NFL News

[Futureshock]

Packers seem intent on preserving year-to-year option with Aaron Rodgers

Posted by Mike Florio on April 26, 2021, 6:57 PM EDT

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The Packers say Aaron Rodgers will be the team’s quarterback for the “foreseeable future.” While not nearly as entertaining as Kyle Shanahan’s “I can’t guarantee anyone will be alive on Sunday” line, the choice of words represents the team’s latest effort to maintain its year-to-year arrangement with Rodgers, without calling it that.

Whatever the words, that’s what it is — unless and until Rodgers has a restructuring or an extension that makes it much more difficult to trade him before June 1, 2022, the Packers have the ability to move on from Rodgers (and on to Jordan Love) after 2021, and then after 2022, and at the absolute latest after 2023. Rodgers surely isn’t a fan of that approach, but he’s opting to measure his words carefully. He saw how quickly the Cheeseheads curdled on Brett Favre after the team nudged him to retire and he strong-armed his way back into the league. Rodgers seems to be determined to not end up being vilified, like Favre was.

The Packers, in turn, seem to be determined to keep Rodgers in a sweet spot of pissed off, angry enough to perform at an MVP level but not so angry that he makes a power play toward the exits. After the 2021 season, it may be impossible to get him to continue to accept a one-year-at-a-time approach, especially if he continues to play at a high level, if the market at quarterback continues to grow, and if Rodgers continues to be in the Jared Goff/Carson Wentz compensation range.

Clearly, Rodgers played more than well enough in 2020 to make Love a moot point, for now. After 2021, the Packers will revisit the situation. And so on, until they finally make the decision that will justify their decision to ignore more pressing needs and to draft a future quarterback a year ago.

However the coming season plays out, characterizing Rodgers as the quarterback for the “foreseeable future” seems like nothing more than an effort to help the Packers continue to foresee a future of flexibility when it comes to the question of which quarterback will be the starter in 2022. Until Rodgers’ contact significantly changes, the Packers will continue to have that flexibility.

[Futureshock]

Oh my good Lord, he did not just say that....


Kyle Shanahan: No guarantee Jimmy Garoppolo will be alive or on roster Sunday

Posted by Josh Alper on April 26, 2021, 4:16 PM EDT

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The 49ers are set to take a new quarterback with the third overall pick in this week’s draft and that player will be on the roster come the start of the regular season.

It’s less clear whether Jimmy Garoppolo will be joining him.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said at a Monday press conference that the incumbent starter’s issues staying healthy contributed to the 49ers’ decision to trade up with the Dolphins and that he thinks that the team would be “fortunate” to have Garoppolo on hand while adding a rookie. He wouldn’t come close to guaranteeing the rookie and Garoppolo will be teammates, however.

“I can’t guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive on Sunday, so I can’t guarantee who will be on our roster on Sunday,” Shanahan said.

For the time being, Garoppolo is alive, on the 49ers roster, and, per General Manager John Lynch, handling the situation as well as possible.

“Jimmy’s been a pro,” Lynch said. “He really has. I just spoke to him over the weekend. He’s here, he’s taking part in our virtual meetings, plans on being at the workouts. Jimmy’s been completely professional as he always has been with us.”

Garoppolo’s current salary won’t make a trade easy to pull off and they may prefer to give the rookie time to transition to the NFL, but the right offer from another team might change that outlook for the 49ers.



Uh, pretty Jimmy must have pissed Kyle off to no end.

[Mainevent]

Kyle seems to be getting testy since everyone is like "seriously dude, you're not really taking Mac Jones at 3, right?" He might just pick Jones out of spite. Really interesting to see who has the final say if Lynch prefers Lance (or Fields).

[Futureshock]

BTW, the comments on that article are hilarious. My fave:

No one can guarantee Kyle will be alive if his uber risky draft 2021 trade doesn’t pan out. He may be sleeping with the fish. But for now, he’s on the roster as Head (case) Coach.

[Futureshock]

Kyle seems to be getting testy since everyone is like "seriously dude, you're not really taking Mac Jones at 3, right?" He might just pick Jones out of spite. Really interesting to see who has the final say if Lynch prefers Lance (or Fields).

Good. Better options for us.

If they (Holmes) don't select a QB I think they will trade back. There's been a lot of talk about them to drum up enough interest (from owners and fans alike).

[chemiclord]

IF one of the big QB names are there, there's a chance for a trade down. If they're all gone, the Lions are probably stuck. But they'd be stuck in a pretty good place.

[Futureshock]

JIMMY GAROPPOLOQB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
CBS' Jason La Canfora reports there is a "very strong expectation" that the 49ers will try to trade QB Jimmy Garoppolo before or during the draft.


