In the 2017 NFL draft, three receivers went in the top 10: Corey Davis (five) to Tennessee, Mike Williams (seven) to the Chargers, John Ross (nine) to the Bengals.

Davis retired Wednesday. Williams starts for the Chargers, earned a second contract with them, and is a significant receiving weapon. Ross played small parts of four seasons and did not play football last year.

Total all-pro berths earned by the three receivers in six years: zero.

Total Pro Bowl berths earned by the three receivers in six years: zero.

Average season for the three receivers: 35 catches, 522 yards, 15.0 yards per catch, three touchdowns.

Career earnings for the three players through Aug. 1, 2023, per overthecap.com: $135.2 million.

Williams is a B-plus receiver. Ross was a bust. Davis was worthy of the 105th pick, not the fifth. Projecting receivers is a risky business.

With the departure of QB PJ WALKER, the Bears still have the surprisingly long-lasting QB NATHAN PETERMAN behind Justin Fields.  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

The Chicago Bears released backup quarterback PJ Walker on Sunday, the team announced.

Walker, 28, signed a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in March with over $2 million in guarantees. After three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Walker was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields.

The Bears will now hand that role to undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent or veteran Nathan Peterman. Bagent, who signed with Chicago after playing for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s squad at the Senior Bowl, has been the team’s strongest backup QB throughout training camp.

Walker struggled to grab hold of the No. 2 job throughout the preseason and did not get into Chicago’s third exhibition game — a 24-21 loss to Buffalo on Saturday — until the fourth quarter. He finished 6-of-11 for 71 yards, including a touchdown pass to fullback Robert Burns.

Bagent was the second quarterback to enter the Bears’ preseason finale, replacing Fields in the second quarter. The former product of Division II Shepherd University followed up on his 17 play, 92-yard touchdown drive against Indianapolis by going 4-of-10 for 18 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also threw an interception one play after a wide-open pass in the end zone was dropped.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said the plan going into the Bills game was for Bagent to be the first QB off the bench.

DALLAS

The Cowboys ship a 4^th round pick to the 49ers to try to make something of QB TREY LANCE.  Nick Wagoner and Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

Roughly two and a half years after the San Francisco 49ers drafted him to be their franchise quarterback, Trey Lance’s time with the team is over.

The Niners agreed to trade Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice on Friday night, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed. The 49ers are not picking up any of Lance’s remaining salary as part of the trade.

The deal ends a whirlwind 48 hours in which Lance was informed that Sam Darnold had beaten him out for the No. 2 quarterback job behind starter Brock Purdy, requested a trade, did not participate in Wednesday’s practice and returned to the team facility Thursday morning.

It also ends a once-promising union between a team that has advanced to at least the NFC Championship Game in three of the past four years and a young signal-caller once viewed as the answer to the franchise’s more than two-decade search for quarterback stability.

According to Shanahan, it wasn’t a decision the Niners took lightly.

“It was time to move on for him and for us,” Shanahan said. “We’d love to just keep him until eventually it works out, but that clock ran out here, and that’s why we had to make a real tough decision, one we didn’t enjoy doing, but we try to do what we think is best, and this is what we think is best.”

Lance’s exit from San Francisco comes a little more than two days after Shanahan informed him that Darnold would be the team’s No. 2 quarterback this season. Shanahan said Darnold began to separate himself from Lance in the competition in the past couple of weeks.

During that meeting Wednesday morning, Shanahan said he told Lance that even though he wasn’t going to be the backup, he wanted Lance to stay around as the third quarterback. But Shanahan added that he believed Lance needed as many reps as possible to continue developing, something that would be difficult in San Francisco with Purdy as the starter and Darnold running the scout team.

Lance took about 90 minutes to ponder his options before meeting with Shanahan again and telling the coach that he would like to find a different spot to reset his career. At that meeting, Lance also requested to take the day away from practice, which the Niners granted, though Lance returned to the facility Thursday. As late as Friday morning, he was slated to play in the preseason finale.

That all changed as interest in Lance picked up around the league Friday morning. Trade talks surrounded Lance all offseason after he suffered a broken right ankle in Week 2 of last season and Purdy staked his claim to the starting job with a finishing flourish down the stretch.

General manager John Lynch previously acknowledged that he received trade interest in Lance before the draft in April, noting that it would take something substantial to part with him.

That price dropped once Lance was demoted to the No. 3 spot Wednesday, as the Niners began fielding calls from other teams. The interest, according to Lynch, was much stronger than it was earlier in the offseason, leaving Shanahan and Lynch openly acknowledging that they got a little bigger return for Lance than they initially expected when the deal with the Cowboys was completed.

“It’s not what it looked like when we first started having a conversation. It wasn’t anywhere close,” Lynch said. “So it did advance in a hurry today. I’m not doing cartwheels over it, because my preference would’ve been that it worked out, and it didn’t. And there’s circumstances for that, and we can explain them away, but the reality is the reality. He had a couple opportunities, and I think injuries played a part, and where we’re at as a team, we felt like this was the best situation for us, also the best situation for him.”

Lance is scheduled to make $940,000 in 2023 and has a $5.3 million salary in 2024, all of which is guaranteed. Upon trading him, the Niners will incur dead-money hits of $8,361,434 this year and $5,540,956 in 2024.

After this season, Dallas will get to decide on Lance’s fifth-year option for 2025.

The addition of Lance does not diminish the Cowboys’ belief in Dak Prescott but gives them some cover for the future at the very least.

Prescott is signed through 2024 and is set to count $59 million against the salary cap next year. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has mentioned wanting to extend Prescott’s contract, but there has not been much dialogue regarding a new deal.

The Cowboys went through a number of quarterbacks after Troy Aikman’s retirement before Tony Romo went from an undrafted player to Pro Bowler in 2006.

Dallas selected Prescott in the fourth round in 2016, not expecting him to become a starter, but Romo suffered a back injury that preseason and Prescott has been the starter ever since.

Prescott turned 30 last month and has missed games each of the past three seasons. He tied for the NFL lead in interceptions last year with 15 in 12 games, missing five starts after suffering a broken right thumb in the season opener.

On Thursday, he said this is as healthy as he has felt in years, now three years removed from a dislocated and fractured right ankle. In 2021, he missed one game with a calf injury.

“I’m blessed. I’m thankful. I’m healthy,” Prescott said. “It’s one of those things you don’t want to harp on too much, but yeah, I am much different than I am the last few years and will continue to try to stay that way and take care of my body.”

But Prescott has yet to take the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs in four postseason appearances. The Cowboys’ last Super Bowl win came in 1995, and Prescott said he understands the urgency.

“At the end of the day, the pressure is what you put on yourselves,” Prescott said. “So I think at the end of the day we’ve got to understand that our standard is wins, simple as that. We hold ourselves to a high standard and high expectations. Nobody wants to end this drought more than the guys in the locker room, I can promise you that.

“For us, it’s about making sure we know in our identity, we believe in our identity as a team, we go out there and play complementary football at all three levels. I think if we do that, just from what we’ve built during the offseason to training camp to now, it’s promising.”

The addition of Lance means the Cowboys will now keep three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in the regular season.

In March, the Cowboys signed backup Cooper Rush to a two-year deal worth $5 million that included a $1.25 million signing bonus. He is 5-1 as a starter the past two years when Prescott has missed games because of injury.

QB DAK PRESCOTT has two years left on his deal.  Todd Archer of ESPN.com with more:

– In Jerry Jones’ ideal world, quarterback Trey Lance never plays a down for the Dallas Cowboys.

