MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Panthers clearing cap space, want to make a run at Deshaun Watson



The Panthers have cut several players this month, creating some cap space that they’d love to spend on Deshaun Watson.

Carolina’s moves in the last week have cleared nearly $20 million in cap space, which would be enough to absorb Watson’s 2021 cap hit, and the Panthers plan to make a run at Watson if the Texans make him available in a trade, David Newton of ESPN reports. (That is an actual report, although ESPN has given it less attention than the “bold prediction” that the Panthers’ offer would be Christian McCaffrey and three first-round draft picks.)

The phrasing of the report — the Panthers will make a run at Watson if the Texans make him available — is almost identical to a previous report that the Broncos will make an offer for Watson if the Texans make him available. That suggests that multiple teams are waiting around for the Texans to say Watson is on the trading block, and then they’ll pull the trigger on a big offer when and if the Texans give them the go-ahead.

But if you want Watson and think you can make a credible offer for him, why wait? Why not call the Texans now and let them know you’re willing to part with a significant number of draft picks and/or players to get Watson? The worst the Texans can tell you is no. In a best-case scenario, it may begin the process of your team acquiring one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Watson wants to be traded, and the Texans are saying publicly that they won’t trade him. But there’s likely some trade package good enough that the Texans would make the move. Teams like the Broncos and Panthers appear ready to make those offers.

NBC

 

I kinda wish Watson and the Texans would squash the rumors and put out a decisive statement as to weather or not Watson can or will be traded. Frankly, these rumors are old/stale and have no more merit after all the hoopla.

 

I think the problem is Watson genuinely wants out, and ownership and front office is at least smart enough to know they would be idiots to trade an asset that significant.

The shitty part for us is until they convince Deshaun things are better and get him in a jersey throwing the ball around we get to keep reading annoying rumours. Because I’m sure there are teams poking around. Teams in need of a QB would be stupid not to at least feel out what’s possible

 

Report: Dolphins have interest in a trade for Deshaun Watson



A Miami Herald report a month ago indicated Deshaun Watson prefers a trade to the Jets over a trade to the Dolphins. That apparently hasn’t deterred the Dolphins from having interest in the star quarterback.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports the Dolphins “expect to be in the mix to acquire Watson if the Texans make him available (which they have not, to this point).”

Similar reports about the Broncos and Panthers having interest in Watson also contain the word “IF” the Texans are listening. The Texans not listening would not and should not preclude a team from making an offer that perhaps, maybe, possibly the Texans can’t refuse.

So if a team is interested, it should give the Texans a reason to listen.

Jackson adds “the Dolphins did not indicate what they believe their chances were or what they were willing to offer, but instead merely acknowledged the possibility of Miami acquiring him.”

None of this is surprising.

If the Texans acquiesce to Watson’s demand and start listening to offers, more than half of the teams in the NFL should have interest.

For now, Watson remains a member of the Texans.

For now, the Texans insist — publicly and privately — they have no interest in trading Watson. Who knows how this ends. But if the Texans do trade Watson, they will get the most out of a deal by completing a trade before the 2021 draft.

For now, Tua Tagovailoa is the Dolphins’ quarterback and the team is behind him as its quarterback of the future.

For now.

NBC

 

Will..........great job keeping us informed with the NFL stories and rumours.....I always like reading your Post's.

 

The Jets would be interesting because I believe it good QB could make them a playoff team

 

I really don’t believe the Dolphins are interested, unless they believe they made a mistake with Tua. That would be pretty surprising considering the flashes he showed. There would have to be something pretty big behind the scenes for them to be interested in Watson. Or just trying to drive up the price so the Jets back off.

 

Im not sure the Dolphins are too concerned what the Jets may do. Miami may not be sold on Tua... that could be a possibility.

 

Watson could help the dolphins win the AFCE

 

Ben Roethlisberger’s agent says Steelers want the quarterback to return



Steelers team president Art Rooney II met with Ben Roethlisberger on Tuesday. The meeting went well, according to a report afterward.

Apparently, the meaning of “the meeting went well” is both sides have agreed to give it another go.

