AROUND THE NFL

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com with an overview of QB Chaos:

Chaos is very good for this specific business. And quarterback chaos could be coming, very soon.

The 2020 offseason could consist of unprecedented movement when it comes quarterbacks, with a chain reaction of dominoes driven by where and how quickly the biggest rectangular double-squares land.

The biggest domino continues to be Tom Brady. Even as some of the smaller dominoes begin to fall (Eli Manning retires, Philip Rivers leaves the Chargers), Brady will influence the market more than anyone else, arguably in the history of free agency.

And teams will need to know whether they’re in play for Brady. If not, they’ll need to move on to other options, including the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, and/or Jameis Winston.

The franchise tag will keep Dak Prescott off the open market, but if the Cowboys make a run at Brady (and get him), Prescott would be in play, via tag and trade. Other quarterbacks who are under contract for 2020 but who could be in play include Josh Rosen, Andy Dalton, Nick Foles, Joe Flacco, Derek Carr, and Cam Newton.

And don’t forget Taysom Hill. The Saints backup, whom coach Sean Payton has compared to Steve Young, will be a restricted free agent. Payton expects another team to try to sign Hill to an offer sheet.

Then, once the carousel starts to spin, guys who are safe as of now (like Jacoby Brissett or Mitchell Trubisky) could slide into a different category. Within the next three months, the landscape of the league could dramatically change, via a game of musical chairs that could end up with more butts than seats, and it could end up with more seats than butts.

It’s a process that already has begun, and that will play out through the draft and possibly beyond. Especially if specific quarterbacks (Rivers) wait to see whether one or more teams are left high and dry in early May.

With so many tentacles tying players and teams and possible positions together, everyone needs to be ready for chaos. And the teams, players, and agents with the best plan for navigating it will be more likely to emerge in better position than they currently are.

But Scott Kacsmar has this tweet:

@ScottKacsmar

Am I crazy or would it not be in the best interest of all parties if Brady, Rivers, Brees, Dak, Winston and Tannehill all stayed put for 2020?

– – –

PHILIP RIVERS proclaimed himself good to go for the next two years, but the way he limped out of Los Angeles has Mike Florio thinking there won’t be a whole lot of offers with carte blanche as an uncontested starter.

Soon-to-be-former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers plans to play up to two more years. Before he can play two more years, he needs to play one more year. Before he can play one more year, he needs to find someone who will give him a job.

And he presumably wants more than just a job as in a roster spot. He presumably wants to be given a starting job, with a contract that makes it clear that he won’t be competing with an incumbent or a backup or another free agent or a draft pick. So who will hand Rivers a clear-cut, full-season starting job in 2020?

There aren’t many obvious destinations. Peter King and I drafted the ideal landing spots for Rivers in 2020, but there’s currently no team that seems to be poised to make Rivers the guy for 2020, in the way that, for example, Washington made Alex Smith the guy post-Chiefs, the Broncos made Peyton Manning the guy post-Colts, the Jets made Brett Favre the guy post-Packers, and the Vikings made Brett Favre the guy post-Jets.

It will take a contract that pays out at least $25 million in 2020 to convince anyone that Rivers will be the Week One through Week 17 starter, barring injury or abject disaster. Anything less than that opens the door for Rivers to holding a place until, for example, a first-round pick is ready to go.

So what happens if there’s no team that anoints Rivers the unquestioned starter? Would he take what he could get? Maybe a truly open competition? Maybe a Ryan Tannehill-type situation where he’d arrive as the backup but eventually take over for a strug-uh-ling starter?

Franchise quarterbacks rarely accept anything other than starting jobs. It could be that, once free agency opens, there won’t be an obvious starting job for Rivers. It could be that his best bet will be to wait, until after free agency or after the draft or until a starter potentially gets injured.

Regardless, the news that the Chargers are moving on from Rivers is just the beginning. The next question is whether someone will invite Rivers to move in, after a 23-touchdown, 20-interception final season in L.A. At this point, there’s no guarantee that it will happen.

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

Rom Demovsky of ESPN.com is among those who see TE JIMMY GRAHAM and others being shed in the days ahead.

In the salary-cap-space-versus-production world of the NFL, the Green Bay Packers have one major problem and one minor one.

Jimmy Graham is the former.

(Guard) Lane Taylor is the latter.

The Packers likely have one way to solve both issues: move on.

With Graham and Taylor on the books, the Packers rank in the bottom third (No. 23) of available cap space for 2020 with $28,851,008, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Without Graham ($8 million savings), they would jump to 21st. Without Graham and Taylor ($4.55 million), they would rank 19th after their combined savings of $12.55 million.

That would actually be more cap space than the Packers had when they entered free agency last year (about $35 million) and made four high-priced moves in the first week. But this year, they have more free-agents-to-be that they’d like to keep and more contract extensions looming, which is why Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said: “I think there’s going to be a little bit more restrictions if we’re able to do everything we want to do with the guys who are here already, to be able to do something like we did last year.”

But when Gutekunst added, “We’re pretty sound financially right now to do what we need to do to get where we need to go,” perhaps he already knew what he was going to do with Graham and Taylor.