Instead, Dak Prescott leads the Cowboys to a Super Bowl championship this season for the first time since 1995. He then signs the largest contract in NFL history. Jones, the owner and general manager, who turns 81 in October, takes comfort in ending a championship drought that was closing in on 30 years. And Lance moves on after 2024, looking to jumpstart his career again.

But ideal worlds are hard to come by, and the addition of Lance, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick Friday, provides the Cowboys with some cover.

Remember, this is a franchise that, after seeing Troy Aikman retire following the 2000 season, started eight different quarterbacks until Tony Romo, an undrafted free agent in 2003, started in 2006 and held the job for the next 10 seasons.

In between, they went with Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Ryan Leaf, Clint Stoerner, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson and Drew Bledsoe.

Those teams from 2001 to 2005 were not ready to win the way the Cowboys believe this team is with a nucleus that includes Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyler Smith, Malik Hooker, Michael Gallup and solid younger players signed beyond 2023.

Prescott is signed through 2024. He is set to make $29 million next season and count $59.4 million against the salary cap. Moving on after this season would be far too costly from a cap perspective but not impossible. Jones has mentioned the desire to extend Prescott’s contract, but there has not been much discussion about a new deal.

Prescott, who turned 30 last month, has missed 17 starts in the past three seasons due to a dislocated and fractured right ankle, a calf strain and broken right thumb. Prescott took every rep in the offseason program and training camp for the first time in what he estimated was four years, saying he feels healthy as ever as the Sept. 10 opener against the New York Giants approaches.

Given his age, years as starter and expectations, he is facing a pressure-packed 2023.

Depending on how this season goes, the Cowboys will have to at least look at selecting a quarterback high in the draft in 2024 given Prescott’s contract status. Maybe not as high as moving way up in the first round to take a top prospect like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, but certainly not as low as a late-Day 3 pick.

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In Lance, the Cowboys will have his contractual rights through 2025 if they exercise the fifth-year option after this season, although that would be pricey as well. The Green Bay Packers worked around a fifth-year option for Jordan Love in 2024 by giving him a one-year extension at a lower cost than the option this season but guaranteed him more up-front money.

The Cowboys had a second-round grade on Lance, who went No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft, per multiple sources. They have been willing to give chances to high draft picks that have not panned out on other teams over the years, like offensive tackle Marc Colombo, a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2002 who was beset by injuries. The Cowboys signed him in 2005, and he was their right tackle for the next five seasons. Hooker, a former first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, is another example.

Those two proved they could play. Can Lance actually play? Nobody — even the Cowboys — knows. But the Cowboys’ risk is only a fourth-round pick.

A pick that they hope will be at the end of the round because Prescott delivers.

– – –

Meanwhile, the preseason finale, QB DAK PRESCOTT showed some skills as a playcaller, with an assist for QB WILL GRIER who played knowing he would be cut for Lance:

– Dak Prescott went through a range of emotions over the past two days, ending with the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-16 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders to close out the preseason on Saturday.

Prescott had fun calling plays and directing an offense that put up 457 yards and 28 first downs, and he expressed disappointment for teammate Will Grier, whose time with the Cowboys is about to end with the acquisition of Trey Lance from the San Francisco 49ers to be the No. 3 quarterback.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones did not give Prescott a heads-up that a trade was coming and did not speak with the quarterback until before kickoff Saturday.

“I can’t say that I necessarily expected [a heads-up], no,” Prescott said. “I understand though that that’s business. I understand that they’re probably on a timeline, they need to get something done. He felt like that strengthened this team and, yeah, ready to welcome [Lance] and, yeah, I mean knowing the strength of the quarterback room that we have. Honestly right now, my heart and my mind is with Will. So it’s a tough situation, honestly. Love that guy to death over there. Plays his ass off, comes in, prepares the right way each and every day.”

Prescott was asked if he was surprised by the trade for Lance, who was picked up for a 2024 fourth-round pick.

“You’ve been in this league eight years, been on this team,” Prescott said, “it’s hard to say that I was surprised to be honest with you.”

Prescott said he crossed paths with Lance during a marketing event in 2021 before Lance was picked No. 3 overall by San Francisco.

“I mean obviously understand it’s a business,” Prescott said. “That’s a first-round talent and you’re always trying to make your team better. But that was the front office, so we’re going to welcome him as we do any teammate and hopefully he just makes us better. We’re going to continue to get back at it and know that we’ve got one goal as a team.”

Prescott is signed through 2024, and the Cowboys have mentioned the desire to sign him to an extension, which executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated Saturday. Whether the addition of Lance gives the Cowboys any leverage is not a concern to Prescott.

“I’m going to leave those talks in the office where business is handled,” Prescott said.

Coach Mike McCarthy approached Prescott during the week about the possibility of calling plays against the Raiders. McCarthy has a history of turning over the responsibilities to a different assistant coach for the final preseason game.

Prescott spent his time behind McCarthy on the sideline, calling the plays into Grier, who finished with 305 yards on 29-of-35 passing with two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. McCarthy said it was the best preseason performance of a quarterback he has been around since coaching Matt Hasselbeck in 1999.

“When I got the phone call, I called Will immediately,” McCarthy said. “I just asked him to go out there and play his ass off tonight. It was a great opportunity and the team rallied around him … I’m just so proud of him.”

Prescott took no credit.

“I’ve been around for a while so I kinda understand the flow, understand what you’re trying to get,” Prescott said. “Knowing the quarterback, knowing what he’s good at, knowing what he wants to do I think is a huge part of it. I give credit to that as much as me calling a couple of plays. That guy played his ass off, and anytime a quarterback plays like that, it doesn’t matter who’s calling the plays.”

He downplayed his impact even more.

“It’s preseason football,” Prescott said. “Those guys gave us three coverages on the other side. I’m not going to sit here on my high horse like I just called the Super Bowl or something. It was a game and it was fun. It was fun to do and it was fun to experience that.”

McCarthy was pleased with Prescott’s showing and believes it will help in the quarterback’s preparation for the regular season.

“It’s attempts at the plate, the emotional, mental rehearsal and just being in it,” McCarthy said. “I can tell you from experience when you’re out of here, you can watch all of the film you want, you can sit there and do all of the analytics you want and read all of your reports, but if you’re not in it, you’ve got to be like that [snaps fingers] to call plays. That’s a really good experience for him to play the game. For him to call it, to me, that’s part of preparing to play.”

QB MARCUS MARIOTA has created doubts about his ability to be a quality backup for QB JALEN HURTS, but QB TANNER McKEE didn’t do enough in the season finale to wrest the job away from him. Or so says D.J. Siddiqi of Forbes.com:

The Philadelphia Eagles may not have announced it prior to their final exhibition game, but they basically showed their cards during their preseason finale.

Entering the team’s final preseason game, the biggest question for the Eagles was who should be their backup quarterback entering the regular season.

As the Eagles lost 27-13 to the Indianapolis Colts, the reps went like this — Marcus Mariota played the first drive of the game and then Tanner McKee played over a half of football until the end of the third quarter.

Mariota didn’t show much as he only threw two pass attempts. However, he did lead a touchdown drive after a long kickoff return led to Philadelphia beginning their offensive drive on the Colts’ 27-yard-line. His lone completion — a 21-yard pass on a 3rd-and-9 conversion — was nearly picked off by Indianapolis cornerback Dallis Flowers.

Meanwhile, McKee — who had outplayed Mariota during the team’s previous preseason game — looked ordinary as he played agains the Colts’ defensive starters and eventually their second and third-stringers. McKee finished the night just 19-of-34 for 158 passing yards and 4.6 yards per pass attempt with a 68.0 passer rating.

