The Daily Briefing Friday, June 3, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

The top hat and rabbit can rest. FitzMagic is calling it a career.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is retiring after 17 NFL seasons, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday. Fitzpatrick is in talks with Prime Video for a key role in Amazon’s NFL coverage this season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport added.

Fitzpatrick’s NFL journey was as unlikely as it was thrilling. The Harvard product entered the league as a seventh-round pick (250th overall) of the St. Louis Rams in 2005, the last quarterback selected in that draft. What followed was a trying, but magical career filled with uniform changes — he started at least one game for nine different NFL teams, the most by any player since at least 1950 — and heart-stopping moments.

– – –

Fitzpatrick didn’t compile a Hall of Fame career, but he certainly made it worth watching, both on and off the field. Fitzpatrick threw a touchdown pass to 62 different players in his career, coming in behind a trio of passers (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Vinny Testaverde) who have thrown a touchdown pass to more than 62 different players in NFL history. He became known for authoring thrilling finishes, no matter for which team he was playing, and the lone disappointment came with the territory he didn’t reach: the postseason. Fitzpatrick’s 34,990 passing yards are the most in NFL history by a player who never played in a playoff game, and stand as the 32nd most in league history.

Still, considering where he began, Fitzpatrick outperformed his odds by a wide margin. He owns the most career passing yards among all quarterbacks drafted in the seventh round of later in the common draft era, outperforming 1977 10th-rounder Steve DeBerg by 749 yards and standing well ahead of Super Bowl XXXVII champion Brad Johnson. Fitzpatrick is the only quarterback in NFL history to win a game with seven or more different teams (Miami, Tampa Bay, New York Jets, Buffalo, Houston, Cincinnati, Tennessee). He also is tied for the seventh-most career seasons by a quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, trailing only Brady, Testaverde, Brett Favre, Dave Krieg and Ben Roethlisberger, and he’s one of only 30 quarterbacks in NFL history with 34,000-plus passing yards and 220-plus passing touchdowns in a career.

Fitzpatrick first saw the field as a result of an injury to Rams starter Marc Bulger and appeared in four games (three starts) in 2005, going 0-3 as a starter. He didn’t throw a pass in a game for the next two seasons, continuing a pedestrian career typical of a late selection, but 2008 is when things started to change for Fitzpatrick.

St. Louis traded Fitzpatrick to Cincinnati for a seventh-round pick in 2007, and the quarterback ended up starting 12 games for the Bengals in place of the injured Carson Palmer. He went 4-7-1 as a starter and impressed other NFL clubs enough to earn a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills in 2009. Another injury to a starter — this time, Trent Edwards — opened the door for Fitzpatrick to prove his worth, and by the 2011 season, Fitzpatrick had done enough to earn the starting job in Buffalo for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Thus became the theme for Fitzpatrick’s career: Sign with a team, battle for a roster spot and eventually find his way to the field due to an injury to a starter. It happened in Tennessee in 2013 and Houston in 2014. In 2015, Fitzpatrick found some stability with the New York Jets (due in part to a locker room altercation that forced Geno Smith out of action), keying an exciting season that nearly saw New York reach the postseason. He remained for one more season before moving to Tampa, where he replaced injured starter Jameis Winston in six games (three starts) in 2017 and appeared in eight games (seven starts) in 2018, posting a 24-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio between 2017 and 2018.

Fitzpatrick rarely joined a team with firm footing as the top option under center, but in 2019, his move to Miami saw him serve as the starter for all but three games. He nearly led Miami to an unlikely playoff appearance a year later, beginning the season as the starter before Miami forced rookie Tua Tagovailoa into action following the team’s bye week. Left to watch on the bench, Fitzpatrick suddenly heard his number called in a moment of desperation in a Week 16 game at Las Vegas.

Fitzpatrick promptly entered the game and found himself facing a do-or-die fourth down situation. He dropped to pass and heaved a prayer as the Raiders’ Arden Key delivered a blow to Fitzpatrick’s facemask, buying the Dolphins a fresh set of downs via a roughing the passer penalty with just enough time for two more plays. Jason Sanders’ 44-yard field goal sent the Dolphins to a win.

Fitzpatrick moved onto Washington in 2021, where he was named the starter but lasted less than one game. A partially dislocated hip forced him out of action in Week 1 and effectively spelled the end of his career.

At 39 years old, Fitzpatrick is walking away from a lengthy career he shared with hundreds of teammates he befriended along his winding journey. The Harvard product was never supposed to last this long. He can walk away from the game satisfied with the remarkable achievement that was his NFL voyage – and begin preparations for his transition to broadcasting.

DETROIT

RBs coach Duce Staley issues a public challenge for RB DeANDRE SWIFT to be tougher.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift owns the skillset to be a featured back, but first, his team needs him to stay healthy.

The former second-round pick has missed seven games in his first two seasons, including four in 2021 with an injured shoulder.

Running backs coach and assistant head coach Duce Staley challenged Swift heading into the season.

