Kevin O’Connell and company will probably go to whatever lengths to hold onto their top receiver, despite the fact that there are indications of turmoil coming out of Minnesota and uncertainty surrounding the quarterback situation.
Nick, there have been indications of problems. It’s not ideal that Justin Jefferson chose not to sign a new contract after his third year, when he was first qualified to do so. It doesn’t help that he was injured while playing in his rookie contract’s fourth year. Furthermore, it is a fact that Kirk Cousins is no longer with the Minnesota Vikings, Sam Darnold has joined the team, and it is still unclear who will play for the team in September or October, let alone in 2025 or 2026.
Having said that, I am aware that the Vikings do not intend to relocate Justin Jefferson. It’s difficult to understand how they could get to the point where it would be advantageous for them to let go of a 24-year-old who, regardless of position, is most likely among the best 10 players in football.
To add some excitement to the situation, let’s imagine Minnesota receives two first-round selection offers for Justin Jefferson. That seems like it may work out well for the Vikings, who are already going through a two-year roster overhaul that may be hastened by Kirk Cousins’ departure. Having said that, the club you’re dealing with (a contender, or one with whom Justin Jefferson would be prepared to sign an extension) most certainly selects late in the first round.
With Jefferson in the lineup, it makes sense to assume that the aforementioned team will have a lesser pick the following season. Thus, we may be discussing two selections in the 20s.
That seems like a much different statement than “two first-round picks,” doesn’t it? While there is the obvious financial advantage—those two players would cost less than Justin Jefferson—it is also uncertain if they will be of any caliber. Because of this, I ultimately think Minnesota will make the necessary efforts to reach an agreement for the NFL’s 2022 OPOY. It’s also conceivable that Justin Jefferson may have a new quarterback in late April, in which case he may have a different opinion on all of this.
You know which query I received the most of this week?
Contrary to popular belief, Justin Jefferson Fields has a rather basic terrain. This offseason, the quarterback position’s supply has harmed him in two ways. Early bids for Fields were resisted by the uncertainty surrounding Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield’s availability. Russell Wilson, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett, and a number of other quarterbacks who wouldn’t require draft-pick compensation were available as the Chicago Bears waited for the quarterback market to settle down. and after that were obtained.
Indeed, the league is making a statement here: Fields hasn’t done enough to warrant a trade that would guarantee him a starting position for the foreseeable future. Should clubs have believed that he did, he would have had a market similar to that of Cousins, and Mayfield most likely would have if he had arrived on Monday without a contract. Fields was then placed in the second group, and once more, his worth was diminished by the need to trade for him and the nature of his contract, which calls for one year left plus an expensive option year.
Fields is still capable of playing and has a future despite this. But it does mean that, like Mitch Trubisky and other past first-round picks, he could have to spend a year as a backup before having another chance to be the starter.
From Dimitry (@Dimitry7688): Denver QB. GO lol
At a baseline, and I know you won’t like this, but I get the impression that Sean Payton, the coach of the Denver Broncos, believes Jarrett Stidham can start for him. That doesn’t guarantee that Stidham will be the starting quarterback in 2025, much less in five years, but it does, in my opinion, provide Denver some leeway in how it handles the position going forward.
They will then select April 12th, which probably knocks them out of the running to select one of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye. The Broncos’ assessment of J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, who possesses some qualities that I believe would fit in well with Payton’s offense, would then be highlighted. Whether or whether they need to trade up to obtain him and the associated costs might play a role in that.
Taking all of this into consideration, and considering the roster gaps that need to be filled and the ongoing reconstruction, I don’t think Payton and the Broncos will push anything this season at the position.
From Skol Rant (@SkolRant): What the HELL is happening with guard contracts?
So, Skol, you’ve seen that the Carolina Panthers are paying Robert Hunt $20 million, the New England Patriots are paying Mike Onwenu $19 million, and the Los Angeles Rams are paying Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson $17 million and $16 million, respectively? Two things probably should have told you what was coming.
First, there’s the setup of the franchise tag. Since centers and guards are grouped together, they need to be marked at the tackle number. Higher-end guards and centers will hit the market more frequently than comparable players at other positions because teams will object to it. Second, the supply/demand equation for NFL Free Agency often favors the big guy because there are simply not enough excellent offensive lineman to go around.
In order to avoid a sticky scenario with Landon Dickerson the next season, the Philadelphia Eagles take aggressive action, as Dotson, Hunt, Onwenu, and Jackson all make huge plays. Well done, everyone.
From John Richardson (@JohnIsaac55): Are the Raiders working to trade up, and if so, how far?
Yes, John, there have been preliminary discussions about the Las Vegas Raiders entering the top three.
Will they succeed? It seems unlikely that the first three selections will be traded, and if that is the case, it will depend on how the team feels about McCarthy (and perhaps a few others). From there, it will depend on if the situation worsens to the point where the former Michigan quarterback is not selected at No. 13 (which is very conceivable). There is still much work ahead of us.
From @Tray4o’s Ronnie: Is the Seahawks a potential trade partner for Justin Fields? Which other teams are currently in the running for Fields?
Ronnie The concept appeals to me. Fields would be able to study under Geno Smith while vying for the starting position. I can see where that might be a useful swing for the Seattle Seahawks, but I don’t have any data to support it.
Regarding other clubs, the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs are the first that come to mind as possible landing spots for Fields. This is mainly because those organizations have always recognized the importance of troubled quarterbacks, so if Fields is going to be a backup, I believe it would have to be in those locations. I’m particularly interested in Philadelphia since it has the schematic infrastructure to get the most of Fields and since Jalen Hurts has been hurt.
