The Daily Briefing Thursday, May 26, 2022

Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com is ranking the offseasons of all the NFL teams, going from 32 to 1.  Today, we have his list of 32 to 17.  It is immensely long, so we won’t carry all of it – but teams of note, including #32, will be included in their team block.

Here is 32 to 17:

32. Seattle Seahawks

31. Atlanta Falcons

30. Arizona Cardinals

29. New Orleans Saints

28. Las Vegas Raiders

27. Detroit Lions

26. Washington Commanders

25. Houston Texans

24. Dallas Cowboys

23. Chicago Bears

22. New England Patriots

21. San Francisco 49ers

20. Tennessee Titans

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

18. Carolina Panthers

17. Minnesota Vikings

We note that 11 of his bottom 16 are in the NFC, three each in the NFC South, NFC West and NFC North.  By process of elimination, the Buccaneers, Rams and Packers will be in his top 16.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

This from part of Bill Barnwell’s critique of the Bears offseason:

23. Chicago Bears

What went wrong: Poles’ hands were tied by the cap situation and the fact that the Bears were down first- and fourth-round picks from last year’s Justin Fields trade. If there’s any place I would have wanted to see them spend money, though, it would have been on protecting their young quarterback. They made a pair of low-cost offensive line moves in signing Lucas Patrick from the Packers and Dakota Dozier from the Vikings, but Fields projects to play behind one of the worst units in football this season.

DETROIT

Bill Barnwll has the Lions at #27 for their offseason, but his commentary has lots to like:

#27 Detroit Lions

What went right: The Lions continued to stay the course on their rebuild by retaining some of the players who impressed last season. Charles Harris, who led the team in sacks, came back on a two-year, $13 million deal. Tracy Walker, who moved from strong safety to free safety and looked more comfortable in the process, signed a three-year, $25 million pact. General manager Brad Holmes & Co. didn’t do anything dramatic or unrealistic in an attempt to speed up the organization’s process.

I also liked some of the moves they made outside the organization. Bringing in DJ Chark on a one-year, $10 million deal gives Jared Goff a valuable wideout on the outside to play alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown. Veterans Mike Hughes and DeShon Elliott offer valuable depth and are possible starters in the secondary. The Lions didn’t make a single egregious signing in free agency.

Then, the draft fell well for Detroit. The Jaguars landing on Travon Walker at No. 1 overall allowed Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson to fall to his hometown team at No. 2. I’m not sure trading up is a great idea for a rebuilding team — and most advanced value charts had Detroit’s Round 1 trade from No. 32 to No. 12 as a slight win for the Vikings — but it’s certainly fair to say the Lions paid less than most teams typically do to move up to grab Alabama wideout Jameson Williams.

Suddenly, with the combo of Chark, Brown, Williams, D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson, the Lions have one of the league’s most exciting young sets of offensive talents. Admittedly, it might not be thrilling to think about them in an offense in which Dan Campbell is calling plays and Goff is throwing the football, but if the Lions do take a major swing at quarterback in 2023, they’ll already have most of their offensive building blocks in place.

What went wrong: I applaud Detroit’s patience and restraint, but are we sure the best thing to do after a 3-13-1 season is double down on only signing Lions? The only player they added who should be guaranteed of a starting job in Week 1 is Chark, and he’s a free agent after the season. It’s possible there just weren’t many free agents willing to head to a rebuilding team, but I’m surprised Detroit wasn’t a little more aggressive after the first week or two of free agency in trying to find bargains.

What they could have done differently: Williams is an exciting prospect, but in a draft full of wide receivers, the Lions could have stayed put at No. 32 and drafted one of the many wideouts in this class. Moving up in the first and third rounds is great, but the No. 34 selection is extremely valuable. It’s where the Jets landed Elijah Moore in 2021 and where the Colts found Michael Pittman in 2020.

What’s next: Hockenson is eligible for an extension, and while injuries kept the 24-year-old from building on his promising 2020 campaign, he has been good enough to justify a significant deal. Holmes comes from a Rams organization that was typically aggressive about signing its first-round picks after their third season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the Lions get a deal done with Hockenson this summer. After picking up his fifth-year option for 2023, they should be looking at a four-year, $60 million extension to get Hockenson locked up.

MINNESOTA

Bill Barnwell on the Vikings offseason (edited):

17. Minnesota Vikings

What went right: New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah generally made measured, logical moves in his first offseason at the helm. The Vikings brought back Patrick Peterson on a one-year, $4 million deal, signed Nick Vigil and Jordan Hicks to modest deals to shore up their linebacking corps and swapped out Michael Pierce for Harrison Phillips. Their most significant import in free agency was Za’Darius Smith, but his three-year, $42 million contract is really a one-year, $6.7 million pact.

If you’re willing to trust most of the more modern and advanced draft value charts, Adofo-Mensah did a better job of trading around during the draft than the Jimmy Johnson chart would suggest. (Given that Adofo-Mensah was once an analytics guy with the 49ers, my guess is he has studied draft value pretty closely.)

– – –

Does extending Kirk Cousins’ tenure with the Vikings count as a positive? Given that Adofo-Mensah inherited a deal where Cousins had an untenable cap hit of $45.2 million for 2022, he handled the situation reasonably well. To reduce Cousins’ cap figure in 2021 and buy time in looking for a quarterback of the future, the team gave Cousins a one-year, $35 million extension and restored his no-trade clause.