In the Eagles’ eight offensive drives with McKee, they turned in just six total points with two ending in a turnover on downs and one ending in a fumble.

Despite all their quarterback controversy entering the game regarding who should serve as Jalen Hurts’ primary backup entering Week 1, it looks like that question was answered — Mariota will be that guy when the Eagles open the regular season at the New England Patriots.

The Eagles entered the game with the designated game plan that Mariota would play one series while McKee would see extended action. That’s usually the case when the guy seeing limited playing time — in this case, Mariota — has his spot locked in while the other guy seeing extended action — in this case, McKee — is young and playing for a roster spot.

If McKee had overly impressed for a second straight preseason game, there might be a little bit more discussion. But his struggles against a starting defensive unit — one that ranked 28th in the NFL last season — essentially shut down the idea of a rookie sixth-round draft pick playing the role of backup quarterback for the defending NFC champions.

Following the game, McKee seems to know his role heading into the 2023 season.

“I think it’s going to be a huge learning experience for me, learning kind of what these guys do and how they prepare for games,” McKee said. “And then for me, my rule is going to be prepared in case anything happens obviously. Hopefully, nothing happens to (Hurts), and I hope he plays every single snap.”

As head coach Nick Sirianni made clear following Mariota’s underwhelming performance against the Cleveland Browns last week, the veteran quarterback is still the team’s No. 2 behind Hurts.

“Way too early on this,” Sirianni said. “Marcus is our backup, and pleased with the way Tanner is playing.”

McKee is a 6^th round pick in this year’s draft from Stanford.  He hails from Corona, California, located on the western edge of the Inland Empire of Riverside/San Bernardino.

NEW ORLEANS

Nine days after a seizure, TE JIMMY GRAHAM made an impression Sunday night.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Welcome back, Jimmy Graham.

The tight end has played 12 NFL seasons but last played in 2021. He was anything but a lock to make the Saints’ roster after signing a one-year deal a month ago.

That’s why Graham played Sunday as the Saints rested many of their star players, including quarterback Derek Carr.

If there was any question about whether Graham has anything left, he answered it Sunday night against the Texans.

Graham made three catches for 34 yards, including a 25-yarder on a 50/50 ball and a 3-yard touchdown catch when he posted up on Texans cornerback Ka’dar Hollman.

He was so excited after the long reception that he nearly knocked over coach Dennis Allen on the sideline.

Graham, who played with the Saints from 2010-14, turned back the clock and likely earned a roster spot.

It came only nine days after Graham was arrested in California after experiencing what the team called a “likely seizure” that caused him to become disoriented. He did not play in last Sunday’s game against the Chargers and just returned to practice the middle of last week.

Saints backup quarterback Jameis Winston went 11-of-16 for 93 yards and the touchdown throw to Graham before departing.

SAN FRANCISCO

Peter King thinks about the 49ers:

2. Trey Lance was a big, big miss. Shanahan took a risk on a quarterback who’d started only one year of football since high school, and it’s bitten him. He deserves the heat for it. But a sprained knee in ’21 and a badly broken ankle in ’22 robbed Lance of two starting chances. Hard to blame anyone for those, but trading a pile of resources for a relatively inexperienced player is on Shanahan and Lynch, as is the decision to trade him for pennies on the dollar. Not smart. At all.

3. The Patriots lucked into Tom Brady at pick 199 in 2000. The Packers lucked into Bart Starr at pick 200 in 1956. The Broncos lucked into Terrell Davis at pick 196 in 1995, and Shannon Sharpe at pick 192 in 1990. That’s what I think about luck. Shanahan juggled two starting quarterbacks in 2021 and three in ’22 including Mr. Irrelevant, and posted a 27-13 record in those seasons. In coaching, things are going to go wrong, and good coaches figure out alternative ways to win. Shanahan has done that. I’m down on the Lance trade, and it’s part of his record. But he’ll have a chance to show it was a call he had to make.

DENVER

A big night for a TE with a big name.  Christian Gonzales of NFL.com:

The Denver Broncos got their final look at players who are attempting to make the team’s 53-man roster heading into Tuesday’s deadline.

For tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, his performance on Saturday lifted Denver to a 41-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Okwuegbunam contributed seven receptions for 109 yards (15.6 average per reception) and one touchdown. The third-year tight end’s showing might have convinced head coach Sean Payton to keep him on the active roster as cuts start to loom.

“He had a big night,” Payton said, via the team website. “I mean, holy cow.”

– – –

Peter King tells us that Sean Payton’s blunt coaching ways have rejuvenated QB RUSSELL WILSON:

On Payton, and Russ

The one thing I felt was desperately needed for the Broncos (and for Denver fans, and for Russell Wilson) when the offseason began was the hiring of Sean Payton. This became a rock-solid lock to me when Wilson stepped to the podium at the end of the Broncos’ shocking 5-12 season and, in a long diatribe about the season and the future, said, “Next season, year two, begins tomorrow morning, 5:30 in the morning.”

Harmless words, probably. But if you’d followed Russell “High Knees on the Plane to Europe” Wilson all season, you heard over and over about his work ethic, his dedication, his devotion to the job. When you’re winning, and playing at a top-five QB level, that’s fine. Say what you want. But Wilson was in the midst of a terrible season, after Denver paid him at the top of the market for the best players in NFL history. At one point before Payton took the job, I remember talking to him about the Denver job, which was open, and about Wilson. He gave me a flippant line, but a perfect one, about Wilson. “Man, stop kissing all the babies! You’re not running for office!”

I don’t know what precisely Payton has said to Wilson, or his team, this off-season. I spoke to Payton last week, and he wouldn’t spill. But Payton has a Parcells-like way about him. Blunt is best. I feel strongly he’s told his team something like: Guys, it’s not about what you say. It’s about what you do. The fact that Wilson hasn’t done many one-on-one interviews in Denver this offseason and in camp—last year he did a thousand—tells me the message has been received. Let’s play football. Let’s stop talking about football.

So let’s talk about Wilson, 2023 version. He played last year at 225, figuring he wanted to be able to take more hits in the pocket. He’s down to 212 now, and mobile Russ should be back this season. “He’s moving really well,” Payton said. “One of the things he’s always done exceptionally well is deliver the ball off-schedule. A play breaks down, he can go get 18 yards or he can flush the pocket. He’s exceptional in that area.

“I would say this—he’s gonna be a lot closer to those 2021 numbers than he was the 2022 numbers. The arm talent and the throws down the field. He’s always thrown a really good deep ball. But I do think he’s moving a lot better. And you know there’s something powerful about a guy with a chip on his shoulder.”

I have little doubt Wilson can resume the career of a top-10 NFL quarterback. He’s surrendered all the trappings and given himself over to the Payton way, which obviously works. He was a damaged player last year, his confidence battered. You could see it in debacle games like the 12-9 home loss to Indy, with fans streaming for the exits in a still-competitive game, and the horribly embarrassing 51-14 Christmas Day loss to a brutal Rams team. The only way to go for Wilson was to submit to the coaching and the barbs of Payton, and I’ve heard that’s what he’s done.

Will it work? The NFL was kind to Denver with a Raiders-Commanders-Dolphins-Bears beginning of the season. Denver had better be at least .500 coming out of that stretch. That’s because the next five games include matchups against Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes again and Josh Allen. Reality awaits, and the reality is that Wilson could be markedly better and Denver could be just marginally better.

Are the Chiefs eying QB CARSON WENTZ?  Not now says Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Carson Wentz will not yet be adding a fourth team to his workout ensemble.

