The Daily Briefing Thursday, March 10, 2022

DETROIT

WR JOSH REYNOLDS, a former Ram like QB JARED GOFF, is re-upping with the Lions. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Wide receiver Josh Reynolds went through the free agency process last year and wound up signing with the Titans, but the move turned out poorly as he fell out of the lineup and caught just 10 passes in five appearances for the AFC South team before being cut in November.

Things looked up from there for Reynolds. He was claimed off of waivers by the Lions and caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns after hooking back up with former Rams teammate and current Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Reynolds re-signed with the Lions this week and he said agreeing to a two-year deal in Detroit was an “easy decision” given how things played out last year.

“There wasn’t an opportunity that I got with the last team I was on and (the Lions) came in with full trust in me and letting me kind of letting me do my thing,” Reynolds said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “That just showed how much trust they had in me and that was a big reason why I also was looking forward to getting this deal done with them.”

Reynolds said he thinks the Lions “may have what we need” at wide receiver, but the team is expected to make further moves to build out the group ahead of the 2022 season.

GREEN BAY

Dan Wetzel of YahooSports.com is not impressed with the outcome in Green Bay.

Twenty-three months ago, the Green Bay Packers traded a fourth-round pick to move up four spots in the 2020 NFL draft and took quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State.

Just like that, in a move that stunned the NFL, the Packers had picked Aaron Rodgers’ presumptive replacement.

Packers brass argued that Love just happened to be the highest-rated talent available, but few believed the justification. You don’t just trade up to take a first-round QB when you have a team coming off an NFC championship game defeat, with plenty of potential to still win a Super Bowl.

Green Bay was well aware that Rodgers throws passive aggressively as well as he does tight spirals. As such, it should have expected fireworks when it surprised their then-36-year-old, but still great, QB with the selection of Love rather than one more wide receiver or one more linebacker who might put the team over the top and into the Super Bowl.

And the pyrotechnics came. All of it. Drama. Pouting. Curt sound bites. Cryptic social media posts. Weekly “Pat McAfee Show” appearances. Threatened retirements. Skipped minicamps. Game show hosting guest spots. Anything and everything.

It all culminated (for now) on Tuesday, when following consecutive MVP seasons as Love stood around on the sideline, Rodgers agreed to return to the Packers. He could have retired or forced a trade. Instead, he’s likely back for four years and a ton of money — maybe $200 million — although a final deal hasn’t been completed.

Even for fans who were turned off by, or just grew tired of, the Rodgers-led soap opera of the past two years, this much is undeniable: Rodgers saw his bosses bring in a hotshot replacement and then swatted it aside. He got bitter, but he also got better. Now the kid will continue to wait or get traded. Rodgers still has his job, with even more power and more (presumably) money.

He won the battles. Then he won the war.

“I’m very excited to be back,” he said on social media, saving more extensive comments for a news cycle in the future, of course.

Rodgers isn’t the first veteran to hold off a franchise’s succession plan. Tom Brady, most notably, outlasted the expected ascension of Jimmy Garoppolo in New England. The Patriots waited until the last possible moment before dealing Garoppolo to San Francisco for a second-round draft pick in the middle of the 2017 season.

The then-40-year-old Brady was still going strong — he’d last two more full seasons in New England and deliver another Super Bowl before jumping to Tampa and winning another.

That was awkward, and it may have permanently frayed Brady’s relationship with Bill Belichick. It still wasn’t as awkward as this. Jimmy G was selected late in the second round of the 2014 draft, 62nd overall. While Brady undoubtedly would have preferred not to see a young QB selected, it wasn’t the first round. Franchises are always drafting developmental quarterbacks. Garoppolo wasn’t seen at the time as a slight on Brady.

Love was for Rodgers.

Now, who knows?

Green Bay can trade Jordan Love. Given the quarterback desperate franchises out there and the dearth of prospects in the 2022 draft, they might get some decent return on him. After all, none of this was Love’s fault. Aside from a start in Kansas City, Love has never had the chance to prove how good he can be. Garoppolo was able to use a four-game suspension of Brady to showcase himself. After two years of learning behind Rodgers and an excellent Green Bay coaching staff, maybe he’s ready to roll.

Or the Packers could keep him. Someone has to be the backup quarterback. And while Rodgers is still playing as well as ever and Brady made the mid-40s seem normal, Rodgers is still 38 years old.

Love comes on a cheap rookie contract with a $3.3 million salary-cap hit, per Spotrac. Eventually, he may still be the successor in Green Bay.

That, barring injury, will happen on Rodgers’ timeline.

Rodgers managed all of this through plenty of sullen theatrics and not just with management that he aligned against. It included putting Love in the brutal spot of being a blamable figure, even if he did nothing wrong but get drafted.

Rodgers’ response wasn’t all emotional. He backed up every grievance with exceptional play. He threw 85 touchdowns and just nine interceptions the past two seasons. He rushed for six more scores. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes. He graded out at 92.1 on ProFootballFocus, the best two-year stretch of his career. Green Bay won 26 games when he started. And that’s just the regular season.

There was no Lombardi Trophy at the end, of course. The Packers lost home playoff games each season, and Rodgers, of course, tried to place undue blame on coaching decisions for the 2020 season defeat to Brady’s Buccaneers. The pressure to change that will be enormous going forward.

Other than that, Rodgers did everything he could. He turned what he perceived as a slap in the face into a show of force. It was loud. It was at times tiresome and repetitive. In the end, Aaron Rodgers won.

The young replacement was thwarted. The old man is still in charge, more now than ever.

Albert Breer of SI.com says that Rodgers, who is often portrayed as a cold curmudgeon (and seems to revel in it) stayed because of “relationships”:

It was about relationships last year, and it’s about relationships this year.