As a quarterback who ranked somewhere between fourth (adjusted net yards per attempt) and 15th (Total QBR) by passing metrics a year ago, Cousins evokes a wide swath of opinions. I’m not sure it would be a great idea to sign him to this sort of deal if he were a free agent, but given the situation the Vikings were in at the start of the offseason, committing to one additional year was better than signing a more significant long-term deal.

What went wrong: By the end of the Rick Spielman regime, the Vikings seemed stuck in the middle of the NFL pack, where they were too good to land a premium draft pick, but not good enough to realistically compete for a title. Most new brain trusts come in and push their team in one direction or the other, but Adofo-Mensah and new coach Kevin O’Connell seem to be heading toward the same path in Year 1.

The Vikings moved on from veterans Pierce and Anthony Barr, but they also restructured stalwarts Harrison Smith and Adam Thielen to create short-term cap space. They can be a playoff team with reasonable luck and health in 2022, but it’s difficult to see them seriously challenging the Packers or the other top teams in the NFC.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

Bill Barnwell critiques the Commanders’ offseason:

26. Washington Commanders

What went wrong: The trade for Wentz was widely panned, with the Commanders eating his entire salary and sending the equivalent of the 36th pick in a typical draft to the Colts for a player Indy was desperate to trade. Rivera basically said that he was willing to pay whatever it would take for the right quarterback, and while that made sense while they tried to trade for Russell Wilson, it’s difficult to see whom they were competing against for Wentz.

What they could have done differently: Wentz is better than Marcus Mariota, but after disappointing two different organizations that desperately wanted him to succeed, I wonder whether the Commanders would have been better off holding on to their picks and signing Mariota to start.

Waiting out the veteran market would have given them a chance of trading a smaller haul for Ryan or acquiring Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo at a discount. They couldn’t have known how everything would go at the start of the offseason, but Rivera’s focus on locking in any sort of upgrade on Taylor Heinicke without being sensitive enough to the price was a negative.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

Part of the reason that Bill Barnwell ranks Atlanta’s offseason at #31:

#31  Atlanta Falcons

What went right: This is a tough one. Atlanta re-signed star kicker Younghoe Koo to a five-year, $24.3 million deal. Running back Cordarrelle Patterson came back on what amounts to a one-year, $5 million contract, which is reasonable enough for a player who emerged in a valuable role for Arthur Smith’s offense in 2021. Casey Hayward Jr. is still a valuable cornerback, and committing one year and $6 million to the former Packers draftee gives Atlanta a legitimate tandem between Hayward and third-year superstar A.J. Terrell.

I’ll get to why I didn’t like what Atlanta attempted to do at quarterback this offseason, but after making a mess of its own doing, the backup plan was reasonable enough. Marcus Mariota was close to a league-average starter for most of his time with Tennessee, and landing him for just $6.8 million in 2022 gives the Falcons a viable floor at QB. Drafting Desmond Ridder in the third round was a reasonable-upside option; even if Ridder only ends up as a viable backup quarterback, the four-year, $5.4 million deal Ridder is expected to sign would still be a good use of a pick.

What went wrong: Well, let’s start with Atlanta’s pursuit of Deshaun Watson. In addition to whatever moral objections one can raise toward the teams that competed to trade for the Texans’ quarterback, the Falcons were probably the least-equipped team in the league to acquire Watson. A Watson trade never made an iota of sense for Atlanta.

The dire cap situation would have forced general manager Terry Fontenot to both trade Matt Ryan and release Grady Jarrett to work a Watson deal onto the books. Watson would have been left with little help on a Falcons team that desperately needs to hold onto its draft picks for years to come. It’s tempting to think of Watson as a player who can guarantee his team a certain number of wins, but the last time we saw Watson on the field, he had just completed a healthy season for a 4-12 Texans team. We would have seen more of that in Atlanta.

In the process, by pursuing Watson, the Falcons played themselves. They alienated Ryan, who was then granted a trade to the Colts for a third-round pick. In doing so, the Falcons were forced to eat more than $40 million in dead money for their longtime quarterback, an NFL record. After the ill-fated extension for Julio Jones and the disastrous free-agent signing of Dante Fowler Jr. are accounted for, the Falcons have more than $63 million in dead money on their cap this season.

Merely to sign their draft class, the Falcons had to then extend Jake Matthews and Jarrett. They are both good players, but Matthews now has the seventh-largest contract at offensive tackle by three-year value, while Jarrett ranks fourth by the same measure among defensive tackles. Jarrett is not the problem with the Atlanta defense, and sacks aren’t everything, but that’s a huge deal for a player who had one sack and 12 knockdowns in 17 games a season ago.

On top of that, the Falcons were unable to keep their own successes in free agency. Russell Gage left for the Buccaneers. Foyesade Oluokun joined the Jaguars on what was admittedly too big of a contract for the Falcons to match. The compensatory picks they received for losing both players were cancelled out by signing Hayward and Mariota. If they hadn’t signed those two players, veterans like Damien Williams, Auden Tate and Rashaan Evans also would have offset those compensatory selections.

CAROLINA

Bill Barnwell on the Panthers offseason:

18. Carolina Panthers

What went right: After spending eight years in the left tackle wilderness, the Panthers can finally feel like they landed a long-term building block at one most of the NFL’s most important positions by drafting Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick. After Jordan Gross’ retirement following the 2013 season, Carolina has had eight different players serve as its primary left tackle. Ekwonu should put a stop to that journey and help the team’s various quarterbacks breathe easier for years to come.

General manager Scott Fitterer was also astute to get a contract done with receiver DJ Moore at the beginning of the offseason.