“Injuries happen, but one of the things Swift and I had a conversation about is you’ve got to be able to play through some of these injuries as a running back,” Staley said via the Detroit Free Press. “We all know there’s a difference between being injured and hurt. As soon as you step in this building as a running back, Day One training camp, you’re not going to feel the same.

“There will be some things you have to fight through.”

Staley, who played 10 NFL seasons with the Eagles and Steelers, noted that luck plays a factor in some injuries — Swift missed two games in his rookie season due to a concussion — saying playing running back involved “violent car wrecks.”

“Playing running back, you’re going to take your fair share of hits,” Staley said. “You just have to make sure you protect yourself when it’s the time to protect yourself and then there’s going to be time to put it all out there.”

NEW ORLEANS

WR JARVIS LANDRY finds the summer air of Louisiana to be “fresh.”  Katherine Terrell of The Athletic:

The newest addition to the Saints receiving corps didn’t take long to make his presence known.

Jarvis Landry may still be learning the ropes in his first week of OTAs, but on Thursday, he made one of the plays of the day. Landry caught a pass from quarterback Jameis Winston one-handed on a 7-on-7 drill midway through the Saints’ open session.

In the aftermath, there was some immediate fire directed toward rookie defensive back Vincent Gray, with nearby coaches barking at the rookie not to hold.

“I got pulled a little bit, so it kind of took my other arm away, so I had just catch it any way I could,” Landry said with a smile.

A highlight that can only help a receiver group that’s still in transition, especially at this point in the offseason with so much unknown.

“I’m always going to be me. I’m very competitive,” Landry said. “I’m not really a trash-talker, but if it gets fiery, if it gets there, it gets there. It is what it is, but I’m just here to compete.”

Michael Thomas is still rehabbing an ankle injury that kept him off the field for the majority of the last two seasons, Deonte Harty hasn’t been at the open OTA sessions and rookie first-rounder Chris Olave, though he has been getting a lot of praise, is still too new to make a splash yet.

It’s no wonder Landry was the talk of the day during his first week, to the point that Marquez Callaway joked that reporters only wanted to ask him about his teammate.

“Jarvis is great,” Callaway said. “Jarvis loves it here, he loves being here. Older guy, loves the game, obviously everyone knows who he is. He loves the Saints, you can tell. … I love picking his brain.”

Said Saints coach Dennis Allen: “He looks like what I expect Jarvis to look like. … He’s really good in transition in and out of the top of the routes really pretty good. … He understands how to get open, and he also understands how to make plays with the ball in his hands once he’s got it. I think he was a really good addition for us, and I’m anxious to really kind of get going with him.”

At this point, it’s all about making connections, and that’s priority No. 1 for Winston and Landry. Even though they haven’t spent much time on the field together, the two already seem to have made strides.

“He’s a leader, man. He’s … one of the reasons why I came here, just the conversations that we had, the intent that he’s putting behind the things that he’s saying. Obviously, out here on the field, what you see is what you get,” Landry said before pointing to Winston on the field by himself. “Look, I don’t see nobody else out here. This guy is the last one. That’s who he is. That’s something that you want at that position and a part of your team.”

– – –

It’s all a juggling act for Landry, whose family is still in Cleveland. He had to miss OTA sessions last week for his daughter’s preschool graduation, and a pre-planned family trip is coming up, as well. The time crunch was evident Thursday when Landry chose to do his media session immediately after practice instead of waiting until later. He had a flight to catch.

“I’m just trying to get my feet back under me, trying to get an understanding of the playbook so I can play a little bit faster. But, you know, those things will come with just reps,” Landry said. “We’ve got a couple of weeks here before we close out, and that continues on into training camp and the season, so I’ll be ready.”

While Allen would prefer everyone to be around at this point, the practices are very much voluntary and they looked like it. Among those missing for the second week in a row were quarterback Taysom Hill, Harty, Thomas, running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, defensive backs Bradley Roby, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marshon Lattimore and P.J. Williams, defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner, linebacker Demario Davis and offensive lineman James Hurst. Offensive linemen Landon Young and Andrus Peat returned after missing last week, as did kicker Wil Lutz. Safety Marcus Maye participated in a limited capacity while Tyrann Mathieu was not present despite being there last week.

Landry raved about Allen, almost seeming surprised about how understanding he was about some missed practices while Landry gets settled. For Landry, it was important to be around as much as he could, crazy schedule and all.

“DA (Allen) is amazing. Obviously, this is a weird offseason for me. … I had a lot of moving parts going on and he was very understanding about me not being here early on. And getting here now, I’m happy to be back,” Landry said. “I’m happy to be on the grass, be running routes, have an opportunity to learn and be part of the culture and the team and find my place here.”

He added: “It’s been a breath of fresh air to be back home, to be around the culture that’s already been set here in New Orleans, the leadership that’s here already.”

TAMPA BAY

Jenna Laine of ESPN.com on QB TOM BRADY’s comments about his retirement and un-retirement:

Speaking publicly for the first time since ending his NFL retirement after 40 days, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday that he felt pressure to end his retirement because of free agency, and that his key reasons for his indecision stemmed from commitments to his family.

