Derek Carr’s visit with the Saints has concluded

Derek Carr finished two days in New Orleans, visiting with the Saints, Sean Fazende of Fox 8 reports.

The quarterback’s wife, Heather, accompanied him on the trip, Fazende adds.

Carr and several of the team’s brass, including coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, had dinner Wednesday night at Ralph’s on the Park, Nick Underhill of neworleansfootball.com reports.

With Carr still under contract with the Raiders, the Saints had to seek permission from Las Vegas to meet with the Pro Bowler. That meant getting a framework of a deal in place.

But Carr has a no-trade clause, which allows him to control his next destination.

The Raiders have only until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to get a handshake agreement with all parties on a trade before the trigger date on Carr’s contract. The $40.4 million in injury guaranteed salary will become fully guaranteed after that.

Whether the Saints execute a trade for Carr or the Raiders are forced to cut him, the Saints are considered the frontrunner for the quarterback.

Allen was the coach with the Raiders in 2014 when the team drafted him, though Allen went 0-4 with Carr before the coach was fired.

PFT

 

2022 NFL MVP: Patrick Mahomes



Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called the MVP award “a team award,” but it’s his name going on the award.

The NFL announced Mahomes as the winner of the official Associated Press MVP award at its Honors show.


He beat out four other finalists — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson — in winning his second career league MVP.

It was expected after he earning first-team All-Pro honors at quarterback last month.

Mahomes became the betting favorite for the award in late December, overtaking Hurts after the Eagles’ quarterback injured his shoulder. Hurts missed two games.

Mahomes received 48 of 50 first-place votes and 490 total points. Hurts was second with one first-place vote and 193 total points, with Allen getting the other first-place vote and 151 points.

Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson (55 points) and 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa (20) rounded out the top five.

Mahomes led the league with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns.

He won his first MVP award in 2018. Peyton Manning has a record five MVPs, and Aaron Rodgers has won the award four times, including the past two. Four players have won it three times, and Joe Montana, Steve Young and Kurt Warner are the only other players besides Mahomes to win it twice.

So, only 10 players have ever won league MVP more than once.

Mahomes did not attend the Honors ceremony, with the Chiefs playing in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, but he also is a candidate for the final award of the night.

Mahomes is one of 32 players — one from each team — nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year. The award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.

PFT

 

Definitely and improvement over Dalton and Winston. But, this is getting old. The Saints are still trying to find success with other teams reclamation projects. It worked with Brees. But what are to odds of something like that happening again?

 

lol, slim to none? Brees was a one of a kind who excelled in NO, someone very unique and specia, a once in a lifetime deal. Going with the 'improvement' over Dalton and Winston is very important/necessary and Carr appears to be the guy at the moment... to me its better than standing pat or going with the status quo. Carr had weapons in Vegas, but he also had a lotta INT's, but you never know what a change in scenery, coaching, player personal might bring out of him.

Carr, if signing the right contract, could be the guy that helps the Saints win, while at the same time mentoring a young gun you all need to draft. Carr was well liked in LV by his team mates too, so its not like he's going to spoil anything with a 'cocky tude' or something. He is right now, imo, about the best thing there is available outside of Jimmy G.

No expert at all, just a guy with an opinion/observation.

Good Luck.

 

I certainly wouldn't call Brees a reclamation project. More like yet another moment of Chargers stupidity. He put up a 104.8 passer rating as the starter the year they drafted Rivers, then threw for 3576 yards the following year before getting out of inSane Diego.

The 2003 Chargers had the league's 6th worst defense by yards and the 2nd worst defense by points. So how do you fix the defense? Draft another quarterback!

With decision-making like that, the Chargers would fit right in with the NFC South. The next time they decide to move, maybe they should go to Birmingham.

 

I already clicked the like button. But that doesn't do this post justice. THAT WAS BRILLIANT!!!

 

Justin Fields on possibility of Bears selecting a quarterback at No. 1: I can control what I can control



Bears quarterback Justin Fields becomes eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 season. The Bears are 5-20 with him as their starter, though he showed considerable potential in 2022, and they own the No. 1 overall pick.

Thus, the debate has started about whether the Bears should use the choice on a quarterback and trade Fields.


Fields addressed the trade speculation for the first time Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show.

“How I look at it is just controlling the controllables,” Fields said. “No matter what happens with me, I can control what I can control, and that’s how I approach the game. That’s how I train for the game and how I carry myself within the game.

