NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

More on the Eagles signing of RB SAQUON BARKLEY.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

Saquon Barkley says the Texans were a strong contender for his services before he signed with the Eagles.

Barkley says he spoke with C.J. Stroud and some other Texans players before free agency started and was very interested in Houston.

“Probably the team that had my first interest was Houston. I got to communicate with C.J. and a couple of those boys, but this was before when you could actually put offers on the table and talk to teams,” Barkley said on the New Heights podcast, via the New York Post.

The Eagles’ signing of Barkley is under investigation after Barkley’s college coach said that Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman talked to Barkley before free agency began. That would be against NFL rules, but it was legal for Stroud and other players to recruit Barkley.

Barkley said he had a couple good offers in free agency but felt best about Philadelphia, which is not far from where he played his college football at Penn State.

“I probably never imagined myself playing for Philly six years ago, but I get to come back to Pennsylvania, my family is from Pennsylvania, my lady, our kids, grandmas all that is from Pennsylvania and we’re already close and we can even get to get closer and get a chance to compete. I got to admire them from afar, admire what he was able to build over there and get to be part of that culture. It was a no-brainer for me,” Barkley said.

After missing out on Barkley, the Texans traded for running back Joe Mixon.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Veteran WR ADAM THIELEN has QB BRYCE YOUNG’s back.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young battled through a rough rookie campaign.

The top pick played behind a struggling offensive line with a singular weapon in the passing game and little aid from the rushing attack. Young didn’t help himself with mistakes and obvious growing pains. All in all, it culminated in a disappointing first season for a player the Carolina Panthers mortgaged the future to acquire.

Joining NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Wednesday, Panthers receiver Adam Thielen highlighted the hamstrung situation Young was forced to play under in his first season.

“Yeah, well, I’ll say this: I mean, I think everything was stacked against him last year, unfortunately,” Thielen said. “And I’m not gonna get into detail as to why that was, but I’m just really excited for him to have a fresh start, an ability to have a good coaching staff that’s gonna put a good plan together to help him be successful, and also to put people around him to help him be successful.”

– – –

The Panthers have added former number one overall EDGE JADEVEON CLOWNEY.  It’s a homecoming for the well-traveled Gamecock.

Free agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney has agreed to a contract with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Wednesday.

Terms were not disclosed but sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Clowney agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract that can be worth up to $24 million.

Clowney will receive bonuses for reaching 8, 10 and 12 sacks in each season, a league source told ESPN’s David Newton.

For Clowney, this is a homecoming. He is a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, about 25 minutes south of Charlotte where he starred at South Pointe High School. He also attended the University of South Carolina, about 90 minutes south of Charlotte.

Clowney was the top pick of the 2014 draft by the Houston Texans.

For the Panthers, this fills a huge need after they traded two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants.

They signed D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson during free agency, with Chaisson brought in more as a project and Wonnum a projected starter. But neither of those players is a proven pass-rusher like Clowney. The Panthers finished last in the NFL last season with 27 sacks.

Besides the Panthers, Clowney received interest from the New York Jets, visiting the team last week.

Clowney, 31, got his career back on track last year, becoming one of the bigger surprises on the Baltimore Ravens with his pass rush and durability. He proved he can still impact games by getting to the quarterback with 9.5 sacks, which tied a career high. In the AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Clowney recorded a sack in helping Baltimore shut out Patrick Mahomes in the second half.

The Ravens signed Clowney to a one-year, $2.5 million contract last year on the final day of training camp because they needed experienced depth at pass-rusher. He then earned $2.75 million in incentives by exceeding nine sacks and participating in over 60% of Baltimore’s snaps on defense. In a career filled with injuries, Clowney played in 19 games for Baltimore last season (including playoffs), which is only the second time he’s suited up for every game in a season.

Clowney was not heavily pursued in free agency last year because of a tumultuous exit from the Cleveland Browns in 2022. He was ruled out of the final regular-season game after he was quoted as saying the Browns were more worried about getting individual accolades for Myles Garrett than winning games. Clowney later said those comments were never on the record.

Clowney is a three-time Pro Bowl player who has totaled 363 tackles, 52.5 sacks and 15 forced fumbles in 10 seasons. After spending his first five seasons with the Texans, he has played for four teams in his last five seasons (the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Browns and Ravens).

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

If QB J.J. McCARTHY has indeed made it a Big Four of QBs atop the draft, the Cardinals are sitting pretty.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

If you drive by the Arizona Cardinals’ practice facility and hear a steady hum, don’t be alarmed. It’s just the neon “OPEN” sign hanging outside general manager Monti Ossenfort’s office.

“I don’t like it blinking,” Ossenfort said, tongue planted firmly in his cheek. “That kind of messes with my eyes.”

The second-year general manager doesn’t actually need a noble gas to let other teams know he’s open to discussing a trade for the No. 4 pick in this year’s NFL draft. The “action,” as Ossenfort called it, started heating up in the last couple weeks and continued this week in Orlando at the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings.

Whether the Cardinals are actually interested in trading out of the fourth pick is something maybe only Ossenfort, and possibly a few select others, knows at this point. But that won’t stop him from taking calls from and having conversations with other teams.

“We’re always going to be listening,” Ossenfort said. “I think we will always have the conversation. We may not get to a point where the deal makes sense, whether it’s at four or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation, and if it makes sense and if it’s attractive to building our team and then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft.”

For months, three quarterbacks have been projected to go in the top three picks: USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels. Lately, the chatter that a fourth quarterback — Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy — could be considered a top first-round pick has put the spotlight on the Cardinals and Ossenfort. McCarthy was initially a 50-1 favorite to go No. 2 when the markets opened in February, according to ESPN Bet. On Monday, that dropped to 10-1 and by Tuesday it was 3-1.