Ryan Tollner, the quarterback’s agent, told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network that the Steelers “want Ben back and will contact me soon to address his cap situation. As we’ve shared since the season ended, we are happy to creatively adjust his contract to help them build the best team possible. A year ago, Ben wasn’t sure if he could throw again, but he battled back to get 12 wins and the eighth division title of his career. They lost steam down the stretch and that doesn’t sit well for him, so the fire burns strong, and there is plenty of gas in the tank.”

The Steelers will have to rework Roethlisberger’s contract, which calls for a whooping $41.25 million salary cap hit for 2021. Roethlisberger already said he is willing to work with the team to make it work, which means a pay cut of some sort.

The Steelers created doubt about whether they wanted Roethlisberger to return last week. General Manager Kevin Colbert was noncommittal about Roethlisberger playing an 18th season with the team.

Roethlisberger, who turns 39 next month, remains the team’s best option at the position despite his age and his dropoff late last season. In the final five regular-season games he played, Roethlisberger threw nine touchdowns and had six turnovers as the Steelers went only 2-3.

Roethlisberger then threw four touchdowns and four interceptions in the wild-card playoff loss to the Browns.

But Roethlisberger’s return prevents the Steelers from hunting for a starting quarterback this offseason when they are up against the cap or from handing the reins to Mason Rudolph, who is 5-4 in his career as a starter.

NBC

 

Ben’s return does not stop the team from looking for its future QB in the draft. Hunting for a journeyman bridge type of guy? Yeah that’s more than likely a no go, but who on the market is going to be better? Watson is really the only one at the moment and the team was never going to be a serious player for him regardless. Too many teams in the bidding war if he does become available. Does it limit what the Steelers will do with Rudolph? Only if the season is still going well. If the team falls out of contention, Rudolph, and maybe even Haskins, will play. Now if there is a QB either at 24 or within striking distance for a trade up, they will pull the trigger regardless of how Ben feels about it.

 

I would like to draft the guy from NDSU Trey Lance

 

This is great news for the Browns!!

 

John Lynch has no doubt Jimmy Garoppolo will start for the 49ers in 2021



The 49ers at least glanced at Tom Brady last offseason. Speculation was they might have a wandering eye again this offseason.

But General Manager John Lynch was as definitive as he has been about the team’s starting quarterback for 2021.

Lynch joined Clark Judge and Ira Kaufman on The Eye Test for Two podcast and said he has no doubt Jimmy Garoppolo will return as the team’s starter.

It does come with a caveat: “If Garoppolo stays injury-free,” something he has not managed to do in two of the past three seasons.

Lynch was asked: “If he is injury-free, is there any doubt in your mind that Jimmy Garoppolo is your quarterback when you line up in September?”

Lynch did not hesitate: “No. Not at all. I really believe that.”

The 49ers are 24-9, including the postseason, in games Garoppolo has started since he arrived in a trade with the Patriots. They are 7-19 over the same period when he doesn’t.

Garoppolo, though, has missed 23 games the past three seasons with injuries. He played only six in 2020 because of high-ankle sprains.

But Lynch sounds as if the 49ers want to upgrade the backup quarterback position rather than find a starting quarterback to compete with or replace Garoppolo.

“Being available is a big part of this thing,” Lynch acknowledged. “So we — probably as a stated goal — we have to insulate ourselves better. We’ve got to have better options if he’s not there.

“I’ve watched people go through this in their careers where they struggled early. It happened to me early, and then I went eight years without missing a practice. So I believe things can happen, and I believe they will for him. I really believe that Jimmy is our guy.”

C.J. Beathard is an unrestricted free agent and Nick Mullens is a restricted free agent.

Having a healthy Garoppolo is key, though, if the 49ers truly are committed to another year with him. The only season Garoppolo played all 16 games, in 2019, the 49ers went 13-3 and made a Super Bowl appearance, though his fourth-quarter performance against the Chiefs cost the team a title.

“When he’s healthy, he’s played at a high level,” Lynch said. “But we probably have to add someone. We probably need to improve ourselves, so if he’s not there, we’re all right; we can win games.

“We are seriously looking forward to kind of rebooting our team and making a run at this thing next year. And I believe we’ve got what it takes to compete for a championship.”