“It’s jut those three aspects to where I kind of just have to look myself in the mirror and kind of say, ‘What can I control?’ It is what it is and just move on and be the best quarterback I can be. Now is the time to where I’ve been trying to grow personally, spiritually, as a quarterback, so I’ve grown a lot these past few weeks of the offseason.”

Fields said the Bears have not talked to him about their plans for the top pick, but he would like to be kept abreast of quarterback workouts.

“Everybody would love honesty in the process,” Fields said. “I would definitely like to know that. It’s a business, so I totally understand. No hard feelings. But like I said, I control what I can control and control my work ethic and control how I carry myself each and every day.”

In 2022, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns and passed for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“I think I’ve shown a little bit, but I don’t think I’ve shown the world what I can do in terms of playing the full quarterback position and playing it consistently,” Fields said. “I think there were some times this year where I was better than others. Like my last game of the season against the Lions, that wasn’t a good game. So just being more consistent for my teammates, for my coaches, for the fan base. Once I do that, once I just keep progressing and keep getting better, then I’ll be good.”

The Bears have expressed confidence in Fields, and General Manager Ryan Poles said he would have to be “blown away” by a quarterback to consider taking them No. 1.

It’s more likely the team gets blown away by an offer from a team looking to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick.

PFT

 

I didnt post this article when it first appeared, because i thought it was nonsense. Why in hell would they can Fields and draft a QB and start all over? Fields is the real deal and he was 5-20 as a starter because the Bears have a ton of other problems around him, imo. What I think they should do is sit down with Fields and clue him in about his future with the Bears, tell him he IS the #1 guy and then ask him what HE NEEDS around him to be better. Fields opinion on the offense should be absorbed by the coaching staff and highly considered.

Looking at the offensive line, the Bears can use some tweaking there. Comments made by GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus later in the season and postseason have seemed to lock in the team's desire to keep tackle Braxton Jones and guard Teven Jenkins at their positions (via, SI).

Pro Football Focus had both rated in the top 20 at their positions, regardless of the side of the line where they line up and Jenkins was even ranked third in the NFL.

So the left center, left guard and right tackle are spots where the Bears might be looking for upgrades. Protecting Fields should allow him some more freedom to set up, at least by a second or two and then maybe he wouldnt have to lead the world in rushing yards. Whitehair is good, but is he a $14M dollar cap hit good? Interesting how well the Bears offensive line ranked running the ball, which was very good, but they cant pass block for shit... if you were to ask me, thats on the coaching/training the Bears are getting or lack there of. The offensive line is close to being ok, but they have to learn pass protection better.

The Bears defense last year was below average... ranking 22nd in total defense, 15th in scoring defense, near the bottom of the NFL in sacks. The defensive line could not stop the run. I mention the defense because the Bears, once again imo, need to be more balanced and this ought to be considered in the draft waaaayyyy before even thinking about a QB. The QB position is already set and in place with Fields, but at the same time I can see a lot of arguing against this, because of the record, but if you were to replace him with not only a drafted QB that 'blew away' the coaches or a vet through free agency, youd see the same results as Fields put up.

Im rambling here, but what about a WR that has the skills to get open and the hands to haul it in and the speed to run it in? duh.

(as you can tell, Im a huge fan of Fields... wouldnt mind him in purple either)

 

Tua Tagovailoa: “Very thankful” Dolphins protected me from myself



Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not play in the final three games of the season after suffering a concussion against the Packers on Christmas and he was not cleared from concussion protocol until early February.

On Friday, Tagovailoa discussed that period of time for the first time. He said that the long stretch between the head injury and the clearance was due in part to the way the Dolphins handled the situation.


Tagovailoa said he didn’t start the process of going through the protocol until the Dolphins’ season ended with a playoff loss to the Bills and that he was grateful that the Dolphins protected him from his own desire to play by taking things slowly after what was his second documented and possible third concussion of the season.

“For concussion protocol, I think the team did me the biggest service throughout that,” Tagovailoa said, via Mackenzie Salmon of USA Today. “They never allowed me to go through protocol normally until the season was done. So that’s why it might have seemed like it took forever, but they were just protecting me from myself. And me and my family are very thankful to the Dolphins. But it really entailed a lot of exertion, so like running, ocular and vestibular movements, so like balance, proprioception — things like that. Having went to see a doctor in Pittsburgh, got clear from him and then had to do written test, memorization.”

The multiple concussions led to some questions about Tagovailoa’s playing future, but the Dolphins and Tagovailoa’s parents both said that the plan is for him to be back on the field 2023. Tagovailoa confirmed as much while talking to Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports by saying that he has “all the information that I need to move forward” as a player.

