The Daily Briefing Thursday, October 21, 2021

The Texans have blinked on compensation and the Dolphins have backed away from TUA TAGOVAILOA if John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has correct sources (and he usually does:

The Texans could finally be getting closer to trading quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Miami Dolphins — a team they play Nov. 7. Even though the NFL trading deadline isn’t until Nov. 2, a deal could go down this week, according to people familiar with the negotiations.If the Texans and Dolphins are unable to consummate the trade this week, they want to get it done by the league’s deadline. The Dolphins have been talking to the Texans about Watson off and on for months, and those talks have intensified into serious negotiations. After losing to Jacksonville in London — their fifth consecutive loss — the Dolphins seem more determined to finally execute the Watson trade.

This from Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Texans have kept Deshaun Watson on their roster all season, but they have made him inactive for every game. Watson soon may have a new home and a chance to revive his career.

The Texans could have a deal with the Dolphins completed this week, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The trade deadline is Nov. 2, and the Dolphins play the Texans on Dec. 7 (DB NOTE – the Texans-Dolphins game is NOVEMBER 7 on FOX).

Miami long has been linked with Watson, whom Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly has coveted since the quarterback requested a trade from Houston in the offseason. The sides have talked on and off for months, but McClain reports those “talks have intensified into serious negotiations.”

The Dolphins have lost five in a row, the most recent coming Sunday in London against the previous winless Jaguars. Jacksonville hadn’t won a game since the 2020 season opener. Second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s first-round choice in 2020, has not worked out as hoped with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the three games he has played this season.

Texans General Manager Nick Caserio has been asking for three first-round draft choices and two second-round picks. Watson has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any deal, but it is expected he would accept a trade to the Dolphins.

Watson still faces 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct, and police and NFL investigations are ongoing. The NFL, to this point, has not had a decision to make about whether to place Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.

Watson, 26, has thrown 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons.

Are there other suitors?  This from The Athletic:

The Houston Chronicle first reported on Wednesday that a trade for Watson could be coming this week. The Texans have been asking teams for three first-round draft picks and two or three more assets, including a collection of picks or players, according to a source.

In addition to the Dolphins, the Texans have had recent discussions with the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles, according to sources. However, the seriousness of those discussions — ranging from a casual conversation to actual trade negotiations — hasn’t been disclosed.

Andrew Brandt, a former NFL exec, is aghast:

“I cannot believe an NFL owner, in this current climate especially, would bring in Deshaun Watson and face his fan base with the lawsuits circling that player. No matter how “good” a trade deal they could get,” said Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated.”

 And this from Marcel Louis-Jacques who covers Dolphins for ESPN:

@Marcel Louis-Jacques

NFL landscape is fluid but in regard to trades involving the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa & Deshaun Watson, a source close to the situation texted me, “Rumors are false”

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

QB JARED GOFF knows the spotlight will be on him at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.  Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com:

Despite being more than 2,000 miles away from California, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t hide the “sourness” that he feels about how his trade from the Los Angeles Rams unfolded, with no communication.

However, as the former Rams star gets set to make his return to SoFi Stadium — on the opposing side — he won’t let the reunion ruin his focus, which is to help the 0-6 Lions try to get their first victory on Sunday.

“To sum it up, it’ll be fun to see all those people and it’ll be fun to be there. Of course, you’re motivated. Of course, you have the chip on your shoulder. I’ve spoken about that,” Goff said following Wednesday’s practice. “There was some disrespect felt towards the end, there was some sourness there towards the end and you still feel that, you still have that chip on your shoulder, but at the same time, when the game starts, if I let any of that come into how I’m gonna play the game, it’ll be selfish.

“And I’m gonna play the game just how I would any other game and to be honest, I’m not worried about feeling some type of way, once the game starts,” he added. “I really don’t.”

The Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams in March for Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and first-round selections in 2022 and 2023. Stafford has the Rams off to a 5-1 start while the Lions are the only winless team in the league.

“When you’re the quarterback for an organization — really, both of them for a period of time — there does come some emotions that come with it, but I don’t care who you are,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “When you’ve played for a team for a number of years and then you go to play them again, there is an element of — there are mixed emotions, man.

“You want to win, but you also — there are so many people that you remember and were good to you and you’ll never forget them.”

The trade was orchestrated by first-year Lions general manager Brad Holmes — who worked with Rams from 2003 to ’20, most recently as director of college scouting — geared toward the future of the franchise.

On Monday, Rams coach Sean McVay expressed regret about how the deal went down with sending Goff to Detroit. McVay said he wishes “there was better, clearer communication,” which Goff now acknowledges wasn’t the case. Goff felt blindsided by the move after having no contact with McVay or the Rams from the time the season ended until he received the call about the trade.

“Yeah, man. I appreciate it. It takes a man to say something like that,” Goff said of McVay. “So, yeah, I appreciate it. It still happened the way it did, but I do appreciate him saying that and got all of the respect in the world for him over there.”

Goff says the public perception of his relationship with McVay in the end was different than it may have appeared to outsiders.

“I don’t think it nearly eroded the way people thought,” said Goff, who spent five seasons with the Rams. “And I think that was part of the confusion at the end. I don’t feel like it really eroded that way. Again, I appreciate him saying that and it’s big of him, but at the same time, it was done the way it was and it’s been done.”

The Lions’ trip to Los Angeles for the first time since 1993 will also be a reunion for Detroit defensive end Michael Brockers and defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant.

Goff still ranks second in Rams history in completion percentage (63.4%) and second in franchise history in passer rating (91.5). He was voted captain three times after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2016.

“Excitement. Excitement. It’s another game,” Goff said. “Again, I think the easy answer and the reality is that we need to win and regardless of who we’re playing this week, regardless of my history or Brock’s history, or anyone that would have with this team and with the Rams. It’s more of the reality is that we need to win and we can’t focus on that really.”