What went wrong: Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule attempted to land a franchise quarterback and struck out again, as Aaron Rodgers stayed put, Russell Wilson went to the Broncos and Deshaun Watson joined the Browns. Carolina has been patient in waiting out the Browns for Baker Mayfield and the 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo, but it sent too much to the Patriots in the third round of the draft to move up and grab Matt Corral.

– – –

What’s next: The Panthers and Seahawks are the two teams that could realistically trade for a veteran quarterback. Mayfield and Garoppolo are available, and while the 49ers might say otherwise publicly, I don’t think either of those teams wants to pay those players what they’re set to make in 2022. There’s a middle ground where those teams eat salary and trade Garoppolo or Mayfield to the Panthers for a late draft pick.

Carolina hasn’t panicked in its pursuit, but there should be a window where a deal benefits the player, the team trading away the player and the Panthers. When that window comes, the Panthers should strike. Getting Garoppolo for $8 million and a draft pick would be a great deal for Carolina, even if it did draft Corral.

NEW ORLEANS

Thoughts from Bill Barnwell on a not-so-good offseason for the Saints:

What went right: The Saints stayed patient and brought back a couple of Louisiana legends. Tyrann Mathieu’s deal with the Saints is really a two-year, $18 million pact, while Jarvis Landry’s one-year contract comes in at a mere $3 million. Those contracts come in well below the expectations we saw when those guys hit the market, and for a Saints team that needs as many bargain deals as it can get, Mathieu and Landry could end up generating some significant value for the Saints in 2022.

Otherwise, the Saints mostly operated the way they usually operate. They cleared out cap space by restructuring virtually every significant deal in their portfolio then used the room to try to fill holes on their roster. Marcus Maye is coming off of a torn Achilles tendon, but after being franchise-tagged a year ago, the Saints might end up with a bargain on Maye’s deal, which will pay just under $15 million over the next two seasons.

With a hole at quarterback, the Saints also managed to bring back Jameis Winston on a reasonable deal. Winston nearly tripled his 2021 compensation by signing a deal that will net the former first overall pick $15.2 million in 2022. Winston posted a 64.4 QBR over the first seven games of 2021 before tearing the ACL in his left knee, so if he can keep that up over a full season, $15.2 million would still represent a relative bargain on the deal. The Saints also have the option for a second year on Winston at $12.8 million, which would give them leverage in negotiating a new deal if Winston further impresses.

What went wrong: It was one thing when the Saints were addicted to all-in tactics in the final days of Drew Brees’ career, but they’re still doing it with Winston as their quarterback. The Saints paid a significant haul to the Eagles to pick up an additional first-rounder in 2022, with the perennially cap-strapped Saints without their first-round pick in 2023. They moved up again on draft day to select wide receiver Chris Olave. The Saints built their legendary 2017 draft class by adding extra picks in the first and third rounds; they’ve been trading away draft capital ever since.

The Saints have relied heavily on restructures to keep together their core, but the result is a reliance on players who are either exiting their prime or struggling to stay healthy. I’m sure the Saints would have loved to move on from wideout Michael Thomas, who has barely played over the past two seasons, but Thomas’ restructures made his deal unmovable. Instead, the Saints are stuck with players like Thomas and Andrus Peat, even as their deals look to be messes. If the allegations of assault against Alvin Kamara prove to be significant, the Saints would be left in an extremely difficult position.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Cardinals GM Steve Keim thinks a new contract can happen between the team and QB KYLER MURRAY.

A few weeks ago, G.M. Steve Keim said the Cardinals would “try to get something done” with quarterback Kyler Murray since the team had gotten through the draft.

But in a Wednesday interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Keim struck a slightly more optimistic tone when discussing a possible contract extension for the 2019 No. 1 overall pick.

 “I just think it’s a timing thing,” Keim said, via Darren Urban of the team’s website. “Anyone who has done it before has done it anywhere from July to September. No different for us. We know he is under contract for another year and also the fifth-year option [in 2023]. He is our future, we feel that strongly.

“I feel like we’ll be able to get something done this summer.”

Murray, who is currently scheduled to make around $5.5 million in 2022, has not been participating in the Cardinals’ voluntary OTAs. Arizona picked up Murray’s fifth-year option for 2023 this spring, so he’s under contract for the next two seasons.

While things appeared strained between Murray and the Cardinals at times this offseason, it now seems like the two sides will be able to come to an agreement sooner than later.

SAN FRANCISCO

QB TREY LANCE says a seemingly innocuous injury kept him from his best performance as a rookie.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jimmy Garoppolo‘s shoulder injury has had a big impact on the 49ers offseason because the team has not been able to trade him since he had surgery, but there hasn’t been any sign that his extended stay on the roster has impacted plans to start Trey Lance this fall.

Lance’s own health came up when he spoke to reporters from the team’s OTAs this week. Lance injured his right index finger in a preseason game and that didn’t keep him from playing during the regular season, but he said it was something that impacted him when he threw the ball.

After taking a few weeks off from throwing the football at the end of the season, Lance said the finger was finally back to where it needed to be.

“I kind of dealt with my finger throughout the season, so for me, it was kind of getting that back, and getting healthy, and feeling back to myself,” Lance said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “Like, towards the end of the season, I wasn’t the best version of myself overall. It was a long season, a long pre-draft process, of me not being in school. Everyone says it’s going to be, but you don’t really realize it until it happens. And I think the finger, for me, was the biggest thing just as far as throwing the ball. I kind of had to learn to throw the ball differently without kind of using my pointer finger, I guess because of just where it was at throughout the year. But now, I feel like I’m in a great spot, health-wise, and throwing the ball wall, and feeling really good.”