PFT

 

I wish they would move the hell out of LA! There are a lot of Chargers fans here ...... For the moment.... But how long will it take before they figure out what the good people of San Diego figured out. This team is going nowhere. At some point they'll decide to stay home and not waste their money on this team. That's what happened in San Diego. And just like before in the old AFL days, they'll never get out from under the Rams shadow.

 

Trade Lamar Jackson? Ravens plan to tag and keep QB, but could be tempted by big trade offer

The Baltimore Ravens will place the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson if the sides cannot agree to a long-term deal in the coming weeks -- and there is a possibility other teams could tempt Baltimore to trade the former NFL MVP for a windfall of draft picks, per sources.

Jackson, 26, played out his rookie deal this past season and is unsigned for the 2023 season. In a season-ending press conference, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said there was a "200% chance" that Jackson stays in Baltimore and general manager Eric DeCosta said they were excited to restart negotiations, even after Jackson missed the end of a second consecutive season because of injury.

But Jackson's desire for more fully guaranteed money -- in line with Deshaun Watson's five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns -- has kept the sides from striking a deal, despite Baltimore making multiple offers near the top of the QB market in key metrics.

If the sides don't come to terms on a long-term deal before the March 7 tag deadline, the likelihood is still that Jackson plays in Baltimore. Yet there are multiple ways Jackson could end up playing elsewhere in 2023.

The Ravens could tag Jackson and explore options for a trade, with surely no shortage of suitors for one of the NFL's most dynamic talents. Jackson would effectively have veto power over his destination, since he'd need to sign the franchise tender to complete the deal and any team giving up the level of compensation would want to work out a contract.

If Baltimore places the non-exclusive franchise tag (worth $32.416 million) on Jackson, that would allow him to negotiate a contract with another team; if the Ravens don't match, they'd get two first-round picks as compensation and Jackson would get a new home.

The non-exclusive tag also could potentially allow the Ravens to keep Jackson for the long haul by letting another team negotiate the long-term deal, which Baltimore then could match. The more expensive exclusive franchise tag would prevent Jackson from negotiating with any other team.

This situation has been years in the making as Jackson -- who doesn't have an agent and has his mother serving as an advisor -- played for just $1.77 million in 2021 and on his $23.016 million fifth-year option in 2022. He missed five games in 2021, including the last four because of a bone bruise in his ankle, and the last six games this past season (including a wild-card playoff loss at Cincinnati) because of what he tweeted last month was a Grade 2 PCL sprain in his knee.

If Jackson were to play on the tag with Baltimore in 2023, the Ravens could tag him again in 2024 and potentially a third time in 2025, though a third tag would be virtually cost-prohibitive. That means Jackson is at least two years away from having the type of leverage that Kirk Cousins had to get his three-year, $84 million fully guaranteed deal from Minnesota in 2018. Watson also had rare leverage last year, in spite of allegations of sexual misconduct, because the Texans allowed him to negotiate with several teams that had agreed to trade terms before Watson agreed to go to Cleveland when they ripped up his existing deal for a new guaranteed pact.

It also comes at a time of transition for the Ravens, who parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the season. Harbaugh said Jackson would be involved in the process of selecting the next OC, though sources say he has not had direct communication with any candidates. The Ravens have yet to make a hire and are interested in speaking with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in the coming days.

NFL.com

 

Stupidity? The only legit reason for them to look QB is to try and get other teams to up their trade offers to move up and take the pick or to snag the QB. The other would be to actually draft a qb for the same reason to trade him later to the team that is most desperate after missing out on the QB sweepstakes.

 

Commanders Likely to Part Ways With QB Carson Wentz, per Report

After just one season in the nation’s capital, Carson Wentz could be looking for a new team this spring.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders “will probably part ways” with the veteran quarterback after coach Ron Rivera indicated that the team plans to move forward with 2022 draft pick Sam Howell under center at the start of training camp.

“The biggest thing we decided is he will start out as QB1,” Rivera said of Howell recently. “He will most certainly get the first opportunity. We go into OTAs and minicamp, he’ll be QB1. He’ll fight for that position. We’ll give him every opportunity to earn it, and we’ll see what happens when we get into training camp and through it.”

Wentz is due $26.2 million next season, which would be a steep price to pay for the Commanders to pay a likely backup.

The Commanders acquired Wentz from the Colts in a trade ahead of the 2022 season, where he spent just one year. The former No. 2 pick began the campaign as the team’s starter, but a finger injury sidelined him for a handful of weeks, and when he returned, Rivera chose to stick with Taylor Heinicke behind center. Wentz briefly was given back the job in Week 16, but he struggled the following week against the Browns and was benched for Washington’s final game of the year in favor of Howell.