GREEN BAY

The Packers were quick to pounce on DE WHITNEY MERCILUS.  Cody Benjamin ofCBSSports.com:

A day after departing the Texans, Whitney Mercilus has already found a new home. The former All-Pro pass rusher is signing with the Packers, as reported by ESPN and NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. The 31-year-old linebacker drew interest from the Chiefs and Steelers after his release from Houston, per Wilson, but has since turned down more lucrative offers to join one of the NFC’s top teams.

Mercilus, who was in his 10th season with the Texans, took his ouster in stride. Still owed guaranteed money from Houston, the former first-round pick was clear he preferred to join a contender after enduring the lows of a rebuilding club.

“As far as the direction I want to go, it’s definitely being with a team that has a chance to make it to the playoffs and has a chance to make it to the Super Bowl,” Mercilus said, per Wilson. “That’s the direction I want to go, as I’m in the back half of my career, to get a chance to put a cherry on the top. Honestly, it’s a blessing. I’m not sad. I’ve been blessed with the time to play 10 years in the NFL … (The Texans) want to get younger, cheaper and who doesn’t? The NFL is a business … I was pretty prepared for this.”

The Packers, meanwhile, could use his help. They lost star pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to back surgery after Week 1; the date of his return is still unclear. Then, on Sunday against the Bears, they saw fellow starter Preston Smith suffer an oblique injury.

Mercilus hasn’t posted gaudy numbers off the edge for a while, logging double-digit sacks just once, in 2015. But he’s already got three through six games in 2021, and he brings a wealth of experience to the Packers’ defense, having started more than 100 games over the course of his career.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

The kicker with the greatest name in NFL history is primed for his debut after the long WES HOPKINS Era ends in DC.

The Washington Football Team released veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins, opting for a player who last kicked in a game five years ago.

The team signed Chris Blewitt, who was signed to their practice squad last week. He has never kicked in an NFL game and last played for Pitt in 2016. In four years with the Panthers, Blewitt made 69.6 percent of his field goals; he also missed four extra points in his last two seasons combined.

Hopkins was having one of his better seasons with 12 field goals in 14 attempts. His 85.7 percent success rate ranked 12th in the NFL.

Dating back to last season, he had made 25 of his last 29 kicks. But he badly missed a 42-yard attempt in Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which followed two missed extra points earlier this month in a win over Atlanta.

Washington coach Ron Rivera had stuck with Hopkins, despite previous struggles — he made just 79.4 percent of his kicks in 2020. Rivera liked Hopkins’ leg strength but wanted to see more consistency.

On Monday, frustrated with his team’s performance to start the season, Rivera said he needed to alter his approach. He was vague about what that meant, but today’s move suggests there could be less tolerance for inconsistencies, though the team’s 2-4 start has featured poor play in a number of areas.

Hopkins had been with Washington since 2015, making 84 percent of his kicks during that time. That ranks 19th among kickers with at least 100 attempts since that season.

– – –

Through his attorneys, owner Daniel Snyder denies he used the New York Times to leak damaging emails about Jon Gruden, Bruce Allen and others:

The NFL won’t say whether it’s investigating the origin of the leaks of emails that brought down Raiders coach Jon Gruden and exposed a too-cozy relationship between NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and former Washington president Bruce Allen. One of the few potential suspects has denied on the record any role in the leaking of emails.

In response to former Washington cheerleader and cheerleading marketing director Melanie Coburn expressing a belief that Snyder leaked the emails, Snyder mobilized his lawyer to deny, deny, deny.

 “Any suggestion by Ms. Coburn that anyone associated with the Washington Football Team was behind any leaks concerning Jon Gruden is categorically false and part of a pattern of misinformation being spread by Ms. Coburn,” Jordan Siev said in a statement issued to Fox News, via the New York Post.

Coburn believes Snyder leaked the emails in order to place all blame for the workplace dysfunction on Allen. However, the leaks have created major issues for the WFT, renewing calls for transparency in the investigation and, more specifically, the release of 650,000 emails that, according to the league, were sent to and from Allen over a 10-year period.

It makes no sense for Snyder to invite that scrutiny. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time Snyder did something that makes no sense.

Regardless, someone with access to the emails leaked the Gruden emails and then the Pash emails. The leaks, which possibly came from different people, could have come only from someone who had the ability to leak the emails. Not many did, or do.

Thus, if the NFL wanted to get to the bottom of the leaks, it quite possibly could. If it did, however, it then would potentially have to impose discipline on an owner. If, of course, the league office’s investigation didn’t ultimately point a finger right back at the league office.

The league won’t investigate, because the league doesn’t want to identify the leaker or, more importantly, to disclose the leaker. The league also has no desire to released the emails or any other information regarding the investigation, and the league hopes to run out the clock before anyone gets to whatever it is that someone is trying to hide.

Plenty continue to encourage us to push for the truth. Anyone who knows anything and would like to help us keep nudge the rock of concealment toward the cliff of transparency, let us know if you have any information.

We always think it is interesting in these situations when the New York Times knows the vital information about who was using the emails as a selective weapon, but has to define that info as not “fit to print” because it was the weapons system used by the leaker.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

RB AMEER ABDULLAH has moved to the Panthers.  Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Panthers worked out free agent running back Ameer Abdullah on Wednesday. They plan to sign him, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports, with running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve.

The Vikings released Abdullah this week.

Abdullah played against the Panthers on Sunday, returning two kickoffs for 68 yards while playing seven special teams snaps.

The seven-year veteran served as the Vikings’ third running back and kickoff returner and had played all six games, with 10 touches for 47 yards and seven kickoff returns for 162 yards.

Abdullah has played 80 games with 22 starts in his career, averaging 26.2 yards on 94 kickoff returns and gaining 2,031 yards with 12 touchdowns on 449 touches.

TAMPA BAY

RB RONALD JONES has underperformed and lost snaps to RB LEONARD FOURNETTE, but Bruce Arians squelches trade rumors.  Rick Stroud of the Tampa BayTimes:

It’s still a couple of weeks until the NFL trade deadline, but already there is speculation that the Bucs may be willing to part with running back Ronald Jones.