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t in a great place with the Packers coming out of the 2020 season, and an upset loss to the 49ers in the NFC title game, so much so that the Green Bay brass spent weeks unable to get ahold of its quarterback. There was the bungling of the communication on the Jordan Love pick. There was awkwardness of a draft-day news drop of a trade demand a year later. There was president Mark Murphy calling Rodgers a “complicated fella.”

And even Rodgers’s reentry to the organization, at the outset of training camp, was wonky, with his airing-of-grievances press conference and insistence that Randall Cobb be acquired as part of his return to Green Bay.

The funny thing is, seven months later, the earmarks of that dispute foretold everything.

Rodgers spent this past weekend officiating his buddy David Bakhtiari’s wedding. Cobb was there and Matt LaFleur was, too—and that served as the perfect precursor to a decision for Rodgers that, in some ways, came down to those ties that bind the quarterback to the only organization he’s ever played for.

Let’s start with the relationships that were never in a bad place, those between Rodgers and his teammates, and between Rodgers and the current Green Bay staff. Rodgers has always loved the guys he played with, evidenced by how close he is with longtime Packers such as Bakhtiari and Cobb, and fellow wedding attendees A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews III. All the same, his relationship with LaFleur has been pretty steady all the way through.

In fact, that last relationship with his coach wound up being the key to keeping all of this together, with the coach having maintained his bond with the quarterback even through all the tumult of last year. Which is why, in a quiet moment, on the second day of training camp, LaFleur remained optimistic that Rodgers wouldn’t necessarily be eyeing the door when the clock showed zeros on the 2021 season.

And this is important, too—above all else, you could hear how badly LaFleur wanted to keep coaching him.

 “I mean, the guy’s, in my eyes, the greatest to do ever do it. So yeah, why wouldn’t you want to?” LaFleur told me that night at Lambeau Field. “I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank. I see it every day. He has so much fun out there, too, just competing. The ball’s still jumping out of his hand so damn effortlessly. So yeah, if he were to have retired, I would’ve put it in the same category as how I felt growing up in Michigan.

“I didn’t really grow up a huge professional football fan, but yeah, it was fun watching the Detroit Lions and Barry Sanders. And when [Sanders] walked away? That was heartbreaking. I know, from my perspective, it just wouldn’t be good for the game of football. And I do believe—I know—that there’s a lot of history here, and a lot that he loves about this place. And hopefully we can continue to work and come together, and fix whatever issues there might be.”

Which brings you back to the issues that were there. Though Rodgers held no ill will against Love, having been through a rocky start to his career alongside Brett Favre, he didn’t like the handling of Love’s selection—he was not told the Utah State prospect would be the pick until the Packers were on the clock—and didn’t like that Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst hadn’t involved him more in big-picture decision-making. So that’s why when the Packers’ front office tried to change that, and did so last winter, Rodgers more or less ghosted them.

Since then, Gutekunst and Murphy have worked hard to repair their respective relationships with Rodgers and, as you might imagine, that went a very long way. So, too, did the fact that Rodgers, I was told over the weekend, felt like his relationships in the locker room (again, which have always been strong) were as good as they’ve ever been this year.

Now, I’m not naive to the business part of this. The Packers and Rodgers have discussed a four-year extension that’ll likely be finalized now as a part of this, and money’s not a nonfactor in any of these sorts of things, no matter what people try to tell you. I also believe that the Packers’ willingness to take on a Buccaneers–style build, in which they restructure contract after contract, mortgaging deals in order to keep a core in place, was important, too. Rodgers wanted the Packers to work on his timeline, and now they are.

But in the end, none of that matters if the relationships that Rodgers wanted to have with the people he works with, all of them, weren’t where they needed to be.

DALLAS

Did Jerry Jones sire a child out of wedlock in 1996?  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

A man who lives by the motto that there’s no such thing a bad publicity has some more bad publicity.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who largely has managed to avoid widespread scrutiny for a cheerleader voyeurism scandal that resulted in the team finding that no wrongdoing occurred but paying out a $2.4 million settlement, has been sued. The plaintiff, via the Dallas Morning News, is a 25-year-old woman who contend that Jone is her biological father.

The lawsuit was filed six days ago in Dallas County, Texas. Alexandra Davis contends that Jones and her mother had a relationship in the mid-1990s, resulting in her conception. She also claims that Jones and Cynthia Davis reached a settlement that required Jones to financially support the mother and child, in exchange for a promise to not publicly identify Jones as her father.

Alexandra Davis seeks a finding that she’s not legally bound by the agreement, if she were to attempt to prove that Jones is her father. She also wants a declaration from the court that the settlement agreement should be unenforceable under Texas law.

All parties declined comment to the Dallas Morning News.

Alexandra Davis, 25, was born on December 16, 1996. Per the report, genetic testing determined that the husband of Cynthia Davis was not Alexandra’s father.

The situation occurred while Jones owned the Cowboys, but the allegations suggest no violation of league rules or policies. If anything, it becomes a delicate personal matter for Jones, who has been married since 1963.

WASHINGTON

After coming up short in a bid for QB RUSSELL WILSON, the Commanders settle for Colts reject QB CARSON WENTZ.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports Washington is sending Indianapolis a package of picks that includes a pair of third-round selections. Washington will also take on the full remainder of Wentz’s contract.

Wentz is due a $22 million salary and $6.294 million roster bonus in 2022, a $20 million salary and a $6.176 roster bonus in 2023, and a $21 million salary and $6.235 roster bonus in 2024.

After coming to Indianapolis from Philadelphia via trade, Wentz had a middling 2021 season. He started all 17 games for the Colts, compiling a 9-8 record. He completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His sack rate also went down from a whopping 10.3 percent in 2020 to 5.8 percent in 2021.