Wentz ended the season having completed 62.3% of his passes for 1,755 yards with 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in eight games.

If Wentz has played his final snap in Washington, he will be headed to his fourth team in four years after stints with the Eagles, Colts and Commanders. Opportunities to start are few and far between at this point, meaning the veteran signal-caller may have to accept a backup role to begin 2023.

SI

 

Packers waiting on Aaron Rodgers' decision on future, open to trade if QB wants one

On Monday, Aaron Rodgers will walk into the darkness, beginning a four-day stay in isolation that will go a long way toward shaping the quarterback landscape this offseason.

The Packers' star QB plans to consider all options during his darkness retreat, detailing recently on The Pat McAfee Show that returning to Green Bay, asking for a trade and retiring are all options. The team is respecting Rodgers' need for time to make his decision, and if Rodgers comes to the team with a request to play his 19th season elsewhere, sources say the Packers are open to working with the four-time AP NFL MVP on a trade.

The Packers would need Rodgers, 39, to rework his contract to facilitate any trade for cap purposes, allowing him to steer the process toward a preferred destination. Sources say other teams have already inquired about Rodgers, and the answer from Green Bay has been consistent: until Rodgers decides what he wants to do, it's too early for any negotiations.

On the other hand, if Rodgers decides he wants to stay in Green Bay and is fully bought in -- "I'm either all-in or all-out," Rodgers told McAfee last month about playing in 2023 -- the Packers would want him back. The sides had productive conversations in the days after finishing a disappointing 8-9 season. More conversations figure to be needed, though, to make sure everyone is on the same page about the direction of the franchise and the roster.

Rodgers has spoken in recent years about the value of acquiring and retaining respected veterans, and many of those he's close to on the roster -- including wide receiver Randall Cobb, tight end Marcedes Lewis and longtime kicker Mason Crosby -- are pending free agents. So are other core players such as receiver Allen Lazard, tight end Robert Tonyan and safety Adrian Amos.

The Packers also are managing the future of former first-round pick Jordan Love, who has waited three years for his opportunity and wants to play. Love shined in relief of an injured Rodgers in a Nov. 27 loss to the Super Bowl-bound Eagles, buoying confidence that he's ready to take over if for one reason or another Rodgers isn't back in 2023. (A decision on Love's fifth-year option is due in early May.)

Sources emphasized the relationship between the Packers and Rodgers remains positive 11 months after the club signed him to a massive contract extension that seemed to all but secure his stated goal of playing his entire career with one team. For much of the season, Rodgers played through injuries, including a fractured right thumb and a rib injury that opened the door for Love, and kept playing even amid fading playoff hopes.


Whatever happens from here, the Packers and their star QB will work on it together -- but the first move belongs to Rodgers.

If Rodgers decides he wants to continue his career elsewhere, there figures to be no shortage of suitors, with the Jets (who recently hired Rodgers' friend and former coach Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator) and the Raiders among the most logical potential suitors.

Rodgers is due $59.515 million in 2023, including $58.3 million structured as an option bonus that lowers his cap number to about $31.6 million if he's on the Packers next season. If Rodgers is traded, the Packers would need to rework the deal for cap purposes prior to any trade.

All of which is moot if Rodgers emerges from the darkness and decides to turn out the lights on his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

The clock will soon be ticking, with the new league year and free agency set to begin in a little over a month on March 15.

NFL.com

 

The Jets have made it clear, from head coach Robert Saleh to owner Woody Johnson, that they plan on bringing in a veteran quarterback and hope to let Zach Wilson develop next season. Rodgers is the big fish in the pond. The Jets would owe Rodgers over $100 million over the next two seasons — unless the teams come to an agreement where the Packers take on some of the salary — if they do happen to acquire him as well as send draft compensation, which would likely start at the very least with the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft.

YAHOO

 

Panthers? Jets? Texans?

 

Wilson has a terrible attitude so lets bring in Rodgers who has to be on the worst mentor ever list yeah that will work out well for the jets. Dump wilson avoid rodgers and at worst roll with white (there are other qqbs one could grab and do better than rodgers).

 

You raise a great point... Im not privy as to how well Rodgers and Love got/get along, but I sure havnt heard anything positive.

 

I didn't take this as a rejection of New Orleans but rather a one-finger salute on his way out of the Raiders' organization. I think the Saints are still a top contender.

 

Very true. But we're talking about the Jets here, so good thinking doesn't necessarily apply.