Leonard Fournette has taken over the starting job, having averaged 100 or more yards from scrimmage in three consecutive games. Jones hasn’t eclipsed more than six rushing attempts or 27 yards in any of the Bucs’ six games.

But coach Bruce Arians made it clear Wednesday that his team isn’t interested in entertaining offers for Jones before the Nov. 2 deadline.

“No, none at all,” Arians said. “It’s a long season, and just that scenario that happened last year and still with COVID, you can’t have enough good backs.”

A year ago, Jones was on his way to a 1,000-yard season when he caught COVID-19 and missed the final two games of the regular season. He also injured a quad muscle in warmups prior to the start of the wild-card game at Washington.

Fournette, who was nearly released a month earlier for his poor attitude, took over and earned the nicknames “Playoff Lenny” and “Lombardi Lenny.”

Running back is a high-injury position, which is why the Bucs are stocked with Fournette, Jones, Giovani Bernard and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, the only one of the bunch under contract for 2022.

This season is all about repeating as Super Bowl champs, and fetching a mid- to late-round draft pick for Jones would not help in that effort.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Why tamper with a winning formula?  Coach Kliff Kingsbury continues to work at home.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

As of Wednesday, the undefeated Arizona Cardinals remain unsure if coach Kliff Kingsbury will be cleared in time to participate in Sunday’s game against the 1-5 Houston Texans.

Cards defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Kingsbury, who was among team members who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, remains in protocol, and there is no update on his status.

“Every day, he’s getting better and better, and we’ll see (if he can coach this week),” Joseph said.

Last week, the team announced Kingsbury tested positive for COVID-19 along with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner, defensive tackle Zach Allen and GM Steve Keim. Earlier in the week, star pass rusher Chandler Jones was placed on the team’s COVID-19 list.

Joseph added that Kingsbury has participated in virtual meetings and is helping build the game plan from home.

“He has a lot of time to be a (football) scientist right now,” Joseph quipped, per Tyler Drake of AZ Sports.

Last week, the Cardinals didn’t miss a beat without their head coach and play-caller, blasting the Cleveland Browns on the road, 37-14, to move to 6-0.

It is interesting how when we find out a player or coach is on the COVID list, our first assumption is that they are basically fine, it’s just a matter of when they jump through the testing hoops that will allow them to comply with protocols to return.

Of course, there are a few athletes and young coaches who have had somewhat severe symptoms.  And we hope Kingsbury is in good health now that his time on the list has lasted more than a few days.

Mike Sando of The Athletic with more on the Cardinals:

A great way to sabotage a young quarterback: Take away his play-calling head coach, take away his position coach and take away his veteran center, then send him on the road across multiple time zones against a talented opponent.

Kyler Murray and Arizona overcame all that to blow out the Cleveland Browns 37-14 in the Cardinals’ most impressive victory since, what, routing the Rams two weeks ago? After beating the Browns and Rams, the Cardinals are 2-0 on the road against teams that had winning records at kickoff. They were 11-50 in those games previously since 2000, including 1-6 under Kingsbury.

Kingsbury, left behind in Arizona after testing positive for COVID-19, appeared in the winning locker room — by FaceTime. The Cardinals learned only Friday that Kingsbury and a group that also included GM Steve Keim would not be allowed to accompany the team to Cleveland.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and special teams coach Jeff Rodgers served as co-head coaches. Both deserved credit for a full win.

“I wonder if those guys switched into the head coach’s seat up in first (class), maybe had the flight attendant tell them, ‘Hey, 90 minutes each on the three-hour flight,’ ” an exec joked.

The Cardinals are the only unbeaten team. The 12 other teams that started 6-0 over the previous decade averaged 12.5 wins for the season, which projects to better than 13 over the new 17-game schedule.

With Houston at home this week, it might not to be too early to look at 7-0.  11 of the 12 teams cited by Sando since 2011 went to 7-0 and all went on to finish at least 11-5.  But only the 2015 Broncos won the Super Bowl.

SAN FRANCISCO

It looks like QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO will be good to go on Sunday night.  Nick Shook ofNFL.com:

Week 7 is setting up to be a return to normalcy for the 49ers under center.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he is “pretty optimistic” about Jimmy Garoppolo being good to go against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, per The Athletic’s David Lombardi. Shanahan added it appears rookie backup Trey Lance — starter in San Francisco’s most recent game, a 17-10 loss to Arizona — will not be able to play in Week 7.

Garoppolo spoke after Shanahan on Wednesday and said his calf injury is feeling “really good.” He’ll get a chance to see how it responds after Wednesday’s practice.

Garoppolo helped the 49ers to a 2-1 start in their first three games (which was very nearly a perfect 3-0 if not for the heroics of Aaron Rodgers) before he exited in San Francisco’s Week 4 loss to Seattle due to the calf injury. Lance replaced Garoppolo in that game and the entirety of Week 5’s defeat before suffering a knee injury that will likely keep him from participating against Indianapolis.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Jordan Rodrique and Mike Sando of The Athletic explore how the Rams offense is different with QB MATTHEW STAFFORD:

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford builds each huddle from a deep, deep lunge, kicking back one leg so far that it looks like a panhandle jutting out from a tight circle of large bodies. He looks up at his teammates from that stance, talking up to them so his voice fills the space between his mouth and their helmets, and a natural shell built of hulking linemen extends up and over the sound as he stays low so he can lock his eyes into theirs.

How a quarterback commands a huddle is his unique identifier. It’s also a tell for his level of ownership of the system he runs. After only six games in the Rams offense, Stafford, his teammates say, is fluent. But Stafford has been running his huddle like that for over 10 years. And it’s only when he pulls in his funky kicked-back leg to break it and then aligns behind his center that it becomes clear just how much has changed in Los Angeles in the nine months since the Rams traded 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff (plus a couple of first-round picks) to Detroit for Stafford.