The question of what a full year of Lance as the starter will look like, but little doubt that the 49ers need him at 100 percent if they’re going to get the kind of answers they want.

Bill Barnwell does list some good things for the 49ers in their offseason, but his section on what went wrong is longer:

21. San Francisco 49ers

What went wrong: 2020 breakout star Deebo Samuel requested a trade, and while the 49ers turned down any offers they received for their wide receiver, it doesn’t appear that the issues between the organization and Samuel are getting resolved anytime soon. There have been all kinds of rumors about why the 26-year-old wideout doesn’t want to play for the 49ers, but absent concrete information, it’s fair to say that Samuel’s future with the team is uncertain. He’s an unrestricted free agent in 2023, so time is of the essence with this situation.

Without their first-round pick as a product of the Trey Lance deal, the 49ers continued to throw even more assets into the skill-position well. One year after drafting running back Trey Sermon in the third round and immediately losing all faith in him, they used another third-rounder on Tyrion Davis-Price. An additional third-rounder went toward wideout Danny Gray. Surrounding Lance with talent is one thing, but they have spent a staggering amount of cash and draft capital on running backs and receivers over the past few years.

Losing starting guard Laken Tomlinson to the Jets will hurt the Niners, who helped develop the former Lions first-rounder to an above-average starter. Second-rounder (2021) Aaron Banks will step in on the left side, but I would have preferred to bring back Tomlinson and use Banks to replace right guard Daniel Brunskill. And signing Nate Sudfeld, who was last seen sparking tanking accusations for the Eagles at the end of 2020, doesn’t seem like the best use of $2 million.

Sudfeld would be the primary backup if the 49ers move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery and wasn’t tradeable this spring. Garoppolo’s no-trade clause is expired, and his $24.2 million base salary is not guaranteed, so the Niners could move on if they want to clear out the cap and cash. But it also seems like there’s a realistic possibility of the organization keeping Garoppolo around for the final year of his deal.

The market for Garoppolo seemed like it might be robust after his Week 18 heroics and playoff run, but many of the options that were on the table for the former Patriots standout have moved on. At this point, the 49ers would need to eat a meaningful amount of Garoppolo’s contract to get a deal done, with the Panthers as the most (or only) realistic landing spot.

I would imagine the 49ers will get Garoppolo into camp and hope someone else’s starter gets hurt so they can try to get a first-round pick from a desperate team, just as the Eagles did for Sam Bradford in 2016, but that’s a long shot. I’m certainly not criticizing the team for Garoppolo’s injury, but it is left without any good options right now.

SEATTLE

Why Bill Barnwell has the Seahawks at #32 in the caliber of their offseason:

32. Seattle Seahawks

What went right: The Seahawks were able to retain underrated safety Quandre Diggs, who suffered a fractured fibula and broken ankle during the final game of the 2021 season. Diggs’ three-year, $39 million deal is really a one-year, $13.5 million pact, so the Seahawks got to keep a talented player and maintain leverage if the injury prevents the 29-year-old from returning to his prior form.

Seattle also stayed put in the first round and used their first-round pick on left tackle Charles Cross, addressing one of its biggest positions of need. Some teams were wary of taking a left tackle from Mike Leach’s offense after seeing Andre Dillard fail with the Eagles, but that logic has always been overly simplistic. I can remember teams passing on Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 draft over concerns that Jeff Tedford quarterbacks such as Kyle Boller and Joey Harrington hadn’t lived up to expectations, and that one hasn’t exactly held up years later. Cross might fail, but it won’t be because he played in an Air Raid offense.

What went wrong: You’ve probably heard about the Russell Wilson trade by now. One week after Pete Carroll publicly said that the Seahawks had “no intention” of trading Wilson, the Seahawks sent their franchise quarterback to the Broncos for Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant and five draft picks, including two first-rounders. I wrote at length about this deal at the time, and I don’t like it for Seattle.

The Seahawks simply didn’t get enough for a superstar in the prime of his career, and while I held out some hope that they would then go after a viable replacement under center, they’re about to head into 2022 with Lock and Geno Smith as their two quarterbacks. They went from having a true superstar under center to having two replacement-level veterans and no clear path toward their next franchise passer. That’s a disaster.

Beyond the Wilson deal, the Seahawks further committed toward their philosophy of a 1970s offense. Amid concerns about running back Chris Carson’s future because of a neck injury, Seattle re-signed Rashaad Penny to a one-year, $5.8 million deal then used a second-round pick on Ken Walker III. As The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin pointed out, the Seahawks themselves should know how easy it is to find running backs with late-round picks, having traded one for Marshawn Lynch while using the 249th selection in 2017 to draft Carson. This team has too many needs elsewhere to continue investing meaningful cash and draft capital on tailbacks, even if those backs do end up succeeding.

Fant will replace the departed Gerald Everett in the lineup, but I was shocked to see Seattle sign fellow tight end Will Dissly to a three-year, $24 million deal. As it plays out, Dissly’s deal is more like a one-year pact for $10.8 million, but that’s TE1 money for a player who hasn’t topped 262 receiving yards in a single season as a pro. Dissly is a solid blocker, but the Seahawks need him to be a Rob Gronkowski-level blocker to justify that sort of contract.