From @jaregss, Jared: The Jets are doing what? With Rodgers turning 40 this season and a team full of obvious deficiencies, why is there uncannily little urgency?
Jared, this question is the ideal illustration of why it’s probably not a good idea to worry on the Tuesday of the first week of free agency. The right tackle Morgan Moses, a strong and resilient player who returns to the team he played for in 2021 as a possible starting option, was acquired by the New York Jets in the interim after I opened the mailbag. David Bakhtiari may also be added because of his clear relationship to Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets could have added another skill position component after that, but they’re going near to the cap, so I assume any assistance they receive from there will come in the draft.
From @SauceGenius, The Sauce Savant: Get the Bears to do anything, anything at all. I require QB closure and $65 million in cap room. In any case, all I need is a resolution so that I may go on.
Sauce I’ll give you some closure: your club should be competitive this year; your quarterback is going to be a generational talent; and it’s not a terrible idea to keep your options open to trade for a veteran who becomes available later in the summer. Furthermore, I am unable to compel Ryan Poles or Matt Eberflus to do anything.
From @PortCityRob, Robert Burgess: Does the three- to four-year reconstruction simply sound like something people say not to get expectations up because I feel like two or three more FA acquisitions and a strong draft can get them there in a year where the Patriots appeared so competitive, losing tight games with terrible game planning to open the year?
Robert Although I respect your optimism, I’m asking you not to look forward to the 2024 season since everyone should be thrilled about their team at this time of year.
However, there are actually five elite positions in professional football: corner, pass-rusher, quarterback, tackle, and receiver. If there are exceptions to the rule, you typically address them by providing cash, draft capital, or both. Because of this, fixing more than one or two of them in a single offseason is challenging. As of right now, how many of those roles are filled by Patriots? I’ll give you Christian Gonzalez’s corner. At 31 years old and coming off a torn pector, I believe Matthew Judon poses a risk as a pass-rusher. That’s all there is to it.
There are still four premium places to be filled, so it won’t be possible to fill them all in a single offseason—not even with a ton of financial room and a top selection in each round.
I would advise you to take it easy, enjoy the lead-up to the draft, and then monitor your new young kids’ progress during the season. In order to gain some momentum heading into the 2025 offseason, it is hoped that the Patriots will be competitive early in the season and turn things around in the latter half. They may be in a better position to use the money they carried over from ’24 by then, and they’ll be prepared to add another draft class.
It goes without saying that Patriots supporters are in a new situation. Success will need to happen in new ways. I would become accustomed to it. It will take some time to build.
JLK7299 (@JLK7299) said: Would the Commanders be hesitant to choose his old backup with the second selection if Sam Howell was there?
Actually, JLK, no. It seems to me that the two get along well. Actually, from what I’ve heard, the former teammates of the Tar Heels recently played a game of golf close to Maye’s training facility in Alabama. In my opinion, having Howell available would help the Washington Commanders draft Maye rather than hinder them.
According to ⌜Keep Pounding BR⌠ (@KeepPoundingBR): How will the WR free agency market be affected by this draft class of wide receivers? In particular, the Panthers?
Hold, I believe it has. With two talents (Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malcolm Nabers) who would be top-10 choices in most classes, and a No. 1 pick (Marvin Harrison Jr.) who may be the best to emerge since Julio Jones and A.J. Green, the draft class is outstanding at the top. From Brian Thomas Jr. to Xavier Worthy, A.D. Mitchell, Xavier Legette, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, and others, you also have a pretty strong depth from that point on.
Calvin Ridley, who turns 30 this year, and Tee Higgins, who is tagged and would cost a lot in a trade, lead the free agency class. Tyler Boyd, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and, well, you get the idea, round out the list.
It’s easy to understand why shrewd teams with receiver needs this year would tread carefully in free agency given the recent history of players at that position performing well as rookies, from the top 10 (Ja’Marr Chase, Garrett Wilson) to the middle rounds (Terry McLaurin, Amon-Ra St. Brown).
Henry Matthews (@henrymHuss26H) has shared: The remaining athletes who were awarded a franchise tag. What are the chances that the players will stay and be traded?
Okay, Henry, now that we have Brian Burns described, traded, and extended, as well as the payment from Justin Madubuike, Jaylon Johnson, and Michael Pittman Jr., let’s conclude this mailbag by examining the other four franchised players.
• Josh Allen, the edge rusher for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is in a good position to receive an extension; the only issue is how much. The amount on his tag is $24.007 million. I believe it would need around $28 million per to get a long-term contract, similar to what Burns and Danielle Hunter obtained. And Jacksonville will undoubtedly arrive, most likely in July, to permanently sign Allen.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ primary goal is winning a Super Bowl, thus they truly do plan to have Higgins around till at least 2024. However, it’s easy to see how this might become an A.J. Brown scenario in which the team receives an irresistible offer in the run-up to the draft. Thus, I would assume that Higgins is dealt eventually.
• As Chris Jones signed a deal, the likelihood that the Chiefs will trade L’Jarius Sneed—of which we already know—grew even more. Between now and the draft, I believe Sneed will be sold for a second-round selection.
• Antoine Winfield Jr. is so valuable to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they chose to use him with the tag instead of Mike Evans or Baker Mayfield. That indicates to me that the Bucs value him highly enough to complete a contract and remove the $17.123 million lump payment that the franchise tag forced them to pay.
