| NFC NORTH Charles McDonald of YahooSports.com sings the praises of the NFC North: The NFC North, though? This is what it’s all aboutThe NFC North is on the opposite spectrum as the aforementioned divisions. All of the NFC North’s teams are good and all of them would have the ability to win other divisions across the league. Unfortunately, there can be only one winner here. Each club has a credible case to believe it can win the NFC North and every team has at least four wins heading into Week 7. The amount of divisional games are about to ratchet up, which will start separating the NFL’s best division as the playoffs inch closer. Chicago fans have to be feeling great right now. The Bears’ defense and special teams held strong and got them a couple wins before the offense broke out and scored over 30 points in back-to-back games to help them get to 4-2. Caleb Williams has come along and started to show off the reasons why he was drafted No. 1 overall with no real consideration to another candidate. The arm strength, accuracy and mobility have provided the Bears’ defense the counterpart Chicago needed to give itself a future for sustainable winning. Now, it will get harder than playing the Panthers and Jaguars, but the Bears are a real threat to win the division even with a rookie quarterback starting. Detroit is arguably the best team in the NFC following its 47-9 drubbing of Dallas. Its offense is capable of scoring against anyone, especially with how well the Lions run the ball and throw play-action off of it. An offense this good gives the Lions a Super Bowl ceiling and they have an improved defensive backfield to give them a higher ceiling on defense as well. Losing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the rest of the season is a huge blow, but they might have enough talent to go on a run without him. This roster is in a great spot. The Vikings were off this past week, but nothing has changed about their lead over the division. They’re the only undefeated team in the NFC North. They’ve done it on the backs of an elite defense and some unexpected high quality play by quarterback Sam Darnold. Time will tell if Darnold is the man to lead a run through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but the Vikings will continue to rack up regular-season wins as long as they play defense this well. This is a coaching masterclass that will be fascinating to watch in the division. Green Bay is playing fantastic football, too. Jordan Love is continuing to emerge as an elite quarterback and the young offensive playmakers continue to get better each week. The only concerning part of this team is its pass rush, but the rest of the club is in a good spot to make something interesting happen this postseason. This division is as good as it was advertised to be during the preseason and it will only get more tight as the regular season moves along. |
| MINNESOTAAlec Lewis of The Athletic on the chemistry project that has produced a 5-0 start for Minnesota: The question both then and now was the same: How? How did the Vikings come up with this plan, and how has it worked so well through five games? The answers to those questions are part intentional composition and part spontaneous chemistry. Poetically, the beginnings of the Vikings’ 5-0 start in 2024 were birthed in the final hours of 2023. Late into the night on Dec. 31 in the bowels of U.S. Bank Stadium, coach Kevin O’Connell gripped a lectern with both hands like he was squeezing two stress balls. His Vikings, sputtering to the finish without quarterback Kirk Cousins, had just been embarrassed 33-10 by the rival Packers. For a few brief seconds, he refrained from making eye contact with members of the media. His facial expression evoked the emotions of a person who had just experienced three hours of something he never wanted to experience again. “Really not much to say other than we got outplayed,” O’Connell said. His voice, typically tinged with energy and optimism, sounded raspy and flat. The night confirmed harsh truths unrelated to the Vikings’ abysmal quarterback situation. Mainly, Minnesota needed an offseason to rethink both what it prioritized and how it was going to achieve those priorities. When the season ended, O’Connell and Flores met inside their third-floor offices, revisiting that night and allocating mental energy toward what was needed for the transformation. Beyond a need to re-emphasize turnover margin and playing more physically, they recognized that the team’s creative defensive approach — alternating between max pressure and max coverage — could not survive another season on its own. Teams, beginning with the Bengals in Week 15, had been dicing up their secondary. Pre-snap, the opposition could expect the Vikings’ defensive alignment to look like a punt block. Post-snap, they knew they mostly needed answers for three distinct coverages: Cover 2 (two deep safeties), Cover 3 (three deep defenders) and Cover 0 (no deep defenders). Frankly, the evolution called for better defensive personnel. Playing more Cover 1 (one deep safety with man coverage across the board) or Quarters (four deep defenders with man coverage principles) or 2-man (two deep defenders with man coverage across the board) meant shifting more of the down-to-down pressure onto cornerbacks, a move Flores was unwilling to make with Akayleb Evans, Byron Murphy Jr. and Mekhi Blackmon as the primary starters. Beyond that, the Vikings’ pass rush in 2023 ranked 27th in the league in pressure rate. Add cornerbacks but overlook the pass rush, and the cornerbacks would have to cover for too much time for the increased coverage options to matter. Improve the pass rush but stick with the same cornerbacks, and receivers like Tee Higgins would still make game-deciding grabs in coverage. One Vikings coach described the intended year-over-year modification as a complete upgrade of technological software. Before free agency and the NFL Draft, they sifted through experienced cover corners, interior pass rushers, off-ball linebackers with enhanced coverage range and edge rushers who could both cover and rush the passer. The hope? To find players with these skills who were both smart enough to understand complex concepts and motivated enough to be pushed. Some players who had previously played for Flores, like Andrew Van Ginkel and Kamu Grugier-Hill, made perfect sense. Others, like Jonathan Greenard, Shaq Griffin, Blake Cashman, Jerry Tillery and Jihad Ward, fit the exact specifications for the roles the Vikings staff envisioned. When discussing these players in meetings, the coaching staff even estimated players’ potential market value in their pitches. “It was not just, ‘Here’s how we see this guy as a player,’” Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine said. “But it was, ‘Here’s how we plan to use this guy.’” General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, executive vice president Rob Brzezinski and senior manager of football administration Emily Badis secured many of the Vikings’ defensive targets in March once the free-agency period opened. O’Connell’s time may have been segmented — he was simultaneously directing Minnesota’s pre-draft quarterback evaluation process — but solidifying the other areas of the roster remained pivotal as well. And because the Vikings had moved away from high-dollar veteran contracts in recent years, they had enough cap space to make more moves. First, they signed running back Aaron Jones. Then, they added quarterback Sam Darnold, punctuating what appears to have been a team-altering period. Once the Vikings staff executed its vision, not long after Metellus visited Flores’ office, the facility hummed with an unmistakably different energy. The locker room vibrated with hip-hop music played by Greenard and Ward. On the practice field, as players finished workouts, Griffin, a veteran free-agent signing who played for the Texans and Panthers last season, often walked off the grass laughing with his younger teammates. It gave off the impression of a group of school classmates, thrown together at random, that jelled in a way that they were having fun. They attended Timberwolves playoff games. They caravanned to play golf at Whistling Straits. They met at local country music concerts. At one point during the summer, Griffin’s brother asked about his new team. How is