“At this stage, it’s like 55% yes and 45% no,” Brady said in a roundtable that aired on TNT following Capital One’s The Match golf outing with Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. “It’s not 100-0. That’s just the reality. It’s not that I’m not 100% committed, it’s just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it’s like, ‘Ugh. All right, here we go.’ It’s like running a marathon. You can’t decide two weeks before the marathon, ‘Hey, I’m going to start running.’ We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organization, and it all worked out.”

Brady was asked whether he had been ready to retire.

“Partly, you know, yes,” said Brady, who will turn 45 in August. “And I think when you’re their [Mahomes’ and Allen’s] age, if you were to ask me, ‘Are you going to play football next year?’ I would say there’s a 100% chance I’m playing. And I think as I’ve gotten older, that’s changed because I have other responsibilities.

“So the responsibilities are many people taking care of me and things that I have off the field that are really important to me like my family, my kids; my wife’s done an amazing job of that. That’s a big commitment from her, so it’s harder when you get older. I don’t even think they know what’s coming. Aaron [Rodgers] knows these things because your life gets bigger as we all do, our life gets more full — there’s more responsibilities.”

Brady is under contract with the Buccaneers through the 2022 season, after which he’ll be set to become an unrestricted free agent. He has not spoken about his future beyond the 2022 season.

LAS VEGAS

Vic Tafur of The Athletic ruminates on two outcasts who are seeking justice and redemption in Vegas.

Jon Gruden, in an email sent six years ago and leaked last October, wasn’t a fan of Colin Kaepernick getting another chance in the NFL.

The former Raiders coach, in an email to then-Washington president Bruce Allen said, “They suspend people for taking amino acids they should cut this f—.”

Gruden would go on to resign after more emails with racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks were detailed by the New York Times.

But Gruden, much like Kaepernick, would not and will not just fade away. Last Wednesday, only miles apart in Las Vegas, Gruden was enjoying a couple of big wins against the NFL in court while Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, was getting stretched out for a workout with Gruden’s old team, the Raiders.

Gruden and Kaepernick have one thing in common: They both feel that football was taken away from them.

Kaepernick hasn’t played since the 2016 season, during which he kneeled during the playing of the national anthem to protest lack of accountability in law enforcement, police brutality, racial inequality and social injustice. He opted out of his contract after that season; the 49ers, under a new regime with Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch taking over, have said they were otherwise going to release him.

After going unsigned entering the 2017 season, Kaepernick filed a grievance that October under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement alleging collusion to keep him out of the league. Former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick in kneeling, later also filed a grievance after going unsigned in the 2018 offseason, and the parties reached a settlement in February 2019, with the league paying an undisclosed amount and both sides saying they would have no further comment. (Reid was eventually signed in late September 2018 by the Carolina Panthers and played for them for two seasons.)

Kaepernick still wants to play though, and thanks to a push from Raiders owner Mark Davis, Kaepernick finally had his first workout for an NFL team last week since being effectively banished. (The Seahawks once brought him in for a meeting but not a workout.)

The workout was said to have been fine. Kaepernick is in good shape and can still fling the ball way downfield. Maybe this workout leads to another from a different team, but for the Raiders, the end result appears to be some notes scribbled in another player folder in a computer full of them. The Raiders bring in a lot of players for workouts — they have one of the best kickers in the league in Daniel Carlson and took time to watch two guys off the street kick balls this offseason.

New Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, in talking to reporters last week, wouldn’t comment on Kaepernick’s workout for the obvious reason that he is not on the team.

Football fans and reporters all have strong opinions on Kaepernick — some will never get over his stance during the anthem even though the league has taken on many of the social messages that he was promoting — and many will argue that he will be a distraction.

Teams don’t mind criticism if a player is going to start and potentially help lead it to wins — see the Browns ignoring the 23, now 24, civil suits filed against Deshaun Watson for sexual misconduct and still trading for and signing the quarterback to a massive contract — but the case becomes harder for a backup player. Kaepernick would come in as a clear backup to Derek Carr and battle Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham for a roster spot. All while being a major topic of conversation.

Considering that, one could even say that Gruden still might have a better chance of returning to the NFL than Kaepernick does.

Gruden is suing the league — and commissioner Roger Goodell specifically — for “creating a malicious and orchestrated campaign” to leak inappropriate emails sent by him between 2010 and 2018. The league wanted to force the issue into arbitration, as their contracts with employees stipulate, but that motion was denied, as Gruden was not fired and was rather given a settlement by the Raiders when he resigned. The NFL then tried to have the entire case dismissed but that was also rejected.

The league said that it will appeal the rulings, but people in Gruden’s camp think that the speed with which Judge Nancy Allf ruled makes the appeal a long shot.

This is the point where the NFL usually breaks out the checkbook to prevent its dirty laundry from being aired. But people close to Gruden think that he might want to have his day in court. He has plenty of money from his broadcasting, Raiders and sponsorship deals and may value putting Goodell on trial more than any dollar figure.

That’s all conjecture, as Gruden said in the courtroom last week that, “I’m just going to let the process take care of itself. … Go Raiders.”