Despite social media chatter from at least one Dov-bot account suggesting that Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported that the Chiefs have some degree of interest in the free-agent quarterback (we have no idea whether he actually reported that; it’s not on his Twitter page), we’re told that the Chiefs are inclined to enter the season with only two quarterbacks on the roster.

The depth chart in Kansas City most likely will consist of veteran Blaine Gabbert behind all-time-great Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs will devote the extra roster spot to one of their various younger players.

That doesn’t mean they didn’t at least ponder Wentz (if Fowler indeed reported it), but what would be the point of signing Wentz so close to the start of the regular season? He doesn’t know the playbook. He doesn’t know the coaches. He doesn’t know the personnel.

It doesn’t make sense.

While he’s potentially an injury replacement for someone as the season unfolds, the fact that no one brought Wentz in even for a workout during training camp is telling.

RB JOSH JACOBS re-ups with the Raiders for one year.  Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com:

Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jacobs has been in Las Vegas and agreed to a one-year, reworked deal that could be worth up to $12 million with per-game roster bonuses.

The Raiders announced Saturday that they had signed Jacobs, without disclosing terms. Raiders owner Mark Davis was happy Jacobs was returning and reiterated his feelings for the running back.

“I love him. I love Josh,” Davis told ESPN. “He’s phenomenal. He was the heart of our team, in my mind. He came to play every day. Tough, tough, tough guy. Just really proud of him. He was a Raider. If we had 22 Josh Jacobs on the roster, with that mentality, amazing.”

Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler met with Jacobs and his agent this week at a restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip to lay some groundwork to get a deal done, sources told Schefter. Both sides discussed the framework of the agreement they reached Saturday.

Mike Florio with details:

Yes. there’s value in withholding services.

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs proved it on Saturday, emerging with an enhanced one-year deal after staying away from training camp and the preseason for a month.

For the first time in the 30-year history of the franchise tag, a team kicked in more base salary than the player would have earned under the one-year guaranteed tender. Earlier this year, Giants running back Saquon Barkley secured an incentive package above the $10.1 million base rate, with up to $900,000 in incentives. In contrast, Jacobs has a base of $11.8 million, with another $200,000 in incentives.

While it’s unkown whether Barkley could have gotten a similar contract if he’d boycotted practice for a month, Jacobs drew a line in the sand and won.

It helped that Jacobs was truly upset with the team, that it wasn’t an act. When they didn’t pick up his fifth-year option last year and then didn’t make a meaningful long-term offer after a great 2022 season forced the franchise tag, Jacobs was genuinely miffed.

The Raiders still have the ability to tag Jacobs again in 2024. But the one-year price tag will be at least $14.16 million, a 20-percent raise of his salary in 2023. Barkley is on track for a salary of $12.12 million next year, if tagged again.

That’s a potential two-year haul for Jacobs of $25.96 million under the tag. Given the current running back market, that’s a damn good deal.

And more:

In the aftermath of the enhanced one-year deal that puts Raiders running back Josh Jacobs in line to make nearly $26 million under two years of the franchise tag, someone is putting out the word that the Raiders offered that amount, fully-guaranteed, to Jacobs before the July 17 deadline for doing multi-year deals.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s not accurate. “Not even close,” we’re told.

If the Raiders had offered $26 million fully-guaranteed over two years before the middle of July, Jacobs surely would have taken it. As we understand it, the Raiders didn’t even offer to guarantee two years of the tag (i.e., $22.2 million).

As previously explained, the best offer made by the Raiders before July 17 was perfunctory. An offer Jacobs couldn’t not refuse. An offer made so that Jacobs couldn’t say the Raiders didn’t make an offer.

More recently, something happened to get the Raiders to dig deeper than they had, and in turn to give Jacobs at least $11.8 million this year and either $25.96 million over the next two or a shot at the open market in 2024. It was enough to get him to do what he would have done if they’d offered him $26 million over two years before the July 17 deadline — accept it.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Peter King spends some time with the Chargers who have turned to basketball concepts to tune up the offense:

Brandon Staley has spent time with Golden State basketball coach Steve Kerr. He admires Kerr a lot. And Staley thinks there’s one significant commonality between a basketball star like Steph Curry and a quarterback. They’ve got a big edge when putting pressure on the defense. Kerr explained to Staley: When a defense can get set for Curry, there’s a lot of different ways the defense can take him out of the game. Then we’re grinding every possession, and it’s an 83-79 game. When we don’t let a defense get set, we can be in a free-flowing state. We can pressure the defense. We can dictate.

When Staley and Moore started talking about this job—the Chargers dismissed offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi after last season, figuring he hadn’t maximized their weaponry—they agreed on lots of things, including the pressure-the-defense-through-tempo stuff. But that isn’t to say the Chargers will be all speed, all the time. They just want to have the ability to run the offense at tempo when they want, when they think it fits either in the gameplan or to tire out a defense.

Pace and Space. Playing fast, finding holes in the defense on every play—by giving Herbert the toolbox with multiple plays in it and allowing him to make the decisions in seconds while the defense, the Chargers hope, will be on its heels a bit.

“When we talked,” Staley said, “we were like, ‘How can we take this concept of pace and space and like be able to run our entire offense that way?’ Like, no matter what time of the game. First quarter. Second quarter. Two-minute. Whenever. Challenge the defense’s ability to communicate, to substitute.”

Staley never doubted Herbert’s ability to process quickly, even with the newness of Moore’s imported schemes. Moore had to see it, though.

“You see all the physical tools that Justin has from afar,” Moore said. “Then there’s the element of once you start teaming up from a football intelligence standpoint, from a big-picture standpoint, how much can he handle? That’s the stuff that’s blowing me away—how much volume he can handle, and how fast he masters it.”

In practice, what I noticed about Herbert—the Chargers were going against the Saints on this day—is how comfortable he was, and how the entire offense looked like this was their third year under Moore, not the first summer. “Very comfortable,” Herbert said post-practice when I asked about meshing with Moore. You saw it in the huddle, at the line, and in quick confabs with Moore. Now, Herbert’s the kind of coachable guy who’d make it work if the custodian were his coach. But with Moore and position coach Doug Nussmeier, Herbert looks and sounds like he’s in the best place he’s been in during his young pro career.

I found it interesting that when Staley went looking for a coordinator after the season, he didn’t want a hired gun who’d come in with his own system and scheme and with the attitude, It’s my offense, coach. Out of the way. I’ll take it from here. Staley has always admired Moore. First as an undersized and very smart player, with a 50-3 record as Boise State’s quarterback. Second, as the son of a high school coach, Moore would likely be a good teacher. Moore’s dad recalls Kellen, in middle school, coming to the high school football practice and drawing plays in a notebook.

Plus, Staley loved Moore’s rep as a low-ego team guy—because that’s exactly what the quarterback is. When I told Herbert that the precedent-setting $262 million contract he just signed doesn’t seem to have changed him, he brightened and said, “My father will be very happy to hear that.”

So now the Chargers just have to cut into that scoring gap with Super Bowl champion Kansas City atop the AFC West. 2023 points scored: KC 496, LA 391. That’s a touchdown a game the Chargers have to make up. They drafted TCU wideout Quentin Johnston in the first round to help, but Herbert will wear out Keenan Allen and Mike Williams as long as they can stay healthy. No team in the stacked AFC West has the star-receiver depth of Allen, Williams and Johnson, with a top all-around back like Austin Ekeler. It’ll be surprising if the Chargers are anywhere near 13th in scoring this year.