Should McCarthy go that high, it could cause a chaotic chain of events — and the Cardinals would be right in the middle of it.

What’s to be determined will be how much draft capital it’ll take to get into the top picks, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said this week in Orlando, Florida. Denver has the 12th pick, but Payton said it’s “realistic” that the Broncos could conceivably trade their way into contention for a top quarterback.

“I think it’s good to be Monti today at Arizona, right?” Payton said Monday.

To which Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said on Tuesday: “No kidding.”

However, New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo threw another wrinkle into the conversation at the NFL’s annual meetings: After initially thinking there were only three top-tier quarterbacks, he now says there are five.

Like Ossenfort, Mayo said the Patriots, who have the No. 3 overall pick, are open for business, too.

“We are open,” Mayo said Monday. “We’re open to trading the pick. We’re open to taking a guy there.”

Most of the conversations Ossenfort has had, is having or will have are about possibilities — laying the groundwork for a potential trade.

“We pick at four, that means we don’t know what’s going to happen at one, two, and three,” Ossenfort said. “So, I think people have conversations, ‘Hey, if this happens or if so-and-so is available here, then maybe we could talk and it would look something like this.’ But, ultimately there’s still a lot of unknown, and, really, there will be until we’re on the clock that Thursday night in April.”

With about four weeks left until the first round kicks off on April 25, Ossenfort expects the calls and conversations to continue until then. But he said they likely won’t get “real serious” until the week of the draft. That’s what happened last year: The Cardinals traded out of the No. 3 overall pick down to 12th and then back up to sixth, where they chose tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

“The pro day piece is kind of the final on field piece for evaluation purposes,” Ossenfort said.

As of now, the Cardinals are still in the middle of organizing their own board but they’re on target with a month left, Ossenfort said. ESPN insider Field Yates’ mock draft has the Cardinals taking former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4, while insider Matt Miller has Arizona trading its pick to Denver.

Gannon said he’s “excited” with Arizona’s plan, where the Cardinals are with their evaluation and what they need to add to the roster. This time of year, though, even though they talk daily, Gannon tries to stay out of Ossenfort’s way.

“Right now, he’s in season, so I leave him alone a little bit,” Gannon said. “This is like his baby, so I just say, ‘Hey, you just do your thing, man. Just do your thing. We feel good about it.'”

SEATTLE

Mookie Alexander of SB Nation suggests a trade for the Seahawks:

Instead of a mock draft, how about a mock trade?

The Seattle Seahawks are smack dab in the middle of the NFL Draft order at pick 16. They do not have a second-round pick due to the Leonard Williams trade, and gave up one of their third-rounders to the Washington Commanders, so they’re currently slated to have just two selections in the top 100.

It’s been six years since the Seahawks last traded down in the first round of the draft. John Schneider moved from No. 18 (where the Green Bay Packers selected Jaire Alexander) to No. 27 to select running back Rashaad Penny. Since then, Seattle has stood pat with its top pick.

NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter recently wrote a column on six logical first-round trades, and the Seahawks are involved. Reuter suggests a swap between Seattle and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, giving Seattle a second-round pick and an extra pick next year.

Chiefs receive:

No. 16 overall pick (Round 1)

Seahawks receive:

No. 32 overall (Round 1)

No. 64 overall (Round 2)

2025 third-round choice

Schneider might welcome this deal because he traded his second-round pick to the Giants for defensive lineman Leonard Williams last fall. Even after moving down 16 slots, Schneider could still find a new starting offensive lineman (Cooper Beebe or Jackson Powers-Johnson), defensive lineman (Braden Fiske or Jer’Zahn Newton) or linebacker (Edgerrin Cooper, Trevin Wallace or Payton Wilson) late in the first. Schneider may have interest in the 2025 third-round pick Kansas City received from Tennessee in the L’Jarius Sneed trade, having already dealt next year’s fifth-rounder in the Williams trade.

I feel like it’s in Seattle’s best interests to trade down and find a route back into the second round, although I’d probably angle for something stronger than a 2025 third-rounder. I’d be surprised if the Chiefs wanted to move that high up in the draft to (presumably) take a wide receiver, but anything in which the Seahawks can take part in Round 2 is preferable.

If there was ever a year to return to trading down to gain extra picks, it’s this one.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Despite another Super Bowl win, despite being shamed by the NFLPA survey, despite an initital reaction that seemed to be understanding of the players’ plight – miserly owner Clark Hunt is not going to renovate the Chiefs’ awful locker room this summer.  Sportsnaut.com:

For the second year in a row, the NFLPA has publicly released player team report cards, grading all 32 NFL teams on various aspects, from coaching, family treatment, and facilities, such as the locker room. While the Kansas City Chiefs have won the past two Super Bowls, they’ve also generated some very poor remarks from their own players in these NFLPA grades.

One of the worst grades the Chiefs received was due to their facilities, where Kansas City ranked 31st, only ahead of the Washington Commanders. The only area in which the Chiefs graded worse was where Clark Hunt ranked as the worst owner in the NFL, thanks to the poor conditions of the facilities in addition to the team’s overall quality of care for its players and their families.

However, the 47 Chiefs players who were polled for the survey did so with the belief that the Chiefs were set to renovate the team’s locker room just after the 2022 season concluded. Yet, a renovation never came, and according to The Athletic, this left Chiefs players feeling misled.

Yet, according to Hunt, no one ever promised to upgrade the facilities, so he’s not sure why players believed otherwise.

“I have spoken to some of our veteran players about that, and they’ve confirmed to me that it was miscommunication. Certainly, I personally never said anything to them about a renovation of the locker room. It was a misunderstanding.” – Kansas City Chiefs team owner Clark Hunt

While the Chiefs may not be getting a renovated locker room in the very near future, we could see major changes down the line. Yet, those plans are contingent on an upcoming vote to approve a three-eighths-cent sales tax. If passed, the Chiefs plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, yet the overhaul may not be completed until 2031, the final year on Patrick Mahomes’ contract.