No one has any idea how much money the NFL would offer if it loses its appeal and faces releasing more emails than Gruden’s from its investigation into the Washington Commanders. (That investigation led to a search of 650,000 emails, including Allen’s as the team’s then-president, and uncovered the messages sent by Gruden.)

One doesn’t need to look too hard to see why Gruden holds on to hope of a possible return to football. There’s the fact that Dan Snyder is still the owner of the Commanders despite the league’s investigation for repeated instances of sexual misconduct and despite Congress looking into alleged financial improprieties. Same with the limited fallout when it was revealed that the Cowboys paid a confidential settlement of $2.4 million to their cheerleading squad after it accused team executive Rich Dalrymple of voyeurism.

And we’ll go back to the Watson case. It’s hard for Gruden to think that he is finished when the Browns not only signed the quarterback despite all the allegations from massage therapists but structured his guaranteed contract so that he won’t be dinged very much when the NFL ultimately hands down his suspension.

It only takes one team, one owner to sign off on any past controversy. As long as you’re not a 34-year-old backup quarterback who took a knee.

CLEVELAND

The victims of QB DESHAUN WATSON say he has not offered enough money to buy their silence.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has more:

Buried at the bottom of page 2 of the 23rd lawsuit filed against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is nonchalant bombshell.

Here’s the quote, from footnote 2 to the petition filed against Watson by Nia Smith: “Of course, we now know that Deshaun Watson offered each Plaintiff $100,000 to settle their cases, but not all would accept that amount, due to the aggressive nondisclosure agreement that Watson’s team proposed.”

This is an apparent reference to the effort to settle all cases at the behest of the Dolphins, which wanted all cases settled before it would trade for Watson. As PFT reported at the time, 18 of the 22 cases were ready to be settled. Four of the plaintiffs refused.

Based on the language in footnote 2 to the Smith lawsuit, the nondisclosure language derailed the settlement. Attorney Rusty Hardin recently explained in a podcast appearance with Gabe Feldman that the Dolphins wanted the settlements to include the NDA language.

Earlier last year, a settlement of the claims was derailed because attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents all of the plaintiffs, wanted nondisclosure language and Hardin/Watson did not. Hardin told Feldman that Buzbee didn’t want the public to know how little his clients were getting.

By late October, they would have been getting $100,000 each. That’s the exact amount that initially was requested from Watson as an opening position, before the first lawsuit was filed and all legal hell broke loose.

Surely, if Watson could go back to that point and pay the $100,000, he would have. Clearly, he should have.

MIAMI

The conventional wisdom now is that QB TUA TAGOVIALOA has a popgun arm.  He is now speaking up in his defense.  Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com:

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is starting to let his guard down, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the team’s second day of mandatory minicamp Thursday.

Tagovailoa completed a pair of deep passes to wide receiver Tyreek Hill — for 45 and 55 yards — and made clear how he felt about the skepticism regarding his perceived arm strength.

“Yeah, if you’ve seen the third-to-the-last play we had — I don’t know if I could throw the ball downfield still, but by my account, I think that might have been a touchdown to Tyreek,” he said after practice. “If not, then we scored two plays after that to Tyreek. So you know, however you want to write down any of that to social media or whatever outlets you guys are with.”

One of the primary criticisms levied against Tagovailoa since he entered the league in 2020 is his perceived ability to push the ball downfield; since his rookie season, he ranks 30th among qualified passers in average air yards per attempt at 7.13 yards.

However, Tagovailoa led the NFL in completion percentage on passes at least 25 yards downfield, completing 50% of them — but he attempted only 18 such passes, the second fewest in the league.

In an interview with Muscle & Fitness magazine this week, he claimed his lack of downfield passing was more of a result of playcalling than natural ability.

“I have seen some improvements on being able to push the ball down the field once again,” he said. “I honestly think it’s just practice. I wasn’t really able to push the ball down the field last year because we didn’t have plays specifically to push the ball down the field. A lot of plays that were called last year were meant for one person. Either this person is open or the play might be dead.

“It’s a little different now. My second year was different than my rookie year and this year will be different than last year with how we go about doing things. I definitely feel a lot more confident being able to push the ball down the field. It’s going to be exciting.”

In that same interview, Tagovailoa said he spent a majority of his offseason developing his foundation and improving his arm strength and mobility.

The former No. 5 overall pick said he’s aware of what people say about his arm strength, mostly because the Dolphins’ communications department tells him to prepare him for what local media might ask him about.

In the past, he had declined to comment in depth about how those critiques make him feel; that was not the case Thursday.

“You know, for me, it’s just zone that out,” Tagovailoa said. “I mean, we come out to practice. Everyone else — Twitter warriors, you know, keyboard warriors, whatever you want to call them — they’re not out here practicing with us, working hard.

“I don’t know if you guys recorded that last one to Tyreek. I don’t know about you but that looked like money.”

Tagovailoa said this is the most open he’s been with the media since arriving in Miami and his comfort level stems from McDaniel’s efforts over the past few months to get him to open up.