The Graham situation

Graham ranks as the highest-paid tight end in the NFL with an average salary of $10 million. This season he is scheduled to take up the second-most salary cap space ($11,666,668) of any tight end in the NFL, trailing only Philadelphia Eagles star Zach Ertz ($12.231 million).

Last season, Graham ranked first in cap charge among tight ends ($12,666,666) while his second season with the Packers was barely different than his first. Although respected in the locker room, Graham’s on-field impact was negligible: 38 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns. In two seasons with the Packers, he totaled just five touchdowns — half of what he scored in his final year with the Seahawks in 2017.

If signing Graham to a three-year, $30 million deal was a mistake in the first place and bringing him back for the 2019 season was the second, it’s hard to imagine that the otherwise adept Gutekunst would triple down on a 33-year-old tight end. The Packers would have to count $3,666,668 (his remaining signing bonus proration) in dead money from Graham’s contract, but the rest of his cap number would be wiped out.

If anything, the Packers have gotten more for their money from fellow veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, who played the past two seasons under one-year deals that totaled $4.2 million. Lewis has said he would like to return for a 15th NFL season and, like Graham, he quickly became a locker room favorite of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“I know that Jimmy’s numbers probably aren’t where he wants them to be or certainly where other people want them,” Gutekunst said. “But I was glad we had him in a lot of the situations we were in this year.”

The wild card could be Jace Sternberger, the third-round pick from last year. His rookie season looked like a washout after two injuries (an early training camp concussion and a late preseason ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve) until he became a surprising late-season contributor after he was activated. He played almost 100 snaps over the final five games plus playoffs and caught his first career touchdown pass in the NFC Championship Game. Coach Matt LaFleur even used Sternberger in an H-back role after fullback Danny Vitale suffered a late-season knee injury.

“The flexibility he gives us — obviously he’s got a lot of speed that can stretch the seam, he’s a matchup problem for linebackers and safeties — but then I think at the end there you saw Matt put him in the backfield and move him around a little bit,” Gutekunst said. “I think that’s what you’re going to see with Jace. I think he can be one of those guys as he develops where he can play from a lot of different places and be a matchup problem. I’m excited for him. Excited for him to gain some confidence toward the end of the season that will hopefully be a little bit of a push going into next year.”

The Taylor situation

Taylor’s salary and cap charge aren’t as prohibitive as Graham’s, but he might not be needed anymore. A biceps injury in Week 2 ended his season, and the Packers managed just fine with rookie second-round pick Elgton Jenkins in his place. Jenkins earned all-rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers of America.

Taylor ranks 26th among all NFL guards with a 2020 salary-cap figure of $5.8 million. Minus the $1.25 million in dead money, the Packers would save the rest on their cap.

The former undrafted free agent proved serviceable at a position where the Packers have chosen not to spend big money of late. Remember, they moved on from T.J. Lang and cut Josh Sitton in recent years.

In Jenkins, they have what many scouts believe is a potential long-term, high-level starter. However, several scouts and coaches around the league that were consulted about the possibility of moving Jenkins to right tackle believe he could have the same level of success there if the Packers wanted to move him in the event they don’t re-sign Bryan Bulaga, who finished the last year of his contract. Also, the Packers signed versatile backup offensive lineman Lucas Patrick to a modest contract extension (two years, $3 million) in December that gives them a cheaper option over Taylor. Perhaps Taylor would be open to a pay cut/restructure.

Neither Graham nor Taylor has an offseason roster bonus like outside linebacker Nick Perry did last year. The Packers cut Perry on March 12, just before free agency, to avoid paying him a $4.8 million roster bonus. They could wait to see what free agency and the draft brings and then make a decision. However, if either one suffered a season-ending injury during offseason workouts, then they would be on the hook financially.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

Ron Rivera has begun the process of wooing T TRENT WILLIAMS back into the Redskins fold.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Just a few months ago, there was no hope left for the relationship between Trent Williams and the Washington Redskins.

It appears as if that may no longer be the case. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the Redskins and Williams have communicated in what sounded like a positive conversation, according to sources familiar with the situation. There is still a long way to go and plenty of issues to sort out, but the Redskins have Williams in their 2020 plans and it is at least encouraging that they’re communicating, Rapoport added.

This might not sound like much, but Williams was very outspoken in late 2019 about his dislike for the Redskins franchise, which has employed him for the entirety of his 10-year career. The mere fact he’s open to listening to the organization is a significant change.

This effort to mend what was undoubtedly a burned bridge has been spurred by the hiring of Ron Rivera as the team’s new head coach, and perhaps more importantly the firing of team president Bruce Allen. Williams was upset with the organization’s handling of a health issue related to a growth on his head, which turned out to be a rare cancer called Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, and he refused to play for the team in 2019.

Now, with Allen out of the picture and plenty of changes also made to the Redskins’ training staff, it appears there could be reason for the two sides to reconcile. As Rivera said last week, “he’s still our guy.” We’ll eventually learn whether Williams wants to be their guy, too.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Panthers owner David Tepper with some comments on QB CAM NEWTON.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

As the seemingly constant state of rebuild and flux for the Carolina Panthers carries on, the most overwhelming quandary remains unanswered: Will Cam Newton be a Panther in 2020?