But Wentz faltered when it mattered most late in the season. With two chances to clinch a playoff berth in Weeks 17 and 18, Wentz was just 16-of-27 for 148 yards with a touchdown against the Raiders on Jan. 2. Then he was sacked six times while completing just 17-of-29 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Week 18 loss to Jacksonville. He also lost a fumble in that contest.

With the Colts’ late-season collapse, it seemed like just a matter of time before they moved on from Wentz.

After reportedly calling about every available quarterback, Washington now has a new QB1. And Wentz will return to the NFC East — a division he knows well having spent his first five seasons with the Eagles.

Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post and John Keim of ESPN.com with the details on the failed pursuit of Wilson.

@NickiJhabvala

Washington offered Seattle draft picks across three years — 2022, 2023, 2024 — to try to acquire Russell Wilson, but it became clear that the Seahawks preferred an AFC team, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

@john_keim

My understanding: Washington had offered multiple 1st round picks and picks in 3 drafts. Asked Seattle if it wanted a player. Seahawks didn’t counter…Why? Dunno.

This from Connor Orr of SI.com:

If you wanted an idea of just how thin and desperate the quarterback market is, look no further than what the Commanders did on Wednesday, trading a handful of mid-round picks to the Colts for the right to be the third coaching staff to try to get Carson Wentz back on track.

Sometimes, after weeks in the desert without food and drink, we start to imagine ice cold Yeti coolers full of spring water and buffet trays full of chicken and french fries. The Commanders might not be there yet, but they, like the Colts, are choosing to see Wentz as the MVP candidate in a high-percentage RPO offense and not the prospect who was mismanaged, underdeveloped and forced into brain-scrambling hero ball for the better part of two seasons. Not the quarterback who heavily contributed to an epic spiral and loss to the Jaguars that saw a promising Indianapolis team with the best running game in football bounced out of the playoffs.

More than that, Washington probably saw its own dark corner of all this illuminated. There are a handful of teams that need to wade through this desperation, that need to trade serious capital for Jimmy Garoppolo or extract the remaining juice from Matt Ryan at more than $30 million a season. And then there is Washington, a team that would love to find itself a quarterback, but so grossly mismanaged its last two playoff-caliber quarterbacks that any passer with a no-trade clause or an amenable relationship with his respective general manager is going to ask for a restraining order from the rebranded, embattled Football Team.

The Commanders won praise by openly admitting that they called every NFL team and asking about the status of its quarterback. Indeed, this is pragmatism. It’s putting in the work, unafraid of what others might think. But it’s also indicative of what the league’s player base thinks of the franchise. Washington could have named the stadium after Russell Wilson. One would imagine the team could have re-re-re-branded as the Mr. Unlimiteds and agreed to exclusively play Ciara on a loop in the concourse … and Wilson still would have taken a discount to play for the Broncos.

Which brings us to Wednesday, when the Commanders shipped to Indianapolis a third-round pick, an additional third-round pick that can (and likely will) become a second-rounder with playing-time incentives, and a second-round pick swap for a player whose own general manager, Chris Ballard, couldn’t muster up enough of a lie at the combine to pretend he was thinking about keeping him around.

Washington is going to allocate nearly $30 million in cap space for Wentz, who was only incrementally better statistically than Taylor Heinicke. In terms of expected points added, completion percentage and play success rate, they are nearly identical. Sadly, the Commanders needed to appear they were doing something just as badly as they actually needed to do something.

In the process, Washington has to believe it will be able to get more out of Wentz than Frank Reich, the coach who oversaw his most productive seasons in the NFL (as Eagles OC), and arguably one of the five best play-callers in the league.

Long-term mismanagement then becomes the gasoline propelling a cycle of desperation, one that happens to be particularly grim in this quarterback market.

This is not meant to be a takedown of the player, by the way. Wentz was built up and torn down by his first franchise and abandoned by the second. He was brought into the storm of NFL chaos from the insulated world of FCS football at North Dakota State and taught a graduate level course in screw you, what have you done for me lately? There is almost certainly a good quarterback left in there somewhere. He’s just not in a place for anyone to find it. Seeing him regain his footing should be something we all root for.

And here we have the worst part of the exact desperation this market creates. Wentz isn’t going to Washington to be saved. He’s not going to a place with wide-open arms hoping to revive a career. He’s going to Washington because he doesn’t have a choice like Wilson, Garoppolo or Ryan does. He can’t make the desperation work for him. He’s going there because Washington needed a quarterback after squandering Robert Griffin III and taking Kirk Cousins for granted. He’s going there because, after the Commanders called all 31 teams wondering what might jar loose, the Colts were one of the few teams cold enough to say, “Here, take it.”

Here’s hoping Wentz is smart enough to see the forest for the trees and finds a way to protect himself. Here’s hoping Commanders fans are smart enough to understand why they weren’t in the mix for anyone else. Here’s hoping the desert mirage clears up for everyone, and that somewhere in this desperate scramble for a quarterback, someone ends up finding themselves a quarterback they can fix, revive or just plain hold onto.

ARIZONA

The Cardinals have released LB JORDAN HICKS per Adam Schefter:

The Arizona Cardinals released veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks on Wednesday.

Hicks, 29, played at a high level last season, registering 116 tackles and four sacks, but the Cardinals are making the move to give fellow inside linebacker Zaven Collins, drafted in the first round last year, more playing time.

The Cardinals had told Collins he would be the starter last season after selecting him 16th overall. Hicks said last year he was “pissed off” when initially told he had lost his starting job to Collins. He requested a trade, which never materialized, and the seven-year veteran ended up starting all 17 games.

By getting released now, Hicks will be able to sign with another team before free agency officially begins next week. The move will save the Cardinals $6.5 million on their salary cap but also will leave $3 million in dead money on their books.