What they could have done differently: Well, they could have kept Wilson and fired Carroll. If the relationship between quarterback and head coach had deteriorated to the point where one had to go, Seattle made the wrong choice. Carroll has been a very good NFL coach, but he is 70 years old. The defense he helped mold into the league’s best is gone, as the Seahawks fell to 21st in defensive DVOA a year ago. Carroll’s choices for coordinators haven’t worked out, and the unit has struggled to draft effectively for the better part of the past decade. It’s tough to imagine that we’ll look back in five years and feel like the Seahawks made the right choice between their head coach and quarterback.

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

A Nevada state judge wouldn’t let the NFL take its case against Jon Gruden to arbitration – meaning discovery can commence, depositions can be taken and a Nevada jury could hear the case.  Michael McCann of YahooSports.com:

Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden scored an important pretrial win in his interference and negligence lawsuit against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday when a trial judge denied the league’s motion to dismiss.

The ruling means Gruden’s attorneys will be able to use pretrial discovery, including the taking of sworn testimony and disclosure of sensitive emails, unless the league and Gruden reach a settlement. It also suggests the NFL’s arbitration defense might not be as persuasive as the league believes, a significant point given its relevance to a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores.

The ruling, as reported by the Las Vegas Review Journal, came during a hearing before Clark County District Court Judge Nancy Allf. She stated she was “concerned with the commissioner having the sole power to determine any employee disputes.” Language in the NFL’s constitution and coaches’ contracts indicates that disputes concerning a coach’s employment must go to league arbitration—overseen by Goodell—before a court can decide.

To be clear, Allf’s ruling does not mean Gruden’s lawsuit would succeed in a trial. The former Raiders coach believes that Goodell, whom he ridiculed in emails while an ESPN employee in 2011, is responsible for leaks of Gruden’s emails to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Those 2011 emails, sent to then-Washington president Bruce Allen, contained derogatory remarks that sparked a media controversy. The controversy led to Gruden resigning in disgrace last October and walking away from about $60 million left on his contract.

The NFL flatly denies Gruden’s central thesis—that Goodell leaked emails in retaliation—and stresses that Gruden doesn’t refer to any tangible evidence of this supposed plot. However, with pretrial discovery, it’s possible Gruden will be able to obtain evidence through sworn testimony or documents that support his assertion. The NFL intends to appeal Judge Allf’s ruling.

Although the Gruden case is being heard in a different court (a Nevada state court) and concerns a different set of issues, the failure of the NFL to get the case dismissed to arbitration could be a hopeful sign for Flores. Like in Gruden’s case, the NFL has argued in the Southern District of New York that Flores’ case is preempted by arbitration. If that argument fails, Flores and his legal team would be one step closer to pretrial discovery on a very sensitive topic for the league: the role of race in hiring.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has thoughts:

It means (if it sticks) that Gruden’s case will proceed in open court, and not in the NFL’s secret rigged kangaroo court.

It’s a win for the fans and media as well, since it means that a much greater degree of transparency will apply to the fight. It means that, barring a quick and quiet settlement, we’ll find out who leaked the emails that forced Gruden out, and much more.

“We are going to let the process take care of itself,” Gruden said outside the courtroom, via A.J. Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com. “Good luck to the Raiders. Go Raiders. I don’t have anything [else] to comment on. This process will take care of itself. It’s good to be back in Vegas. I am going to see friends tonight.”

The NFL has tried to make the case about the content of the emails, which obviously were inappropriate. Gruden’s lawyers have made the case about the alleged efforts of the NFL to force Gruden out by giving the emails to the media.

Making the ruling more potent is the fact that Judge Allf ruled from the bench. That doesn’t happen often. It happens when the proper ruling is so clear from the written submissions and the applicable precedent that there’s nothing that could be said or done in open court to change the outcome. It’s the closest thing that a judge can do to spiking the football in the face of the party that loses the issue.

Via Mark Maske of the Washington Post, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says the league will appeal the ruling. Of course it will. It will fight and scratch and claw to try to keep this case out of public, open court.

The NFL, for example, took its effort to force the St. Louis relocation litigation to arbitration all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Look for the league to do the same thing here.

The NFL hates to lose in court. It’s best chance to avoid losing in court is to push the fight to its own internal processes, where the outcome is secure and the facts remain hidden.

Without going chapter and verse through all the “inappropriate” emails, we would argue that there are two different standards for inappropriateness – the standard for public statements and the standard for private statements among friends where one speaks with more candor.

Gruden’s emails only became “inappropriate” when they were taken from private to public without his knowledge in a matter that had nothing to do with him.

And there is a sense that the primary reason he was dealt with so harshly was that one of those emails zinged The Commish.

– – –

The Raiders have given a full workout to Colin Kaepernick.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com presents the news with a rosy glow:

Colin Kaepernick, who last played professional football in 2016 — the year he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice — worked out Wednesday for the Las Vegas Raiders, a league source told ESPN.

It marked Kaepernick’s first workout with an NFL team since being exiled, and it was the first time the former star quarterback visited with a team since he flew to Seattle to meet with the Seahawks in May 2017, before they passed on the opportunity to sign him.

Kaepernick played at the University of Nevada, Reno, the only school to offer him a scholarship. Currently, the pro team in Nevada is the only one in the NFL that has given the civil rights activist another opportunity.

Raiders owner Mark Davis is following in the spirit of his late father, Al Davis, who provided many opportunities, such as hiring the NFL’s first Black head coach (Art Shell) and its first woman chief executive (Amy Trask) in the modern era. The elder Davis also was the first team owner to draft a Black quarterback (Eldridge Dickey) in the first round and the second team owner to hire a Hispanic head coach, Tom Flores.