During Super Bowl week, Newton said he would be. However, on Tuesday following a charity event that gave a $120,000 mid-year boost to elementary school students and teachers, Panthers owner David Tepper said nothing has been decided and all still hinges upon the health of the former NFL MVP.

“I’ve said again and again and again about this. It’s a question of how healthy he is, foot and otherwise,” Tepper said via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. “And that’s still the No. 1 overwhelming thing, to see how healthy he is, and how we can figure out when he’s healthy or not. Everything comes from that.”

Newton hasn’t been seen on the playing field since Week 2 of last season due to a Lisfranc injury, and he ended his campaign on injured reserve for the second consecutive season after shoulder issues cut short his 2018.

Tepper’s comments concur with those of general manager Marty Hurney, who previously offered up that Newton was “rehabbing, that’s all I can say.”

Newton is entering the final year of his current contract ($18.6 million base salary), which comes in the first season under the coaching umbrella of Matt Rhule. It also comes in the aftermath of the retirement of linebacker Luke Kuechly and the departure of tight end Greg Olsen.

So the question continues to linger as to whether the face of the franchise — at least as it was — will return for another autumn.

There has been murmurs regarding trades, as well, but when asked if teams had reached out about Newton and if he’s available for trade, Tepper replied in the negative.

“I haven’t heard about that,” he said.

When pressed on whether he believes Newton will be back or not, the party line of health reemerged.

“Listen I’m not a doctor,” Tepper said. “I’ve said it a million times: Is he healthy? And he’s not a doctor. So there’s a lot of different things that can happen. But first, is he healthy? Tell me that, and then we can talk.”

And so the prevailing Panthers question remains.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Will OC Eric Bieniemy get his head coaching job, but not in the National Football League?  Curtis Crabtree on the sudden opening at Colorado, his alma mater.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy did not get the chance to become a head coach in the NFL this hiring cycle despite his involvement in several coaching searches last month. But if Bieniemy wants to become a head coach right now, an obvious opportunity may have just fallen into his lap at his alma mater.

According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, Mel Tucker is leaving the University of Colorado after just one season as its head coach to take the head job at Michigan State. Tucker – a former defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears –  had told Michigan State he was content with his current job with the Buffaloes before a renewed push apparently swayed him to leave after all.

Colorado will now be scrambling to find a new head coach extremely late in the hiring cycle. With Bieniemy’s connections to the school, he seems certain to be considered for the job coming off a Super Bowl victory earlier this month.

Bieniemy is Colorado’s all-time leading rusher. He rushed for 3,940 yards with 4,351 all-purpose yards and 42 total touchdowns during his time in Boulder. He was a consensus All-American in 1990 as Colorado was named the national champion. Bieniemy would become a second-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1991.

Bieniemy spent two seasons as offensive coordinator at Colorado under head coach Jon Embree in 2011 and 2012. Bieniemy would join the Chiefs as a running backs coach in 2013 after Embree’s staff was dismissed after the 2012 season.

If Bieniemy’s ultimate goal is to become an NFL head coach, the argument could certainly be made that he would be better positioned for that move by staying in Kansas City and continuing to help orchestrate an offense supercharged by Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. But a call coming from his former school offering a head coaching job right now could be an enticing offer as well.

Regardless, it won’t require a search firm to be contracted to tell Colorado to put Bieniemy on their list of possible replacements.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Having allowed a Hall of Famer (albeit one in decline) to walk out the door, you would think that the Chargers would be heading to the QB market, draft or free agent.  But GM Tom Telesco wants you to think he’s going to stand pat with TYROD TAYLOR and a small college second year guy as they head into the stadium devoid of Chargers fans in Inglewood.  Michael Peterson of Bolts from the Blue.

Nine out of ten draft analysts will predict that the Chargers will draft a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft. With a luxury pick at #6 overall, it’s tough to not see them take a signal-caller that high as it may be the last time for awhile that the team will pick in the top ten.

But if you ask some on the other side of the spectrum, you’ll find a surprising amount of people who believe should invest the sixth pick in a different position, or even trade back to acquire more selections.

One of the latter two ideas may have gotten some extra credibility after a recent radio spot by general manager Tom Telesco, however. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper reported on Tuesday that Telesco stated “I like our internal options” when asked about the Chargers’ future of the quarterback position.

Some, including me, believe that the team could move on just fine with Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback next year. With an already established relationships with Lynn and a year within his offense, it would minimize the expected bumps as the franchise transitions into a new era.

And if the team doesn’t do well with Taylor at the helm? That just means they’ll be in a position once again to select the future of the team. But this time, they’ll have a shot at a more sought-after quarterback prospect like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State’s Justin Fields.

If they decide to trade back, then that just means more potential pieces that can be placed around whomever winds up taking the reigns of this offense into the future.

More from Daniel Popper of The Athletic on how old-school, immobile Rivers did not fit into Anthony Lynn’s new-fangled vision of NFL football:

But in this answer, as he allowed himself to look at the big picture and attest to everything he did right in his time as the Chargers’ starter, Rivers was defiant. And it provided a window into his football philosophy, one that, at its core, is at odds with that of head coach Anthony Lynn.