it? What’s it like up there? A Pro Bowler in 2019, Griffin had already played in the NFL for seven years. He began his career with a Seahawks team that not only produced four straight winning seasons but also was known for being player-led and bubbly under coach Pete Carroll. Yet Griffin could not conjure the proper words to describe what the atmosphere in Minnesota had been like. “It was a different feeling,” Griffin said. “I had never felt so many professional football players so ready to get back from each break.” What he didn’t know was that his teammates were finding it similarly difficult to explain their feelings to their family members. “Different” was the same word Jones used in conversations with his mother. Griffin has thought frequently about this feeling. He wonders if the Vikings staff threaded the needle perfectly on blending veterans and youth. He thinks O’Connell’s leadership style — choosing not to be overbearing — has something to do with it. But there’s also an unfortunate reality at play. Tragic circumstances force you to lean on the people you’re closest to and to come together with them in the hope of creating something greater. In July, rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson died in a car crash. Still to this day, one of the first images you see when you enter Minnesota’s locker room is rookie Dallas Turner’s locker — and the nameplate positioned above his own: Khyree Jackson, 31. On a far less devastating scale, the locker room rattled with more news as weeks passed. Blackmon, a highly regarded cornerback, crumbled to the ground during a practice with a torn ACL. Budding quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who had been ascending during training camp, went from electrifying the home crowd on a Sunday to requiring surgery to repair a torn meniscus three days later. Adversity was beginning to feel like a theme for the 2024 Vikings, but O’Connell continued onward. He downloaded Darnold’s route-concept preferences from daily practices. He added words and acronyms to exponentially increase the ways in which the Vikings could motion Justin Jefferson. He spoke defiantly in team meetings, and the players absorbed his message. “You know the NFLPA report card?” right tackle Brian O’Neill said in August, referring to the player survey that identified the Vikings as one of the most highly regarded teams in the league in terms of working conditions and environment. “(O’Connell) is the report card. He sets the tone for the entire building.” Further validating O’Connell’s persistent belief was one final roster move. In the back half of training camp, Flores implored the top brass to sign Stephon Gilmore. The veteran cornerback’s presence, paired with his man-to-man skills, would integrate the final code into the upgrade. Gilmore arrived quietly and blended in seamlessly. Watching him weave his way through the locker room alongside rookies and veterans alike, you begin to forget that they have not been here developing this synergy for years. In New York, after the Vikings suffocated the Giants in Week 1, safety Harrison Smith laced up sneakers at his locker. He was satisfied with the team’s performance, raving about Darnold’s play and shaking his head about Van Ginkel making one of those diabolical, formation-reading, split-second reaction interceptions that only Van Ginkel makes. “Honestly, on defense, we didn’t even show that much,” he said. Smith tends to be so understated that you never really know what he’s thinking. But in the coming weeks, as the Vikings forced Kyle Shanahan, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers into feelings similar to those O’Connell had in the final hours of 2023, Smith’s comment made sense. Hidden on Flores’ whiteboard was a plan to layer an entirely different type of deception atop the max-pressure and max-coverage approaches. The Vikings are now playing Quarters coverage (remember, four deep defenders with man coverage principles) at the highest rate in the NFL. But, because this is Flores, there is a twist. There is a cousin of Quarters coverage called “Palms,” which, for simplicity’s sake, is a way to counteract how offenses attack Quarters. And here is the ultimate kicker: Identifying Quarters or Palms would be easy if the Vikings’ corners and safeties stood still before the snap — but in this defense, they never do. The opposing quarterback not only has to have an answer for an all-out blitz and potential drop-eight coverage, but he also has to identify intricacies after the snap that sometimes differ depending on how the receivers’ routes disperse. Furthermore, these coverages are being disguised by players like Smith whose level of experience helps him predict what a QB is probably thinking. If this is difficult to understand as a reader, imagine what it’s like as a quarterback — in 3 … 2 … 1 … hike. For good measure, there is also the possibility the Vikings do what they did in Week 5 against Rodgers. After playing three snaps of 2-man in Flores’ first 21 games as defensive coordinator, the Vikings played eight snaps in that coverage against the Jets, according to TruMedia. One longtime NFL quarterback, who has not played Flores this season, summed up the challenge: “It’s hard to delineate the difference in anything they’re doing, which is just more half-ticks in a quarterback’s brain. And here comes the pass rush.” The defense’s dominance in 2024 clouds other critical aspects of this start. How the Vikings’ special teams staff identified Will Reichard as the kicker in the draft with an ironclad mind. How luring Josh McCown as quarterbacks coach strengthened the most important position on the team. How first-year defensive line coach Marcus Dixon has upheld the run-stopping standard on early downs. These are all of the secret ingredients in a simmering product unveiling itself in the form of safety Cam Bynum and Metellus mimicking the secret handshake in “The Parent Trap” on a patch of turf in London. Even Lindsay Lohan was impressed. She commented on Bynum’s social media post with the emoji buried beneath all of this early season success: heart. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASTroy Aikman with a blast at the Cowboys receivers and their coaches. Jon Machota of The Athletic: Troy Aikman didn’t hold back Thursday morning. During a weekly radio interview, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current “Monday Night Football” TV analyst shared a major issue he sees when watching the Cowboys this season. The Pro Football Hall of Famer has noticed a wide receiving corps that is making quarterback Dak Prescott’s job more difficult. “I think the routes are terrible,” Aikman said on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. “I think they run terrible routes. And I’ve thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it’s hard to play the position. That’s what I see. “I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it’s because they’re anticipating they’re going to get the football on that play, but if they’re not, they don’t. And it all ties together. I’m not impressed with that part of it.” There’s been plenty to criticize recently about the Cowboys. They entered their bye week this week at 3-3, having just suffered the worst home loss — 47-9 to the Detroit Lions — in Jerry Jones’ 35 years of owning the franchise. The Cowboys have the NFL’s worst running game, the defense is allowing 28 points per game and they’ve suffered lopsided defeats in all three home games. There’s plenty of blame to go around. But it was interesting to hear Aikman point out the routes of the wide receivers not being acceptable and comparing them to other top teams. “I just finished watching the Baltimore Ravens because I have them this week,” Aikman added. “You put on film of theirs and watch their receivers run routes and they come off the football, so does San Francisco’s and Green Bay’s and others. But it’s hard to play the (quarterback) position if you’re not certain how guys are going to run routes or where they’re going to be. And I’m not speaking for Dak (Prescott). Dak may say, ‘Hey, I think (their routes) are amazing.’ But as a former quarterback watching it, it’s gotta get a lot better.” |
| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSA promising start to the Saints season has run afoul of injuries. Rookie QB SPENCER RATTLER won’t have the two best receivers to throw to tonight. Katherine Terrell ofESPN.com: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed has a meniscus injury and could potentially go on injured reserve, according to coach Dennis Allen. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Shaheed’s surgery will take place on Thursday in Los Angeles and is expected to determine whether Shaheed will be sidelined for multiple weeks or the rest of the season. “It’s something with the meniscus,” Allen said. “I think there’s a couple of different options, and so I think that’s what we’re trying to determine right now. There’s a chance [for injured reserve], certainly.” New Orleans will be without its top two wideouts for Thursday night’s game against the Denver Broncos and former Saints coach Sean Payton as wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) also will miss the game. Tight end Taysom Hill (rib), meanwhile, is considered doubtful. “Pain and functionality. I think he’s probably doubtful for this week, but I’m hopeful for the following week,” Allen said of Hill. The Broncos, meanwhile, will be without their top cornerback for the game at New Orleans as Pat Surtain II was ruled out with a concussion. Shaheed leads the Saints this season with 349 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions, and Olave leads the team with 23 receptions and is second on the team with 280 receiving yards. New Orleans had 17 players on the injury report this week ahead of Thursday’s game. Starting quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) is doubtful; starting center Erik McCoy is on IR; guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) has missed several games; and starting linebacker Pete Werner has missed two games. “I think injuries are a challenge in any week, but especially when you’re talking about a short week when you’re trying to get guys back and ready to go,” Allen said. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYThe Chiefs are underdogs in Santa Clara on FOX on Sunday, but Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com documents how QB PATRICK MAHOMES usually wins in the rare instances the oddsmakers are against him: The 49ers are 1.5-point favorites to beat the Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch, but Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes may think that means he has the 49ers right where he wants them. The Chiefs were 2-point underdogs to the 49ers eight months ago in Super Bowl LVIII, but Mahomes led them to a 25-22 win and was named Super Bowl MVP. That was no surprise to Mahomes, who usually wins when the Chiefs are underdogs, with a 10-3 career record straight-up in his 13 starts when the Chiefs were underdogs. In fact, Mahomes’ .769 winning percentage as an underdog is almost as good as his career .792 winning percentage as a favorite. Mahomes’ strong record as an underdog began in the first start of his NFL career, when the Chiefs started him in place of Alex Smith for a meaningless game in the 2017 season finale. The Broncos were favored by 3 points over the Chiefs that day, but Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 27-24 win. When Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starter in 2018, it took the betting world some time to adjust to how good he was, and the Chiefs were underdogs in both Week One and Week Two, winning both games outright. They were also 3.5-point underdogs in Week Six against the Patriots, losing the game by 3 but winning against the spread, and 3-point underdogs in Week 11 against the Rams, losing by 3 and pushing against the spread. In 2019 Mahomes was only an underdog once, by 3 points against the Patriots, but he led the Chiefs to a 7-point win. In 2020 Mahomes was again only an underdog once, by 3.5 against the Ravens, and he led them to a 14-point win. In 2022 Mahomes was an underdog twice: As a 1-point underdog in Tampa Bay, he led Kansas City to a 10-point win. But as a 2.5-point underdog in Buffalo, the Chiefs lost by 4. That loss at Buffalo was the only time in Mahomes’ career that a bet on him as an underdog was a losing bet; he’s 11-1-1 against the spread when the Chiefs are underdogs. The Chiefs were also 1-point underdogs against the Eagles in the Super Bowl at the end of that season, but Mahomes led them to a 3-point win. Mahomes was never an underdog during the 2023 regular season, but the Chiefs were underdogs in three playoff games: Against the Bills in the divisional round, against the Ravens in the AFC Championship, and against the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Mahomes led them to wins in all three games. On Sunday the 49ers will try to do what they couldn’t do in the Super Bowl, and one of the hardest things to do in the NFL: Beat Patrick Mahomes. |
| LAS VEGASNow, all eyes turn to EDGE MAXX CROSBY as the next Raider who might want out. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: In the aftermath of the Davante Adams trade, the Raiders are faced with the question of whether they’re now rebuilding. Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who has said he doesn’t want to be traded and who (per owner Mark Davis) won’t be traded, addressed the “rebuild” dynamic with reporters on Wednesday, from the locker room. “I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win,” Crosby said. “So, you know, I don’t know. Whatever that means, but yeah I’m here to win now. And wherever I’m gonna be, I’m gonna here to win. So that’s all that matters to me.” Two things. One, watch the quotes in the attached video. At one point, he flashes a wry and almost knowing smile. It’s gone almost as quickly as it arrives, but it’s unmistakable. He was thinking something that he didn’t say. Two, he then said something interesting. “Wherever I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be here to win.” What does that mean? The problem with giving the team’s best offensive player a one-way ticket out of town is that the team’s best defensive player might start thinking about getting one of his own. How could he not? How could anyone not consider the stark difference between life with a losing team and a possible escape to a contender? That doesn’t mean he wants to be traded. It definitely doesn’t mean he will be traded. But in those casual, nonchalant moments at a player’s locker, sometimes something that looks and feels a little like the truth has a way of sneaking out. Between the quick smile and the “wherever I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be here to win” remark, it’s fair to wonder what Crosby truly wants. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDCharles McDonald of YahooSports.com says the Browns are “quiet quitting” after WR AMARI COOPER was sent packing: Browns are quiet-quitting and it’s their own faultLet’s call what’s happening in Cleveland what it is: embarrassing. A flat-out embarrassment. The Browns have decided to give up entirely on the 2024 season by continuing to start the worst, most expensive quarterback in football and now have to figure out what their roster looks like for the future while they have a titan-sized albatross in the lineup in Deshaun Watson. At 1-5 and with no hope to get anything accomplished this year, the Browns this week started stripping down their roster for draft picks with their first in-season trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Bills for a third-round draft selection. That’s a move that will make one of the worst offenses in league history even worse, a move the Browns were almost forced to make due to the horrendous return on the Watson trade. The Browns’ future outlook is bleak. Based on his contract, they’ll have to sit through Watson playing for at least one more season before the Browns can start to move off of his $230 million deal. According to Spotrac, the Browns can’t even think about getting rid of Watson unless it’s going to be a trade that happens after June 1 — which would still come with a hefty $81 million dead cap charge spread out over two seasons. That plan comes with one massive problem: Who in their right mind would trade for Watson? It’s a PR disaster and he’s a bad quarterback now. Unless a team is willing to do a Brock Osweiler-type deal and send a first-round pick or two with Watson, he’s going to be on the roster in 2025. That puts