Whether it’s in the hallway, meeting room or weight room, Tagovailoa said McDaniel likes to pop in to chat, even if it’s a brief conversation. He also said he’s “never been around a coach” like McDaniel who is “extremely positive.”

“I think his teammates have really noticed a difference in him; he’s opening up,” McDaniel said. “He’s kind of coming in his own in that regard. And he’s been unbelievably coachable. He’s let his guard down. And we’ve been able to keep his confidence high, which it should be right now for sure, while correcting him and getting this game better, which is the ultimate goal for everyone.”

THIS AND THAT

LANDING SPOTS FOR REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Matt Bowen of ESPN.com looks at the top remaining free agents and plays matchmaker.

As we hit June, the once long list of remaining NFL free agents continues to shrink. We just saw edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney sign with Cleveland, not long after cornerback James Bradberry joined the Eagles and edge rusher Melvin Ingram III decided to join the Dolphins. But teams are still looking for difference-makers, from potential impact starters to veterans who can provide depth chart competition, and there are plenty of big-name talents still available.

So who are the best players still on the free-agent market? And where do they fit best? We ranked the 10 best players still unsigned and picked the optimal landing spot for each one, considering needs, player skill set and scheme, among other factors. Some of these players will join new rosters this month, while others might end up savvy mid-training camp moves for teams filling injury voids or looking for more depth.

Which franchise could use Odell Beckham Jr.’s services, and who most needs Ndamukong Suh on their defensive front? Let’s take a closer look at the 10 best players still available and where they could land.

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT

Best fit: New Orleans Saints

I originally considered matching the veteran defensive tackle back with the Buccaneers, but with Tampa Bay signing Akiem Hicks, we should expect Suh to land with another contender during camp. Suh had six sacks in 2021 and put some good tape out there in the postseason.

I really like the idea of Suh playing in Dennis Allen’s defense. Even in a rotational role, Suh can still create disruption, command two in protection and get home to the quarterback in schemed fronts. He’d be effective in New Orleans with interior stunts and loops that create A-gap pressure and eliminate the quarterback’s ability to climb the pocket. And you need that when you see Tom Brady twice a season.

2. Odell Beckham Jr., WR

Best fit: Los Angeles Rams

When Beckham is cleared to return from his left knee injury suffered in the Super Bowl, his best fit is re-signing in Los Angeles. Just look at his production and role in coach Sean McVay’s offense last season. During the Rams’ postseason run to Super Bowl LVI, Beckham caught 21 of 26 targets for 288 yards and two scores.

We can look at isolation routes outside the numbers here, as well as slot fades, where Beckham can get up on the toes of defensive backs. He displays a detailed route tree and the separation speed to get loose. Beckham also fits with McVay’s schemed concepts, where quarterback Matthew Stafford can deliver the ball with timing on crossers and in-breakers. The Rams added Allen Robinson II in free agency to join Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson, but bringing Beckham back into the mix gives Stafford another proven target in a highly defined pass game.

3. Kevin King, CB

Best fit: Las Vegas Raiders

An injury limited King to 10 games in Green Bay last season, but he’s a long corner with coverage traits. And he has shown the ability to finish on the ball as a pro (seven career interceptions).

The Raiders will be much more multiple from a coverage perspective this year under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. A mix of single-high and split-safety shells would allow King to pedal and play off the ball — or roll up and challenge from press. The Raiders did trade for corner Rock Ya-Sin this offseason, but with a new staff in place and a loaded group of opposing quarterbacks to defend in the AFC West, you can never have enough guys who can cover. King is only 27 years old.

4. Landon Collins, S

Best fit: Jacksonville Jaguars

I view Collins as a scheme-specific safety at this stage of his career. He can run the alley in Quarters or spin down as a sub-package hybrid defender to generate disruption near the line of scrimmage. That’s why I’m looking at Jacksonville under new defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, who joins the Jags after working with Todd Bowles and the Bucs in 2021.

Look at how safety Jordan Whitehead was deployed in Tampa Bay last season. Collins has the top-down juice and the physical traits to play underneath in a similar role. And Collins, who had three sacks in Washington last season, can also be schemed as a blitzer. Adding a veteran player like Collins — who has 11 career interceptions — creates much-needed competition for a Jaguars team trying to establish a new defensive identity.

5. Julio Jones, WR

Best fit: Indianapolis Colts

Jones has missed at least seven games in each of the past two seasons, and the tape tells us that his explosive traits are declining at this stage of his career. But with his physical profile, he can be schemed in Indianapolis’ pass game — which is led by Jones’ former Falcons’ teammate Matt Ryan. Adding a veteran to the Colts’ young wide receiver room could give them a boost in specific game situations.

Michael Pittman II plays a big role in Frank Reich’s offense, and I’m excited to watch the development of rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce, given his vertical ability in the red zone. While Parris Campbell is still in the Colts’ plans despite consistent injury issues, there is a fit here for Jones to pair with Ryan as a rotational target. Throw Jones the three-step quick-game passes and the deep in-breakers that cater to Ryan’s ability to deliver the ball with anticipation and location.