Hicks signed with the Cardinals in 2019 and posted more than 100 tackles in all three seasons with Arizona, including a career-best 150 his first year there.

He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, who selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He missed 21 regular-season games due to a variety of injuries during his time with the Eagles but didn’t miss a game (all starts) in three seasons with the Cardinals.

Hicks has career numbers of 638 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions.

SEATTLE

Dane Brugler and Michael Shawn Dugar of The Athletic presume that the Seahawks will actually utilize the 9^th pick in the draft and not trade out or down.

General manager John Schneider has joked over the years that the Seahawks’ sustained success helped their NFC West foes.

Seattle routinely over the last decade picked in the back half of the first round in the NFL Draft. As a result, division rivals were able to draft the type of blue-chip talent the Seahawks needed to trade late first-round picks to acquire. Seattle hasn’t had a native first-round pick in the top 10 since 2010, Schneider’s first year running the Seahawks with coach Pete Carroll.

Welcome back to the top 10, John.

The Seahawks agreed on Tuesday to trade quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for a boatload of picks, including No. 9 in the 2022 NFL Draft. It will be the earliest Carroll and Schneider are scheduled to draft since they selected left tackle Russell Okung at No. 6 in 2010.

The Seahawks have plenty of holes to fill after finishing 7-10 last season, agreeing to trade Wilson and cutting defensive captain Bobby Wagner on Tuesday, as well. There are a number of different routes Seattle can take with the ninth pick.

To help narrow the choices, we had The Athletic’s draft expert, Dane Brugler, present five prospects for Seattle to consider with its top pick. Seahawks beat writer Michael-Shawn Dugar then evaluated each prospect for need and fit before playing the role of Carroll and Schneider and making a final pick.

The five candidates:

Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State (6-5, 307)

Brugler’s analysis: A two-year starter at Mississippi State, Charles Cross lined up exclusively at left tackle in coach Mike Leach’s air-raid offense. He fast-tracked his development and comfort level on an island vs. SEC competition, winning the Kent Hull Trophy in 2021 as the top lineman in the state of Mississippi. Cross has above-average foot quickness, body control and functional length (34 1/2-inch arms) to attack, reset and get the job done vs. edge rushers. His run-blocking is a work in progress (78.9 percent of his college snaps were pass-blocking plays), but he flashes the hand strength and angles to out-leverage defenders. Overall, Cross lacks ideal bulk and power, especially in the run game, but he processes things quickly and shows outstanding hand exchange and movement patterns in pass protection. He projects as an NFL starter with Pro Bowl-level talent due to his pass-blocking.

Dugar’s take: Ah, the irony of Seattle potentially drafting an elite offensive line prospect the moment Wilson leaves. Wilson and his camp would get a chuckle out of that. But, the pick makes sense. Wilson has played with two elite left tackles in his career: Okung and Duane Brown, who was also a first-round pick (2008). Brown will be 37 at the start of the season and is headed for free agency. Brandon Shell, Seattle’s starting left tackle the past two seasons, is also headed for the open market. A Seattle team that has struggled to protect its most important player for the better part of a decade cannot simply afford to run it back with the same pass-protection group in 2022. Upgrades must be made. That’s why Cross is a logical selection.

Carroll and Schneider would draft Cross and rave about how many reps he had against SEC competition, just as they did last year after taking Florida offensive tackle Stone Forsythe in the sixth round. And as was the case with Forsythe, Seattle would hope Andy Dickerson — formerly the run-game coordinator, now the O-line coach — could develop Cross into a reliable run blocker since that will be his primary job in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme. If Brown re-signs with Seattle, Cross could redshirt in 2022 while competing with Forsythe for the backup job and the right to be the left tackle of the future in 2023. If Brown walks in free agency, then Cross would be a prime candidate to hold down the blind side for whoever starts at quarterback in Week 1.

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty (6-0, 219)

Brugler’s analysis: A two-year starter at Liberty, Malik Willis was the ignite switch in coach Hugh Freeze’s defined passing game and zone-read scheme. Despite a mediocre supporting cast, the Auburn transfer set several school records at Liberty and led the program to numerous firsts, including the first Top-25 ranking and win over an ACC opponent (he is also attempting to be the first Liberty first-round pick since 1990). Although his timing and accuracy go through lulls, Willis has a fluid release, outstanding velocity and a great feel for touch and placement on vertical-based patterns. With his escapability and body strength, the backfield was his playground, but he struggles to recognize pressures and takes too many sacks (he was equally responsible for finishing No. 1 in the FBS with 51 sacks in 2021). Overall, Willis requires time for his anticipation, vision and accuracy to mature, but he has the potential to be a dynamic NFL playmaker due to his natural athleticism, arm talent and intangibles. He will likely need a redshirt year before seriously competing for an NFL starting role.

Dugar’s take: Schneider and Carroll wouldn’t have agreed to trade Wilson if they weren’t comfortable potentially taking a quarterback in the first round. Draft experts don’t consider this year’s quarterback options to be outstanding, but anyone who has followed the Seahawks over the years knows the front office has no problem zigging while the rest of the league zags. Seattle will take a QB with this pick, acknowledge the general consensus about the strength of the class, then proudly set out to prove everyone wrong.