Nevertheless, Hunt said he anticipates further “significant investments” in the training facility this year at the very least.

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com looks at the vast overhaul of the Steelers QB room:

Omar Khan sat on a sectional couch in the glow of a sunny late March afternoon and answered reporters’ questions. The Pittsburgh Steelers general manager appeared relaxed. Four weeks earlier in Indianapolis, standing before the same group of reporters, Khan had seemed tense, reserved.

It was Feb. 29 when Khan was asked by the media assembled for the NFL combine about his team’s 2024 quarterback options. At that moment, Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback on the Steelers’ roster. Khan expressed “full faith” in the 2022 first-round pick.

Twenty-seven days later, as Khan sat on a terrace at the Ritz-Carlton for the league’s annual meetings, Pickett was gone, traded to Philadelphia where he’ll serve as the backup. Nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and promising former first-round draft choice Justin Fields were now the Steelers’ quarterbacks. Khan grinned.

“If you would’ve told me a month ago when we spoke in Indy that we’d be sitting here a month later, and that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields would be our quarterbacks? … Yeah, I’d be a little bit surprised.”

The Steelers, an organization long renowned for its methodical decision-making processes, had spent the previous month taking the most un-Steeler-like approach possible in a quest to end a seven-year stretch without a playoff win and perhaps give them a shot at a seventh Lombardi Trophy.

They had acquired not one, but two splashy quarterbacks and traded away a once-prized first-round pick — though dealing Pickett had more to do with circumstance than any grand plan. Khan, coach Mike Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II — all feeling the mounting frustration of a playoff win drought — ultimately opted to place full faith not in the status quo but in the unknown, and Wilson and Fields had been convinced to come along for the ride.

“We’re trying to win a Super Bowl this year,” Khan said. “Those decisions were made with the intent that they could help us this year.”

IN THE MOMENTS after the Steelers’ 31-17 wild-card loss at the Bills on Jan. 15, much of the public focus turned to the future of coach Mike Tomlin, who declined to answer a question about his contract in a postgame news conference. Behind the scenes, however, the Steelers were confronting the reality that it was their quarterback succession plan that needed to be adjusted.

Pickett, whom the team selected with the No. 20 pick as heir to the retired Ben Roethlisberger in 2022, spent the playoff loss in Buffalo on the bench. Pickett lost his job weeks earlier to Mason Rudolph, the third-stringer who capitalized on a Pickett ankle injury and the ineffectiveness of backup Mitch Trubisky to author the team’s best stretch of offense in two years. When Pickett returned to health but didn’t get his starting job back, league observers wondered if the writing was on the wall for Pickett.

But multiple sources within the Steelers organization acknowledged the quarterback was placed in poor situations during his two years in Pittsburgh, and wasn’t given the adequate support required for a young quarterback. A flawed offense that sparked the 2023 midseason firing of coordinator Matt Canada was part of the picture, as was a shaky offensive line and an inconsistent group of skill players around Pickett.

The 2024 season represented a chance for Pickett to hit reset with an organization that could better position him for the role they selected him to hold. The Steelers hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, a move that reinforced a commitment to the run game and a balanced offense.

In his previous stint as a coordinator with the Tennessee Titans, Smith’s offenses had flourished with the duo of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, and there was optimism a play-action, run-heavy offense in Pittsburgh would play to Pickett’s strengths. Soon after he was hired, Smith traveled to South Florida to visit with Pickett, team sources told ESPN, and the pair hit it off.

But Pickett wasn’t going to be handed the starting job, and the Steelers were committed to adding meaningful competition in the QB room. Rudolph, who impressed the team with his work ethic and poise in the four-game starting stint, was an early favorite to re-sign with the team but a deal between the two sides never got close, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Rudolph agreed to a deal with the Titans on the first day of free agency.

The Steelers also considered reuniting Tannehill with his former offensive coordinator Smith, per a team source, and gave a cursory look at Kirk Cousins before quickly deciding signing him was out of their price range. Pickett remained Plan A.

“Arthur’s very optimistic about Kenny, and they communicated,” Khan said in February. “We will have some strong competition there, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Asked specifically about available players, including Wilson, Fields and Cousins, Khan added: “I’m not going to go into details about the conversations that we’ve had, but I can tell you that I have an obligation to look at every avenue that’s out there to try to make us a better football team.”

Five days later, the Denver Broncos announced their intention to release Wilson, and the best avenue revealed itself.

THE INTEREST WAS mutual from the beginning of free agency. As the Falcons zeroed in on Cousins, the Buccaneers re-signed Baker Mayfield and the Raiders and Vikings appeared focused on drafting a quarterback, Pittsburgh became an attractive destination because it offered Wilson a legitimate opportunity for a starting job.

Once Denver provided Wilson with a letter permitting him to speak and meet with other teams ahead of his release March 4, negotiations could commence. The Steelers asked for an in-person meeting with Wilson, who told the Steelers he was also in the process of scheduling a visit with the New York Giants.

The morning after meeting with the Giants on March 7, Wilson flew to Pittsburgh for an in-person meeting at the team facility. Wilson FaceTimed with Tomlin prior to arriving at Steelers headquarters, and had conversations with several of the team’s defensive leaders, including Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“The level of respect for Russ was really apparent and made you feel good,” said a source close to Wilson during the free agency process.

Sweetening the deal for Pittsburgh was Wilson’s modest $1.2 million contract, with the Broncos picking up the rest of the $85 million cap charge from the five-year extension he signed with the team in 2022. Though the acquisition of Wilson would be an uncharacteristically splashy deal for the Steelers, it was also an inexpensive one.