The NFL had said it encouraged teams to take a look at Kaepernick. But not only has Kaepernick not signed a contract with any team, he also hasn’t received a workout until the one he had Wednesday.

Mark Davis told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez in June 2020 that he would give his “blessing” if the Raiders’ front office or coaches wanted to add Kaepernick.

Derek Carr is the starting quarterback for the Raiders, who also traded for backup Jarrett Stidham earlier this month in a deal with the New England Patriots. Las Vegas also has quarterback Nick Mullens, who signed with the Raiders this offseason.

Kaepernick, 34, recently threw to undrafted receivers for NFL scouts at halftime of Michigan’s spring game, at the invitation of Jim Harbaugh, his former coach with the San Francisco 49ers.

Another potential link to Kaepernick is Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, who was a 49ers assistant from 2013 to 2016.

In an interview with the “I Am Athlete” podcast in April, Kaepernick noted that both of his former Niners coaches, Harbaugh and Chip Kelly, said he “made the locker room better,” contrasting a narrative that he would be a distraction for any team that signs him.

“That 2016 season, my last year, my teammates voted me most courageous and inspirational player,” Kaepernick said. “So, when you’re talking about the people that are in the building, that has never come out that I’ve been a distraction. That’s never come out that I’ve been an issue for the people I’ve played with.”

Kaepernick also said in the interview that today’s NFL should be more “in alignment” with his social views, given the league’s stance on other matters pertaining to race relations in the United States.

“You have ‘End Racism’ in the back of your end zone. You have ‘Black Lives Matter’ on your helmet. Everything I’ve said should be in alignment with what you’re saying publicly,” he said. “It’s a $16 billion business. When I first took a knee, my jersey went to No. 1. When I did the deal with Nike, their value increased by $6 billion. Six billion. With a B.

“So if you’re talking about the business side, it shows [it’s] beneficial. If you’re talking about the playing side, come in, let me compete. You can evaluate me from there. The NFL’s supposed to be a meritocracy. Come in, let me compete. If I’m not good enough, get rid of me. But let me come in and show you.”

Kaepernick said he ultimately wants to win a championship after coming close with the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, during which San Francisco fell one play short in a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in February 2013.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com completely buys into the notion that Kaepernick is a competent QB who will shine when he is finally given his chance:

@ProFootballTalk

Colin Kaepernick, with time to knock off the rust and prepare, would be better than any option the Seahawks, Panthers, and Texans currently have. He’d be better than any QB (sorry TuAnon) that the Dolphins currently have. He’d possibly win the job in Atlanta, too.

Clay Travis objects:

@ClayTravis

This is so dumb it makes my head hurt. Kaepernick was beaten out by Blaine Gabbert the last time he was in the league & he hasn’t played in five years. He is not better than any starting QB in NFL. This is what happens when you allow woke politics to destroy your brain.

The link below has a contemporaneous tweet from Florio at the time of Gabbert’s ascension:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTprgRlWIAA8Omz?format=jpg&name=small

Support for Kaepernick from Skip Bayless:

“I can make a strong case that at his best, Colin Kaepernick was better than Derek Carr. He just was. Everybody I’ve talked to says Kap looks just like he used to.” —

@RealSkipBayless

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

Bill Barnwell on the Steelers offseason (only his part on the QBs):

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

What went right: Frantically searching for a quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Steelers pieced together a plan without getting too desperate. First, they ignored the agent-driven hype about Mitchell Trubisky’s market and signed the former Bears starter to a reasonable one-year deal with a base value of $5.3 million. They even got a second year for $8 million, which is about what Trubisky would have expected to see as a high-end backup option in 2023.

Then, facing rumors that as many as five quarterbacks would go in the first round of the draft, the Steelers stayed put and didn’t sacrifice picks to move up and get the player they wanted. In the end, every quarterback was still on the board at No. 20, so coach Mike Tomlin and his team got to take the player they wanted in local prospect Kenny Pickett. You could make a case they should have landed a better option, but if they liked Pickett and Trubisky, they got their 2022 quarterbacks on reasonable terms.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Bill Barnwell’s look at Houston’s offseason:

25. Houston Texans

What went right: The Texans finally moved on from Deshaun Watson, getting a significant return from the Browns for the quarterback. Picking up three first-round picks gives general manager Nick Caserio’s team the sort of draft capital it needs to rebuild a moribund roster. The deal won’t be quite as exciting if those picks fall in the 20s, but if anybody should know how acquiring Watson doesn’t guarantee you success, it’s … the Texans, who ended up sending the No. 4 overall pick to the Browns in 2018 after Watson tore his ACL as a rookie.

It’s fair to wonder what the long-term vision is for the franchise, but for the second offseason in a row, Caserio had a coherent plan toward filling out the roster. The Texans extended no fewer than 16 of their own players on one- or two-year deals, then added 18 more on similar contracts in free agency. I’m not sure this is building any sort of long-term culture — and filling out the roster with veterans didn’t keep them from going 4-13 a year ago — but there’s at least some semblance of a plan.

Blessed with significant draft capital for the first time, Caserio’s work was a mixed bag. Houston picked up a fourth-rounder and a swap of four spots in the fifth round by moving down from No. 13 to 15 in the draft, where it selected Kenyon Green. If the Texans are going to invest anywhere, the offensive line seems like a good place to start.

What went wrong: Caserio then gave away even more, though, by sending pick Nos. 108 and 124 to move up from No. 68 to 44 and draft receiver John Metchie. By the Chase Stuart chart, the Texans valued Metchie as if he were worth the 18th pick in a typical draft. I’m not sure I trust Houston’s confidence in its ability to outpick the rest of the league, which let Metchie fall into the second round.