Two final points. Those examples I gave you up top? They say to me that Herbert’s gotten better at one of the most important, and underrated, parts of playing the position. That’s manipulating the defense. He knows how to use the freedom of the toolbox Moore and Staley have handed him.

But the biggest issue the Chargers may face is their conference. Look at the teams with top-flight quarterbacks in the AFC, and you understand that when the musical chairs stop, two to four strong teams will be home for the playoffs. It’s asking a lot of Herbert to make the Chargers 100 points better, but that could be what he’ll have to do to get this franchise to important January football again.

CLEVELAND

Bad news for one Cleveland WR (JAKEEM GRANT), good news for another (MARQUISE GOODWIN).  Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com:

Browns receiver Jakeem Grant was carted off the field during Cleveland’s preseason loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday. The team feared Grant suffered a broken patella in his knee on the opening kickoff, and on Sunday coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that’s what happened, sidelining Grant for the entire 2023 season.

It’s the second straight year that Grant suffered a season-ending injury before the Browns’ opening game.

Grant signed with Cleveland in 2022 and suffered a season-ending injury to his Achilles last August. The 5-foot-7 speedster was in line to be the Browns’ starting punt and kickoff returner. With Grant again out for the season, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Donovan Peoples-Jones could return punts and running back Jerome Ford could be the team’s kick returner.

The Browns did receive some good news on the injury front Sunday, as Marquise Goodwin was cleared to come off the injury list, the team announced. Goodwin missed training camp due to blood clots in his lungs and legs. Stefanski said Goodwin, who the team signed in the offseason, would begin practicing for the first time since June.

Grant, a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, was a productive special teams contributor during his time with the Dolphins and Bears. He has four-career punt returns for scores and two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Grant was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2021 after being traded from Miami to Chicago during the season.

PITTSBURGH

Peter King is bullish on QB KENNY PICKETT:

I think the young quarterback who made the most progress toward being a top-dozen QB in the league in the preseason is Kenny Pickett. The Steelers have to feel great about their team, and their quarterback, entering a season in a stacked AFC North

HOUSTON

QB C.J. STROUD has been confirmed as the Texans starter.

Following the Houston Texans’ 17-13 win in their preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints, coach DeMeco Ryans announced quarterback C.J. Stroud will be the Texans’ Week 1 starter against the Baltimore Ravens.

“It was definitely a blessing, something that I think I worked for and definitely earned,” Stroud said. “At the same time, nothing else really changes. Still going to work like the way I’m working but even more now. I’m blessed enough to be able to be a starter, so young in this league, which isn’t the easiest thing to do. But I know my coaches have trust and faith in me, so I’ll go out there and do my best.”

The Texans were the last team in the NFL to name their starter, but Ryans’ reasoning to crown Stroud the starter stemmed from what he’s seen since Stroud was drafted, as well as his desire to improve.

“It’s been over the course of the entire process of OTAs, training camp preseason games, just seeing the complete product and knowing CJ’s desire to continue to better,” Ryans said after the win.

The No. 2 pick started each preseason game and went 11-of-18 for 89 yards with one touchdown and one interception in eight series.

Stroud joins the other two rookie quarterbacks selected in the top five in this year’s draft who are also starting Week 1 in Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young and Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson.

Capturing the starting role for Stroud was the expected outcome as, in most instances, quarterbacks drafted in the top five commonly start Week 1 of their rookie season. Since the 2011 NFL collective bargaining agreement, 11 of the 17 quarterbacks selected in the top five started Week 1.

Stroud entered training camp in a quarterback competition against Davis Mills as both split reps with the starting offense to begin training camp.

But after a week of practice, Stroud separated himself, and Ryans gave the rookie quarterback all the first-team reps.

The Texans ranked 31st in QBR (33.3) in the past two seasons and went 7-26-1. The struggles on the field led them to select Stroud, hoping he could become the franchise quarterback they’ve been searching for since trading former quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Stroud will debut against a Ravens team featuring the 2019 MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson and a defense that finished third in scoring defense (18.5 per game) in 2022.

Since 2011, rookie quarterbacks drafted in the top five and started Week 1 are 4-6-1 with a 59% completion percentage, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

INDIANAPOLIS

Mike Jones of The Athletic wonders if RB JONATHAN TAYLOR has laid out a blueprint for other oppressed RBs to follow:

As Josh Jacobs ended his standoff with the Las Vegas Raiders, the summer of running back concessions continued.

Jacobs, who last season led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards, on Saturday agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million. That’s more than the $10.1 million he would have earned on the franchise tag he had refused to sign, but his quest for long-term security will have to wait until next offseason.

Now, Jonathan Taylor stands alone, as he fights with the Indianapolis Colts for a handsome contract extension or a trade that will give him a fresh start with another team and a highly coveted payday.

The outcome of Taylor’s situation could alter the course of multiple teams’ seasons. It also could have a ripple effect on the running back market next spring.

The clock is ticking for the 24-year-old Taylor, who in 2021 led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards before battling ankle injuries last season.

The Colts gave him permission to attempt to complete a trade by Tuesday, which is when all NFL team rosters must be cut to 53 players. Easier said than done, because to trigger a trade, a team would have to meet Indianapolis’ asking price (believed to be a first-round pick) as well as Taylor’s demands for a new contract. Opposing NFL talent evaluators and player representatives believe Taylor is looking for an annual salary of between $14 million and $15 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid players at his position. But such a move is not impossible, and as the NFL entered its final preseason weekend, it sounded as if things were heating up for Taylor.

The Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos are believed to rank among the teams with the greatest interest in Taylor, league sources familiar with the deliberations said. The league sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on behalf of Taylor or the teams with potential interest in him.

Should Taylor successfully orchestrate his exit from Indianapolis, it would be a win for running backs as a whole. It has been three years since Alvin Kamara (five years, $75 million) and Christian McCaffrey (four years, $64 million) got their big paydays. After years of NFL teams undervaluing their services, a positive outcome for Taylor would help nudge other leading backs toward a place of improved leverage in future negotiations.

Running backs certainly could use some positivity after an offseason that featured concessions rather than victories for Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and Austin Ekeler, who all had to settle for franchise tags or salaries far below their desired values to play in 2023.

Last month, Ekeler led a Zoom meeting for running backs to discuss the devalued market for their position. But what can they collectively accomplish this season? Teams are operating in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement that players and owners approved in 2020 — a CBA that doesn’t expire until 2030. The running backs’ social media statements or news conferences will not sway owners. They are not going to fork over a larger piece of the pie to players at a position that carries a shorter shelf life and carries inferior prominence in modern game plans than do quarterbacks, left tackles, wide receivers, pass rushers and cornerbacks.

And just as Barkley found out with the New York Giants earlier this summer, there was very little Jacobs could do to strong-arm the Raiders into giving him a lucrative multiyear contract. Because the Raiders had designated him as their franchise player, they controlled his rights and maintained all of the leverage in negotiations.

Jacobs, who made $2.2 million last season, certainly could have refused to play this season rather than accept the tag. But it’s hard to forfeit $10 million-plus, and sitting out a season in the prime of one’s career also features several risks. It’s hard to make that money back. And there’s nothing to say that — given the short career life of running backs — Jacobs would ever manage to regain top form after a year away from the game (see Le’Veon Bell). Had Jacobs gotten injured while training on holdout from the team, he not only wouldn’t get paid this season, he could forget about a franchise tag or multiyear deal next year, too.

Taylor, however, has a few things going for him.

He’s a second-round pick, which means his contract doesn’t have a fifth-year option a team could use to retain him. Who would’ve ever thought being a first-round pick might one day be a liability?