But Tomlin was also impressed by Wilson’s drive, a significant factor in getting the deal done, a league source said.

“The most attractive component of his profile, to me, is his quest for greatness, his chase for legacy,” Tomlin said in Orlando. “… This is a guy that’s driven, and you want to work with people of that mindset. This guy’s got a vision of what he wants his career to look like, and he’s got a lot of work to do.”

Wilson didn’t ask for assurances about a starting job, according to a source familiar with the conversations, and the Steelers didn’t give any.

“He’s competed all of his life,” the source said. “He’s not afraid of it.”

Wilson departed Pittsburgh late on Friday, March 8, and the organization huddled all weekend before extending an offer.

“If [Wilson] gives [the Steelers] what he did with Denver, that will be more than enough,” a team source said. “Not asking him to come in and do anything different.”

The Steelers believed, one team source said, that adding Wilson “would have been a benefit to Kenny,” and the pursuit of Wilson would “kick Kenny into gear” and reignite the competitive fire that had made him so attractive to Pittsburgh in the draft evaluation process.

Instead, it did the opposite.

WILSON POSTED THE video announcement at 11:36 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 10. Set to the Steelers’ signature hype song “Renegade,” Wilson’s 50-second video featured a slow-motion compilation of Terrible Towels waving at Acrisure Stadium, finishing with a Steelers logo as the music swelled and the chorus hit.

The jig is up, the news is out. They finally found me.

Wilson posted the video along with a short, yet clear message: “Year 13. Grateful. @Steelers”

To Pickett, the message must have seemed clear, too. The fanfare of Wilson’s late-night announcement, posted as he attended a post-Oscars party with his wife Ciara, didn’t have the feel of a quarterback coming in to be a backup. The Steelers’ plan, communicated to Pickett upon Wilson’s signing, per a team source, was that Wilson would take the first-team reps, but it would be an “open competition.”

Pickett, per multiple sources, believed the Steelers were going back on their initial plan to give him the first-team reps, placing him at a disadvantage in any competition. Pickett expressed that he would rather play elsewhere and make a fresh start than compete from second place in Pittsburgh. On March 11, the day legal tampering opened in the NFL, and less than 24 hours after Wilson’s announcement, rumblings of Pickett’s anger began reverberating around the league, per sources who were involved in free agency negotiations for available quarterbacks. Four days later, the Steelers introduced Wilson in a noon news conference and then traded Pickett to the Eagles that same afternoon in a deal that included a picks swap.

“I just thought it was time,” Pickett said upon his introduction in Philly. “I felt like it was time for the things that transpired. Wanted to get a chance to go somewhere else and continue to grow my career.”

Khan was conciliatory in response, saying, “Kenny’s a good football player, a good quarterback. I think he’s got a big future in the NFL still. Things just kind of evolved.”

Once news of Pickett’s Pittsburgh departure broke Friday afternoon, buzz around the league started building about the Steelers making a deal with the Chicago Bears for Fields.

The Steelers had been monitoring the cost to acquire Fields as they evaluated options to compete with Pickett, though it was only after Pickett had expressed his desire for a fresh start, a team source said, that the Steelers began actively engaging the Bears in talks.

Chicago, intending to move the three-year starter as it prepared to select a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, was willing to give Fields some say in his next destination. The Steelers were one of four teams on Fields’ radar prior to the start of free agency, along with the Vikings, Raiders and Falcons, a source familiar with Fields’ thinking said.

Fields “thought highly of Tomlin,” one source close to the quarterback said.

As with Wilson, the Steelers’ interest was mutual. Tomlin had attended Ohio State’s pro day in 2021 and wasn’t shy about praising the dynamic quarterback.

“You know who we came to see,” Tomlin said to Fields prior to the quarterback’s workout that day.

And though Smith took the job in Pittsburgh expecting to work with Pickett, Fields’ profile, one similar to Wilson’s, as a dynamic, mobile quarterback with a big arm, also fits Smith’s play-action-heavy system.

Less than 30 hours after trading Pickett, the Steelers executed the trade for Fields, acquiring him for a 2025 sixth-round pick that could be upgraded to a fourth if Fields plays more than 51% of snaps in the 2024 season.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles ultimately followed through on a combine pledge to “do right by Justin,” dealing Fields to Pittsburgh over at least one better offer from a team with an established quarterback starter, a Bears team source said.

As the trade was being finalized, the Steelers reached out to both Wilson and Fields, informing them that Wilson will have the “pole position” entering 2024. The 25-year-old Fields, they said, was added and would learn behind the 35-year-old Wilson. But, as Tomlin suggested at league meetings in Orlando, that doesn’t mean the door is completely closed on a quarterback competition.

“Rest assured when it’s time to compete, Justin will be given an opportunity to compete,” Tomlin said. “And we’ll allow those guys to sort themselves out.”

Wilson publicly welcomed Fields to Pittsburgh on X, posting a photo of the two shaking hands after a Broncos-Bears game along with the message, “let’s get it,” and tagging Fields. “QB room bout to be [fire emojis].”

Although the acquisitions are financially low risk for the moment — Fields’ will earn $3.2 million this season, but the Steelers have to decide on his $25.7 million fifth-year option for 2025 by May 2 — the stakes couldn’t be higher for any of the central figures in the episode.

Wilson stabilized his career with a modestly successful 26-touchdown, eight-interception season in 2023, but his two-year tenure in Denver called into question whether he can be an elite passer or fuel another Super Bowl run. Wilson must prove he can thrive again, and in a new offense directed by Smith.

Fields showed flashes of talent in three seasons with the Bears, but not consistently enough for Chicago to devote its future to him. He’ll need to demonstrate he can continue to develop under Smith in 2024, and in what figures to be a backup role.