Willis’ playmaking will be enticing to the Seahawks and perhaps remind Schneider of his early days scouting Wilson, whose legs were nearly as important as his arm when he arrived in Seattle. Carroll could also view Willis as the type of raw, young talent to fit his scheme: a smart player with a strong arm who can push the ball downfield on play-action concepts once the run has been established. Like any young quarterback, taking Willis here and playing him early — which is what I suspect the Seahawks would lean toward doing — would be a risk. But Seattle set itself up to take these sort of risks when it shipped Wilson to Denver.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, edge, Oregon (6-4, 254)

Brugler’s analysis: A three-year starter at Oregon, Kayvon Thibodeaux lined up as a boundary pass-rush linebacker in former defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s 3-4 base scheme. The highest-ranked recruit in Oregon history, he helped the Ducks to three straight Pac-12 Championship Games (two wins) and led the team in tackles for loss and sacks all three seasons, becoming the fourth unanimous All-American in school history as a junior. Although he needs to continue filling out his frame, Thibodeaux is physical vs. the run and rushes with upfield explosion and cornering skills to skirt blockers. His go-to move is a twitchy jab step that helps open up his options, but he is still learning how to efficiently patch together his rush moves. Overall, Thibodeaux isn’t on the same level as Myles Garrett, Chase Young or previous high draft picks at pass rusher, but he understands how to create leverage as a pass rusher with his length, flexibility and agility. While he won’t be a fit for everyone, he has the talent to develop into a Pro Bowl-level player.

Dugar’s take: Thibodeaux is exactly what Seattle needs. While in Indianapolis for the scouting combine, I bumped into a Seahawks staffer at the JW Marriott. He was in a hurry, so he couldn’t chat long. I joked, “You’re headed to scout some edge rusher, huh?” He laughed. “You’re absolutely right.”

Seattle’s pass rush has been anywhere from average to awful since losing defensive ends Michael Bennett (via trade) and Cliff Avril (medical retirement) following the 2017 season. Frank Clark headlined the pass-rush unit in 2018, only to be traded the ensuing offseason. Since then, the Seahawks have been unable to consistently pressure opposing passers, resulting in gaudy quarterback stats against their defense. Seattle in 2021 ranked 22nd in sacks, 29th in pressure percentage and allowed opponents to average 7.24 yards per attempt, which was 10th-highest in the league, according to TruMedia.

Familiarity playing in a 3-4 scheme is important here as well. The Seahawks made the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base during the 2020 season, fully committed to it 2021 and are doubling down on it in 2022, evidenced by Carroll’s decision to promote Clint Hurtt (defensive coordinator) and hire Sean Desai (associate head coach), two coaches from the Vic Fangio tree. Thibodeaux can rush from a two-point stance, set the edge and defend the run and crush quarterbacks. This pick would make plenty of sense for Seattle.

Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah (6-3, 237)

Brugler’s analysis: A three-year starter at Utah, Devin Lloyd played the “Mac” linebacker position in defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley’s 4-2-5 base scheme in which he was asked to do a little bit of everything, including cover and blitz (inside and outside). A high school safety, he morphed into a playmaking linebacker and established himself as one of the best defensive players in the country, leading the team in tackles three straight years and becoming just the 10th consensus All-American in school history as a senior. Lloyd plays with speed and suddenness in his movements to weave through traffic in pursuit or change directions and make plays in coverage. He has room to improve his play strength and posture as a take-on player, but he does a great job scraping and sifting with his slippery athleticism and length to make plays at the line of scrimmage. Overall, Lloyd doesn’t have to come off the field with his impressive blend of instincts, chase speed and explosiveness to blitz, play the run and cover. He projects as a scheme-proof NFL starter and a better version of the Los Angeles Chargers’ Kenneth Murray.

Dugar’s take: Truth moment: It’s a bit odd to consider Seattle needing a middle linebacker. It legitimately hasn’t needed one since 2012. That’s how long Wagner was a consistent, productive player and leader in the middle of Seattle’s defense. Alas, that’s life in the NFL. Nothing lasts forever.

Watching Lloyd is really fun and it’s easy to see how he could be considered a natural fit in Seattle’s defense. The Seahawks want to be more aggressive in 2022, a change of pace from the passive style of play they deployed in recent years. Instead of sitting back, letting teams work in underneath zones and rallying to the football, Hurtt wants to see his players bringing the fight to the offense and playing with an attack mindset. Lloyd would fit right in. When he comes downhill, the guy with the ball in his hands tends to pay the price.

Seattle has plucked players from Morgan Scalley’s Utah defense before, drafting safety Marquise Blair (at No. 50) and linebacker Cody Barton (No. 88) in 2019. Neither has played much since then but Seattle’s rationale for those selections centered on their physicality. They can run and hit with the best of them when given the opportunity. Lloyd can, too, and that’s something Seattle needs in its defense after losing Wagner.

Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU (6-0, 190)

Brugler’s analysis: A three-year starter at LSU, Derek Stingley Jr. played both left and right cornerback for defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, his third coordinator in three seasons. Despite injuries hindering him over the last two seasons, he led the SEC in passes defended and interceptions in LSU’s national championship-winning 2019 season, earning consensus All-American honors as the first true freshman to start on the Tigers’ defense in 34 years. Stingley, who played primarily outside with some slot snaps worked in, is patient in press with the effortless hip fluidity to turn and run vertically or mirror underneath. Although NFL scouts have questioned his toughness in press coverage and as a tackler, he has outstanding on-ball production due to his timing and awareness in coverage (allowed only a 41.1 percent completion rate over his three seasons at LSU). Overall, Stingley needs to stay on the field (he missed more games the last two years than he played because of injuries), but he is a top-tier athlete with the man-coverage skills and ball instincts to stay attached on an island. He projects as a Pro Bowl-level NFL starter if he stays healthy.

Dugar’s take: Seattle’s two primary starting cornerbacks from the end of last season, D.J. Reed and Sidney Jones, are headed for free agency. Tre Brown, Seattle’s promising fourth-round pick from the 2021 draft, is recovering from a knee injury. The Seahawks’ defense ranked 24th in EPA per play against the pass in 2021, according to TruMedia. The argument in favor of drafting a shutdown cornerback couldn’t be more obvious.