a cap on what’s possible on the field before even getting to how the actual salary-cap space works out. According to Spotrac, the Browns are $40 million over the projected cap for next season — and the trade of Cooper forced an immovable $22.5 million dead cap charge for next season. That means the Browns still have a lot of work to do before they can become cap compliant and they’ll have to work around a massive cap hit for a player who’s not even on the team anymore. That’s incredibly damaging for their ability to actually add credible players this offseason. They’re way over the cap, Watson has a cap hit of over $72 million in 2025 and they’ve done a horrific job drafting over the past few seasons (although I gave them a B grade for this year’s selections) and don’t have much by the way of young, cheap talent they can lean on. The only way they can start to put together a team for next year, which won’t have many big-time free agents joining, is to start stockpiling draft picks for cheap contracts to add to the 2025 roster, which is almost guaranteed to be a terrible team. They’re not going to bench Watson, so this is what it is. The Browns are a bad team with a failing infrastructure and one of the worst starting QBs in league history. They made this bed, it’s going to cost people their jobs and they face a LONG road back to positive relevancy. Even after the Watson saga ends, they’ll still have to draft and develop a quarterback of the future, which takes a long time in its own right. Hopefully, for their fans and the league, the Browns can return to relevance before the next decade starts. It really might be that long. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEQB WILL LEVIS proclaims his confidence is intact. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The first five weeks of the Titans’ season have not generated a lot of outside confidence in quarterback Will Levis. Levis made major errors in judgment that led to game-breaking turnovers in three losses to open the year and then suffered a right shoulder injury early in the team’s Week Four loss to the Dolphins. He returned to action in Week Six and threw for 95 yards and his seventh interception in a loss to the Colts, which wasn’t a performance that suggested better days are right around the corner. On Wednesday, Levis was asked about how his confidence in himself has held up over the rough start to the season. “High,” Levis said, via the team’s website. “I was disappointed how I let myself dip for that brief period of time. But I feel like I am back, and I am not going to let myself lose that again. I think the second you lose that edge it is hard to come back from. You just have to maintain that to be able to go out there and have that confidence and mindset to do what you are capable of. So, that’s what I am making sure I remind myself of every day, regardless of what my box score or stat line looks like. I know who I am, and at the end of day, numbers, or whatever anyone has to say, doesn’t define me.” Numbers might not be how Levis defines himself, but they are going to be a big part of defining him as an NFL quarterback and neither the losses nor the turnovers are helping to write the definition of someone who has a long run running an offense as a starter.– – -The Titans have granted S JAMAL ADAMS his release per Turron Davenport ofESPN.com: The Titans are honoring three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams’ request to be released, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. Adams signed a one-year deal with the Titans in July after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks. Joining the Titans gave Adams an opportunity to be reunited with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who served as Adams’ defensive backs coach when he was the No. 6 pick by the New York Jets in the 2017 NFL draft. While with the Titans, Adams played a total of 20 snaps in three games, including two in his Titans debut against the Jets in Week 2. Adams played a season-high 17 snaps the following week against the Green Bay Packers. But his frustration level peaked after playing just one snap against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. Adams told ESPN on Thursday that he wasn’t frustrated about not being a starter, he just wanted an opportunity to contribute. So, he requested to be released. The primary issue from the Titans’ point of view was a lack of practice, according to a team source. Adams missed extensive time during training camp as he fought through a hip injury. The Titans placed Adams on the non-football injury list this past Saturday. The veteran defensive back said he’s healthy and ready to help out the next team he joins. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOGM BRANDON BEANE hints that the acquisition of WR AMARI COOPER may be the beginning, not the end, of Buffalo’s roster improvement push. Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com: Bills General Manager Brandon Beane says trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper this week may not be the last move his team makes in its quest to bring a Vince Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo this season. Beane told Pat McAfee that the Bills were eager to get Cooper from the Browns but would have pursued other moves if the Browns weren’t interested, and that they still might make other moves before the NFL trade deadline on November 5. “We’re still all-in,” Beane said. “If this didn’t happen, if Cleveland was not ready to do it, we were going to continue to monitor. And listen: We’ve still got a few weeks until the trade deadline. If we feel there’s something else that we need or can get us over the top, we have been all-in all along. I know we lost some names this offseason, some guys who have been captains, it was an offseason of transition, but the mindset here as long as Josh Allen is our quarterback is we’re gonna try and win this thing, and we’re going to do what we can every single year.” Beane said the Bills have checked in with multiple teams in their quest to add players who can help them win now, and the Browns were the first team to bite. Beane said he respects that other GMs around the league don’t want to give up on their seasons this early, but realistically he’s reaching out to teams that are down in the standings and might want to prioritize gaining future draft picks. Browns General Manager Andrew Berry proved to be a GM who was open to that. “We were having conversations quietly with a couple other teams just seeing where they were at. Every team is in different spots. Sometimes it’s, ‘If we can win this week, we want to hang in there, we’re only a game back or two games back.’ Definitely had some conversations with Cleveland,” Beane said. “No team wants to give a player away but you’re also looking at the now and the future. We talked again on Sunday night, again Monday, and ultimately I told him let’s touch base after our game Tuesday morning, and things got hot and heavy.” Things may continue to get hot and heavy for the Bills, and for losing teams with veteran players they’re looking to ship to Buffalo. |