The 49ers have likely been trying to trade Garoppolo for months but he remains on the roster. San Francisco has no leverage in negotiations after showing their hand by trading up to the third overall pick. Because of this, the few teams that may be interested in trading for the veteran's services are undoubtedly holding out for a better deal. Garoppolo has been a solid starter with the 49ers, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt and throwing 46 scores to just 26 interceptions. However, most teams appear to view him as a product of the Kyle Shanahan scheme based on the lackluster market for him. Expect to see Garoppolo land with a contending team for a minimal price if the 49ers can create a deal at all.

SOURCE: Jason La Canfora on Twitter
Apr 27, 2021, 1:35 PM

[Futureshock]

Proof positive that these teams think everyone else are absolutely stupid,


TREVOR LAWRENCEQB, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Jaguars HC Urban Meyer narrowed down the No. 1 selection to Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields.


There's no doubt that Lawrence will ultimately be taken at the top of the draft despite Meyer failing to name him as the selection when talking with Rapoport. However, Justin Fields making the final cut for Jacksonville is noteworthy. Recent reports have ruled him out as an option for San Francisco with the No. 3 overall pick but if other teams arrive at similar conclusions to the Jaguars, Fields' slide could be shortlived. Atlanta at No. 4 is the first team that could realistically draft Fields with the Lions and Panthers as the next two teams in the draft order who could see quarterback as a need.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Apr 27, 2021, 1:27 PM

[Futureshock]

ERECK FLOWERST, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Washington acquired T Ereck Flowers and the No. 258 pick in the 2021 draft from the Dolphins for the No. 244 pick in the 2021 draft.


The Dolphins jettison Flowers -- a complete bust since being drafted as a first rounder in 2015 -- a year after signing him to a three-year, $30 million deal, with nearly $20 million guaranteed. As part of the deal, Flowers' contract was restructured to have Miami pay his $6 million signing bonus this year and Washington foot the bill for his $3 million base salary. Flowers' conditioning was a major issue for the Dolphins early last season, and the veteran spent time on the COVID-19 list. After playing 16 games in the 2019 season in Washington, Flowers will rejoin a solid offensive line a year after allowing five sacks and being graded by Pro Football Focus as the league's 100th best offensive lineman.

RELATED:

• Miami Dolphins

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Apr 27, 2021, 10:46 AM

[Futureshock]

Report: Eight teams showed interest in Deshaun Watson before legal issues arose

Posted by Mike Florio on April 27, 2021, 6:20 PM EDT

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A rash of civil litigation that began last month has made a potential trade of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson impractical, unless and until those 22 lawsuits can soon be resolved. Before the off-field issues emerged for Watson, plenty of teams were interested.

Via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, eight teams had shown interest in a trade for Watson. They were the Jets, Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos, 49ers, Patriots, Bears, and Washington.

Things obviously have changed in the last month. The Jets will be taking quarterback Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the draft, the Panthers have traded for Sam Darnold, the 49ers moved up to take a quarterback at No. 3, the Patriots re-signed Cam Newton, the Bears added Andy Dalton, and Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick. That leaves Miami and Denver as the only teams that, for now, haven’t made an offseason quarterback move.

Of course, some of the teams that have added quarterbacks could change their plans, especially since Watson could be facing a potentially significant suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy even if all cases are settled this week.

Over the course of the past five days, things have gotten very quiet in and around the Watson litigation. It’s possible, in theory, that the two sides are trying to work something out, with the realization that attorney Tony Buzbee’s clients may have no more settlement leverage than they have while the window to trade Watson remains open.

[Futureshock]

Jimmy Haslam: We were delighted to see the growth in Baker Mayfield last year

Posted by Myles Simmons on April 27, 2021, 5:19 PM EDT

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The Browns picked up quarterback Baker Mayfield‘s fifth-year option last week, an action that was essentially guaranteed after Mayfield led Cleveland to its first playoff victory since 1994.

Mayfield has stopped the endless parade of QBs to play for the Browns since 1999. Now a contract extension seems like it’s not a matter of if, but when.

During a Tuesday press conference, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was complimentary about Mayfield’s progress in 2020. But he punted the topic of a potential extension for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

“I think we’re all pleased to see the growth in Baker last year as a player and as a leader,” Haslam said. “I think we all understand how important quarterback is in the NFL, so we were delighted to see that. Baker deserves the fifth-year option and I think he and Andrew [Berry] have both addressed the possibility of things after that. And we’ll leave that up to Andrew to decide when that happens, but we’re real pleased with where Baker is.”

Haslam also noted that he’s excited to see what Mayfield can do in 2021 given the continuity of the same offensive system under head coach Kevin Stefanski and the same core of starters on offense.