Dane describing Stingley as a ball hawk is great news for Seattle, which had just two interceptions from its cornerbacks in 2021, both by Reed in Week 17. Hurtt’s new defense needs players who can disrupt passes at the point of attack. His defense also needs someone who can be aggressive and physical against teams with elite No. 1 receivers, because this is a division with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Deebo Samuel and DeAndre Hopkins. Seattle will likely play more man coverage in 2022 and as it stands there aren’t many players on the roster capable of playing in that sort of scheme at a high level.

The counterargument is that between Shaquill Griffin, Brown, Reed and even Jones during the second half of the season, Carroll and his staff have been able to get above-average defensive play from their outside cornerbacks without spending money in free agency or using premium draft capital. They could re-sign Reed and Jones on team-friendly deals, trust that Brown’s knee will hold up and address cornerback later in the draft. That’s a bit of a dangerous game to continue playing but the Seahawks might not have much of a choice because of how many other roster holes they have to fill.

Dugar’s pick: Malik Willis

I know what you’re thinking.

Mike, the quarterbacks in this class aren’t good, what are you doing?! Malik won’t be ready by Week 1!

I understand your frustration, but hear me out.

The Seahawks need a quarterback, and it’s better to draft one than to overpay for a veteran in free agency who clearly isn’t the future at the position. As for Willis — or any other passer in this class — not being ready right away, I think in-game experience and info-gathering is an underrated part of this process.

Let’s say Seattle drafts Willis or another quarterback, spends all offseason with him as QB1 and starts him from the jump. Assuming he stays healthy, it’s likely Seattle will learn whether Willis will be a stud like Justin Herbert, a “meh” quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater or a flop like Sam Darnold. Gathering that information informs Seattle’s future decisions, whereas drafting and stashing him behind a journeyman only delays the evaluation process while denying the young guy the necessary in-game reps he needs to develop.

So, if I were running the Seahawks, I’d draft Willis, play him early, give him all the tools to succeed and let the results dictate how to proceed from there.

DENVER

Mike Florio wonders whether QB RUSSELL WILSON was Plan A or Plan B?

The circumstances suggest that the Broncos pivoted from Aaron Rodgers to Russell Wilson once it became known that Rodgers is staying with the Packers. There’s a very real narrative that Wilson wasn’t Plan B for Denver, that he was Plan A.

That would make the two-time MVP Plan B.

Yes, the Broncos spent roughly a month working on the deal that officially will bring Wilson to Denver next Wednesday. But the talks may have always been contingent on Rodgers choosing not to leave Green Bay.

It’s simple. The Broncos have a tentative package for Wilson and a tentative package for Rodgers, Rodgers makes the decision to stay, and the Broncos turn to Seattle. The fact that the Broncos had something ready to go for Wilson underscores the reality that an understanding existed as to what it would take to land Rodgers, if he decided to go to Denver.

But, again, there’s a very real narrative that the Bronco wanted Wilson over Rodgers. If that narrative is true, the timing of Tuesday’s moves look incredibly coincidental. And, if that narrative is true, it’s hard not to wonder whether Rodgers caught wind of the possibility that his primary alternative to the Packers was about to strike a deal with the Seahawks, and whether Rodgers finalized his decision in order to create the impression that he, not Wilson, was Plan A in Denver.

The supersensitive Rodgers is surely sensitive to the appearance that the Broncos picked over a four-time league MVP someone who has never gotten a single MVP vote. Why else would Rodgers break his Twitter silence to announce his decision to return to Green Bay while also foolishly quibbling over whether he actually has “signed” a new contract?

BALTIMORE

Ravens T ALEJANDRO VILLANUEVA is retiring. The AP:

Baltimore Ravens tackle Alejandro Villanueva is retiring.

The team announced his decision Wednesday. The Ravens also announced that they have re-signed defensive tackle Aaron Crawford and released cornerback Tavon Young.

Villanueva played six years with Pittsburgh before joining the Ravens last season. The two-time Pro Bowler started every game after his rookie year.

Villanueva, a West Point graduate, was an active member of the U.S. Army before his NFL career. He was 26 when he made his NFL debut in 2015.

The Ravens are hoping tackle Ronnie Stanley can return healthier after he played only one game last season. He’s dealt with ankle problems since the last few weeks of 2020. A healthy Stanley would give Baltimore a replacement for Villanueva.

Young played all six of his NFL seasons so far with Baltimore. He made seven starts last season.

INDIANAPOLIS

Zac Keefer of The Athletic on why the Colts sent QB CARSON WENTZ packing.

As for the Colts, the issues with Wentz stretched back to before the season began, one source said, and over the course of the year, some grew frustrated at what they deemed a lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play, which had a role in several close losses this year.

But this wasn’t just a football move. Wentz’s play, inconsistent as it was to close the year, wasn’t the deciding factor. Colts’ brass simply didn’t trust him to be the franchise quarterback moving forward, and they weren’t willing to bring him back in 2022 and hope for better. Thus, the decision was made swiftly after the Week 18 debacle in Jacksonville: Wentz wouldn’t return for a second season in Indianapolis.

What was missing, some within the team believe, was the type of direction the Colts got from the quarterback position in recent years, namely with Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers and even Jacoby Brissett, who despite struggling late in the 2019 season remained a deeply respected voice within the locker room.

In other words, with a QB in place besides Wentz, some believe, the gutting late-season collapse the Colts suffered would have never happened.

Wentz was never the right fit, some were convinced, and the dreadful finish to the season only confirmed it.

While the team’s chief decision-makers know there are issues beyond the quarterback spot that need to be addressed, they felt they couldn’t move forward with Wentz, and they were prepared to eat the $15 million if they had to. (Wentz is due an additional $13 million next week at the start of the new league year.) The Eagles, remember, took on a league-record $33.8 million dead cap hit last year after trading their former franchise QB to Indianapolis.