Jones only caught 31 passes last season in Tennessee, but he caught more than 800 balls and 59 touchdowns from Ryan over their 10 seasons together in Atlanta.

6. Cole Beasley, WR

Best fit: Tennessee Titans

Beasley is nuanced and savvy, with the route quickness to separate underneath and the awareness to find soft voids in zone coverage. And he can still uncover from the slot. Beasley caught 82 of 112 targets this past season in Buffalo. He’s a chain-mover on third down and an interior target who will work the dirty areas of the field.

The Titans drafted Treylon Burks to replace A.J. Brown in their offense, and veteran Robert Woods is a good fit here given the in-breaking cuts we see in the team’s pass game. But Beasley would add a different element in 11 personnel sets, where the Titans need a boost in the dropback pass game on third down. He can shake coverage on crossers and option routes to give quarterback Ryan Tannehill a dependable second-level target when throwing from the pocket. Tennessee definitely needs some help here after ranking 27th in expected points added on third-down dropbacks last season.

7. Anthony Barr, ILB

Best fit: Dallas Cowboys

There is a premium on second-level players with sub-package traits in Dan Quinn’s defensive system. The Cowboys played a league-low 11 snaps of base defense in 2021. Enter Barr, who has the three-down ability to drop in coverage, pressure the QB and/or track the ball in the run game.

While I don’t see high-level impact ability with Barr at this stage of his career, he can be schemed-up in Quinn’s defense as a blitzer, and we know he has the ability to match/carry underneath in coverage. Barr picked off three passes last season in Minnesota.

Plus, with another rangy linebacker in Dallas, Quinn can drop Micah Parsons down as a defensive end in clear passing situations. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year registered a pass rush win rate of 29.2% last season, tops in the NFL.

8. Trey Flowers, DE

Best fit: New England Patriots

Flowers only played 14 games over the past two seasons, and the production never really hit in Detroit. Flowers produced just 10.5 sacks in his three years with the Lions. An edge rusher who lacks transcendent traits, Flowers benefits from heavily schemed fronts — which he will see back in New England.

Over his first three seasons in the NFL, the defensive end logged a total of 20.5 sacks with the Patriots. He wins with slants and stunts, along with the defined one-on-one pass-rush matchups. Flowers played his best and most disruptive football under Bill Belichick, so a return to New England makes sense.

9. Eric Fisher, OT

Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers

Fisher didn’t play his best football for the Colts last season after coming back from an Achilles injury suffered during the 2020 playoffs while with the Chiefs. But if we are looking at this as a depth/competition move, Pittsburgh could be in the mix here as a possible landing spot for Fisher. The Steelers have to continue to upgrade their offense line after already signing center Mason Cole and guard James Daniels in free agency.

I like the idea of adding the 31-year-old Fisher to push second-year left tackle Dan Moore in camp, as the Steelers will show the full playbook of Matt Canada’s offensive system with a new starting quarterback in either Mitch Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett. Fisher has posted a pass block win rate of at least 87% in each of his past four seasons.

10. William Fuller V, WR

Best fit: Cleveland Browns

Fuller’s availability issues are a real concern. In six pro years, he has never played a full season. Even so, the vertical element he brings to the field — the ability to run past the top of the secondary — should help him draw some interest over the summer and into training camp. Fuller’s 14.4 air yards per reception ranks third in the NFL since 2016.

He played with new Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston, and coach Kevin Stefanski schemes his play-action concepts, especially shot-play throws off max-protection, to create third-level voids to target. The Browns traded for Amari Cooper this offseason, and they do already have some straight-line speed on the roster in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz. But why not take a flier on Fuller as another deep-ball option for Watson?

Honorable mentions

Rob Gronkowski, TE: If Gronk doesn’t retire, his best fit is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is not a dominant force as a run-blocker at this stage of his career, but he can still stretch the seams and work the crossers. And Gronkowski would continue to see pass-game volume in Byron Leftwich’s system.

Sheldon Richardson, DT: Richardson can still produce some splash plays as an interior defender with pass-rush versatility. The Arizona Cardinals make sense to me as a landing spot. Richardson has the size and play strength to align in multiple spots for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Dont’a Hightower, ILB: I can see Hightower re-signing with the New England Patriots later this summer. You have to think about the system here, with a defender who lacks three-down coverage traits. But Hightower can play downhill in the Patriots’ defense, using his high-level awareness to track the ball.

BROADCAST NEWS

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post has news about Jason Garrett, Drew Brees and Greg Olsen.

NBC is eyeing Jason Garrett, the former Cowboys head coach and Giants offensive coordinator, to replace Drew Brees as the game analyst on Notre Dame football and possibly on its prime time NFL pregame studio show, “Football Night in America,” The Post has learned.

Garrett, 56, is already working with NBC on its USFL coverage. He has been teamed with Jac Collinsworth, who could be Garrett’s partner on the Fighting Irish games, according to sources.

NBC declined to comment. Garrett did not immediately return messages.