Khan and Tomlin, the key orchestrators of the deals, are on the hook to turn the Steelers into a postseason factor again, if not a Super Bowl team. Even with a better QB situation and a top-notch defense returning, Pittsburgh’s ESPN BET over-under for 2024 sits at 8.5 wins, reflecting middling perceptions within an AFC North that again seems to be a gauntlet.

The impact of the headline-grabbing maneuvers executed over 13 days in March won’t be fully known for at least 11 months.

“I owe it to the Steeler Nation to do everything I can to try to get to the Super Bowl,” Khan said. “Every decision that we make and that we talk about, every move that we make and talk about is based on that.

“Sometimes we make moves, we make decisions, sometimes we don’t, but it’s always with the intent of doing what we can to get the second week in February.”

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

The Jaguars have rewarded one of their best contributors with a nice contract extension per ProFootballTalk.com:

One of the NFL’s most productive tacklers has earned himself a new deal.

Linebacker Foye Oluokun has agreed to a new four-year contract that will keep him tied to the team through 2027, according to multiple reports.

The initial reported numbers indicate Oluokun’s deal is worth $45 million with $22.5 million guaranteed at signing.

Oluokun had one year left on the three-year contract he signed with the Jaguars in the 2022 offseason, but it has been replaced.

Oluokun has started every game for Jacksonville in each of the last two years. He led the NFL in solo tackles in both seasons. He played every defensive snap for Jacksonville in 2023, finishing the season with 173 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, 2.5 sacks, six passes defensed, and an interception.

A sixth-round pick in 2018, Oluokun spent his first four seasons with the Falcons. He became a full-time starter in 2020 and in 2021 led the NFL in total tackles.

In 98 career games with 75 starts, Oluokun has registered 32 tackles for loss, 37 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, 22 passes defensed, six interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles.

AFC EAST

NEW YORK JETS

Woody Johnson with a fierce denial of an awkward conversation with Coach Robert Saleh.  And the NFL Network reporter who broke the tale inches backwards.  Rich Cimini of ESPN.com:

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson used social media Thursday to rebut a claim by an NFL Network host that he and coach Robert Saleh engaged in a “very heated conversation” earlier this week at the NFL’s annual league meeting in Orlando, Florida.

“All this nonsense about a heated argument between Coach Saleh and me at the league meeting is absolutely false,” Johnson said on X. “It is yet another irresponsible report from NFL Network. Please disregard.”

It’s unusual for Johnson, 76, to respond in this manner, but he evidently felt compelled after a comment by NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe gained traction late Wednesday.

On the “Around the NFL” podcast, Wolfe said she heard about the alleged Johnson-Saleh dispute from a “very reliable source.” Initially, she said it occurred at the NFL’s cocktail reception Monday night at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which hosted the NFL’s league meetings. Later in the podcast, she said it was Sunday night, not Monday. She provided no other details, except to say it became “a little awkward.”

In a statement released Thursday, Wolfe apologized to the Jets “for the unnecessary distraction.”

“Regarding my comments surrounding the Jets on the @AroundTheNFL podcast: no, I was not at the Annual Meeting and yes, I was told of the exchange between head coach Robert Saleh & Woody Johnson by someone in attendance. Others on-site Sunday night have since reached out and described the interaction differently. My intent wasn’t to break news, I leave that to the insiders. My sincerest apologies to the Jets organization for the unnecessary distraction during such a crucial part of their offseason,” she said in the statement, which was posted to X.

THIS AND THAT

2024 DRAFT

QB MICHAEL PENIX, Jr. did his thing at the U of Washington’s Pro Day.  Steve DelVecchio of Pro Football Rumors:

Michael Penix Jr. may not be viewed as the best quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, but it would be tough to find a player with a better attitude.

Penix held his Pro Day at the University of Washington on Thursday. While many quarterbacks only choose to partake in throwing drills in front of scouts and executives, Penix also showcased his vertical leap and 40-yard dash time.

ESPN’s Molly McGrath asked Penix why he made the decision to do agility drills in addition to throwing. The 23-year-old had an awesome response.

“I ain’t no bum. I want to show off my athleticism and prove that I can run when I need to,” Penix said.

Penix is not considered a dual-threat quarterback. He only ran for a total of 8 yards last season, though he did have 3 rushing touchdowns. Penix threw for a combined 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions over the past two seasons, so the passing game is where he really shines.

Still, Penix wants NFL teams to know he is plenty athletic and that he simply did not have to run much with the Huskies.

The Heisman Trophy runner-up put his money where his mouth is, too. Penix ran an impressive 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day.

Penix also had a 36.5-inch vertical, which is excellent for a quarterback.

Most analysts consider Penix the fifth- or sixth-best quarterback in the draft. Still, he has a very good chance to be taken in the first round. His arm strength and deep-ball accuracy are his biggest strengths, but the athleticism he showed on Thursday could certainly boost his stock.

The Steelers (?), Raiders and Falcons are among his known pre-draft visits.

– – –

Approximately 95% of the Mock Drafts we’ve seen have WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr. going to the Cardinals at #4.  But there is a growing number of scouts who like the NFL potential of LSU’s MALIK NABERS better.  Brian Giuffra of SI.com:

There was no debate over who was the best wide receiver in college football this past season. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. was in a league of his own.

That narrative has changed in the lead-up to the NFL Draft. Thanks to some herculean workouts coupled with an outstanding, but overlooked, performance this past season, LSU receiver Malik Nabers has stolen the show.

Insiders, like Adam Schefter and Daniel Jeremiah, report he could be the first receiver taken in this year’s draft. This just a few months after some speculated Harrison Jr. could be the first overall pick.