“I don’t care that it’s going to say two interceptions.”

He never has. And he’s proud of it.

That’s why the Rivers-Lynn marriage never really made sense — despite the success the Chargers had in 2018. And with Rivers’ contract expiring and the Chargers holding a top-six draft pick, there was an opportunity to move on.

Avoiding turnovers is a pillar of Lynn’s coaching philosophy. And while Lynn was able to draw some improvement out of Rivers by emphasizing this point over and over again after being hired by the Chargers in 2017, the development was short-lived.

Lynn prioritizes protecting the ball. For Rivers, throwing interceptions is an unavoidable byproduct of playing quarterback.

“I do think that you can walk out of here with your head held high when you fight and compete and do it the only way you know how,” Rivers said in that same press conference in Kansas City. “And so that’s one thing I’ll never apologize for and never really feel ashamed of, because I do it the way I know how, as hard as I can do it, and sometimes it’s enough and sometimes it’s not. And that’s the only way I’ll continue to do it.”

He’s always going to push the ball down the field. He’s always going to try to fit passes into tiny, occasionally impossible windows. He’s always going to give his receiver a chance to make a play.

He doesn’t want to live to fight another day. He wants to fight today, now, on this very snap, with whatever is available in front of him.

Sometimes, that meant an agonizing interception.

But many times, it created magic. And shoot, that’s what Chargers fans will remember him for.

Rivers is beloved in San Diego because of this authenticity. He has played his brand of football unapologetically. He has lived his brand of life unapologetically — family, faith and football leading the way.

Keep an eye on QB EASTON STICK, who broke many of CARSON WENTZ’s records with the Bison while setting an NCAA record with 49 career wins against three losses.  He’s mobile and was a 5^th round pick last year.

THIS AND THAT

BREAKOUT QB CANDIDATES

An ESPN panel mulls the breakout QB candidates:

Patrick Mahomes in 2018. Lamar Jackson in 2019. Who’s your pick to be the breakout quarterback of 2020?

Bowen: Drew Lock, Broncos. Lock has all the traits of a top-end thrower — plus decent movement skills — to make the second-year jump under new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Up next for Denver? Bolster the offense around its quarterback, adding more speed to pair with the big-play ability of wide receiver Courtland Sutton and tight end Noah Fant.

Clay: Kyler Murray, Cardinals. Mahomes and Jackson broke out in their second professional season, and I fully expect that to be the case for Murray. The first overall pick in 2019 got plenty of experience as a rookie, ranking ninth in the league in pass attempts and third in carries. With a better supporting cast and in coach Kliff Kingsbury’s second season, Murray is primed for a giant step forward.

Fowler: Daniel Jones, Giants. He makes big plays, he’s mobile, and the Giants should have better support around him. If he learns to take care of the ball — he had 12 interceptions and fumbled 12 times last season — he’ll be a huge presence in the NFC East.

Graziano: Daniel Jones, Giants. The turnovers are a major problem, but they were for Jackson this time last year, too. Jones gets that problem ironed out under a new, more engaged coaching staff, and we see more of the splash games from a Giants team that … I mean, it has to get better one of these years, right?

Kimes: Kyler Murray, Cardinals. Until the end of the 2019 season, when he was banged up, Murray displayed many of the tools that compelled the Cardinals to take him first overall — athleticism, a live arm and an electric ability to make plays outside the pocket. Both he and Kingsbury improved as the season went on, and I expect the pair to take another leap forward in 2020.

Reid: Kyler Murray, Cardinals. He’d might as well wear a T-shirt that reads “Next.”

Seifert: Baker Mayfield, Browns. While Murray is the obvious (and possibly correct) answer, we shouldn’t overlook the potential impact of the Browns’ new coaching staff on Mayfield. I expect Kevin Stefanski to do the same thing for Mayfield that he did for Kirk Cousins in 2019: Identify what Mayfield does well and emphasize it throughout every game plan. The Browns have more than enough weapons to make it work around him.

Yates: Kyler Murray, Cardinals. There are too many positive signs from this season to look past Murray. I’m champing at the bit to watch him next season.

BROADCAST NEWS – IS THE MONDAY FLEX COMING?

The NFL is realizing that it can’t expect big money for Monday night football if it continues to get stuck with mediocre late-season games.  This arrived in the Sports Business Journal:

The NFL has asked teams for feedback on the prospect of radically expanding flex scheduling, including the possibility of moving games from Sunday to Monday in mid-season, sources said.

Before the holidays, league executives posed an open-ended question to teams: How much flexing could they handle? How much advance notice would teams need if broadcasters wanted to switch a Sunday afternoon game to “Monday Night Football?” What if every week of the season were opened to flexing?

The NFL did not propose a specific plan.

Any flex scheduling changes would not take effect until new media rights deals kick in, starting with the 2023 season. Even though the NFL has not started formal negotiations with any networks, ESPN has let it be known that it wants to incorporate flexible scheduling as part of a new “Monday Night Football” deal.