| NEW YORK JETSWith the addition of WR DAVANTE ADAMS, the Jets are willing to trade WR MIKE WILLIAMS. Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com lists the top three contenders: The Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are among the teams that have reached out to the Jets about possibly acquiring Williams, according to The Athletic. These three teams entering the fray for Williams shouldn’t come as too much of a shock for those who have been paying attention to the wide receiver market over the last few months. The Steelers have been linked to a number of available pass catchers, including Brandon Aiyuk before he decided to remain in San Francisco. With that need to add some more receiver depth to a unit headlined by George Pickens, Pittsburgh should be looked at as a viable trade partner for New York. As for the Saints, they were a dark horse in the Adams sweepstakes, but Williams could prove to be a solid consolation prize after losing out to the Jets. The Saints receiver room has been hit hard by injuries as Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) are expected to miss time. The most familiar option for Williams, however, is the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old played his entire career with the franchise up until this season, when he was released as a cost-cutting move. Williams has a rapport with Justin Herbert, and the Chargers could use more playmakers at the receiver position, so a reunion would make sense. Williams was absent from practice on Wednesday with what the Jets listed as personal reasons. Of course, it’s not far reach to suspect that his absence could stem from these latest trade talks. Williams has 10 catches for 145 yards this season. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| MVP CANDIDATESStephen Holder of ESPN.com makes a list thru Week 6: Quarterbacks, per usual, dominate the list. But the candidates are trending younger, creating new intrigue. Can a rookie win the award for the first time in more than six decades? Will last season’s winner repeat? And whose stock is rising and falling one-third of the way through this NFL season? All of that, and more, is covered as we sum up where the MVP race currently stands. 1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore RavensCurrent odds: +5502024 stats: 1,529 passing yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs, 69.4 QBR (403 rushing yards, 2 TDs)Jackson has wasted little time in stating his case for a third MVP. The Ravens’ 0-2 start was not great for his candidacy, but he’s been on a roll since. In four straight wins, Jackson is fourth in completion percentage (70.3%), third in QBR (76.1), second in yards per dropback (9.1), has thrown eight touchdowns versus one interception and has rushed for 236 yards — most among quarterbacks. In Jackson’s past two games, wins over the Bengals and Commanders, he amassed a combined 766 yards of passing and rushing. Keep in mind, Jackson has done all of this against impressive competition. His Week 1 performance against the defending champion Chiefs should not be ignored, seeing how he was literally inches from sending the game into overtime in the final seconds. And against the Commanders, Jackson put up 323 passing yards versus a defense that was allowing 199 on average entering the game. That all sounds pretty valuable. 2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City ChiefsCurrent odds: +3252024 stats: 1,235 passing yards, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 57.8 QBR (83 rushing yards)You’ve got to be one heck of a player to be on pace for career lows in touchdown passes and QBR (and a career high in interceptions) while still being considered a legitimate MVP candidate. Those realities speak to the greatness of Mahomes, as does the fact that he has willed his team to a 5-0 start despite its offensive imperfections. The case for Mahomes’ third MVP isn’t necessarily about his numbers. He ranks 16th in QBR (57.8), is tied for second with six interceptions and sits at 11th in passing yards per game (247.0). But where would the Chiefs be without him? Kansas City’s supporting cast was already in question, and it’s been further depleted by injuries to receiver Rashee Rice (knee) and running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula). Rice, who is out for the season, is the only Chiefs player in the top 50 in receiving yards. Mahomes has managed to transcend all of that and keep the Chiefs undefeated. 3. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington CommandersCurrent odds: +12002024 stats: 1,404 passing yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 73.7 QBR (322 rushing yards, 4 TDs)Don’t fall into a trap of thinking it’s normal for rookies to be in the mix of the MVP conversation, even though it’s happening for the second straight season. This is rare, which is the best way to describe what Daniels is doing in Washington. The Commanders are 4-2 and sitting on top of the NFC East, and Daniels is the biggest reason. He’s leading the NFL in completion percentage (75.3%), which might not mean much if he was playing without aggressiveness. But Daniels is also fourth in yards per attempt (8.5), suggesting the offense is hardly being stripped down to account for his inexperience. 4. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston TexansCurrent odds: +6502024 stats: 1,577 passing yards, 10 TDs, 4 INTs, 66.3 QBR (75 rushing yards)Stroud made waves as a rookie last season when he received MVP votes. Some of his numbers this season are not as flashy as 2023; he’s down slightly in yards per game and yards per attempt. But Stroud is making gains in ways that matter. His completion rate is up more than four points to 68.3%, and he’s on pace for 28 touchdown passes (he had 23 last season). What matters more is that the Texans are off to a fast start at 5-1, making Stroud the unquestioned leader of a team that is a Super Bowl contender. There are a couple of things that threaten to undermine Stroud: He’s trending higher in interceptions — he has four compared to five all of last season — and the pass protection issues haven’t been fully resolved, as Stroud is on pace for 45 sacks after being sacked 38 times in 2023. 5. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo BillsCurrent odds: +6502024 stats: 1,160 passing yards, 10 TDs, 0 INT, 79.3 QBR (178 rushing yards, 3 TDs)In a number of ways, Allen is putting together his best season yet. His league-leading QBR is the highest of his career. And his touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best in the NFL. The lack of interceptions, specifically, signals some important growth in Allen’s game after he threw a career-high 18 last season. Notably, Allen is doing this despite the Bills’ roster evolution. Receiver Stefon Diggs, formerly Allen’s top target, is now catching passes from Stroud in Houston, and Buffalo added help for Allen this week by trading for star WR Amari Cooper. Also, per usual, he’s guiding an offense that lacks a robust running game. And yet, advanced stats confirm the Bills are one of the NFL’s top offenses: Buffalo ranks fourth in offensive expected points added (44.57), a credit to Allen’s overall impact. Just missed Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings (+1800)Darnold’s turnaround is one the NFL’s best stories of 2024, and he’s also powering one of the best teams. The 5-0 Vikings have benefited from Darnold’s efficiency and ability to avoid huge mistakes. He’s currently top five in yards per attempt (8.1) and touchdown passes (11) and playing the best football of his career. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens (+5000)The fountain of youth has found its way to Baltimore, where the 30-year-old Henry has turned back the clock, averaging a league-high 117.3 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry. Already the active leader in career rushing yards, Henry has a league-best eight rushing scores. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers (+1300)The 49ers’ injury list keeps getting longer, but Purdy’s impact hasn’t been any less obvious. He’s on pace for more than 4,600 passing yards after 4,280 last season. And he’s top five in QBR (70.3) as well as yards per attempt (8.8). Also receiving top-10 votes: Packers QB Jordan Love, Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, Steelers LB T.J. Watt, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, Texans WR Nico Collins, Chargers QB Justin Herbert, Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Lions edge Aidan Hutchinson, Packers S Xavier McKinney, Lions QB Jared Goff, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase, Chiefs DT Chris Jones, 49ers RB Jordan Mason, Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, 49ers LB Fred Warner Whose stock is up after six weeks?Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers: Love’s knee injury in Week 1 initially felt like it might keep him out of the running. He returned after missing two games and passed for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has key opportunities to state his case with games against the Texans and Lions in the next three weeks. Whose stock is down after six weeks?Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: Herbert has been — for lack of a better word — a bit ordinary. Numbers don’t always reveal the whole story, but Herbert’s are telling: 27th in yards per game (163), 24th in yards per attempt (6.5) and 23rd in QBR (49.5). Herbert is on pace for career lows in several categories. What would need to happen for us to see our first rookie MVP crowned since Jim Brown in 1957?This would require huge signature moments from Daniels, something he’s already shown himself capable of. His Week 3 performance on “Monday Night Football” got people talking when he threw two touchdowns, ran for another and completed a remarkable 91% of his passes — the highest single-game completion rate by a rookie ever. His playmaking ability makes a performance like that possible at any time. It’ll likely take a few more of those to earn an MVP case, but we certainly can’t rule it out. |