Taylor also has greater leverage than Jacobs because he made his demand for a new contract as he entered the final year of his rookie deal. Waiting until after this season would give the Colts all the leverage. They likely would just slap Taylor with the franchise tag, just as the Raiders did with Jacobs.

While at odds with the Colts, Taylor didn’t play or practice this preseason. He has spent the last month on the physically unable to perform list because of the ankle surgery he had in January. But Taylor is healthy. He wouldn’t pursue a trade if he weren’t, because a clean physical is required to trigger the deal. And as the season draws closer, Taylor’s leverage appears to have strengthened.

Now, the Colts don’t have to trade him. They are well aware that if Taylor wants to accrue his fourth season and qualify for unrestricted free agency next offseason, he has to be active and available for at least six games in 2023.

But after multiple rounds of failed negotiations and the trade request by Taylor, the Colts appear willing to ship him elsewhere in exchange for a high draft pick or two rather than deal with a disgruntled player all season long.

That willingness reflects a shift in the Colts’ initial thinking. What once looked like a longshot now appears to be a strong possibility.

Some league execs and talent evaluators initially believed the Colts gave Taylor permission to pursue a trade just so he could see that his value around the league wasn’t as he believed. As trade rumblings have grown louder, however, others believe owner Jim Irsay does intend to ship Taylor elsewhere, pointing to the Colts’ track record of refusing to pay running backs. They traded Marshall Faulk rather than pay him, and they also let Edgerrin James and Joseph Addai leave via free agency. The same individuals predicted that a team that is close to contending would willingly part with a first-round pick and also pay Taylor, because “he’s a chip that could take a team over the top,” one NFC talent evaluator said.

That opinion, apparently, is shared by a number of teams, especially the Dolphins. Miami made the playoffs last season and is desperate to overtake Buffalo for AFC East supremacy. It sees a talented back like Taylor as capable of both easing pressure on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and taking the offense as a whole to another level.

Taylor landing with a contender and also getting paid would help revive the running back market. It would also serve notice to teams that it’s better to take care of their young backs as they enter their fourth year rather than run the risk of them essentially holding in (reporting, but refusing to play to protect themselves against the risk of injury with no long-term security) and/or demanding trades.

Trading a running back in his prime isn’t common.

Last season, the 49ers gave up four draft picks for McCaffrey. In doing so, they absorbed the three remaining seasons of his contract (an average of $16 million per season). But the 49ers were desperate for a playmaker with Deebo Samuel injured and a Super Bowl run within their reach.

McCaffrey did give San Francisco a boost, producing 10 touchdowns and 1,210 total yards. Had the 49ers not lost Brock Purdy to injury in the NFC Championship Game, they may have reached the Super Bowl.

Many believe Taylor could provide a similar impact for a talented roster and coach.

The Colts ultimately have to agree to a trade. But at this point, Taylor essentially has backed them into a corner: Ship him elsewhere for a pick that could serve as a future franchise cornerstone, or risk dealing with a distraction that could drag into the season — particularly if Taylor refuses to play until he absolutely has to in order to earn his accrued season. It’s a rare power move for the modern running back, but Taylor very well could use this card to his advantage.

If they’re smart, Taylor’s fellow running backs are taking notes.

NEW YORK JETS

DL ZACH SIELER gets an extension.  For a lot of money for a guy who was a waivers claim four years ago.  ESPN.com:

The Miami Dolphins have signed defensive lineman Zach Sieler to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Sunday, with a source telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter the deal could be worth up to $38.65 million and includes $20 million guaranteed.

Sieler, 27, has appeared in 53 straight games for the Dolphins since joining the team as a waiver claim in December 2019. He has totaled 10 sacks and three forced fumbles for Miami.

The extension comes as fellow defensive lineman Christian Wilkins has been seeking a new contract before entering the 2023 regular season on the fifth year of his rookie deal.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel applauded Sieler’s journey, calling him an example for other NFL players — particularly as initial roster cuts approach.

“Zach epitomizes such an important thing about the journey of an NFL player,” McDaniel said Sunday. “You’re talking about it a guy that’s earned every cent he’s been paid.”

Sieler recorded the fifth-most tackles in the NFL among defensive linemen last season with 70. His run stop win rate of 38.2% since 2020 is the 15th-best mark for defensive linemen. He played a career-high 877 snaps in 2022 and figures to play a major role in Miami’s defense once again — especially if contract negotiations with fellow Wilkins continue into the regular season.

McDaniel called Sieler’s deal “independent of Christian” and suggested the Dolphins have “a good amount of players” they want to keep in South Florida. He said last week that he wasn’t concerned with Wilkins’ contract negotiations spilling into the regular season, simply because he hasn’t thought about it.

In an expression of his unhappiness with his current contract situation, Wilkins has not participated in team drills at practice for the past two weeks. He has been present each day, however, taking part in individual drills.

Sieler began his career with the Baltimore Ravens as a 2018 seventh-round pick. He appeared in six games for the Ravens over two seasons before being waived.

THIS AND THAT

RANKING ROOKIE QBs

Garrett Podell tells us how the rookie QBs did in Week 3 of the preseason (his list mysteriously does not include Cleveland 5^th rounder QB DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON who passed for 92 yards against the Chiefs):

The 2023 NFL Draft was one of the most prolific quarterback drafts in NFL history. Fourteen rookie passers were selected, with a record 12 flying off the boards in the first five rounds in Kansas City. Just about all of them have dipped their toes in NFL waters thanks to their preseason action. While preseason production isn’t the end-all, be-all in determining who will have a lasting professional football career, here’s a look at how far some of the newbie signal-callers fared in their first NFL offseason by ranking their preseason finales.

Notes: Lions third-round pick Hendon Hooker is not included. He remains on the Non-Football Injury List while recovering from a college ACL tear and isn’t expected to play this preseason.

Titans second-round pick Will Levis is not included. He missed the Titans’ Week 3 game against the Patriots with a thigh injury.

11. Stetson Bennett, Los Angeles Rams

2023 NFL Draft: 128th overall (fourth round)

Week 3 performance: 4-9, 14 passing yards, two interceptions (pick-six), 12.0 passer rating in 41-0 loss at Broncos

Stetson Bennett did his best Billy Mays impression when it came to delivering lackluster preseason performances these last two weeks, hitting the football world with a “But wait, there’s more!” Last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, Bennett threw for 142 yards and a pick-six as a starter against the Silver Black on 15-of-24 passing. His start on Saturday in Denver against the Broncos makes his performance against the Raiders appear desirable.

This interception below in which Bennett throws a pass on third-and-14 into TRIPLE coverage is atrocious.

Bennett’s preseason debut with 191 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-29 passing off the bench against the Los Angeles Chargers feels like like a lifetime ago.

10. Jake Haener, New Orleans Saints

Week 3 performance: 17-38, 93 passing yards, two interceptions, 36.3 passer rating in 17-13 loss versus Texans

Jake Haener had a shot to win the game for the Saints on each of their last two drives. That’s when disaster struck. First, he attempted an end zone heave on first-and-10 just outside of the red zone right after the two-minute warning. Haener’s pass ended up in a crowd of three Texans with safety Grayland Arnold intercepting the pass.

Haener’s final drive ended with another interception, albeit on a play that could have worked. He had tight end Lucas Kroll open well past the line to gain on fourth-and-4, but he waited too long to make the throw. That allowed cornerback Cameron Dantzler to undercut the pass for a game-sealing pick.

His final two drives mar what was a solid preseason for the rookie fourth-round pick. He’s squarely the Saints third quarterback behind Derek Carr and Jameis Winston entering 2023.