ESPN wants to be able to flex out of late-season games that carry no postseason implications, like the Dec. 24, 2018, matchup between the 6-8 Denver Broncos and the 3-11 Oakland Raiders, or the Week 10 matchup earlier that season between the 1-7 New York Giants and the 2-7 San Francisco 49ers.

As an added enticement, ESPN has told the NFL that it would put “Monday Night Football” back on ABC if it ends up with the rights. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” deal ends after the 2021 season, one season before the league’s other media rights packages expire.

It’s not just ESPN, though. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” likely wants more options. With some exceptions, the NFL typically announces its flex games for Sunday nights 12 days before kickoff, starting in Week 5. NBC likely wants that time frame to be moved up. The NFL can flex only two games into Sunday night between weeks 5 and 10, another point that NBC likely wants to be relaxed.

Most clubs’ concerns have centered around road trip logistics and expenses, particularly with any potential flex involving “Monday Night Football.” Flights and hotel rooms would have to be booked for an extra day to account for the unknown, or altered at the last minute, which could become exorbitant.

“You can do it in a week if it has to be done, but there’s a number associated with that,” said one team executive.

Reaction varied widely. Small-market clubs eager for national exposure said they might value the prime-time window over the cost of changing. Western teams worry about the time zone implications. The teams delivered no consensus to the league.

Teams with fewer season-ticket holders would be less inclined toward allowing more night games than budgeted for, since single-game sales typically decrease for night games.

The league is mindful of the potential backlash from ticketholders who could see their personal schedules thrown for a loop if a scheduled game changes from Sunday to Monday or vice versa.

It’s one thing to flex from Sunday into Monday, but presumably the bad Monday game gets sent back to Sunday.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

We’ve addressed in a couple of items that news that the NFL is pondering the possibility of adding a flex option to Monday Night Football. Regardless of whether the league can make it work logistically, there’s an important message that screams out from the Sports Business Journal report.

The NFL wouldn’t be toying with the possibility of swapping out late-season MNF games made irrelevant by injuries or poor team performances if the NFL wasn’t serious about taking Monday Night Football back to a three-letter network.

In 2006, Monday Night Football didn’t move from ABC to ESPN. It moved from ABC to NBC, with Sunday Night Football becoming the new Monday Night Football — and with the cable-only Monday Night Football becoming what Sunday Night Football had been on ESPN.

Cable packages are driven not by the quality of the games but by the fees that can be justified for the network that carries them. Also, it’s not as important to max out the audience, because the fact that the games aren’t televised on a traditional broadcast network means that the audiences will necessarily be smaller.

Pondering a flex option for Monday Night Football suggests that the league wants to have a way to pump up the quality of late-season games and, in turn, late-season ratings. While this could mean something like an ESPN/ABC simulcast for the package that expires a year before all other TV deals, the bigger takeaway is that the NFL is now considering dominating not one (Sunday) or two (Sunday and Thursday) but three nights per week via mega-audience games on three-letter networks, which despite the dramatic changes to the landscape of American television can still bring together a much bigger audience than any cable network can finagle.

2020 DRAFT

A Mock Draft from former NFL RB Maurice Jones-Drew, now of NFL.com:

With the start of the NFL Scouting Combine just a couple weeks away (Feb. 27-March 1 on NFL Network), here’s my first mock for Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft. As you can see, I don’t expect the top quarterbacks to be waiting long to hear their names called, as I have three flying off the board in the first six picks, including a successor for Philip Rivers in Los Angeles.

1 – CINCINNATI

Joe Burrow – QB

School: LSU | Year: Senior (RS)

The Bengals and Burrow are a match made in heaven. The Heisman Trophy winner is a confident, well-rounded quarterback who could elevate Zac Taylor’s offense.

2 – WASHINGTON

Chase Young – Edge

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

The Redskins add a homegrown monster — he’s a Hyattsville, Maryland, native — to help this defense get to the quarterback. His impact will be immediately felt.

3 – DETROIT

Jeff Okudah – CB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

Detroit gets the most talented cornerback in this draft class to pair with three-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay, assuming he remains a Lion this offseason.

4 – NY GIANTS

Andrew Thomas – OT

School: Georgia | Year: Junior

Thomas played both left and right tackle at Georgia. He will help fix Big Blue’s O-line issues.

5 – MIAMI

Tua Tagovailoa – QB

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Tua is a fit for what the Dolphins want to do on offense. Plus, he’s a proven winner who will only enhance the culture Brian Flores is building.

6 – LA CHARGERS

Jordan Love – QB

School: Utah State | Year: Junior (RS)

Love has amazing arm talent and his athleticism allows him to elude pressure, which is something he’ll be asked to do a lot unless the Chargers make major upgrades to the O-line.

7 – CAROLINA

Derrick Brown – DT

School: Auburn | Year: Senior

Panthers get the best interior defensive lineman in the draft to help lift a defense in need of a boost.

8 – ARIZONA

Tristan Wirfs – OT

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

Protecting Kyler Murray should be the Cardinals’ top priority this offseason.

9 – JACKSONVILLE

Isaiah Simmons – S

School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)

He’s a freak athlete who can cover and rush the passer.