– – –

A question from Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

Texans: Is Lovie Smith the guy?

Deshaun Watson is gone, and now it’s time to focus on the rebuild in Houston. The Texans have shown by the decisions they have made in free agency over the past two offseasons that they are going to complete the rebuild their way. They didn’t chase prized free agents and didn’t try to reset the market with anyone. They instead just re-signed players on both sides of the ball who they are confident in, like Brandin Cooks and their three leading tacklers from last year: Kamu Grugier-Hill, Desmond King and Christian Kirksey.

One interesting decision they made was promoting Lovie Smith to head coach. He certainly has the resume, as the 2005 NFL Coach of the Year won the NFC North three times with the Chicago Bears and took them to the Super Bowl. Smith had just three losing seasons during his nine years with Chicago, and also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Illinois. The thing is, Smith didn’t look to even be a finalist for this job.

The three supposed finalists were Brian Flores, Josh McCown and Jonathan Gannon. Then, it was narrowed down to Flores and McCown. The Texans seemed enthralled with McCown despite him having no coaching experience, and many were already preparing for the backlash that would come if the Texans were to hire him over a more qualified Black coach. Instead, Houston suddenly changed direction and landed on Smith.

It begs to be asked: How confident are the Texans really in Lovie Smith? And how long of a leash is he going to have? David Culley did much better than people thought he would in 2021, and he was still fired! An important part of any rebuild is getting the right head coach in place. All eyes will be on Smith in 2022.

INDIANAPOLIS

A question from Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

Colts: How much of an upgrade is Matt Ryan over Carson Wentz?

The Colts decided to move on from Carson Wentz this offseason, and I can understand why. He didn’t have a statistically poor season, but he also never established himself as the franchise quarterback of the future. Watching him lose to the Jaguars in a stadium full of clowns in a win-and-you’re-in postseason situation was absolutely painful.

Indy is again starting over at quarterback with a veteran in Matt Ryan. The 37-year-old threw for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, posting a career-low QBR of 46.1. He did suffer behind a bad offensive line and with a low-end wide receiving corps, so he can’t shoulder all the blame for Atlanta’s failures in 2021.

I caught up with “Matty Ice” last month, and he truly seems rejuvenated with this change of scenery. He wants to compete, and he’s going to have a good chance to do so with this roster. Plus, head coach Frank Reich has loved what he’s seen from Ryan so far. The question is, will his play be enough to take the Colts from 9-8 to Super Bowl contenders? Or will Indy’s offense be up and down like last year?

THIS AND THAT

ADAM SCHEIN’S 9 BANDWAGONS TO HOP ON

From Adam Schein of NFL.com:

With that in mind, here are the bandwagons to hop on in 2022, Schein Nine style. Get in before all seats are taken!

1  New Orleans Saints

2021 record: 9-8

I dig this group. I love the roster general manager Mickey Loomis has assembled and refuse to sell New Orleans short. This is a playoff team. In fact, these Saints can beat out the Buccaneers for the division title. They can win a playoff game or two. I’m ready to drive this bandwagon!

Despite losing the greatest player in Saints history (Drew Brees) last offseason and the greatest coach in Saints history (Sean Payton) this offseason, New Orleans remains right in the thick of things in the NFC. This is what happens when you brilliantly bring in key veterans like Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry. This is what happens when you deftly draft two instant starters in the first round: WR Chris Olave and OT Trevor Penning. This is how you bounce back from an injury-riddled, playoff-free — albeit still winning — season.

The Taysom Hill experiment is mercifully over. Jameis Winston is fully acclimated — and returning to full health. He will have Olave and Michael Thomas, neither of whom played a single down with Winston last season. With Landry also joining the party, New Orleans’ receiving corps is suddenly scary to the opposition, as opposed to the Saints themselves. Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harty and Tre’Quan Smith — New Orleans’ top three leading receivers in 2021 — are now depth pieces. Defensively, the Saints should be quite stout once again. Dennis Allen, who was the no-brainer choice to replace Payton at head coach, will guide another unit with talent from front to back.

Payton will be missed, no doubt about it. The guy is a future Hall of Famer, after all. But at least the Saints have valuable coaching continuity on offense, with longtime coordinator Pete Carmichael still in place. Carmichael, Allen and a whole host of veteran stalwarts know the Saints way. They’ll all be able to carry this forward, keeping New Orleans highly relevant in the post-Payton era.

2  Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · QB

At this time last year, Lawrence was thought to be The Next Big Thing. Then Urban Meyer suffocated the entire Jacksonville organization, simultaneously ruining the ultra-talented quarterback’s rookie campaign.

Well … Ding-dong, the witch is dead! In the wake of Meyer’s 13-game debacle, enter Doug Pederson. The former Eagles head man brings positivity, a proven track record of quarterback development and savvy play-calling chops. Oh, and a Super Bowl ring.

Lawrence was billed as the next coming of John Elway and Andrew Luck — a dreamy, can’t-miss prospect at the game’s most important position. And I still believe it. Throw Year 1 out the window. Heading into Year 2, the Jags built up the offense around Lawrence in free agency. Not to mention, Lawrence actually gets to take the field once again with Travis Etienne, Jacksonville’s other Clemson first-rounder who missed the entire 2021 season with a Lisfranc injury.

Lawrence is special, and he’ll remind everyone of this in 2022.