Where the Rams’ offense was once attached to head coach Sean McVay alone as its creator, commander and play caller, now Stafford’s fingerprints are everywhere, too.

Their offense has rejoined the NFL’s elite through the first six weeks of the season, reaching 34 points three times in a 5-1 start (in 2020, they crossed that mark just once, way back in Week 2). The Rams rank second to Kansas City in expected points added (EPA) per play, with Stafford leading the league in EPA per pass play. The offense is succeeding with a wider variety of pre-snap looks and running more plays out of shotgun and empty sets than McVay ever has while using play-action as a tool instead of as a crutch — not just from under center, but from the shotgun as well. Stafford’s superior processing ability and arm talent have increased post-snap flexibility as well.

“He has been better than I thought,” McVay said, “and I thought he was going to be really good.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians recently revealed he can’t resist watching Stafford warm up before games. On more than one occasion, Arians has wandered over to where Stafford was throwing and quietly stood near enough to admire the quarterback’s arm.

“I love watching him throw,” Arians said. “He can make every throw, from every angle.”

The Rams are asking him to do just that; with play design that invites aggression and opportunity and the autonomy to change his targets, arm angles and leverage points based on what he sees and feels within the play.

In compounded spaces, or when defensive linemen’s arms wave into his throwing lanes, Stafford side-arms and slots passes to his receivers. Sunday, he threaded a 30-yard pass to receiver Cooper Kupp out to the right sideline between multiple defenders. Two quarters later, he flicked a no-look pass to Kupp for a touchdown that had teammates cackling over their replay tablets on the sideline.

It’s not just Stafford manipulating his arm to make difficult throws; he’s also using his eyes and shoulders to manipulate defenders.

“Matthew wants to dictate things. He wants to be able to move guys with his eyes. He wants to be able to use his shoulders, he wants to be able to send people where he wants them to go,” Kupp said. “I think that’s a huge advantage for us because if you don’t move he’s throwing it. He’s ahead of the game instead of being reactive and waiting for someone to move.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell said that the Rams still haven’t gotten used to Stafford’s no-look passes, even after months of spring and summer workouts and six live games. On one play in L.A.’s Week 5 win over Seattle, Kupp appeared to believe a ball was coming his way on an “under” concept. Stafford was looking at him, but instead hit Robert Woods on a longer pass downfield — and Kupp jokingly pointed to his chest after the play.

“As a receiver, as a pass-catcher, you’ve got to be ready for that ball at any angle,” said Woods, laughing. “Because he can get it out.”

Stafford averages 2.07 seconds to throw against the blitz this season, second-fastest in the league. Goff ranked 34th during his Rams tenure at 2.53 seconds on average.

Rams’ receivers are on alert.

“Some routes, some concepts, you’re like, ‘He’s not looking at me!’ ” Woods said. “And next thing you know, the ball is coming out like, ‘Oh, shit!’ You just gotta always be ready, because he’s so good that you just want to stay in your route. He can manipulate the defense and sometimes manipulate you. You’re just staying the course, trusting the assignment and trusting your route. … As soon as we come out (of our break), the ball is where it’s supposed to be.”

It’s routine for the Rams to play certain highlights from games during full-team meetings before players break into position groups, and frequently the coaching staff will put up Stafford’s no-look passes as the defensive players (and offensive linemen whose backs are turned in live-action) get to see it up close for the first time. They howl with delight.

“We’re like, ‘Holy cow, I didn’t even realize he did all of this,’” guard Austin Corbett said, chuckling.

“The way he works, the balls he’s throwing and getting it to these receivers, I ain’t never seen it done like that,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “To be able to see it firsthand, it’s pretty cool.”

But the no-looks aren’t simply flair for the sake of it. Stafford’s utilization of them has unlocked new levels in the screen game — a section of the playbook McVay pulls from frequently.

“It’s kind of like how a behind-the-back pass in basketball is sometimes flashy, but sometimes it’s (used) to actually be a good play because it can manipulate the way a defense is playing you,” said Nate Tice, a former collegiate quarterback-turned-analyst for The Athletic and Substack’s “The Silent Count”.

“Same thing, on those screens — especially if it’s a zone, or if it’s man, and you’re trying to slow down the man-coverage defender — it just makes those guys hold (because) they’re trying to read the quarterback. Not a lot of guys can do that, and it unlocks a lot more.”

Stafford creates advantages by holding defenders with his eyes not only in coverages downfield but by inviting and manipulating pressure when the Rams go to their screen game.

“The best screens are thrown into a blitz, into a pressure,” Kupp said. “But if the person you’re screening off of feels the screen and they fall out of their pressure, then you get some really bad plays, too, (so) I think something that Matthew does a really good job of … is being able to use his eyes.

“It’s (making the blitzer) feel like they are winning. If the quarterback is looking away from you and you’re (executing) a backside pressure, you’re going to keep coming because you think you’ve got a clear shot at him. And (Stafford) just being able to hold his eyes until the last second, even sometimes he just flicks it out there without looking. That’s one of those things where the more you can invite that pressure and pull that guy toward you, the more you’re going to have open on the back side.”

Stafford using his eyes, shoulders and arm in these ways creates workable space for a pass-catcher and better coverage numbers downfield. He can leverage the ball toward that space by understanding where his “landmarks” are without looking at them, or by peeking briefly at the last moment and processing quickly enough to know whether the throw is sound, or not.

“I’m trying to always draw the defense in,” Stafford said. “The more guys coming to me, the better it’s going to be on the back end.”

Stafford is also making aggressive decisions where he sees them.

“In a lot of (the Rams’) deeper concepts, they have an alert, and then something underneath it and usually that’s a post and then over or a post and a dig. That’s the usual, old-school, everybody does it, and that’s just ‘Football 101,’” Tice said.

“Typically, it’s taught that you go ‘alert to No. 1’, so in a post-and-over combination, the ‘alert’ is the post, and then the ‘No. 1’ is the dig, or the over. That’s how you’re just taught. You (generally) kind of short-cut it … because you only throw the ‘alert’ like one out of 10 times. Some guys throw it one out of seven, one out of 20, some guys never throw it.