10 – CLEVELAND

Mekhi Becton – OT

School: Louisville | Year: Junior

Becton is a big, strong, athletic lineman who will help protect Baker Mayfield.

11 – NY JETS

Jedrick Wills – OT

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Keeping Sam Darnold upright is paramount, and Wills fits the bill.

12 – LAS VEGAS

Jerry Jeudy – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Jeudy has the ability to score from anywhere on the field. He’s also a precise route runner who will fill a big need for the Las Vegas Raiders.

13 – INDIANAPOLIS

Justin Herbert – QB

School: Oregon | Year: Senior

Herbert’s big arm and high football IQ will allow him to make smart decisions while stretching the field for the Indy offense.

14 – TAMPA BAY

Javon Kinlaw – DT

School: South Carolina | Year: Senior

Kinlaw is a man among boys. This will be a value pick for the Bucs and they can’t pass on this type of talent — keep in mind that Ndamukong Suh is a pending free agent.

15 – DENVER

CeeDee Lamb – WR

School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior

Courtland Sutton is great and all, but Drew Lock needs more weapons. Lamb is a big-time playmaker.

16 – ATLANTA

K’Lavon Chaisson – Edge

School: LSU | Year: Sophomore (RS)

He is the perfect fit for the Falcons’ defense. Chaisson will bring crazy speed off the edge.

17 – DALLAS

Trevon Diggs – CB

School: Alabama | Year: Senior

Diggs is a big cornerback with tremendous ball skills and could replace Byron Jones if he departs in free agency.

18 – MIAMI

A.J. Epenesa – Edge

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

The Dolphins ranked dead last in sacks last season, but I’m expecting Epenesa to come in and create pressure right away.

19 – LAS VEGAS

Patrick Queen – LB

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Queen will be an immediate upgrade at the position with his speed and great instincts showing up the minute he takes the field.

20 – JACKSONVILLE

Tee Higgins – WR

School: Clemson | Year: Junior

Higgins reminds me of DeAndre Hopkins, as he routinely high-points the ball and wins against defenders by being physical.

21 – PHILADELPHIA

Henry Ruggs III – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

After all of the injuries to the Eagles’ receiving corps last season — and all of the dropped passes — Ruggs could come in and be a dominant player for Doug Pederson.

22 – BUFFALO

Justin Jefferson – WR

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Jefferson has the size to go up and get the ball, and he’s willing to cross over the middle of the field to make plays.

23 – NEW ENGLAND

Xavier McKinney – S

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

McKinney is a cerebral safety who is versatile and fundamentally sound. That sounds like a Patriot to me.

24 – NEW ORLEANS

Collin Johnson – WR

School: Texas | Year: Senior

I know selecting Johnson here will raise some eyebrows, but think of former Saints WR Marques Colston with this pick. Johnson is more athletic than Colston was, and will thrive opposite Michael Thomas.

25 – MINNESOTA

C.J. Henderson – CB

School: Florida | Year: Junior

Mike Zimmer loves his cornerbacks. Henderson excels in press coverage and is battle-tested.

26 – MIAMI

D’Andre Swift – RB

School: Georgia | Year: Junior

Swift should have plenty of tread left on the tires after averaging less than 150 carries per season with the Bulldogs. He’s an explosive runner.

27 – SEATTLE

Kristian Fulton – CB

School: LSU | Year: Senior

Fulton has size and is good in press coverage. His best attribute is the fact that he doesn’t shy away from contact.

28 – BALTIMORE

Kenneth Murray – LB

School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior

Murray’s a run-and-hit linebacker with good coverage skills, but his play speed is what jumps off the tape.

29 – TENNESSEE

J.K. Dobbins – RB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

He’s a compact running back with good balance, instincts and ability to break tackles. With Derrick Henry due to reach free agency, Dobbins could be the guy for Tennessee.

30 – GREEN BAY

KJ Hamler – WR

School: Penn State | Year: Sophomore (RS)

Hamler is one of the fastest receivers in this draft. He could be used like Tyreek Hill as a receiver who can stretch the field, and he has value as a returner on special teams, too.

31 – KANSAS CITY

Grant Delpit – S

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Delpit is a perfect fit for this Niners defense as a player who boasts Earl Thomas-like range.

32 – SAN FRANCISCO

Marlon Davidson – Edge

School: Auburn | Year: Senior

He’s a versatile player who can rush inside and off the edge.

– – –

Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com offers a look at all the QBs who might get drafted.

For what it’s worth, the DB like Washington State’s GRANT GORDON at the Senior Bowl and is intrigued by Virginia’s BRYCE PERKINS who can’t seem to get any TAYSOM HILL-like NFL love yet:

The 2020 NFL Draft is less than three months away, and with the Super Bowl now behind us, we’re officially in the offseason. Yes, free agency is just around the corner, and that will change how some teams approach the draft, but for many, the plan remains unchanged: Find a young quarterback that can lead the franchise for the next decade. Typically, that doesn’t happen in free agency; names like Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and even Ryan Tannehill are short-term solutions. This means QB-needy teams are well into the evaluation process for names like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Jacob Eason — and that’s just in the first round.