According to one source, the Colts’ divorce with Wentz this offseason was only a matter of time. All that needed to be decided was whether the team would trade or cut him.

And the fact that the Colts were willing to move on from him without a viable Plan B in place — not to mention a thin free-agent class and no first-round draft choice — is especially telling. That’s how determined the Colts were in their decision.

They were moving on from Wentz, period.

The quarterback, who learned he was on shaky ground with the organization over the last month, reached out to Irsay in hopes of setting up a meeting to “clear the air,” a source said. Irsay declined the meeting because he was out of town. The two spoke later.

Last year’s trade, then, ends as an abject failure just 12 months in and will go down as one of the worst in the franchise’s recent history. It’s also the most consequential miss of Chris Ballard’s five-year run as general manager: Indianapolis sent first- and third-round picks to Philadelphia for a quarterback who lasted one year with the team and failed to lead them to the playoffs.

Irsay’s furor has waned little since the Jan. 9 loss in Jacksonville, and the fact that the game was never even close — the Colts lost 26-11 only after scoring a meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown — still mystifies him. With so much on the line, his team played its worst football of the season.

Five days later, in front of his private jet, the owner spoke to fans on a video posted to his Twitter account.

“We have allowed — and I have allowed — doubt, fear and a lack of faith to slip into our DNA, and it will not stand,” he said. “Every walking step this offseason is committed to getting the horseshoe back to where it should be.”

In a conversation a week later, Irsay elaborated, if only slightly: “We want more warriors. That’s what it’s about. I don’t shy away from the fact that I’m in this to win.”

In light of Wednesday’s trade, it’s not hard to figure out to whom he was referring.

The move also means the Colts will open the season with a sixth different starting quarterback in as many years come September, and the fifth of Frank Reich’s five-year run as head coach. As of now, the only QBs on the roster are Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick from 2021 who didn’t throw a single pass in 2021, and James Morgan, a recent signee who’s spent time on three different practice squads.

The Colts will certainly look to upgrade, via free agency or the draft, limited as their options might be. But, according to one source, don’t rule out Ehlinger getting a chance at the starting job.

 “You gotta be right,” general manager Chris Ballard said earlier this month, asked about the team’s unending quarterback dilemma. “And even if you might not be right all the time, that’s the one position you gotta keep firing (at) until you get it right.”

In other words: The Colts missed on Wentz. They’ll keep firing. They have to.

Money was never the primary factor in the decision to move on from him, nor was the unenviable reality the team now finds itself in: looking for a new starting quarterback for the third straight offseason. Reich, who originally pushed for the trade to acquire Wentz last winter, apologized to Irsay after the season, according to a source. The coach believed he could resurrect Wentz’s stalled career and solve the Colts’ quarterback conundrum.

“I stuck my neck out for him last year,” Reich admitted earlier this month.

Twelve months later, the Colts are again starting over at the most important position on the field, a stunning turn of events considering where they sat in mid-December.

THIS AND THAT

R.I.P. JOHNNY GRIER

The NFL’s first black referee has passed away.  Jack Baer of YahooSports.com:

Johnny Grier, the first Black person to lead an NFL officiating crew, died on Tuesday. He was 74.

A North Carolina native and University of D.C. graduate, Grier got his start as a high school referee in 1965 and in college football in 1972, according to Football Zebras. He joined the NFL as a field judge in 1981 and worked Super Bowl XXII before getting promoted to referee in 1988, the first African-American man to hold the position in the NFL.

Over the course of his career as an official, Grier worked 15 playoff games and led the crew in the 1993 AFC Championship game. In 1989, he oversaw the debut of Art Shell, the modern NFL’s first Black head coach.

Grier’s officiating career came to an end in 2004, when a leg injury forced him off the field. He would go on to work as officiating supervisor for the NFL and supervisor of officials for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

2022 DRAFT

In the wake of Denver’s trade for QB RUSSELL WILSON, Lance Zierlien of NFL.comoffers this Mock Draft:

Remember, this mock is a projection of where I believe players will go — not necessarily a reflection of my opinion as to where the players should go.

1  Jacksonville Jaguars

Ickey Ekwonu

N.C. State · OT · Junior

Big Ickey put on a show at the combine. When his size, explosiveness, upside and football character are all considered, he grabs the top spot.

2 – Carolina Panthers (PROJECTED TRADE with Detroit)

Evan Neal

Alabama · OT · Junior

The Panthers might not be able to land the offensive lineman they want at No. 6, so they leap up the board to grab one of the safer players in the draft.

3 – Houston Texans

Travon Walker

Georgia · Edge · Junior

Walker has the size/length that Nick Caserio likes and the toughness/athletic numbers that Lovie Smith loves. This pick will shake up draft expectations.

4 – New York Jets

Kyle Hamilton

Notre Dame · S · Junior

Hamilton didn’t run a fast 40-yard dash (4.59), but the rest of his testing was great — and his versatility and football character are off the charts. The Jets land a very good football player.

5 – New York Giants

Trevor Penning

Northern Iowa · OT · Senior (RS)

This projection will come as a surprise to some, but this is a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones (and Saquon Barkley?), so addressing the offensive line is a must.

6 – Detroit Lions (projected trade with Carolina)

Aidan Hutchinson

Michigan · Edge · Senior

Hutchinson is well-liked around the league, but maybe not loved. He lacks explosive get-off and has below-average length, which may push him down a little bit.

7 – New York Giants (from Chicago)

Jermaine Johnson II

Florida State · Edge · Senior (RS)

Here comes the run on edge defenders. This pick could come down to the best interview, Johnson or Kayvon Thibodeaux, but it’s likely one or the other lands here.