“Stafford, it’s more like one out of four.”

The Rams lead the NFL in percentage of pass attempts traveling beyond the sticks, both overall (50 percent) and on third down (70 percent).

“We are an aggressive offense that has confidence in our ability to be able to connect on those types of plays,” McVay said. “We’ll never apologize for that.”

Because Stafford can make the requisite throws and get through his reads efficiently, the Rams have been able to widen the field space they use on passing plays and frequently increase the number of eligible downfield receivers. The most visible illustration of this is their increased usage of empty sets.

Stafford has attempted 73 passes from empty sets this season, 15 more than any other quarterback. Fifty-eight of those attempts have come on early downs, a big shift from past form. Goff’s total was 83 on early downs all last season. Stafford has eight touchdown passes from empty sets, tied with Patrick Mahomes for most in the league.

The Rams are also making explosive pass gains (16-plus yards) at a league-leading rate without the exaggerated use of play-action, which was a staple before Stafford’s arrival. They rank 30th in play-action rate on early downs (24.5 percent) after ranking third (43.2 percent) with Goff over the previous two seasons. Some of the concepts the Rams have long run from play-action have carried over, but Stafford is more frequently executing them from dropback actions, which typically place more of the burden on the quarterback.

Leaning toward dropback actions instead of relying on the play-action game frees another eligible receiver to attack downfield instead of remaining in the backfield to “sell” the run fake. The quarterback gains the full width of the space in front of him to work with, visually and physically, instead of taking a longer wind-up at the snap, then turning his back during an action from under center and looping toward one segment of the field.

The Rams aren’t completely abandoning play-action (their usage rate dipped to 8.8 percent against Arizona — a five-year low for a single game — and 11.1 percent against Tampa Bay, then jumped to 28.1 percent against Seattle). They now apply it selectively instead of co-dependently. They’re even adjusting how they run the action itself when they do use it — where Goff ran just three of his 487 play-action snaps from shotgun during his time in Los Angeles, 15 of Stafford’s 45 play-action passes have come specifically from the gun.

“You can do so many different things,” McVay said. “You’re not limited in the ways that you can utilize him. … We have a lot more things that we’re doing both in the gun and underneath the center that you’re presenting to the defense. … It always starts with the quarterback, and Matthew’s ability to do all of that makes you more multiple in what you can present, as opposed to exclusively being one thing or the other.”

In a game where things will almost certainly go wrong and the margin for error is razor-thin, a team’s greatest advantage is the amount of workable solutions the player who touches the ball on every offensive play can provide.

“If you’re putting it in one guy’s hands over and over and over, and he’s making you right over and over and over, it’s just math,” Tice said. “Say he gives you just a one percent advantage … but we have him throw the ball 15 more times, you just create that little bit more because he’s going to find the right answer for you.”

In previous years, between the installation of heavy play-action to the way the field literally reduced into smaller and smaller segments as time passed, to the communication between McVay and Goff, to the Rams’ declining offensive production, it became clear that those solutions were growing harder to find. The play calling became so catered to Goff, so careful, so controlled by the play caller and not the quarterback, that McVay’s own frustration (and in turn, his role in their deteriorating professional relationship) escalated.

McVay became known during Goff’s tenure as a puppeteer, communicating adjustments from the sideline into his quarterback’s ear right up until the mandatory cutoff with 15 seconds left on the play clock. Even if that storyline was sometimes exaggerated, there was an element of truth. Perhaps the most notable change in the Rams’ offense to this point is the control McVay is comfortable ceding to Stafford in uncontrollable situations and unpredictable moments, and the problems he believes Stafford can solve in real time.

“If I’m wrong, he still has a chance of making it right,” McVay said. “And those are the things you’re looking for … I think the guys that really separate themselves are the ones (who), when it does go a little bit off-schedule, have the ability to make it right.

“It’s easy to let go when he does those things.”

“He is truly an extension of the coaching staff on the field,” McVay said. “A lot of the stuff that we’re doing is a reflection of things that he owns.

“It always starts with the quarterback, it always will, and that’s what he’s done.”

SEATTLE

QB JACOB EASON is now a Seahawk. Brady Henderson of ESPN.com:

The Seattle Seahawks claimed quarterback Jacob Eason on Wednesday, a day after he was waived by the Indianapolis Colts.

Eason joins his hometown team to bolster its quarterback depth while Russell Wilson recovers from finger surgery. With Wilson on injured reserve, the Seahawks now have Geno Smith and Eason on their 53-man roster as well as Jake Luton and Danny Etling on their practice squad.

A fourth-round pick out of Washington in 2020, Eason appeared in one game this season, completing 2 of 5 attempts for 25 yards and an interception while replacing an injured Carson Wentz in Week 2. He didn’t see the field as a rookie. The Colts waived him after activating rookie quarterback Sam Ehlinger off injured reserve.

Eason (Lake Stevens) and Luton (Marysville) are from neighboring towns north of Seattle. According to the Seahawks’ website, they played on the same flag football team as kids before facing each other in high school and college, Eason at UW and Luton at Oregon State.

Wilson has to miss at least two more games before he can return from IR. It’s not clear if the Seahawks plan to have Eason or Luton — who has more familiarity with their system — back up Smith in the meantime.

Luton, who was signed before the season opener, was elevated from the practice squad last weekend to back up Smith in Seattle’s overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s since reverted back to the practice squad and can be elevated one more time before the Seahawks would have to sign him to their 53-man roster in order to have him available to play.

The Seahawks had an open roster spot after waiving cornerback Tre Flowers last week and thus did not need to make a corresponding move to fit Eason.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

The Bengals have a huge streak on the line Sunday – and we will know whether or not they have extended it before the opening kickoff in Baltimore.

Cincinnati has won its last 11 coin tosses – the last three of 2021, the first six prior to the opening kickoff this year, plus two more at the beginning of their two overtimes this season.