Unearthing those players others overlooked — Gardner Minshew is the most recent example — could be the difference between a coach and general manager getting fired or keeping their job for another season. With that in mind, here are our 2020 NFL Draft rankings for the quarterback position. The prospect rankings below are based on the CBS Sports composite rankings. Each prospect is listed with his overall rating, which roughly translates as follows: 90s are for players considered Round 1 locks, 80s should go in the first three rounds, 70s are expected to be drafted and 60s are on the draft bubble.

Tier 1

1. Joe Burrow, LSU, 95

There isn’t much to say at this point. Burrow was special this season, from start to finish, and he was the best player in college football. He rightfully won the Heisman Trophy, and he’ll rightfully be the first player selected in April unless the Bengals somehow find a way to mess it up.

The biggest question facing Burrow is where was this production prior to 2019? It’s a fair question, but some players take longer to grow into their games than others. And there’s no shame in losing a quarterback battle to Dwayne Haskins, which is what happened to Burrow in the spring of 2018, and it was why he left Ohio State for LSU. His first season at LSU was … fine; he completed 57.8 percent of his throws with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. There was no talk about him leaving for the NFL after his junior season because he likely would have gone undrafted. So Burrow returned, and along with the addition of passing-game coordinator Joe Brady, blossomed into a franchise quarterback.

When people ask which game they should watch to get a sense of who Burrow is, our response is always, “Pick one. It doesn’t matter.” Burrow was that good, from start to finish — and that’s up to and including the bowl-playoff wins over Oklahoma and Clemson. In a season where he completed 78 percent of his throws, with 48 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, here’s all Burrow did in those final two games against two of the best teams in the country: 60 of 88 for 956 yards, 12 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, 94

Tagovailoa took his last snap for the Crimson Tide on Nov. 16, 2019, when he suffered a season-ending hip dislocation against Mississippi State. The injury was so serious that he required surgery days later and there were concerns at the time that his playing career may be over. In early January, Tagovailoa announced that he was leaving for the NFL, a decision that caught many people by surprise.

There is plenty left to be determined, however, starting with when Tagovailoa will be healthy enough to play football. During Super Bowl week he told CBS Sports HQ that he hopes to have a pro day before the draft in April. He also maintained that he’s “on track to make a full recovery” but that he still has several milestones to clear from the doctors monitoring his rehab.

Heading into the season, Tagovailoa had all the attributes to be the No. 1 quarterback in the class (in fact, he’d still be the No. 1 QB if not for Burrow’s emergence). It starts with his accuracy, where he’s lethal at every level, even when pressured. Almost as important as the accuracy is his movement in the pocket, his ability to square his shoulders before throwing, and his uncanny knack to put the ball in the best position to allow his receiver to run after the catch. Of course, throwing to the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith certainly made things easier but that relationship is a two-way street. And even when Tagovailoa “struggled,” there was a lot to like.

Tua is a franchise quarterback. No one disputes this. The issue is when will he be healthy enough to play, and then, can he stay healthy?

Tier 2

3. Justin Herbert, Oregon, 89

Here’s the good news: Herbert’s 2019 season was much-improved over 2018, where he completed just 59 percent of his throws. That number was up to 66.8 completion for his senior campaign, and he topped off his Ducks career with an efficient effort against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, where he finished 14 of 20 for 138 yards with three rushing scores and an interception. Still, plenty of questions remain about one of the most physically gifted players in this draft class. In a word, Herbert is an enigma. We’ve been talking about him now for more than a year, and repeating many of the same talking points: His arm strength is otherworldly, his measurables — 6-foot-6, 237 pounds, insane athleticism and an ability to make plays with his feet — check all the boxes. And for as much as we want to like him the reality is that he has yet to put it all together.

Questions about leadership have also plagued Herbert, and it was one of the first things he mentioned to us when we spoke to him at the Senior Bowl last month. He had a strong showing in Mobile — culminating in MVP honors In watching those in-between moments, his Senior Bowl teammates appear to respond well to him, and while it’s hard to discern any “leadership qualities” during practice sessions, Herbert’s on-field demeanor is indistinguishable from the other five quarterbacks. Put another way: His physical tools are undeniable and given his strong showing this week, we’re almost certain that he will find his way into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

4. Jordan Love, Utah State, 88

At various points during the 2019 campaign we saw glimpses of what makes Love so intriguing, starting with his arm strength. The ball explodes out of his hand, and he shows the ability to let it go before the receiver is out of his break, something that will be imperative at the next level. But when Love doesn’t get his feet set, or throws off-balance, his accuracy suffers. And this isn’t to say Love can’t throw on the run — because he can — but when he rushes, usually because he’s under pressure, the results have been mixed.

The Utah State quarterback came off an uneven season that raised doubts about his first-round pedigree; he completed just 61.9 percent of his throws with 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during a season in which he conceded to CBSSports.com that he took on too much at times.

It was a talking point late in the season and Chiefs rookie running back Darwin Thompson, who played alongside Love for the Aggies in 2018, confirmed as much during Super Bowl week. “I know exactly why he struggled this year,” Thompson told CBSSports.com at Media Night. “A lot of things have changed. He lost his O-line. He had (running back) Gerold Bright, and we were a 1-2 punch when I was there. He lost his receivers. He had O-line leaving, the coaches leaving — it was a whole different offense. They were trying to keep it the same, but it wasn’t the same coaching techniques or whatever you want to call it.”