Brees teamed with Mike Tirico last year to call Notre Dame, while also calling two NFL games and working as part of the Sunday night studio show. Tirico has been promoted to be the play-by-play voice of “Sunday Night Football” in place of Al Michaels.

The Post previously reported that Brees and NBC were breaking up after one year. In a tweet following the publishing of that story, Brees confirmed that he was in limbo, but said he could return to NBC or the NFL, train for pickle ball or the senior golf tour. He also added he may concentrate on his philanthropic and business works or just coach his kids. He concluded by raising the possibility of doing all of it at once.

Sources have said that focusing on his philanthropic and business works was actually the leading candidate.

Fox, however, has considered hiring Brees to be its No. 2 game analyst, according to sources. Brees favors calling NFL games to studio work.

Drew Brees’ exit from NBC could lead to Jason Garrett taking his TV spot.

Fox, according to sources, is not going to offer Brees big money (probably in the $1.5 million to $2 million per year range) compared to Tom Brady’s 10-year, $375 million deal. Fox has already promoted Greg Olsen to be its No. 1 analyst, with Brady in the on-deck circle.

If Brees and Fox work out a deal, it might be for only one year guaranteed or with options for Brees to leave if Brady shows up next season. Brees, though, may decide he would rather just step away from calling games. If he does that, however, he could be labeled — probably unfairly after just one season — as a broadcasting bust.

While Brees’ on-air future is in question, NBC has identified Garrett as a potential candidate to replace him.

Garrett was fired last year as the Giants’ offensive coordinator by then head coach Joe Judge. Garrett has already entered the broadcast booth, but he is positioned now for an even bigger spot.

FLOORS AND CEILINGS IN 2022 FOR ROOKIE QBs

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com looks at best and worst case scenarios for the current crop of rookie QBs.

What’s the worst that could happen? A fair question to ask yourself when a rookie quarterback is thrust onto an NFL field maybe a little too early. There’s a legitimate chance none of the 2022 first-year passers take the field in Week 1 and sound arguments that none should.

But NFL coaches are people just like the rest of us, and society today is too fond of waiting to get their young quarterbacks into a regular-season game. And as we’ve seen with the likes of Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, sometimes rookie passers can experience a best-case scenario in Year 1.

In this article, I’ve gone deep and gotten very specific in my determination of the best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2022 rookie quarterbacks. As you’ll see below, the figures were based upon these quarterbacks actually getting a chance to play considerable snaps in their first seasons — which of course isn’t a guarantee. But for the sake of the article, we’re going to assume the quarterbacks included all get a sizable opportunity. From there, I of course took liberties with how much above or below the averages I feel each quarterback could land in a best- and worst-case scenario.

I decided not to include Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe, as I view his chances of playing exceptionally slim barring an injury to Mac Jones. The same goes for Sam Howell of the Commanders, Chris Oladokun of the Steelers, Miami’s Skylar Thompson, or 49ers’ Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy for the same reason on their respective teams.

To begin, I found parameters of expectations for these first-year passers. Over the past five seasons, 22 quarterbacks who threw at least 200 passes as a rookie. Now, in theory, using a larger sample size would be conducting this study by the book.

However, NFL studies are not like most other studies in that a larger sample size can actually be counterproductive because of how swiftly the game changes for everyone on the field, most notably the quarterbacks. Including passers from even before, say, 2015 feels too outdated to be predictive whatsoever.

                                                            Comp%   YPA   TD%   INT%   QBRate   Sack% 

High mark (Deshaun Watson, 2017)  61.8%       8.3     9.3      3.9         103         8.52

Low mark (Josh Rosen, 2018)           55.2%       5.8     2.8      3.6         66.7      10.27

Average of entire group                     60.7%       6.79   3.84    2.84       81.9        7.56

For context on the averages, the 60.7% completion was almost identical to Baker Mayfield’s last year. The 6.79 yards-per-attempt figure was comparable to Daniel Jones in 2021. Jared Goff had a 3.8 TD rate, Trevor Lawrence had a 2.8% interception rate, the collective’s 81.9 rating would’ve been smack dab between Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett from a season ago and the 7.56 sack rate was comparable to Russell Wilson’s during his final year with the Seahawks.

I picked Watson as the “high-mark” quarterback because he had the highest yards-per-attempt average, TD%, and quarterback rating. However, it’s important to remember that Watson was limited to seven games as a rookie due to injury. Rosen represented the majority of the lowest rates and ratings among the quarterbacks included in this project, easily making him the “low mark.”

Now that you have genuine, stat-based expectations to refer to, let’s get to best- and worst-case scenarios for 2022 rookie passers.

Kenny Pickett

PIT • QB •

Best-case scenario: 64% completion, 7.4 yards per attempt, 3,330 passing yards, 22 TD passes, 11 INTs, 32 sacks, 92.3 rating

Worst-case scenario: 58% completion, 6.6 yards per attempt, 2,970 passing yards, 14 TD passes, 13 INTs, 41 sacks, 72.2 rating

These predictions are based on 450 pass attempts, which is relatively low, but I felt it necessary to factor that Pickett may not start Week 1, the Steelers have old-school workhorse Najee Harris in their backfield, and the Steelers giving off a strong “we want to win games 17-14” vibe. At 450 pass attempts over 17 games — which, again, isn’t a given for Pickett as a rookie — would equate to an average of around 26 tosses per game, which isn’t significantly low and just four pass attempts per game lower than Jones’ average in 2021.