We saw somewhere that the “record” is 14 and it is held by the Lions.  Looking to confirm.

We found this from 2018 when the Chiefs hit 12 in a row:

The 2004-05 Lions won 14 coin tosses in a row according to Welniak, and she said that’s the record. The Star noted the 2016-17 Chicago Bears won 14 coin flips in a row counting an overtime game.

Welniak is Dani Welniak, a reporter at KCTV.  What she used for her source is unclear.

CLEVELAND

QB CASE KEENUM to the rescue tonight in Cleveland.  Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

Cleveland Browns quarterback Case Keenum will get the start Thursday against the Denver Broncos in place of Baker Mayfield, who is battling a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder and has officially been ruled out.

A limited participant in Tuesday’s practice, Mayfield said earlier that day that he planned to start and that it would ultimately be his decision. But Mayfield added that he would play only if he felt that his injury wouldn’t hamper the team or his own performance.

“Only I know how my body feels,” Mayfield said Tuesday. “If anyone questions whether I am hindering the team and going out there injured, that’s just not right. It’s my decision. I get to say whether I am able to play or not, and that’s just how it is.”

Mayfield suffered the shoulder injury Sept. 19 against the Houston Texans while attempting to make a tackle after throwing an interception. He continued to play through it, wearing a harness on the shoulder for support, but aggravated the injury Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

A league source told ESPN that Mayfield was advised against playing by both team doctors and his own doctor, Orr Limpisvasti, an orthopedic surgeon for the Anaheim Ducks.

He will miss his first game since taking over the Browns’ starting quarterback role in Week 3 of the 2018 season, with his 51 consecutive regular-season starts the fourth-longest active streak among quarterbacks.

A league source told ESPN on Tuesday that the Browns hope Mayfield will avoid season-ending surgery.

Keenum will make his first start since the 2019 season for the Washington Football Team. In 2017, he led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs.

“I feel very ready,” Keenum said. “I’ve been ready. You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.”

Keenum has been Mayfield’s backup since last season. He has appeared in four games with the Browns, completing 6 of 13 passes for 52 yards.

“We have full confidence in him to lead us and do the things necessary to put us in position to win,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement Wednesday. “Baker fought really hard to play, he’s a competitor and obviously wants to be out there but just couldn’t make it on a short week. We know he will continue to do everything in his power to return as quickly as possible.”

Mayfield’s being ruled out adds to the Browns’ injury issues on offense. Cleveland will be without running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, who are both battling calf injuries. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) and starting offensive tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) did not practice Monday or Tuesday and are listed as questionable on the team’s official injury report.

The Browns had opened as a 6-point favorite over the Broncos, but the line is down to Cleveland -3.5 as of Wednesday morning. The over/under has dropped from 44.5 to 41.5.

Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is listed as questionable for Thursday night’s game with a quadriceps injury in addition to his sore left foot. The Broncos didn’t make coach Vic Fangio available on Wednesday but a day earlier he said he expected Bridgewater to start at Cleveland despite the beating he took from the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Bridgewater got hit 17 times in Denver’s third consecutive loss Sunday, two weeks after he was knocked out of a game against the Ravens with a concussion.

Mayfield could return as soon as Cleveland’s game on Oct. 31 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, if the inflammation goes down and allows the quarterback to return to strengthening the shoulder to stabilize it.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com on the gory recent history of Browns quarterbacks:

Baker Mayfield gave the Browns something they hadn’t had since re-entering the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1999: Stability at the quarterback position. Until now, when Mayfield will miss tonight’s game against the Broncos and Case Keenum will start for the Browns.

That makes Keenum the Browns’ 31st starting quarterback since this version of the Cleveland Browns franchise began playing in 1999. That’s the most different starting quarterbacks of any franchise in the NFL.

Here’s the full list of Browns quarterbacks since they re-entered the NFL in 1999: Tim Couch, Ty Detmer, Doug Pederson, Spergon Wynn, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Ken Dorsey, Brady Quinn, Bruce Gradkowski, Colt McCoy, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Brandon Weeden, Thaddeus Lewis, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw, Josh McCown, Austin Davis, Robert Griffin III, Cody Kessler, DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan, Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum.

Mayfield has started 51 consecutive games, by far the most for any of those quarterbacks. Mayfield’s presence allowed the infamous jersey with every Browns’ quarterback’s name to be retired.

Now Keenum adds another name to the long list of Browns starting quarterbacks. Browns fans can only hope that list doesn’t get longer any time soon.

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

G QUINTON NELSON is closing in on a return, as he was back at practice on Wednesday.  Kevin Hickey of USA TODAY:

Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson is eligible to return from the injured reserve list this week, and the team is hopeful he will be able to play against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.

In speaking to reporters, head coach Frank Reich said the decision hasn’t been made yet whether Nelson will return to practice this week. However, he remains optimistic the All-Pro guard will make his return.

“It’s not fully been determined. I’m optimistic, but not fully been determined,” Reich told reporters.

Nelson has missed the last three games on the injured reserve list due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered against the Tennessee Titans in the Week 3 loss. Filling in for Nelson in the meantime has been veteran Chris Reed, who’s done an admirable job.

While the offensive line has had its struggles to begin the season, something we didn’t expect coming into the campaign, Nelson was playing at an elite level before his injury. He surrendered just one pressure on 104 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

It would be a massive upgrade to get Nelson back for the prime-time game but we may not know about his status until Saturday. That’s typically the day the Colts would activate him from the reserve list. Before that, he has to be designated for return in order to be ready for Week 7.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

An NFL exec looks at the Dolphins, as quoted by Mike Sando of The Athletic:

“Your GM went all-in on Tua, your head coach has run through a bunch of assistants and then the defense is supposed to be the coach’s bread and butter, but they don’t have answers there either,” an exec said. “They stockpiled all those picks without building a (strong) roster. Combine that with an owner who is in his 80s, where is the silver lining?”