Put another way: There’s still so much to like.

“In the right system — an Andy Reid system or a Bill Belichick system — he could dominate the game,” Thompson said. “Jordan Love is a baller. He can play football.”

5. Jacob Eason, Washington, 88

First things first, Eason passes the eyeball test with flying colors. He looks like a franchise quarterback, and he’ll undoubtedly draw comparisons to Carson Palmer and Matthew Stafford in the coming months. In related news, he can throw the ball out of the stadium. And while he hasn’t played a lot of football in recent years, you wouldn’t have known it to watch him against Eastern Washington in the Huskies season opener. And Eason was the best quarterback on the field when the Huskies hosted Justin Herbert and the Ducks on Oct. 19.

Not surprisingly, Eason struggled with consistency, particularly over the second half of the season. He had 10 touchdowns and two interceptions through the first four games. In the nine games since, he had 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Over the first eight games, only once did Eason complete fewer than 60 percent of his throws and on four occasions he had a completion percentage north of 70 percent. In his last five games, he twice completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes and didn’t eclipse the 70 percent mark once.

Because of the lack of experience we thought Eason might return to school. He didn’t, of course, and now the question is if he can sneak into the first round.

Tier 3

6. Anthony Gordon, Washington State, 80

If Senior Bowl week was all about Justin Herbert and Jordan Love proving themselves to critics, Anthony Gordon was out to show that he was more than “just the latest guy from Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.” In fact, Gordon made a good case for being the best player on the field at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the Senior Bowl game. The knock on him coming into the week was that he didn’t always make the best decisions with the ball at Washington State, as evidenced by his 16 interceptions. But as Gordon told CBSSports.com, his goal at the Senior Bowl was to prove that he could minimize those mistakes, and that’s exactly what he did.

Gordon was often efficient and accurate during the three Senior Bowl practices, even if he didn’t have the arm strength of the other QBs. But he showed during the game that arm strength is not everything. His savvy pocket presence served him well, and his footwork appeared improved from the 2019 season, when he would occasionally throw flat-footed, which led to off-the-mark passes that were sometimes intercepted.

Like Gardner Minshew before him, Gordon could be a pleasant surprise at the next level.

7. Jake Fromm, Georgia, 79

As we came to expect from the 2017 and 2018 seasons, in ’19, Fromm’s was almost always efficient from the pocket, regularly making the right reads and delivering short and intermediate passes accurately and on time. But questions about his arm strength and deep-ball accuracy persisted, even when the opponents were incapable of providing much in the way of competition.

Yes, he was the beneficiary of one of the country’s best offensive lines and running games, and that will be hard to replicate at the next level unless he lands with a winning franchise, but it’s not like Fromm hasn’t had his moments. He looked like a young Drew Brees against Notre Dame, but at other times during the season, he looked like a quarterback destined to be a backup at the next level.

8. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, 78

Hurts completed 69.7 percent of his throws last season for Oklahoma, with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. And that’s before we include the 1,298 rushing yards and 20 TDs. And while he’s five inches shorter than Herbert and three inches shorter than Love, he’s every bit the athlete. No, Hurts doesn’t have their arm strength, but he can make every throw — just as we saw in ’19, and during Senior Bowl week.

The knock is that Hurts is still raw; when his first read isn’t there, his eyes usually drop and he looks to run. That almost always works in Lincoln Riley’s offense against overmatched opponents but is problematic in the NFL. Is Hurts the next Taysom Hill or can he be a legit starting quarterback? That’s the question teams will have to answer in the coming weeks.

Tier 4

9. Bryce Perkins, Virginia, 67

Perkins completed 64.5 percent of his throws the last two seasons, though he threw three fewer touchdowns (22) and three more interceptions (12). Still, he led the Cavaliers to the ACC title game and leaves UVa with the single-season passing record and is No. 2 in career wins by a quarterback. Perkins was a surprising combine snub; still his athleticism and versatility could see an NFL team take a late-round flier on him.

10. Steven Montez, Colorado, 67

Montez has the size and arm strength to play at the next level but the lack of consistency is what plagued him throughout most of his college career. He showed glimpses of big-play ability during Senior Bowl practices but struggled in the game with poor decisions and a turnover. He’ll need a strong showing in OTAs and training camp to earn a 53-man roster spot.

11. Nate Stanley, Iowa, 67

Stanley is a prototypical dropback passer, which was more valuable several years ago than it is now, with the proliferation of athletic QBs like Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. Stanley’s lack of athleticism was obvious both inside and outside the pocket. He also never completed 60 percent of his throws during his three years as Iowa’s starter, and he threw 10 fewer touchdowns (16) in 2019 than he did in 2018 or 2017.

12. Cole McDonald, Hawaii, 66

McDonald improved his completion percentage from 58.9 to 63.8 from 2018 to 2019, and he threw for 260 more yards over the course of the season. And while he has all the physical tools you would want in an NFL-level quarterback, his mechanics are suspect and he struggles with poor decisions.