That 7.4 yards-per-attempt average would narrowly eclipse Jones and Herbert in their respective rookie seasons.

Pittsburgh’s offensive line is marred with uncertainty, but it’s not crazy to believe it will be a much-improved unit from 2021’s atrocity given the experienced Dan Moore and Kendrick Green got last season and the acquisition of James Daniels on the interior. The skill-position group is sneaky good — not amazing — so Pickett will be supported well at the receiver and tight end spots, which of course is integral for any young quarterback.

Desmond Ridder

ATL • QB •

Best-case scenario: 62% completion, 7.0 yards per attempt, 3,185 passing yards, 18 TD passes, 8 INTs, 37 sacks, 87.8 rating

Worst-case scenario: 57% completion, 6.3 yards per attempt, 2,866 passing yards, 10 TD passes, 16 INTs, 50 sacks, 67.52 rating

Based on 455 pass attempts, and would come from Ridder averaging 35 pass attempts per game over 13 contests. Those figures are simply predictions, not spit out from an advanced formula or model of any kind.

The thought process with those figures centers around two main ideas — Arthur Smith, now in Year 2 with the Falcons, has already grown tired with Marcus Mariota once, it won’t be a challenge for him to do it again if the veteran begins the season poorly. Secondly, the Falcons are still a few years away altogether but particularly on defense. In a perfect world, Atlanta wouldn’t ask their young quarterback to throw it 35 times per game on average. In-game deficits will create many situations for Ridder to drop back to pass.

Ridder takes quality care of the football, and while playing from behind is a recipe for a higher interception rate for any quarterback, the former Cincinnati star should hover on the lower side of that stat category.

Malik Willis

TEN • QB •

Best-case scenario: 61% completion, 7.0 yards per attempt, 2,352 passing yards, 15 TD passes, 9 INTs, 25 sacks, 85.81 rating

Worst-case scenario: 54% completion, 6.2 yards per attempt. 2,083 passing yards, 8 TD passes, 14 INTs, 40 sacks, 63.3 rating

Baked into Willis’ best-case scenario is ironically somewhat of a worst-case scenario for the Titans in which Ryan Tannehill begins to flame out, Derrick Henry isn’t robot defender-mashing Derrick Henry anymore, and the A.J. Brown-less offense sputters out of the gate. In this hypothetical, that would spark a Tannehill benching and an elevation to the starting gig for Willis just five weeks into his rookie season, much earlier than anyone in the Titans organization would prefer Willis to be taking meaningful snaps for the team.

However, it’s rare for first-year quarterbacks to have prolonged waiting periods on the sidelines, and Willis’ overall talent — particularly his arm — exceeds what Tannehill offers in what will be his age-34 season.

Each scenario was based on him playing 12 games, while averaging 26 pass attempts per outing, as a rookie. For perspective on that pass-attempt figure, Tannehill averaged just over 31 per outing last year.

Willis can hit big plays, which when looking at his yards-per-attempt average, could offset some misses, although from a clean pocket, he had fantastic control of the football at Liberty. The sacks will happen at a higher rate initially, and as he works through reading and reacting to the complexities of NFL coverage, there’ll be interceptions. But don’t be shocked if Willis leans on his legs early in his career instead of putting the ball in harm’s way if he doesn’t like what he sees, thereby leading to fewer picks than most expect.

Matt Corral

CAR • QB •

Best-case scenario: 61% completion, 6.8 yards per attempt, 2,224 passing yards, 14 TD passes, 8 INTs, 20 sacks, 84.9 rating

Worst-case scenario: 53% completion, 6.2 yards per attempt, 2,046 passing yards, 8 TD passes, 13 INTs, 33 sacks, 63.7 rating

These scenarios are based upon Corral getting 10 starts during his rookie season. Initially, I was going to give him more, because I think Sam Darnold’s leash is incredibly short, but then I remember about the presence of Matt Rhule’s guy PJ Walker, a former Temple product who appeared in five contests last season.

While it’d probably make sense for Rhule to simply give Corral an opportunity if Darnold falters yet again, it’d be true to what’s become Rhule form if he trotted out a former college player of his over someone the team traded up for on Day 3 in April. At least for a few games.

I tabbed Corral’s pass-attempt-per-game average at 33, given that the Panthers are likely to be in many holes this season, thereby leading to must-throw situations. A nice cushy NFL debut for Corral would be against the Falcons in Week 8. In general, my predictions are lower for Corral’s than most of the quarterbacks in this project because I was lower on him as a prospect — mostly due to accuracy issues and the very simple RPO-based offense at Ole Miss — and that fact that no quarterbacks have been all that efficient during the Rhule era. Plus, Carolina’s skill-position group is nothing to write home about.