Mayfield threw for 3,563 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020. He’s started every game for the Browns since Week 4 of the 2018 season, after replacing an injured Tyrod Taylor in the previous contest.

[Futureshock]

Will Deshaun Watson be traded this week?

Posted by Mike Florio on April 28, 2021, 10:31 AM EDT

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As the 2021 draft looms, the biggest NFL story of the past six weeks has taken a back seat. It possibly won’t stay there.

There’s still a scenario in which the Texans trade quarterback Deshaun Watson before, during, or immediately after the draft.

The door swings open to a trade if Watson and his 22 accusers reach a global settlement of the civil lawsuits that have been filed against him. That will require plenty of work by the lawyers. The fact that the lawyers have been so quiet since last Friday’s status conference invites speculation that the lawyers are focusing their time and attention on a push to resolve the cases at a time when the claims have maximum settlement value for the plaintiffs.

If Watson can settle the cases, Watson can get traded. Once the window closes as a practical matter on the ability to trade Watson in 2021 (it’s unclear when that window would completely close), the plaintiffs have less leverage — and Watson has more incentive to dig in and fight. Even if he’s looking at placement on paid leave while the cases proceed, Watson can simply report for training camp with the Texans, accept an assignment to the Commissioner Exempt list, receive a salary of more than $10 million in 2021, use part of that money to finance aggressive efforts to expose any and all weaknesses regarding the allegations made against him, and make a push to settle the cases after the 2021 season, so that he can be traded next year.

As I’ve said for weeks, Watson’s best move would be to accept his reckoning, ensure that the 22 individuals believe that any compensation they receive represents fair and appropriate justice, and move on. Although at this point it’s extremely likely that he’d face an unpaid suspension in the range of four to eight games based on the Ben Roethlisberger precedent, Watson can get the civil claims behind him, close the book on a potential criminal investigation, avoid full cooperation by his accusers with the league, and then land with a new team, a new team for which he’d play at the earliest after a suspension ends and at the latest in Week One of 2022.

If a settlement-then-trade scenario is happening, the sooner it unfolds, the better it will be for all involved. The fact that the two lawyers at the center of the controversy, Tony Buzbee and Rusty Hardin, have fallen silent during draft week makes it hard not to wonder whether we’ll soon be hearing about the cases being resolved, followed by news of Watson being traded to a new team.

[Futureshock]

Falcons and/or Julio Jones apparently unwilling to facilitate a Ravens trade, for now

Posted by Mike Florio on April 29, 2021, 6:38 AM EDT

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The headline from Jay Glazer is simple. The import is a bit more nuanced.

The Ravens, as Glazer said, contacted the Falcons about a trade for receiver Julio Jones. But, alas for all involved, the Julio contract makes a trade unlikely.

But the Ravens knew about the contract when they called the Falcons. Thus, the issue isn’t the contract itself; it’s what the Falcons and/or the Jones are willing or unwilling to do with the contract in order to facilitate a trade.

Jones has a fully-guaranteed base salary of $15.3 million in 2021. The Ravens may want the Falcons to pay some of that money. The Panthers, for example, agreed on Wednesday to pay $7 million of the $10 million guarantee owed to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to facilitate a trade for a measly sixth-round pick to the Broncos. The Dolphins a day earlier agreed to pay $6 million of the $9 million owed to offensive lineman Ereck Flowers to grease the skids for a trade to Washington. If the Falcons are motivated to move Jones, they possibly also need to be motivated to pay part of his salary in 2021.

In turn, Jones possibly needs to be willing to adjust his contract. While taking less than $15.3 million for 2021 should be a non-starter since it’s all guaranteed, he could restructure the deal to shrink the cap number this year.

If, of course, he doesn’t want to play for the Ravens or any other team, Jones simply has to say, “No thanks” in response to any request to shrink his cap charge for 2021 — if that’s part of what a new team wants.

Again, the Ravens knew about the Jones contract. The question is whether the Falcons and/or Jones will do whatever the Ravens want or need in order to get it done, with the trade compensation for Jones surely influenced by how much the Falcons will or won’t pay of the $15.3 million. Whether that changes depends on whether another team is willing to accept the terms proposed by the Falcons and/or Jones, and if not whether the Falcons and/or Jones would become more willing to move toward Baltimore’s position.

With the Falcons unable to trade Jones until June 2, there’s time to work it out. The biggest potential impediment is whether an interested suitor addresses its needs at the receiver position tonight, tomorrow, or the next day.

[Passepartout]

Well Falcons if they get rid of Jones. Would be such a very huge mistake on their part. Well just saying!

[edindetroit]

Aaron Rodgers doesn't want to return to Green Bay Packers, sources say

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31359453/aaron-rodgers-want-return-green-bay-packers-sources-say