Much of his recent momentum can be attributed to Nabers’ excellent showing at LSU’s pro day this week, where he proved he’s the perfect physical specimen to dominate at the NFL level. He measured 6-feet and 199 pounds, ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, had a 42-inch vertical, and registered a 10-foot-9 broad jump. For comparison, he was the same size as All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was at his own LSU pro day and outperformed the eventual top-10 pick in all the other drills.

Meanwhile, Harrison Jr. has opted to skip workouts at the NFL Combine and Ohio State’s pro day, giving Nabers the opportunity to steal the spotlight. He’s done that and more, becoming the hottest wide receiver prospect in the draft and raising the question of who will be better in the NFL.

That seemed impossible as recently as January. Harrison Jr. was the only non-quarterback invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony and finished fourth in the voting. He was coming off another 14-touchdown season that included dominant performances against Penn State and Michigan. He was equally impressive against Georgia in the 2022 College Football Playoff, catching two touchdowns and racking up106 yards to help the Buckeyes nearly pull off the upset.

Harrison is 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, an outstanding route runner with reliable hands, and has the pedigree of a Hall-of-Fame father, Marvin Harrison. His on-field performance earned him the right to opt out of workouts. But that decision could also impact his draft position.

The first three picks in this year’s draft are expected to be quarterbacks. At picks No. 4-6, there are three teams in need of a superstar wideout — the Cardinals, Chargers and Giants. Any one of them could trade back with a team looking to pick another quarterback, but it seems less likely than either Harrison Jr. or Nabers falling much further than No. 6.

Ultimately it will come down to how each player fits a potential team’s scheme and offensive philosophy. Harrison Jr. is larger physically, making him a better threat to score in the redzone, and a more polished route runner. Nabers is faster, more explosive, and can take a three-yard screen and break it for a 50-yard touchdown.

It’s a debate few saw coming a few months ago, but could shape the 2024 NFL Draft as much as the quarterbacks ahead of them.

– – –

Scott Kacsmar, writing at 365scores.com, tries to Penix and the other top QBs with the appropriate teams:

Using the prospect rankings from NFL Mock Draft Database, we are going to look at the top six quarterbacks this year, how their skills might translate to the NFL, and which team would be the best landing spot for them.

Not included is Spencer Rattler, the South Carolina quarterback who could surprise some people if he lands with the right team in the third round or so. If anyone has the potential to be a Russell Wilson (2012 third-round pick) or Dak Prescott (2016 fourth-round pick) in this class, it’s Rattler.

1. Caleb Williams (USC) – No. 1 Overall Prospect

We can congratulate Caleb Williams for going into a college football season as the expected No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft and making it out with that status all but locked up. Many sportsbooks have Williams with roughly -4000 odds (97.6% implied chance) to go No. 1 in the draft.

It doesn’t always work this way. Just ask Matt Barkley, the USC quarterback who entered his 2012 season as the favorite to go first in the 2013 NFL draft. Instead, his interception count more than doubled to 15 in a disappointing final collegiate season, and he fell to the 98th pick in the fourth round to the Eagles before going on to have a forgettable NFL career.

But Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is a different cat. Some might say too different as the 21-year-old quarterback has been a target on social media for months for things like crying in his mom’s arms after a loss, painting his fingernails, and his most recent perceived sin is for having a pink cellphone case.

But do you know what is missing here? Where is the criticism of his on-field play? None of this stuff matters when it is game day and he has to perform on the field. While Williams only threw 211 passes as a freshman with Oklahoma in 2021, the similarities in his passing efficiency numbers at Oklahoma and USC are fascinating:

Oklahoma (211 passes, 2021): 9.1 yards per pass attempt, 169.6 passing efficiency rating, 21 touchdowns, 4 interceptions

USC (888 passes, 2022-23): 9.2 yards per pass attempt, 169.2 passing efficiency rating, 72 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

Hard to argue with elite consistency like that. Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns in 2022 when he won the Heisman. He played two fewer games in 2023, but he still finished with 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns while averaging a career-high 9.4 yards per pass attempt. Quarterbacks who put up efficiency and volume at this level in multiple seasons in college usually have gone on to NFL success in the last decade. In fact, that’s one of the best predictors for NFL success right now among first-round picks. Williams was not a one-year wonder by any means.

He’s 6’1”, so he isn’t too short (a la Bryce Young) or too tall (Paxton Lynch) for the position. He showed great playmaking ability and also rushed for 27 touchdowns in college. But he can also play from in the pocket as well.

One thing we are not going to get into the habit of doing is comparing every top college prospect to Patrick Mahomes. But something Williams can relate to with Mahomes is that his record in college would have been better if his defense wasn’t so poor. USC ranked 94th in points allowed per game in 2022 and got even worse at 121st (out of 133 teams) in 2023.

Williams lost the 2022 Cotton Bowl against Tulane in a game where he had a 45-30 lead with just over 4:00 left before his defense blew the lead with 9 seconds left in a 46-45 loss. Williams passed for 462 yards and 5 touchdowns in that game.

Last season, Williams put up 42 points on Washington but lost because the Trojans allowed 52 points. He also ran for a go-ahead touchdown against Utah, but the defense allowed the game-winning field goal in a 34-32 loss.

USC allowed at least 28 points in each of Williams’ final 9 starts, including 5 games of 41-plus points. Meanwhile, someone like J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) saw his team allow 28 points once in the last 29 games since 2022.

Give Williams the support of a real defense and he’ll take care of his business on the offensive side. Again, not saying he’ll be Mahomes in the NFL, but it’s easier to relax the “hero ball” gene out of a quarterback and have him play within the structure more if he doesn’t feel like he has to score 45 points to win the game every week.

Best Fit – No. 1 Chicago Bears

No debate here. The Chicago Bears should take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft. They passed on Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud last year to keep Justin Fields for another year. It didn’t work out, and they traded Fields for peanuts to Pittsburgh, signifying the end of that era.