| PROPOSED TRADESBill Barnwell of ESPN.com offers 12 possible deals. In case you haven’t noticed, trade season has already arrived in the NFL. In the past, three in-season trades would have qualified as an unusually busy year. We just saw three take place Tuesday alone, as the Vikings landed running back Cam Akers, the Bills picked up receiver Amari Cooper and the Jets finally reunited wideout Davante Adams with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who definitely has no ability at all to influence decisions in New York. There will be more trades to come. With the league pushing the deadline by one week — it’s now Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. ET — franchises will have a better idea of whether they’re actually going to be competing for a playoff berth, which should inspire more deals at the buzzer. There are already five teams (the Jaguars, Giants, Browns, Patriots and Panthers) whose chances of making it to the playoffs are below 5%, per ESPN’s Football Power Index, and more should fall out of the picture in the coming weeks. Let’s run through the league and provide 12 trades that would make sense for both parties. Some of the names won’t be quite as sexy as Adams or Cooper, but there are players who are either buried on depth charts or in need of a fresh start who could be more helpful elsewhere. The goal is to find trades that could actually happen as opposed to the most spectacular-but-unlikely swaps. Even after those two star wideouts moved, there are big names who could find new homes, including a former No. 1 overall pick and a multitime Pro Bowl player. I’ll start with the latter, a third big-name wide receiver who could end up going from a struggling team to the two-time defending champs: Chiefs land an instant-impact WRTitans get: 2025 fifth-round pickChiefs get: WR DeAndre HopkinsWhile Patrick Mahomes might believe his team is set at wide receiver, the Chiefs need a rental. They have used high draft picks on Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy over the past two years, and while Rice is expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, those two should be the starting wide receivers in 2025. Throw in the contracts they need to hand out in the offseason and Kansas City’s back-to-back Super Bowls after trading away Tyreek Hill and I would be shocked if the Chiefs pursued a wide receiver who will make significant money on their roster in 2025. What the Chiefs need is someone who can step in and take Rice’s spot in the starting lineup without requiring any sort of serious commitment for next season. Looking around the league for veterans who fit that role, there’s an obvious fit in Hopkins. He’s owed approximately $6 million over the remainder of the season, but the 32-year-old former Texans star is a free agent in 2025. The Chiefs already have speed in Worthy and Mecole Hardman, along with backs and tight ends who can catch the football, but Hopkins would be the “X” receiver they don’t have on their roster. Hopkins has been a part-time player for the Titans while recovering from a torn MCL suffered during the offseason, with the five-time Pro Bowler having played 43% of the offensive snaps through the first five games. Kansas City could let him continue to work his way into the lineup in a part-time role as he heals during the season before ramping up his snaps in December and January. The team already has a 94% chance of winning the AFC West, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Hopkins isn’t the player he was in his prime, but he is still a productive receiver. He has 175 yards across the first month of the year, but he has run only 73 routes. He averaged a healthy 2.2 yards per route run a year ago and is at 2.4 yards per route run this season. With the Titans having signed Calvin Ridley to be their primary wideout this offseason, Hopkins is likely to move on after the season. They have played Tyler Boyd and 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks ahead of Hopkins this season, and moving the veteran would give Burks a full season to prove whether he’s part of Tennessee’s future. This might not feel like a massive return for a veteran wideout with Hopkins’ history, but he didn’t have a huge free agent market two offseasons ago, is older now, is battling a knee issue and is owed meaningful money over the remainder of the year. He wouldn’t have a huge market, but the Chiefs feel like the correct fit and would benefit from his strengths. Lions add short-term pass-rush assistanceJets get: 2026 sixth-round pickLions get: Edge Haason ReddickThere aren’t many options for the Lions, who have now lost both of their starting edge rushers to season-ending injuries. They might have been able to get by without Marcus Davenport (triceps), but there’s no replacing Aidan Hutchinson, who was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate before breaking his leg in Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. With championship ambitions, Detroit needs to do whatever it can to find pass rushers with the potential to make an immediate impact. I’d advocate for both the Lions and Raiders to consider an all-in move for Maxx Crosby, but the star pass rusher has said he doesn’t want to leave Las Vegas. The best edge rusher who is actually available on the trade market is Reddick, who has spent the year accruing about $5 million in fines for not reporting to the Jets. He has insisted on landing a new contract before he steps back onto the field, and there’s little reason to believe he’ll give in on those demands now. Davenport is a free agent after the season, and while Hutchinson will be eligible for an extension in 2025, both sides might want to wait for him to recover fully from his injury before negotiating a new contract. There’s a window here in which the Lions could give Reddick a deal with guaranteed money running through the 2025 season. A two-year, $40 million extension to Reddick’s existing deal would allow him to claim some victory for his holdout, while Detroit would land the pass rusher it sorely needs. The Jets aren’t going to get the third-round pick they sent to the Eagles for Reddick, but that’s a sunk cost now. Dolphins deal for a QB with high upsidePanthers get: 2025 fourth-round pick (conditional)Dolphins get: QB Bryce YoungThe Panthers can say they still see Young as their quarterback of the future and that they have no intention of trading the 2023 first overall pick, but actions speak louder than words. Benching a quarterback of the future two games into his second season suggests Carolina doesn’t see Young in the same way as it did as recently as this summer. The franchise likely will be back in the quarterback market next spring, and while it could hold onto Young, it might want a veteran backup (like Andy Dalton) for their next starter. Young is owed $10.7 million through the end of the 2026 season, which is reasonable money for a backup quarterback. At this point, an acquiring team has to value him as a backup with the upside to potentially do more in a better offensive scheme. Other passers have managed to overcome dismal starts to their careers and survived, but the majority of those who played as poorly as Young did don’t live up to their pre-draft expectations. The Dolphins feel like the best fit here. On the field, Young is best in an offense that’s built around RPOs and designed to get the ball out quickly. The ability to create out of structure we saw from him at Alabama might still be there, but it has been eroded by what happened to him in Carolina. He has to play in an offense where the ball will be out before he takes too many hits, especially at first. After playing behind a porous offensive line in a broken offense in 2023, his