8 – Atlanta Falcons

Kayvon Thibodeaux

Oregon · Edge · Junior

Hard to imagine the Falcons passing on a player with such immense upside at a position of desperate need.

9 – Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)

Malik Willis

Liberty · QB · Senior (RS)

The Seahawks are set to acquire this selection after agreeing in principle to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos. With Denver sending Drew Lock to Seattle as part of the deal, the ‘Hawks can use him as a bridge starter and potential future trade commodity while they groom Willis to become the face of the franchise.

10 – New York Jets (from Seattle)

Sauce Gardner

Cincinnati · CB · Junior

Sauce is a long, competitive ballhawk with press-man and Cover 3 talent to fit into a variety of schemes as a rookie starter.

11 – Washington Commanders

Garrett Wilson

Ohio State · WR · Junior

The choice here could be between QB Kenny Pickett, OG Kenyon Green and Wilson. Washington goes with the highest-graded player at a position of need.

12 – Minnesota Vikings

Derek Stingley Jr.

LSU · CB · Junior

Stingley’s name will gain traction once again after his pro day next month, and the Vikings are a team in need of a talented cornerback to tighten up the pass defense.

13 – Cleveland Browns

George Karlaftis

Purdue · Edge · Junior

DT Jordan Davis could be the surprise pick here, but an analytics-driven team like the Browns would likely covet three downs of production at a premium position like defensive end with a selection this early.

14 – Baltimore Ravens

Charles Cross

Mississippi State · OT · Sophomore (RS)

In this scenario, the Ravens are likely running the card up for either Cross or Kenyon Green, depending on which position (tackle or guard) they place the highest priority on, based on the current roster.

15 – Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami)

Trent McDuffie

Washington · CB · Junior

Philadelphia lands one of the cleanest cornerback prospects in the draft with the versatility and talent to play wide or over the slot.

16 – Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis)

Drake London

USC · WR · Junior

London might not have the buzz that the combine speedsters garnered last week, but he’s a big ball-winner — and that is exactly what Philadelphia needs opposite DeVonta Smith.

17 – Pittsburgh Steelers (PROJECTED TRADE with LA Chargers)

Kenny Pickett

Pittsburgh · QB · Senior (RS)

For the second mock draft in a row, I’m having the Steelers swap spots with the Chargers; only this time, Kevin Colbert grabs a quarterback who might be able to start right away for a win-now team.

18 – New Orleans Saints

Kenyon Green

Texas A&M · OG · Junior

The Saints have quite a few needs on the offensive side, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. New Orleans grabs a body-mover and plug-and-play starter at guard.

19 – Philadelphia Eagles

David Ojabo

Michigan · Edge · Sophomore (RS)

Let’s get some pass rush going in Philadelphia! Ojabo may be raw as a run defender, but his instincts and upside as a pass rusher are undeniable.

20 – Los Angeles Chargers (PROJECTED TRADE with Pittsburgh)

Jordan Davis

Georgia · DT · Senior

The Chargers were terrible at stopping the run last season. That changes with the addition of the block-eating Davis, whose combination of size and athleticism should allow him to play anywhere along the line.

21 – New England Patriots

Kaiir Elam

Florida · CB · Junior

Elam plays a position of need for New England and possesses a combination of size, speed and intelligence that will be very appealing to Bill Belichick.

22 – Las Vegas Raiders

Devin Lloyd

Utah · LB · Senior (RS)

Very physical take-on linebacker with a nose for the football and an ability to rush the passer. Honestly, he is made for the Silver and Black.

23 – Arizona Cardinals

Chris Olave

Ohio State · WR · Senior

Buttery-smooth athlete with home run speed and the athletic ability to uncover on all three levels. Olave can align all over the field, which is perfect for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

24 – Dallas Cowboys

Treylon Burks

Arkansas · WR · Junior

There is about to be a blood-letting at the receiver position in Dallas, so fortifying that spot with a player as talented as Burks should be a no-brainer if he’s available here.

25 – Buffalo Bills

Andrew Booth

Clemson · CB · Junior

With such a deep class of pass rushers available in this draft, the Bills decide to boost their secondary in Round 1 with a cornerback who is tough and scheme-versatile.

26 – Tennessee Titans

Tyler Linderbaum

Iowa · C · Junior (RS)

I see the Titans allowing Ben Jones to walk in free agency and taking their chances at finding a center in the draft. OH, LOOK — it’s the draft’s best center just waiting at pick No. 26!

27 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Zion Johnson

Boston College · C/OG · Senior

The sudden retirement of Ali Marpet — as well as potential free-agent losses along the interior — could make Johnson a perfect match for the Bucs.

28 – Green Bay Packers

Bernhard Raimann

Central Michigan · OL · Senior

The former tight end is a fluid athlete with above-average upside and the potential to play either guard or tackle, which is why he should be in consideration for the Packers.

29 – Miami Dolphins (from San Francisco)

Quay Walker

Georgia · LB · Senior

The Dolphins find an inside linebacker with a blend of size, speed and football intelligence for the middle of their defense.

30 – Kansas City Chiefs

Devonte Wyatt

Georgia · DT · Senior

Wyatt is a three-down defensive tackle with excellent hands and explosive take-off as a rusher. The Chiefs can find an edge rusher later in the draft.

31 – Cincinnati Bengals

Tyler Smith

Tulsa · OL · Sophomore (RS)

Smith’s stump-grinding power will be an immediate help at guard while he continues to hone his technique before bumping outside as a starting tackle in the future. Smith is a fast riser in the pre-draft process.

32 – Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)

Jameson Williams

Alabama · WR · Junior

Williams might not help the Lions much this year as he recovers from an ACL tear, but the long-term potential for the explosive deep-ball threat is what matters most.