MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

PFT kinda answered my own question...

With Giants quarterback Daniel Jones changing agents in an effort to change the terms the team is offering, he’s now on track for the franchise tag.

The big winner in that move could be running back Saquon Barkley.


The Giants, like all teams, have one tag to use each year. The thinking was that the Giants would sign Jones to a long-term deal and then tag Barkley, if they can’t work out a deal with him, too.

Now, the focus will likely shift to getting Barkley signed.

The rampant tampering at the Scouting Combine will help the effort. Barkley will know what it, and isn’t, out there before making a final decision on whatever the Giants offer. Which would result in Barkley potentially re-signing before the two-day negotiating window opens, or maybe during it.

Or maybe he leaves. Which would make it harder for Jones to duplicate his performance in 2022, given that Barkley had a very strong season, forcing defenses to focus a little more on him — and a little less on Jones.

It’s unclear what the market for Barkley would be. He has five years of NFL wear and tear, and he plays a position that results in plenty of impacts that can result in plenty of injuries. A long-term investment would come with enhanced risk for the team that provides it.

If tagged, Barkley would receive a one-year, $10.091 million tender. That will only happen at this point if Jones and the Giants can work out a long-term contract. Which now seems unlikely given that negotiations to date have prompted Jones to fire his agents and hire new ones.

 

Jonathan Gannon: We’re not going to put Kyler Murray in shotgun all the time



In Jonathan Gannon’s first press conference after being hired as the Cardinals head coach, he called Kyler Murray an elite quarterback and said “everything we do will be structured around the quarterback position to maximize his skillset.”

The Cardinals have settled on Drew Petzing as their offensive coordinator and Gannon revealed some of the team’s plans for Murray during a conversation with Peter King for Football Morning in America. Murray has played almost exclusively out of shotgun since entering the NFL — per NFL Research, under three percent of his snaps have come from under center in the last three seasons — but Gannon envisions a different approach now that he’s calling the shots in Arizona.


“If Kyler Murray isn’t here, I don’t take this job. I think this offense will look much different,” Gannon said. “This guy does things that it completely handcuffs you how you play defense – at times. I think we can take him to another level and unleash his full skill set. We’re not gonna put him in gun all the time, I’ll tell you that. We’ll have two significant offenses with his skill set: one being under center and one being in the gun. Then obviously we’re gonna do what’s comfortable with him. The way to take pressure off the quarterback and the O-line is to put him under center at times. That’s the missing piece I thought they had with Kyler. They were in gun all the time. When you’re in gun all the time, you don’t make the defense defend certain play types. Now, when you get him under center, the defense has to defend a lot more type of play types. So there’s really two offenses I see us using.”

Murray played out of a lot of shotgun looks in college as well, so mixing in more snaps from under center would mark a big change for him as he moves into his fifth NFL season, but it will be a welcome one if it leads to more success than the Cardinals experienced in 2022.

PFT

 

Thats quite amazing. I hadnt realized that. I knew it was a lot, but under 3%, wow.

This is good, imo... now we will find out just how much of an "elite" QB he is. Gannon must have sat down and talked to Murray about being a pocket passer. The more different looks Murray and the offense can give is definitely an advantage, good for him and even better with giving opposing defenses something else to consider. Ive always liked a QB that can improvise pending on situations... ala, Justin Fields. Murray just might have a HC with an imagination and the ballz to implement schemes and offensive versatility that might bring Murray to a higher level, something ive wondered if he truly has and now maybe he will get the chance show/prove that he does.

 

Devil is in the details. How much is guaranteed? What are the trigger dates?

I've always liked Jones' potential. Thought he would he flourish in Daboll's system. 35M will be a bargain for a starting QB in 2024. The projected cap numbers are insane:

2023 225M
2024 256M
2025 282M
2026 308M

There is risk in both proposals IMO.

 

Who does he think he is? Ben Roethlisberger?

 

Agreed, and I said something along the lines of that in a previous post.

This is where our points of view would differ on this matter. Not the bargain price, but the idea of going into 2023 comfortable with Jones as your starter.

I don't think the Giants should be, and if he really is pushing for $45mil, they have to hit him with the non-exclusive. I can't imagine him wanting to sign a deal that doesn't have enough guaranteed money to make him comfortable if he is already looking at a number that is unreasonable.

This reads like it could go either way, as in you believe he did flourish, or you thought that he would, but he didn't.

If it's the latter, then we are in agreement, but I didn't have the confidence that you appeared to have had going into this season.

 

Yes, this was my point as well... At what point do you invest in every other position around a competent guy, rather than overspending on a competent guy? To me, that is all Daniel Jones is, and has reached his potential as a competent player...not necessarily starter material. Just because someone is starting, doesn't mean they should be. I'm not a huge supporter of Carr, but I'm not sure Jones could carry Carr's supporter.

 

In your opinion, how much is this on Jones agent? Is it possible he's asking this ridiculously high amount to just get the Giants to offer higher? Im not real privy on these sort of things, but to me it sounds crazy for Jones himself to be asking this kinda stuff.