THIS AND THAT

BRUCE ALLEN UNDER ATTACK

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com knows with every fiber of his being that Bruce Allen is bad – and needs to be brought to justice.

Slowly but surely, we’re gathering more information about the 650,000 emails that the league persistently refuses to release. And some of the information makes the reasons for keeping the emails secret even more obvious.

Per a source with knowledge of the contents of the trove of emails sent to and received by former Washington president Bruce Allen, he sent a questionable photo to multiple members of the league office. The photo depicted two scantily clad women. One was bent over, and the other one was giving her a shot in the buttocks with a fake needle. Allen wrote, “For our next meeting on HGH” or words to that effect.

The NFL confirmed that the email was sent, but the league points out it was sent in 2011. The league also confirmed that recipients included Dennis Curran, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel for the NFL Management Council, and Adolpho Birch, the NFL’s former Senior Vice President of Labor Policy & League Affairs. Neither responded to the email, according to the NFL.

The fact that they didn’t respond cuts both ways. On one hand, they didn’t engage in any discourse on the matter. On the other hand, they didn’t express disapproval or instruct Allen not to send similar emails in the future, at least not via email. (To be fair, it’s possible that he was called, for example, and told to not do that. We don’t know whether that did or didn’t happen.)

This is just another reason why all 650,000 emails need to be seen. And why the NFL, frankly, doesn’t want them all to be revealed.

IMMENSE GAMBLING

Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com on how the NFL is saving state budgets all across the country.

As the NFL sprints toward embracing gambling-related revenue, this is the start the league was looking for.

Close games. Parity among Super Bowl favorites. Entertainment. Television ratings bounding back.

Not only is the NFL in the midst of a great season, it’s showing very quickly how much good football matters in the sports betting industry. And you needn’t look much further than New Jersey, one of the pioneer states in sports betting that is considered a bellwether of where legalized gambling is headed, particularly during football season.

According to figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, Atlantic City’s swath of casinos and race tracks took in more than $1 billion in bets in September — much of it on the strength of the NFL and college football seasons. That marks the first time in history that a state-regulated sports betting industry has punched through the $1 billion mark for a single month. And if you’ve been watching the NFL this season, you know why.

The NFL’s entertainment value is through the roof in 2021, largely driven by a league that is awash in parity and keeping fan bases engaged week to week, game to game and quarter to quarter. It’s the kind of thing that powers casino sportsbooks and in-game betting that takes place on smart phones. The close games offer entertainment and intrigue for fans and gamblers, and keeps them connected to broadcasts and betting over longer periods of time. And the NFL has been nothing if not a collection of tight finishes, blockbuster prime-time results and, improbably, road teams have a higher win percentage than home teams this season.

The Week 6 slate was a perfect example. The wall-to-wall run of entertainment began improbably on Sunday morning, beaming in a game from London between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins that had an exceedingly low bar for expectations. Somehow, four quarters later, it had become interesting enough to trend on social media, as Jaguars coach Urban Meyer won his first NFL game on the foot of a practice squad kicker Meyer elevated only days before.

By the time the NFL’s Week 6 concluded — with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen flattened in a pivotal last-second fourth-and-1 stop near the Tennessee Titans’ goal line — five of the league’s 14 games had been decided either in overtime or the final minute of regulation. The entertaining gifts included a walk-off, 35-yard overtime touchdown pass that elevated the Dallas Cowboys over the New England Patriots; a similar walk-off OT touchdown pass that pushed the Minnesota Vikings past the Carolina Panthers; and a stunning forced fumble in overtime that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks on an overtime field goal.

That’s five more games decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime — bringing the season total of final-minute or overtime winners to 24 in only six weeks. That tally includes 11 overtime games, which is the second-most in league history at this point in the season. That puts the 2021 slate ahead of the pace when it comes to challenging the all-time record of 25 overtime games in a single season. Now imagine what kind of impact that will have on sports betting in states like New Jersey.

It’s going to be massive. Likely to the point of New Jersey setting a billion-dollar betting record in October that exceeds the one it just set last month.

Not only will that added interest tie into the league’s television ratings and enhance advertising slots for its network partners, it means nothing but good things for those gambling-related revenues the NFL is now courting along with everyone else. It makes the league and team partnerships with sports betting operators more valuable through the rising use of advertising, licensing and media inventory that comes in those agreements.

It also feeds the NFL’s seemingly insatiable quest for deeper engagement, which Commissioner Roger Goodell once opined could be another renaissance period similar to the fantasy football explosion that began in the 1990s. To understand the power of that engagement, look at that Cowboys-Patriots overtime game and what happened in a 27-point fourth quarter that saw the two teams trade scores three times in the last three minutes before going into overtime. According to numbers released by CBS, nearly 30 million viewers were tuned in between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. ET, when the outcome see-sawed and went into overtime. It was the most-watched October national game for the network since 2015 and it drew the network’s largest-ever streaming audience.

These are the kinds of eyeballs the NFL expected — not to mention the ongoing broader ratings rebound — when the league opened up the lanes to gambling partnerships. While the league might be wading through a swamp of issues off the field, it’s on nothing less than a race track between the lines, largely thanks to dominating quarterbacks, mercurial field-goal kicking, fourth-down dice rolls, a turnstile of Super Bowl favorites and a product that is looking as entertaining as ever.

TRADE POSSIBILITIES

Mike Sando of The Athletic tries to discern some trade possibilities prior to the November 2 deadline:

1. Ten thoughts on the trade deadline, including a wild idea or two.

Marcus Maye for the Chiefs: The Chiefs should make a run at a safety. How about New York Jets’ Marcus Maye? Maye is playing on the franchise tag. A long-term extension has eluded him. Kansas City needs to bolster its defense or else risk becoming New Orleans from 2014-16, when the Saints were so bad on defense, they couldn’t contend even with a Hall of Fame quarterback. Safety is a huge problem as long as Kansas City continues to rely too heavily on Daniel Sorensen.