NBC

 

Marcus Mariota trade market has dried up significantly

Things change in a hurry on the Quarterback Carousel.

One week it looks like a signal-caller might be traded quickly. The next, not so much.

Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota appeared headed toward being the latest to get traded this offseason. The Raiders needing to shed money due to a shrinking salary cap and his play in one appearance last year led to the belief that the former first-round quarterback could be traded for as a bridge starter.

Apparently, teams are now wary of giving up a draft pick for the potential starter's contract.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL NOW that the trade market has "dried up significantly" for Mariota due to the incentives in the QB's contract.

"A couple of days ago, it really seemed like Marcus Mariota was going to be on the move," Rapoport said. "I know teams were interested, were calling the Las Vegas Raiders about potentially acquiring Marcus Mariota. Things did get down the line a little bit. There is significant interest in teams trying to get Marcus Mariota ... but there is an issue. Take a look at his contract. He's due a little more than $10 million this year. If he's going to be a bridge starter, which would be the role he'd come in and play, that's not bad. That's actually not the issue.

"The issue is based on incentives. If he is the starter and ends up playing the entire season, he can make an additional $12 million, so more than $20 million for Marcus Mariota. Teams, as of right now, don't seem to think that's something that would be worth it, especially when you consider they'd also give up a draft pick to trade for him. That trade market has now dried up significantly."


If no team is willing to take on that contract, the Raiders, who are currently projected to be well over the salary cap, could be forced to release Mariota. Cutting the QB would save $11.35 million on the cap with zero dead money. With Derek Carr entrenched as the starter, Las Vegas might not have the luxury of hanging onto a backup as high-priced as Mariota, given its needs elsewhere on the roster, especially on defense.

Rapoport noted that getting released could behoove Mariota, who would then be able to choose his destination and negotiate a new deal, potentially with additional guarantees.

This is all part of the offseason dance.

One day Mariota is all but traded. A few Earth rotations later, he's a potential cut candidate.

Tune back in next time as the QB Carousel continues to spin expeditiously.

NFL.com

 

Report: Russell Wilson “stormed out” after his ideas for fixing Seattle’s offense were dismissed



Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson publicly said what he needed to say in the days after the Super Bowl. Someone has been speaking privately since then, and it has culminated in a lengthy item from TheAthletic.com that takes the closest look yet and the fractures and fissures in a relationship that currently seems to have a shelf life far closer to bread than bricks.

The article looks closely at the tension between Wilson and the coaching staff regarding Wilson’s desire to essentially be the offense, like Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. That motivation drove the #LetRussCook phenomenon early in the season. But coach Pete Carroll freaked out after a turnover-fest against the Bills (four from Wilson) and another subpar performance against the Rams (three more Wilson turnovers).

After those seven turnovers from Wilson in two games, the Seahawks faced a short-week challenge against a Cardinals team that had a two-game winning streak against Seattle, and that was riding a wave of euphoria after the Hail Murray win over the Bills.

Here’s what happened next, via the story in TheAthletic.com: “Before the Thursday night game against Arizona, Wilson met with his coaches. For some time, Wilson has sought — even pushed — for influence within the organization regarding scheme and personnel. In the meeting, he outlined his own ideas for how to fix the offense. His suggestions were dismissed, multiple sources told The Athletic — another reminder to Wilson that the Seahawks did not see him the same way he saw himself, as a player who had earned greater control over his situation, his future, his legacy. He stormed out of the room.”

It takes no magnifying glass or other Sherlockian investigative tools to conclude that this nugget comes from the Seahawks, who finally are pushing back against the notion that Wilson’s skillset justifies more power and control.

Consider this quote in the story, from an unnamed source who surely isn’t connected to Wilson: “He’s finally catching heat. That’s the main reason for all of this. . . . People are talking and holding him accountable because he’s one of the highest-paid quarterbacks, he says he wants to be the greatest, so now people are holding him to that standard. . . . It’s a PR game. He’s trying to protect himself.”