9. Clayton Tune, Arizona Cardinals

2023 NFL Draft: 139th overall (fifth round)

Week 3 performance: 9-12, 85 passing yards, 94.1 passer rating in 18-17 win at Vikings

Clayton Tune’s preseason finale stat line is deceptive. It appears efficient, but what it doesn’t show is Tune cutting Arizona’s opening drive short by taking a third down sack at his own 11 and fumbling the football, which caused a turnover. Vikings rookie quarterback Jaren Hall threw a five-yard touchdown pass on the very next play.

His next drives concluded with a 38-yard field goal, a punt and a 46-yard missed field goal. Tune’s preseason, like his Saturday performance, has been uneven. It would be surprising to see him begin the season as Kyler Murray’s injury replacement over Colt McCoy or Joshua Dobbs, who the Cardinals recently traded for, at this stage.

8. Sean Clifford, Green Bay Packers

2023 NFL Draft: 188th overall (sixth round)

Week 3 performance: 8-12, 46 passing yards, 73.6 passer rating in 19-15 win versus the Seahawks

Sean Clifford left his preseason finale early with a right arm injury suffered on a quarterback sneak, according to The Athletic. Clifford told media postgame that it’s not a big deal. He played much cleaner football in his final two preseason games against the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks (183 passing yards on 21-of-31 passing) after tossing two interceptions in his NFL debut at the Cincinnati Bengals.

7. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

2023 NFL Draft: fourth overall (first round)

Week 3 performance: 6-17, 78 passing yards, 50.6 passer rating; five carries for 38 rushing yards in 27-13 win at Eagles

Even though Anthony Richardson’s box score this week doesn’t look sparkling, he contributed nicely on the Colts’ two first-half touchdown drives. He completed both of his passes on the first scoring drive for 36 yards, a possession that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by Deon Jackson. On the following march, he threw for 19 yards on 2-of-3 passing while launching the drive with a 16-yard sprint. Rookie rusher Evan Hull’s one-yard touchdown plunge ended the 75-yard, 10-play drive.

Richardson looks more comfortable passing from the pocket, a nice piece of progress to take into Week 1.

6. Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles

2023 NFL Draft: 188th overall (sixth round)

Week 3 performance: 19-34, 158 passing yards, 68.0 passer rating in 27-13 loss versus Colts

Sixth-round rookie Tanner McKee may have taken a step back in his efforts to usurp veteran Marcus Mariota as Jalen Hurts’ backup. Mariota led the Eagles on a six-play scoring drive that ended with a one-yard rushing touchdown by running back Trey Sermon while McKee could muster a couple field goal possession the rest of the first half. Third-stringer Ian Book took over in the second half. Overall, he’s had a decent preseason showing, totaling 453 passing yards and a passing touchdown on 39-of-72 passing.

5. Jaren Hall, Minnesota Vikings

Week 3 performance: 16-27, 178 passing yards, one passing touchdown, on interception, 75.8 passer rating in 18-17 loss versus Cardinals

Jaren Hall received his first start of the preseason, and he showed an ability to heat up from the get-go. Hall finished the first half with 127 yards on 10-of-16 passing, including his first career touchdown pass, a five-yarder immediately after Clayton Tune’s fumble. The Vikings scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the first half. Hall did throw a couple incompletions and take a sack on the final second quarter drive, which caused Minnesota to settle for a 20-yard field goal. However, it was a step in the right direction for Hall.

4. Max Duggan, Los Angeles Chargers

2023 NFL Draft: 239th overall (seventh round)

Week 3 performance: 4-9, 15 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 88.7 passer rating; six carries for 51 rushing yards in 23-12 win at 49ers

The 2022 Heisman Trophy runner-up out of TCU received limited run this preseason behind incumbent backup quarterback Easton Stick, not even getting a snap in their Week 2 contest versus the Saints. This week, Duggan had the opportunity to play the entire second half, and he provided a highlight reminiscent of his college while facing fourth-and-2 from the 49ers’ 3.

Duggan ran a play-action pass play toward the right sideline, stopped scrambling on a dime, and then threw a dart of touchdown pass right into the numbers of tight end Hunter Kampmoyer.

Duggan flashed when he had opportunity, but he didn’t have much of it in his inaugural preseason.

3. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

2023 NFL Draft: second overall (first round)

Week 3 performance: 2-4, 16 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 100.0 passer rating in 17-13 win at New Orleans Saints

C.J. Stroud started each of the Texans’ three preseason games, but his performance in New Orleans was the first one where he truly looked settled. After the game, he was named the team’s QB1. He made a great throw deep down the left sideline to receiver Nico Collins, putting the ball right in Collins’ chest. However, Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor did just enough to break up the completion at the last second.

Stroud eventually connected with Collins, tossing his first career NFL touchdown to the third-year wideout on his second and final drive of the night for a three-yard score. The rookie does a great job of getting to the top of his dropback off of the play-action fake and then spiraling a perfect, floating football safely into Collins arms.

Stroud finished the preseason with 89 passing yards, a touchdown, and interception on 11-of-20 passing. He has displayed continual improvement each week, which has to have the Texans looking forward to Week 1.

2. Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders

2023 NFL Draft: 135th overall (fourth round)

Week 2 performance: 17-26, 178 passing yards, 85.1 passer rating in 31-16 loss at Dallas Cowboys

Aidan O’Connell closed out his stellar preseason with another solid outing. He racked up 304 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-36 passing in his first two games before a decent showing on the road against the Cowboys. O’Connell showcased strong accuracy all night long, including this dart to Cam Sims down the the right sideline.

Yes, it’s only the preseason, but the Raiders are probably the team that has experienced the most positive momentum with their rookie quarterback this month.

1. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

2023 NFL Draft: first overall (first round)

Week 3 performance: 7-12, 73 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 103.8 passer rating in 26-17 loss versus Lions

Bryce Young checked an important box in his preseason finale by throwing his first career touchdown, a 16-yard toss to veteran wideout Adam Thielen.

Young also had preseason bests in passing yards (73), yards per pass attempt (6.1), and passer rating (103.8). That’s exactly the right direction Panthers nation wants to see their first overall pick trending leading into Week 1.

WORST DRAFT TRADES

Douglas Clawson at CBSSports.com declares a new winner (or is it loser?):

The 49ers have traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick just two years after San Francisco traded three first-round picks to move up from the 12th overall pick to the third selection for him in 2021. Lance played eight games in a 49ers uniform as this draft trade is understandably drawing buzz as the worst trade in NFL history.

I ranked the 10 worst draft trades in NFL history, strictly focusing on draft trades and not player trades (like Herschel Walker).

10. Browns move up for Trent Richardson (2012)

Of course this list has to start with the Browns. They moved up from the fourth pick to third pick to select Richardson in 2012, who finished third in Heisman voting at Alabama behind Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck. This would be higher on the list but at least Cleveland was somehow able to trade Richardson to the Colts for a first-round pick one year later. It could have also been worse had the fourth pick in 2012 (Matt Kalil) made more than one Pro Bowl in his career.

9. Jets move up for Sam Darnold (2018)

The Jets traded the sixth pick and three second-round picks to the Colts for the third pick (Sam Darnold) in 2018. The Colts used the sixth pick to take one of the best guards in football, Quenton Nelson (Pro Bowl in all five seasons) while Darnold lasted three seasons in New York and is now on the 49ers, his third team. Indianapolis also got two other starters out of this deal, RT Braden Smith and CB Rock Ya-Sin (now on the Ravens).