The Bears can take Williams, and we’ll look into this more when it officially happens, but he could be walking into one of the best situations any No. 1 overall pick has. The Bears have two legitimate No. 1 wideouts in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen thanks to trades the last two offseasons. They added D’Andre Swift to the backfield, they got a breakout year out of tight end Cole Kmet last season, and they have some interesting pieces up front on the offensive line. The defense could be on the way up, and they also have the No. 9 pick in this draft to build around Williams.

But this pick should be a lock, and we’ll see if the Bears can finally have a franchise quarterback worth watching in Williams. They’ve only been trying to fill this spot since Sid Luckman retired in 1950.

2. Drake Maye (North Carolina) – No. 2 Overall Prospect

Since when did North Carolina become a quarterback factory? Freshman Drake Maye sat behind starter Sam Howell in 2021, watching Howell have another solid season that led to him getting drafted in the fifth round by Washington in 2022.

But it was Maye’s turn in 2022 to start, and he had a season as good as any of Howell’s with 4,321 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 698 yards and 7 scores, showing decent mobility.

But Maye lost his top two receivers in 2023, including Josh Downs (Colts), and his numbers decreased for it. He had 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, but he still averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, a good number.

Scouts often love a 6’5” quarterback like Maye, and he certainly projects to be a better pro prospect than Howell was. But he also is one of the more polarizing figures in this draft class as some question his accuracy and consistency, two key traits to excel at the position.

Regardless of what you think, Maye is almost certain to go in the first couple of picks this year. The big question is what Washington does with that No. 2 pick.

Best Fit – No. 3 New England Patriots

Do the Commanders really want to replace Sam Howell with the same quarterback who replaced him at North Carolina? Even if they are different players and Maye projects to be better, Washington may want to hedge its bet and try someone from a different offensive system this time. Remember, there is a new coaching staff in Washington with head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. A fresh start.

That’s why Maye figures to slide to No. 3 to the Patriots, who desperately need another quarterback after trading Mac Jones to the Jaguars. They seemed to have the right plan in place for Jones in his 2021 rookie season, but some bad hires by Bill Belichick as his new offensive assistant to replace Josh McDaniels proved fatal, and failing to put better weapons around Jones also led to him regressing and getting worse each year.

Belichick is gone now too, so it falls on rookie coach Jerod Mayo to get things right at the most crucial position. Maye has shown the ability to thrive with an NFL-caliber receiving talent like Downs, and he still did well enough last year with less around him. In New England, he’s not going to have much around him this year either, so that could be another reason to think he’s the pick here as the team tries to find their true Tom Brady replacement.

3. Jayden Daniels (LSU) – No. 3 Overall Prospect

One of the most exciting players in the entire draft is LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. A 5-year starter at Arizona State and LSU, Daniels was by far at his best in 2023 when he completed 72.2% of his passes, threw for 3,812 yards, averaged a jaw-dropping 11.7 yards per pass, 40 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, and rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 more touchdowns.

How do you even deal with a quarterback who averaged 11.7 yards per pass and 8.4 yards per run in the same season? Naturally, LSU led the nation with 45.5 points per game. Daniels’ 95.7 QBR in the 2023 season is the second-highest QBR in ESPN’s database going back to 2004. He even beat out Joe Burrow’s 94.9 QBR in the 2019 season at LSU.

People didn’t crucify Burrow, who was the No. 1 pick in 2020, for throwing to Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase that season. They shouldn’t do the same with Daniels playing with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., a pair of wide receivers expected to go in the first round this year.

But for Daniels, there are some concerns about his game translating to the NFL. For one, 2023 was so far and away better than his previous four seasons that it looks suspicious. He never had a passing efficiency rating higher than 149.2 in his first four seasons, then last year he shot up to 208.0. Even at LSU in 2022, he only averaged 7.5 yards per pass attempt before that skyrocketed to 11.7 last year. He’s always been fairly good at avoiding interceptions, but the 40 touchdown passes were more than his previous highest seasons (17 twice) combined. Even his rushing average ballooned from 4.8 in 2022 to 8.4 last year.

Maybe he’s just peaking at the right time, but there are some concerns about this being an outlier year that won’t translate to pro success. His size is also an issue as he looks wide receiver skinny and has some humorous video compilations on the hits he’s taken in college:

But you don’t post the numbers Daniels did in 2023 without being able to throw on time and from the pocket too:

Michael Vick wasn’t the biggest quarterback either, and Daniels could approach prime Vick from a rushing standpoint if he’s given the chance. Just don’t expect him to run at the volume and power of Cam Newton or Lamar Jackson at the next level.

Either way, it looks like he’ll be a lot of fun to watch. How much of that fun turns to frustration is a different story.

Best Fit – No. 2 Washington Commanders

If any franchise needs a boost of energy, it is the Washington one, which has gone through more name changes in the last few years than playoff wins in the salary cap era. In fact, Washington is the only team since the cap was installed in 1994 to not win 11 games in any season.

We already explained above why the Commanders’ new regime may not want anything to do with another North Carolina quarterback like Drake Maye. That is why the pick at No. 2 could be Jayden Daniels, and having Marcus Mariota there as a mentor would be a good thing for him too.

Think of it like another attempt with Robert Griffin III, the promising No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft that the team mismanaged with a serious knee injury in the playoff game of his rookie year. Daniels is going to have to be managed closely too with his unique dual-threat style, but if he can put it together as a passer at the next level, he could be a dangerous player for years to come.

The AFC has a monopoly on top quarterbacks right now, so the NFC needs picks like Williams (Bears) and presumably Daniels in Washington to deliver and pump some new blood into that conference.

4. J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) – No. 9 Overall Prospect

It is possible to typecast a quarterback as you would an actor in Hollywood. For someone like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, the reputation is going to be “game manager” used as a pejorative term. He just manages the game, he rode his defense to championship success last year, and he’s 27-1 as a starter (third-best record in college football history) because of the team around him more than anything he did.