confidence is shot. Miami has the sort of uncertain quarterback situation that would benefit from Young’s presence. Tua Tagovailoa is signed to a long-term deal and is expected to return from his most recent concussion at some point during the season, but the series of brain injuries he has suffered have understandably raised questions about his long-term status. Backup quarterback is a clear weakness for the Dolphins. They cut Mike White before the season, and when Skylar Thompson struggled before getting injured, they turned to Tyler Huntley, who has managed 290 passing yards in two starts. Trading for Young would give them a higher-upside option behind Tagovailoa with the potential to eventually emerge as the long-term starter if Tagovailoa eventually leaves the sport. The Panthers don’t have much leverage in a potential Young trade, so a conditional pick in 2026 would make sense. Here, the Panthers would get a fourth-round pick with the potential for that pick to rise based on Young’s performance. That pick would upgrade to a third-rounder if he throws for 1,500 yards in 2025 or a second-rounder if he makes it to 3,000 yards. Chargers take a chance on a young CBCommanders get: 2025 fifth-round pickChargers get: CB Emmanuel Forbes, 2025 sixth-round pickFirst-round picks aren’t usually on the trade block before they’re even halfway through their second pro campaigns, but Forbes is a unique case. An undersized (166 pounds) corner out of Mississippi State, the Ron Rivera regime drafted him with the 16th selection in last year’s draft … and didn’t end up liking what it saw. Forbes began the season in the starting lineup before being benched in October. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the way. The new regime that took over after Rivera was fired, meanwhile, doesn’t appear to see much in the 23-year-old, either. Forbes has played just 72 defensive snaps this season. While he has been held back by a thumb injury, he was a healthy scratch for last Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. He is probably the sixth corner on Washington’s depth chart and is due over the next three years more than $6 million guaranteed, which the team might prefer to spend elsewhere. On the other hand, if an organization still sees Forbes as the dynamic playmaker he was in college, three years of a young cornerback for $6 million is a bargain. The Chargers might be willing to take the plunge, given that Asante Samuel Jr. is on injured reserve for the next three games. There’s not much on the long-term depth chart for Los Angeles at cornerback, as Samuel and Kristian Fulton, the team’s two starters on the outside, will both be free agents after the season. Taking on $6 million for a player who hasn’t been even a passable NFL corner might be a dangerous move, but the upside of landing a prospect who went in the middle of Round 1 just 18 months ago would be worth the risk for Jim Harbaugh & Co. Cowboys move for a RB with intriguing toolsBears get: 2025 sixth-round pickCowboys get: RB Khalil HerbertCowboys team owner Jerry Jones might not like his offseason decision-making being second-guessed, but as I don’t host a radio show with him, I can speak freely. Dallas didn’t address its running game in the offseason, and it is struggling on the ground. Ezekiel Elliott has been mostly phased out of the rotation, leaving Rico Dowdle, who has generated minus-18 rush yards over expected (RYOE) in a relatively quiet start to the season. There’s no Derrick Henry lurking as an immediately impactful back, but what about adding another set of fresh legs to compete with Dowdle? Herbert is probably not the sort of back to shoulder a workload of 20 carries per game, but among the 46 players with 300 carries or more between 2021 and 2023, his 4.9 yards-per-carry average ranks seventh. He generated 189 RYOE over that stretch, which ranked 11th among all backs. Some of that was playing alongside Justin Fields, but Chicago’s other backs produced minus-256 RYOE across their carries. Ranking 28th in success rate suggests Herbert was hitting big plays as opposed to racking up steadier gains, but the Cowboys’ longest run of the season has gone for 12 yards. Herbert had 24 runs for 13 or more yards during his first three seasons with the Bears. Some explosiveness wouldn’t hurt, even if he would only become a part of the rotation. Herbert has been the odd man out in Chicago’s rushing attack, as offensive coordinator Shane Waldron appears to prefer D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Herbert has played just 27 offensive snaps through six games and hasn’t touched the ball since Week 3. With his contract expiring after the season, he’s likely going to be moving on in 2025. Here, general manager Ryan Poles would earn a pick for letting Herbert leave a half-season earlier than expected. Steelers snag a veteran WR after missing on othersJets get: 2025 seventh-round pickSteelers get: WR Mike WilliamsDavante Adams’ spot in the Jets’ starting lineup probably will come at the expense of Williams, who has been targeted on game-sealing interceptions in back-to-back games. In addition to not being on the same page with Aaron Rodgers, Williams doesn’t quite look all the way back from the torn ACL he suffered in September 2023. In 2022, his last full season, his average maximum speed when running routes was 14.4 mph, which ranked 27th out of 104 wideouts. This season, his average maximum speed has dropped to 12.9 mph, which ranks 99th. At the same time, Williams is owed only about $837,000 over the rest of the season, which makes him a reasonable trade candidate for a team hoping the veteran gets healthier and returns to his old form. One place that has an opening is Pittsburgh, where the Steelers were reportedly close to acquiring Brandon Aiyuk before the season. Williams isn’t the same caliber of player, but this would be a much cheaper acquisition. Raiders general manager Tom Telesco drafted and extended Williams during their shared time together with the Chargers, so after trading away Adams, Las Vegas could figure in the running here as well. Saints bring in a familiar face along the O-lineRaiders get: RB Kendre MillerSaints get: OT Andrus PeatInjuries to the offensive line have slowed down the Saints’ offense after a 2-4 start and might have contributed to Derek Carr’s oblique issue. With wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed banged up heading into the Thursday night game against the Broncos, New Orleans is at the point in which it needs to add help on the offensive side of the ball. It can’t address all of its issues, but making at least one move along the offensive line would help make life easier for Spencer Rattler and the running game. Reuniting with Peat would make sense. Though the 2015 first-round pick might be best at left tackle, he spent years at guard in New Orleans. Starting guards Lucas Patrick and Cesar Ruiz have both battled injuries, while star center Erik McCoy is on injured reserve. The Saints have imported Connor McGovern and given Nick Saldiveri reps at guard, but bringing in Peat would give them a veteran they know can step in as a starter. They could then move Patrick to center until McCoy returns. The Raiders signed Peat to a one-year deal this offseason, but he has played just 32 snaps. Having his versatility in reserve can be valuable, but Las Vegas could swap him for a younger player with some upside in Miller. The second-year back missed half of his rookie season with an ankle injury, but he ran for 73 yards in the season finale. He then appeared to get into coach Dennis Allen’s doghouse after suffering a hamstring injury on the opening day of training camp. Miller is set to return from injured reserve after missing every game with that hamstring issue, but he already seems to have worn out his welcome in New Orleans. As a third-round pick who ran for 1,399 yards in his final season with TCU, he seemed to offer something as a power back with explosion and acceleration. The Raiders don’t seem committed to Zamir White, and rookie Dylan Laube fumbled in a key spot against the Steelers last Sunday. Bringing in Miller as part of the competition at running back could land Vegas a more significant player for their future. 