8. Washington gives up three first-round picks to get Robert Griffin III (2012)

There have been five trades involving one team giving up three first-round picks in the common draft era (since 1967). They involved Deshaun Watson, Jim Plunkett, Herschel Walker, Trey Lance and this Robert Griffin III trade. The RGIII deal initially looked like a home run for Washington as he took the league by storm as a rookie before tearing his ACL in the wild card loss to the Seahawks. He never quite recovered from the injury and played just two more seasons for Washington. Meanwhile, the Rams haul included several solid contributors – Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins and Alec Ogletree. They also eventually got Isaiah Pead, Rokevious Watkins, Stedman Bailey, Zac Stacy and Greg Robinson with the picks from Washington.

7. Johnny Manziel falls to the Browns (2014)

The Heisman sensation was initially in the running for the top pick in the 2014 draft before falling down the board, only for the Browns to swoop in and take him 22nd overall. His meteoric rise was just about as fast as his fall. He started just eight games for Cleveland before getting released. The Browns’ trade partner in the 2014 draft night deal was the Eagles, who took LB Marcus Smith 26th overall. Smith notably played just three seasons with Philadelphia.

6. Cardinals move up for Josh Rosen (2018)

Arizona traded the 15th pick (which turned into OT Kolton Miller), a third rounder (Rasheem Green) and fifth rounder (Dane Cruikshank) to get QB Josh Rosen 10th overall in the 2018 draft. Rosen went 3-10 with 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions as a rookie and the Cardinals pulled the plug in unprecedented fashion, trading him to the Dolphins for a second (Andy Isabella) and fifth-round pick (Colton McKivitz). Arizona drafted Kyler Murray with the top pick a year after trading up for Rosen.

5. Chargers trade up for No. 2 pick Ryan Leaf (1998)

The Chargers paid a hefty price to move up from the No. 3 to No. 2 pick in 1998, with the intention of drafting whichever QB was still on the board between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. The move cost San Diego two veterans (Eric Metcalf and Patrick Sapp) along with two first-round picks (Andre Wadsworth and David Boston) plus a second rounder (Corey Chavous). Boston, the eighth pick in 1999 had 1,598 receiving yards in 2001. Leaf, of course, ended up as one of the biggest busts in draft history, starting just 18 games with San Diego.

4. Bears move up one pick for Mitchell Trubisky (2017)

Mitchell Trubisky is not one of the biggest busts in draft history, but it’s more about who the Bears didn’t take that lands them high on this list. They drafted Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes (10th pick) and Deshaun Watson (12th pick). The Bears trade partner, the 49ers, also used a future third-round pick from this deal to take LB Fred Warner. Another pick from the deal also was used to take RB Alvin Kamara.

3. Saints trade entire draft for Ricky Williams (1999)

It was crazy then, it’s even crazier now. In 1999, the Saints (and head coach Mike Ditka) traded their entire draft (eight picks) to Washington to move up for a RUNNING BACK, Texas product Ricky Williams. Williams was drafted fifth overall. The three picks around him were incredible players. Edgerrin James (fourth), Torry Holt (sixth) and Champ Bailey (seventh). Bailey was a Hall of Famer who Washington also moved up to take with a first-round pick from the Williams’ deal. Williams ran for 10,000 yards in his career, but he lasted just three seasons in New Orleans, who won just one playoff game with him.

2. Colts forced to trade John Elway (1983)

This might be the only draft trade that has more Super Bowl implications than the Trey Lance deal, although we may never know. The Colts traded QB John Elway after the 1983 draft as he refused to play for them. The Broncos were the beneficiaries as they made five Super Bowls with Elway, winning two. The Colts won the same number of playoff games (two) as Denver won titles (two) during Elway’s 16-year career. The Colts got Chris Hinton, Mark Hermann and a future first-round pick (Ron Solt) for Elway. Hinton was a great left tackle that made six Pro Bowls for the Colts, but it came nowhere close to making up for Elway’s legendary career. It still ranks behind the Trey Lance deal as the Colts really didn’t have a choice but to trade Elway.

1. 49ers move up for Trey Lance (2021)

This has to top the list of worst draft trades in NFL history. We don’t yet know what Lance will turn into in his career, but it’s hard to imagine a worse trade from a team perspective. And if Lance does go on to have a great career (hey, he’s only 23), this is an even worse trade because of the 49ers compensation.

San Francisco traded Lance for a fourth-round pick only two years after they traded three first-round picks for him

Lance played eight games for the 49ers, the fewest by a top-five pick for his debut team in the common draft era (since 1967)

The 49ers made back-to-back conference championship games in two seasons since drafting Lance. Better spent picks could have theoretically led to a Super Bowl

The Dolphins used the three first-round picks from the 49ers to trade up for WR Jaylen Waddle, then trade for veteran WR Tyreek Hill and DE Bradley Chubb

The 49ers traded out of the No. 12 pick for Lance in 2021. The No. 12 pick was Micah Parsons. The 10 picks after Lance were Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Penei Sewell, Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II, DeVonta Smith, Justin Fields, Micah Parsons and Rashawn Slater. Six are already Pro Bowlers

San Francisco could have drafted Justin Fields (1,000-yard rushing season in 2022) or Mac Jones (started playoff game in 2021).

Once again, it’s hardly about the player in this case as Lance battled injuries and inexperience, plus is still just 23 years old. From the 49ers perspective though, they went all-in for Lance and it turned into an absolute disaster.

FANTASY DRAFT ADVICE

From Peter King:

A few tips as you head into your drafts (and keep in mind, I’m terrible at fantasy football):

1. Tight end depth is good. Juwan Johnson of the Saints could be Derek Carr’s new Darren Waller … I saw in Green Bay that rookie Luke Musgrave was a size-speed impact player, and Jordan Love’s going to need some easy intermediate completions … Sam LaPorta (Detroit) should be around late in drafts. Lions love him.

2. Moore Moore Moore. D.J. Moore, new Bear, should average eight to 10 targets a week; what a competitive, instinctive player. Patrick Mahomes is smitten with Skyy Moore, who was a regular at every off-season workout Mahomes conducted … The Browns love Elijah Moore as a complement to Amari Cooper, and this Moore will be used out of the backfield too.

3. Draft Zay Flowers. You’ll thank me later. The rookie Ravens wideout has rare separation and quickness.

4. Draft Justin Herbert. Well, duh. If healthy for 17 weeks (history says he has a good chance), he’ll put up Mahomesian numbers, and my guess is he’ll be there 20 picks or so after Mahomes goes in your draft.

5. Not on the Bijan hype train. Great rookie Falcon, this Bijan Robinson. He could be the next McCaffrey. Problem: Falcons coach Arthur Smith has so many weapons in his positionless offense, and he added Robinson and old friend Jonnu Smith in the offseason. Hard to see Bijan making an Ekeler- or McCaffrey-sized impact in year one.

6. Trust the Niners; draft Brock Purdy. Let the hyped QBs pass while you take an all-purpose back, two receivers, a couple of BPAs (best players available), and Juwan Johnson. Then nab the fit-as-a-fiddle executor of the Shanahan offense.

7. Draft/stash Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell, of the Eagles, is the best example of why running backs aren’t getting paid, after his 112-yard performance in the playoffs against the Giants. He’ll have some impact games this year in Philly.

Misc. Seattle’s a good Defense/special teams pick late after adding Dre’Mont Jones, Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love this off-season … Potential last-round picks if you’ve got no clue what to do: Falcons QB Desmond Ridder, Seattle WR Jake Bobo. Ridder’s in a weak division with great weaponry. Bobo (four years at Duke, one at UCLA) has had a monster camp and could open the season as Geno Smith’s third receiver.