 

I forgot, Jones is changing agents... if the franchise tag is applied, he will still draw in the neighborhood of $32M... yikes

 

Lot to respond to...

DEFINITELY would not pay him 45M.

Do believe he flourished in Daboll's system considering how well he moved the offense and protected the football.

 

The sudden change in agency is the other part that intrigues me. Why change? The immediate guess is he figured he was worth much more than what CAA has been telling him to expect and he wanted a more aggressive agency since the cap is spiking.

Interesting wrinkle... Jones was drafted / signed his rookie deal in 2019. I don't know who specifically at CAA negotiated his first contract (and the way rookie deals are slotted it wouldn't make much difference), but I'm guessing he got to know Todd France during his whole pre-draft to signing process. In 2020, France left CAA for Athletes First. And now Jones is jumping ship to go to Athletes First.

I don't think France himself was a factor (ie no tampering), and I more than half expect that David Mulugheta rather than France will be the specific agent that takes over his negotiations. But I think that seeing France jump ship from CAA to Athletes First planted the seed in his mind that Athletes First is a better agency, and seeing Deshaun Watson's contract (negotiated by Mulugheta) likely nailed it down that he needed to make the switch before signing his next contract.


If he does get the big payday, the domino effect will be interesting. Will we see QBs signed as backups for $5-6 million this year? I'm starting to think some of the experienced ones will get that kind of money.

 

One thing I read, yesterday was this - If Jones is ultimately seeking more than the Giants are willing to pay, that would set up the fifth-year quarterback to receive the franchise tag. The franchise tag would cost the Giants just over $32 million but doesn't require a commitment beyond 2023.

 

Just for kicks...



While i disagree on the finding a QB part, I love the stats.

 

What’s your thoughts on how to improve on a top ten QB? Draft, trade, free agency?

 

Well, I see it happening in the Draft preferably and hopefully they can address that this year. Problem is they will have to go in an early round to snag someone of significance as the 'big' game will go early. Im not sure GM Kwesi will do this tho, but all things are on the table for consideration from what ive read.

Cousins is a damn good QB, top 10 last year, as you stated, but a $36.5M cap hit is huge (15% of teams total). Kirk also has a no trade clause and as I understand it, the only way that goes away is if he gets a fully guaranteed extension. Another thing to consider is, will Kirk be even better next season? If he is, then I might lean towards extension, lol. Im just glad I dont have to make these decisions, its all over my head. So, as of this moment, I think drafting a QB and seasoning him under Kirk might be the best way to go... someone along the lines of, Anthony Richardson or Hendon Hooker types if available.

Definitely prefer Draft over trade or FA.

 

I love Kirk Cousins, by the way. If he continues to light it up in 2023, Id like to see him stay, but i dont know how personally thats possible. He'd have to have a team friendly contract for that to happen, but in todays QB contract situations, especially with a QB like Jones asking $45M after going 9-6-1 and barely making the playoffs, what would Kirk demand or deserve? Tricky stuff to say the least.

 

BaltimoreRavens.com's Ryan Mink believes Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken will implement a "versatile" offensive scheme.


Hired this month to take over a Baltimore offense headed by Greg Roman since 2019, Monken is widely expected to bring a more traditional, balanced offense to the Ravens in 2023. Monken implemented pass-heavy "air raid" offensive systems as the offensive coordinator for the Bucs and at Oklahoma State, while deploying a more run-heavy approach at Georgia over the past three seasons. His Georgia offense frequently used two tight end sets, a potential boon for Isaiah Likely and reason to believe Mark Andrews will remain the focal point of the team's passing offense. Monken's Georgia offense wasn't particularly good on the ground, ranking outside the top-35 in EPA per rush while posting top-three pass EPA numbers in 2022. "Overall, I think Monken will make the Ravens more balanced and capable of playing different ways," Mink said. "It's no secret that Baltimore has to improve its passing attack, and I think Monken will accomplish that."

BaltimoreRavens.com

 

This would be the offseason to try and trade him for the biggest possible return, IMO.

The Jets would probably pay over the moon if they can't get anything else going in FA.

 

I'm with Willie 100%. I like Cousins, and he's legitimately a top 10 QB. But a $36.5M cap figure for 2023 means the team will have shortcomings in other areas of the roster.

From what I see, I'm projecting the median 2023 cap figure for starting QBs at $10.75 million.

(If anyone cares... three or four of the top 18 QB cap figures are likely to drop down or off the list entirely, and there are at least two players who could easily jump into the top 16 and raise the bar back up a bit. So I'm pegging the median as the halfway point between Joe Burrow ($11.5M) and Trevor Lawrence ($10M).)

Cousins is $25M+ above the median. Something like that would instantly have me asking what Plan B is at QB and what the difference in cap space plus the potential trade bounty could mean for improving the rest of my roster. If someone threw me the kind of draft pick package that Denver and Cleveland gave up to get Wilson and Watson, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

 

The Vikings have to find a QB as good Capt Kirk can be at times they just can't afford him