49ers acquire a RB to help with injuriesDolphins get: 2025 sixth-round pick49ers get: RB Jeff Wilson Jr., 2025 seventh-round pickHere’s another reunion for a team riddled with injuries at running back. The 49ers were already down Christian McCaffrey before Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury in the Week 6 win over the Seahawks. Mason briefly returned to the game before exiting for good, and while the team believes he avoided a serious injury, we’ve seen shoulder injuries linger and worsen for backs in previous years. Rookie Isaac Guerendo showed off his burst with a 76-yard carry, but his other 21 rush attempts have gone for just 64 yards. He has great raw speed and acceleration, but he’s not experienced or consistent enough as a runner within this offense to thrive with the sort of regularity the 49ers need from their backs. Patrick Taylor Jr. is in the mix — they could also bring back Matt Breida. who is a free agent — but adding someone with experience as the lead back in this offense would be helpful. Unlike Breida, who was more of a change-of-pace and home-run hitter during his time in San Francisco, Wilson was used as the top back more often. He’s fourth on the depth chart in Miami behind Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, and the Dolphins have competed with the Browns to be one of the league’s worst offenses. Wilson would be useful to have around if all the other backs in front of him get injured, but he’s not going to play much otherwise. Chargers upgrade their WR depthCardinals get: 2025 sixth-round pickChargers get: WR Zach Pascal, 2025 seventh-round pickChargers fans who are excited about the team’s 3-2 start and hoping to add playmakers for Justin Herbert might be dreaming about Tee Higgins being in a trade conversation here. That sort of big swing probably isn’t happening at the deadline, but L.A. could stand to add a different sort of receiver in the days to come. Pascal isn’t exactly going to light up the stat sheet — the 30-year-old doesn’t have a catch across 37 snaps in six games. Where he excels, though, is as a blocker in the run game. After playing out his rookie deal with the Colts, he was a quietly useful part of the Eagles offense that went to Super Bowl LVII before he followed coach Jonathan Gannon to Arizona a year ago. While Pascal averaged more than 14 offensive snaps per game last season, that mark is down to just over six per game in 2024. That’s probably about the point where he might be a better fit elsewhere. The Chargers are comfortable rotating their receivers in and out of the lineup and had nine different players catch a pass in the first 20 minutes of their Week 6 win over the Broncos. With added work on special teams, he would be an ideal fourth or fifth wide receiver to carry on game days as they try to compete for a playoff spot. Colts fill a CB need with a former top-25 pickBills get: 2025 sixth-round pickColts get: CB Kaiir ElamElam is another one of the former first-round cornerbacks who has never met expectations. Taken No. 23 in 2022, he appears to be a rare miss on the defensive side of the ball for Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott. Despite injuries opening up opportunities for him in the depth chart, he never seemed to convince McDermott he deserved steady playing time. Injuries hit Elam last season, and while back healthy, he has played just 23 defensive snaps in 2024. The Colts weren’t exactly stacked at cornerback before the season, and that was before potential breakout candidate JuJu Brents suffered a significant knee injury. Slot corner Kenny Moore has also missed time, while they cut Dallis Flowers in midseason. Waiver-wire acquisition Samuel Womack has been surprisingly impressive in his first taste of starting football, but Indianapolis could use more options at cornerback. Taking a flier on the 6-foot-1 Elam is one way to try to address that weakness. As a former first-rounder, Elam is owed $1.3 million over the remainder of 2024 and $2.6 million in 2025, all of which is guaranteed. That’s not a huge sum of money, but the Colts won’t want to pay that much unless they think he has a reasonable shot at becoming a regular member of the active roster. General manager Chris Ballard & Co. would need to decide on his fifth-year option after the season, so time is already ticking. Eagles add injury insurance at TEBengals get: 2026 sixth-round pickEagles get: TE Tanner Hudson, 2026 seventh-round pickHudson was quietly an efficient part of the Bengals’ offense down the stretch last season, averaging 1.6 yards per route run while catching 22 of his 39 receptions from quarterback Jake Browning, who was filling in for injured Joe Burrow. I wondered if Hudson might be able to sustain that role with Burrow returning, but Cincinnati signed Mike Gesicki and has received solid play from rookie fourth-rounder Erick All, which has buried Hudson on the depth chart. He has played only 13 offensive snaps in 2024. Twenty-nine-year-old tight ends with limited track records of production aren’t going to transform an offense, but Hudson could be a reliable pair of hands in an offense that uses multi-tight end sets. The Eagles were using 12 personnel on a league-high 33.6% of their snaps before Dallas Goedert went down because of a hamstring injury Sunday, which is expected to cost him time. Philly has opened up Albert Okwuegbunam’s window to return from injured reserve, but the former Broncos tight end hasn’t been able to stay on the field as a pro; he has played in 12 games since the start of the 2022 season. Hudson might be a way for the Eagles to survive a month without their top tight end. Chiefs boost their RB depth chartPanthers get: 2025 sixth-round pick (conditional)Chiefs get: RB Miles Sanders, 2025 seventh-round pick (conditional)We started with a Chiefs trade for a skill-position player, so let’s finish with one, too. Sanders was one of many players whose stock dropped after the 2023 season in Carolina. Duce Staley, who had been Sanders’ running backs coach in Philadelphia when Sanders was drafted in 2019, was fired by the Panthers last November and left for the Browns. Sanders probably would have been cut this spring if it weren’t for the finances involved; Carolina owed him $6 million guaranteed in 2024. About $2.7 million of that money is left, but Sanders might not have a spot on the roster. Chuba Hubbard has been effective in a lead role for coach Dave Canales’ offense, limiting Sanders to five carries over the past two weeks. The back of the future in Carolina is second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, and the team has opened up his practice window to return from injured reserve. Sanders doesn’t play on special teams, so he could be a healthy scratch when Brooks returns. No team is going to take on that money for a player the Panthers are likely to consider cutting in the weeks to come, but if Carolina was willing to eat most of that cash and reduce Sanders’ salary to the minimum, it could find a few takers. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry during his time with the Eagles and has shown an ability to catch the ball when he hasn’t been paired with Jalen Hurts. He might look more like that Philly back in a better offensive situation. The Chiefs would qualify as a fit. They’ve cycled through backs to replace injured Isiah Pacheco. Carson Steele couldn’t keep hold of the ball. Samaje Perine has never been a regular back and has only 11 carries. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was activated to the 53-man roster this week after time away from the game to address his mental health. Kareem Hunt went from being out of football to carrying the ball 27 times in the win over the Saints, an arrangement that seems both unsustainable and ill-advised. Sending a seventh-round pick to the Panthers would add another back with an uncertain ceiling to the rotation, but none of the backs on the Kansas City roster should be considered as guarantees to keep their role. Sanders has a higher ceiling than any guy the Chiefs have, and with experience playing under Doug Pederson earlier in his career, he should have a bit of a handle on Andy Reid’s offense. Once Pacheco returns, Sanders could play in the Jerick McKinnon role as a change-of-pace back. The Chiefs would make this pick swap only with the Panthers if Sanders plays one offensive snap for them in the postseason, leaving this as a relatively risk-free deal. |