3  Josh McDaniels

Las Vegas Raiders · HC

The ambiguity and confusion on who is calling the plays in New England underscores what a blow McDaniels’ exit was to the Patriots. And I strongly believe that the offensive guru is going to thrive in his second stint in the big chair. He learned from his mistakes in Denver, where he was in above his head as a wunderkind coach more than a decade ago. He’s bright and has said all the right things. He’s grown. And McDaniels’ football savvy has never been in question. I really like the fit for him in Las Vegas, too.

McDaniels is going to take my guy Derek Carr to new heights — especially now that Carr is reunited with his old college teammate, Davante Adams. And with McDaniels’ offense routinely putting points on the board, Maxx Crosby and free-agent acquisition Chandler Jones are going to EAT as one of the league’s premier pass-rushing duos.

The AFC West looks like the toughest division in football, but I still envision McDaniels guiding Vegas to the playoffs in Year 1.

4  Cam Akers

Los Angeles Rams · RB

Akers made this list last year … and then tore his Achilles and missed the first 17 weeks of the season.

Somehow, some way, Akers incredibly returned to action for the regular-season finale and the playoffs, helping the Rams win the Super Bowl. But, as the running back himself recently admitted, he clearly wasn’t himself, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry in the postseason.

I think we see the real Cam Akers again in 2022. The guy is a stud. Sean McVay loves him. He’s going to own the backfield for the defending champion Rams. I promise this time.

5  Philadelphia Eagles

2021 record: 9-8

Howie Roseman, take a bow. The Eagles GM just put on a clinic in offseason team-building. The most notable move, of course, was the draft-day trade for A.J. Brown. Absolutely fantastic. Philadelphia needed a star receiver, and they got a beastly playmaker who’s only ascending at age 24. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big DeVonta Smith fan. After a strong rookie campaign, I think he’s going to blow past the 1,000-yard mark this fall, benefiting from Brown being the alpha dog. Defensively, Roseman filled two serious needs in free agency, getting a proven edge rusher (Haason Reddick) and a rock-solid CB2 (James Bradberry). And I love what Philly did in the draft, particularly plucking a pair of stars off that absurd Georgia defense in DT Jordan Davis and LB Nakobe Dean.

All of this, of course, helps quarterback Jalen Hurts, who’s heading into a make-or-break season. I think he’ll make it. I believe in Hurts. He was a great player at Alabama and Oklahoma. He’s smart, athletic and can make every throw. I have no doubt he can improve his accuracy. And he’s a stellar leader.

Philadelphia has more talent than Dallas after the Cowboys’ relatively pedestrian offseason. So, yes, the Eagles should win the NFC East.

6  Javonte Williams

Denver Broncos · RB

Please don’t talk to me about Williams splitting carries with Melvin Gordon. Williams is the guy. He’s a second-year stud with star potential. And I think he truly takes the reins in 2022.

All eyes are on Russell Wilson, and rightfully so — he changes everything for Denver. Now, for the first time since Peyton Manning’s retirement, you have to respect the Broncos’ quarterback. But if defenders solely focus on Wilson, it will be to their detriment. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams forced 63 missed tackles as a rookie. That ranked second only to Jonathan Taylor’s 66 — and Taylor had 129 more carries! I believe Williams becomes a legit top-10 running back in Year 2.

7  Jaycee Horn

Carolina Panthers · CB

The Panthers’ top pick was rocking as a rookie until he broke his foot in Week 3, allowing just a 39.6 passer rating against (per PFF) and notching a pick against the division rival Saints. There’s a reason Carolina drafted him eighth overall, ahead of Patrick Surtain II, Micah Parsons, Justin Fields and Mac Jones. This cat is special.

While the Panthers’ season came apart after a 3-0 start, the defense did show substantial improvement, finishing second in yards allowed. And Horn is the type of talent who will lift Phil Snow’s unit to even greater heights.

8  Pep Hamilton

Houston Texans · OC

Hamilton has a strong reputation — in both college football and the NFL — as a bright offensive mind and quarterback guru. Last year only furthered that trend. While it was a tough season for the 4-13 Texans on the whole, one of Houston’s bright spots was rookie quarterback Davis Mills. Who was his position coach? Who was the Texans’ passing game coordinator? That’s right, Pep Hamilton, who has assumed offensive coordinator duties under new coach Lovie Smith. Hamilton will continue to develop Mills in 2022, especially with the eternally underrated Brandin Cooks as his WR1.

Houston is going to bite some teams this year. I predict Hamilton will maximize what he has on offense and then get head-coaching looks in 2023.

9  Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens · WR

I love everything I’m hearing from the Ravens’ second-year receiver these days. In the wake of Baltimore trading Marquise Brown to Arizona, Bateman is suddenly the Ravens’ de facto WR1. And he’s champing at the bit to play the role.

“I feel like Baltimore drafted me for a reason. They drafted me to be in this position,” Bateman said on teammate Marlon Humphrey’s podcast. “For me, all I’ve been waiting on is the opportunity. I know what I’m capable of, I feel like the Ravens organization knows what I’m capable of. I’m just excited to go out and finally show it to the fans and especially to my teammates, for sure.”

It’s easy to forget that Bateman was hurt early in his rookie year, especially given the crazy rash of injuries that rocked Baltimore’s season. This stunted the first-round pick’s early growth, and while he still logged three games with 80-plus receiving yards, Bateman didn’t come close to fulfilling his potential. I think we get that in 2022. Bateman has the size, speed, hands and attitude you want from someone to be the go-to guy for Lamar Jackson.