It’s unclear whether the unnamed source is a Seahawks source. If it is, it suggests that the Seahawks should indeed try to finagle a major trade package from a team who views Wilson the way Wilson views Wilson. If it is, it also suggests that the Seahawks should be more discreet about their true feelings, since if that’s how they regard Wilson then maybe a huge trade offer isn’t justified.

That’s really what this comes down to. If the Seahawks view Wilson as an all-time great, they should treat him that way. If they don’t, they should trade him to a team that does, since that team would put together a trade offer that the Seahawks would regard as one they can’t refuse.

Wilson surely sees himself as someone who has the potential to crack the top five in league history. And he has every right to think that. The current problem between player and team seems to be that the Seahawks don’t share that assessment and/or they aren’t willing to transform their overall strategy to let Wilson create the kind of numbers and outcomes that will prove that Wilson belongs in the pantheon of the best pro football quarterbacks in history. Given Wilson’s current objectives for his career, it’s not a question of if but when the two sides go their separate ways.

NBC

 

Agent says Russell Wilson would accept a trade only to the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, or Bears



Agent Mark Rodgers has confirmed to ESPN something that PFT reported 13 days ago: Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has not yet requested a trade.

But Rodgers took it a huge step farther. Wilson told ESPN that Wilson wants to play in Seattle “but, if a trade were considered, the only teams he would go to are the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, Bears.”

Wilson has a no-trade clause in his current contract. That was a reaction to the rumor that the Seahawks had talked to the Browns about a possible trade in 2018 that would have sent Wilson to Cleveland.

The practical impact of Rodgers’ comment is obvious. Although Wilson hasn’t officially asked to be traded, his identification of the universe of teams for which he’d play sets the stage for one or more of those teams to begin making offers for Wilson’s contract. If one of them eventually makes an offer the Seahawks can’t refuse, then the trade will happen.

Wilson’s discontent isn’t new. For well over a year, whenever the issue of Wilson’s long-term future has come up, we’ve heard the Cowboys as a potential destination. It’s now clear that it’s one of four teams Wilson would welcome.

The presence of the Raiders on the list is also intriguing, since they have a supposed franchise quarterback whom they say don’t want to trade. Derek Carr may not appreciate the notion that Wilson, through his agent, is attempting to supplant Carr.

If it happens, Carr might be the only one upset by it. Wilson in Las Vegas would mean at least two games per year featuring Wilson and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Wilson on the Saints also would be fascinating, given the ability of Sean Payton to maximize a quarterback’s skills. In Chicago, Wilson instantly would be the team’s best quarterback since Sid Luckman, and maybe better.

Where things go from here remains to be seen. It seems like no accident that Rodgers has decided to go on the record with Wilson’s preferred destination on the same day a report emerged with plenty of off-record quotes that seem to trace back to the Seahawks.

Ultimately, here’s the question the Seahawks needs to resolve. Do they think Wilson is a true short-list franchise quarterback through whom their offense should run? If they do, keep him. If not, the Seahawks should take what they can get from a team that views Wilson that way, since that team surely would give up a lot to get him.

NBC

 

Couple wild stories there. Those reports do leave me with one serious question though;

the Bears?? How or why do they make that list? Dallas and New Orleans are obvious IMO.
Raiders to a degree also, I guess. But if Allen Robinson leaves during FA, and the GM and Head Coach are on the hot seat already there, what is the draw in Chicago? Is this about media markets for him? Endorsements? I don't quite get it.

 

He wants New Orleans, IMO.

The rest is just to juice up a market that will make the Seahawks want to trade him.

 

Report: Deshaun Watson met with David Culley, refuses to play for Texans



New Houston head coach David Culley got the word directly from the source: Deshaun Watson has no intention of playing for the Texans ever again.

Watson met with Culley on Friday and told him he wants to be traded, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports.

Although Watson hasn’t made that declaration publicly, it’s been clear for weeks that that is Watson’s stance. He does not want to play for the Texans and is angling for a trade.

Texans owner Cal McNair has insisted that Watson will remain a Texan, but at some point someone has to blink. The Texans could get an enormous haul of players and draft picks if they were willing to trade Watson, and with each new report that Watson remains dug in, the chances increase that the team will eventually relent and give Watson the trade he wants.

NBC