Most of the time, there will be truth to that too. Plenty of college quarterbacks were carried by their teammates and schemes and never did anything in the NFL. But when you start digging into McCarthy, there are things to like from both a tape and statistical perspective.

He’s not going to heavily rely on improv and creating on the fly like Williams or Daniels in this class, but he is mobile enough to make those plays at times. He never had huge numbers in college as he never passed for 3,000 yards or 25 touchdowns in either of his two seasons as Michigan’s starter. But they also didn’t throw the ball as much since they often led big, and he was efficient when he did throw (67.6% completions and 8.7 yards per attempt).

McCarthy also saved a lot of his best throws for third down where he was prolific last year:

McCarthy may never be a franchise savior at quarterback, but when we are living in a world where Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant, is posting the numbers he is in San Francisco, having someone coachable like McCarthy in the right situation could be very valuable to the right time.

It is understandable why he continues to rise up the draft boards with so many teams in dire need of a franchise quarterback.

Best Fit – No. 12 Denver Broncos

We already have the draft starting with three straight quarterback picks. Four would be unprecedented, and it would likely take a trade to do that as Arizona does not look likely to draft McCarthy with Kyler Murray still there.

There should be a run on No. 1 wide receivers (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze), linemen, and tight end Brock Bowers is also out there.

The Vikings hold the No. 11 pick and could absolutely be one of the teams all in on McCarthy after letting Kirk Cousins go to Atlanta. But the team that makes the most sense is Denver after letting Russell Wilson go. You have no chance of a successful season in a division with Patrick Mahomes if your quarterback is Jarrett Stidham.

This would give head coach Sean Payton a chance to finally mold a quarterback from the beginning if he traded up to get McCarthy. In New Orleans, he came with Drew Brees, who already had his breakout year in San Diego. After Brees, Payton tried to make it work with veterans like Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. He can shape McCarthy into the quarterback he wants from the beginning.

For a coach who wouldn’t give up on trying to make Taysom Hill a quarterback in this league, giving Payton a young talent like McCarthy would add another interesting dynamic to the AFC West with McCarthy’s college coach, Jim Harbaugh, now coaching the Chargers.

And everyone is still chasing Mahomes and the Chiefs.

5. Bo Nix (Oregon) – No. 33 Overall Prospect

Now we are moving into the next tier of quarterbacks who could go late in the first round or early in the second round. Still a shot to be a starter soon in the NFL.

First up is Bo Nix, a 5-year starter from Auburn and Oregon with 15,352 passing yards and 113 touchdown passes. No quarterback in the history of college football started more games (61) than Nix did. That also means he is experienced with multiple systems, and he did his best work at Oregon last year when he completed 77.4% of his passes, another NCAA record for a season. He also threw 45 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions last season.

Clearly, the shift from Auburn to the Pac-12 and Oregon had a huge boost on Nix’s numbers, playing in a more wide-open system. But it would be hard for any system quarterback to replicate the absurd numbers he had last year. That experience was paying off too.

Best Fit – No. 23 Minnesota Vikings

So far, we’ve identified the quarterback-needy teams at the top of the draft in the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots. We know the Broncos also need a new quarterback. The Vikings are another team on that list after losing Kirk Cousins.

Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell comes from that Sean McVay coaching tree, so you know he’s going to use play-action passes, he has Justin Jefferson to throw to, and he’s going to want a tough quarterback to hang in there and deliver the ball on time. Nix can do all of those things for him.

Hell, we saw Nick Mullens putting up big numbers in Minnesota last year. His problem is he throws interceptions at a terrible rate. Bo Nix was called “Bo Picks” at Auburn, but what if he’s legitimately improved on that part of his game in Oregon?

The Vikings have a few first-round picks at No. 11 and No. 23. Maybe they pull the trigger on Nix in the first round, enabling them to get the fifth-year option on his contract.

6. Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) – No. 38 Overall Prospect

Our last top quarterback prospect in this class is Michael Penix Jr. from Washington. You talk about another player with a long college career, Penix Jr. was at Indiana in 2018. He played six college seasons, so he will be 24 years old as a rookie. But given the right situation, he could thrive.

Penix saw his career take off when he went to Washington in 2022. He threw for over 4,600 yards in each of the last two seasons with 67 touchdown passes. He was also 25-3 as Washington’s starter, though he may have cost himself some money with an underwhelming performance against Michigan’s top-ranked defense in the national championship game.

But Penix’s experience shows he has a good understanding of how offenses work, and he’s not afraid to give his receivers chances on 50/50 balls or find them deep. When he’s on a roll with his accuracy, he’s a fun one to watch.

Best Fit – No. 44 Las Vegas Raiders

A team not to discount from taking a chance on a quarterback is Arizona. Despite having Kyler Murray, we know what happened the last time the Cardinals tweeted “Josh Rosen is QB1.” They drafted Kyler Murray weeks later. Arizona also holds picks 27 and 35, so that can be a spot for a quarterback like Penix (or Bo Nix).

Having said that, the Raiders are the team that should not pass up Penix if given the chance, especially if he is still there when the Raiders have the No. 44 pick in the second round.

The Raiders have Aidan O’Connell, a fourth-round rookie from last year who showed very little, and they added veteran Gardner Minshew in free agency. You can start Minshew in Week 1 and give Penix Jr. some time, if necessary, but what the Raiders have right now isn’t good enough for the long term. Penix Jr. is worth the shot for that team in that difficult division to win when everyone is looking up to Mahomes and the Chiefs.

You have to have a franchise quarterback to consistently compete in this league. Several teams are going to hope these six guys can fill that void for them. We’ll see who is right and who misses out.