“Sorensen is really a dime linebacker,” an exec said. “It is asinine what they are doing, and unfair to the player. His role was reduced for a reason, and now you are plugging him back in as a mainstay guy. Maye would help them. I just don’t know what message you send if you are the Jets and you trade Maye. Who is going to start at safety?”

Another exec saw Tampa Bay’s Mike Edwards as a third safety who could project as a starter, but would the Buccaneers help out the Chiefs? Probably not. Would Cincinnati trade Ricardo Allen?

The Kansas City pass rush is another big concern.

Maye could be a fantasy from a salary-cap standpoint unless the Chiefs enter desperation mode. Is there a move the Chiefs could make that would precipitate switching Chris Jones back to defensive tackle from end on a full-time basis? Emmanuel Ogbah? Chase Winovich? Players in that mold would be lower-cost alternatives to a Maye-type addition.

Jimmy Garoppolo, anyone? Cleveland comes to mind if Baker Mayfield breaks down and misses an extended period. Mayfield ducked into the medical tent Sunday after landing on his injured non-throwing shoulder. If Mayfield breaks down physically over the next couple weeks, would the Browns consider making a play for Garoppolo? Would Garoppolo, who has a no-trade clause for this year, want to join a team with a better shot at winning this season?

“If you are the Niners and you lose a few games and you are moving on anyway, wouldn’t you try to save (money)?” an exec asked. “It would be curious if someone had their quarterback get injured. Or, say, Carolina if (Sam) Darnold continues to plummet.”

Mayfield returned to the field quickly after aggravating his shoulder.

“What if Cleveland traded Odell (Beckham) straight up for Garoppolo?” an exec asked. “Would San Francisco do that? I actually don’t know how many teams would want Odell. It’s a big win for Cleveland if they can get his money off the books.”

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan presumably doesn’t want to play the rest of the season with a raw rookie QB in the lineup, but what if San Francisco loses its next two games, against Indy and Chicago? The team would be 2-5 and riding a five-game skid heading into the deadline.

Kyle Fuller for the Cardinals: Arizona is 6-0 and doesn’t need to do anything after acquiring tight end Zach Ertz, but if general manager Steve Keim were sitting at a blackjack table, he’d have to feel great about doubling down, right? Why not send a later-round pick to Denver for veteran corner Kyle Fuller?

“Arizona likes Marco Wilson, they like Byron Murphy, but it is just that opposite corner spot where they could upgrade over (Robert) Alford,” an exec said. “Fuller would be someone to keep in mind. The Broncos are loaded at corner, so they can stomach taking something less for Fuller than, say, the Dolphins with Xavien Howard.”

What about Von Miller? The Broncos have lost three in a row after racing to a 3-0 record against weak opponents. Coach Vic Fangio might need a strong showing this season to secure a future with the organization, but securing a franchise quarterback has to take priority. The Broncos are, objectively, the worst team in a tough AFC West. That isn’t changing as long as they are putting Teddy Bridgewater types on the field against teams with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert or even Derek Carr.

To secure a quarterback, the Broncos need as much draft capital as they can realistically amass. Miller is a franchise icon, but he turns 33 in March, he missed the 2020 season to injury and his contract expires after this season. Are the Broncos realistically going to re-sign him? They need to investigate what Miller might return from a contending team outside their own division, although one evaluator predicted Denver would not subtract players Fangio values.

Xavien Howard to … where? Green Bay needs help at corner even after Jaire Alexander returns from injury. This could be the team’s final season with Aaron Rodgers behind center. Acquiring Howard, whose future does not appear to be in Miami, could help Green Bay maximize its championship window while shoring up the secondary longer term.

“The Packers are so tight cap-wise, I don’t know how they are going to get under next year,” an exec said.

Rodgers’ potential departure could factor into that equation.

“Xavien is a guy I’d trade for if I’m Green Bay,” an exec said. “Traditionally, you are not getting a guy of that caliber to come to Green Bay in free agency, right? You need to acquire guys via the draft or trade. Especially in the future, if Rodgers is not there.”

So many other teams have corner issues that Howard could make sense for a range of them, including Seattle.

Another word on Odell: Beckham is not flourishing in Cleveland, and his long-term future with the team is uncertain. But the Browns are more talented with him on the roster. They might not get much in return, either.

“The issue is, they need the talent,” an exec said. “I don’t think you get rid of Odell just to get a pick.”

Brandin Cooks could be another wideout to watch. One exec thought he’d be a good pickup for New Orleans. Knowing how a player fits is such a big part of making trades work. The Saints could feel good about that aspect.

Vikings, Bears could be stuck: In baseball, teams will sometimes unload key players even while remaining only a few games behind the division leader, simply because the organizations realized they were not true contenders. In football, teams are more apt to strain and claw their way to mediocrity.

“Take Minnesota,” an exec said.

The Vikings held off Carolina on Sunday to reach 3-3 heading into their bye, which means Minnesota will be no worse than 3-4 heading into the trade deadline (the Vikings play Dallas next). The team is contractually committed to Kirk Cousins through next season, and Cousins has produced at a high level lately. With coach Mike Zimmer possibly coaching for his job, could a 3-4 Vikings team plausibly unload players for draft capital, with an eye toward finding their next quarterback?

“Can they? No,” an exec said. “Should they? Yes.”

Chicago, Denver and possibly Miami also have coaches under pressure to win, which could make it tougher for those teams to focus too far into the future. Teams also have to consider whether quarterbacks available in the 2022 draft are worth the investment.

A corner for Baltimore? The Ravens are 5-1 and appear happy with the development of their young pass rushers. They still could use a cornerback after losing Marcus Peters to a season-ending injury. If the Vikings had lost Sunday, I wondered if Patrick Peterson might have been a good fit for Baltimore. One exec loved the fit, calling Peterson a classic Ravens-type add, but with Minnesota winning and Peterson suffering an injury Sunday, that seems like a stretch. Another exec preferred Howard by a wide margin, suggesting that with corners such as Peterson or Joe Haden, any team would be acquiring more name than game.

Chargers need a lineman: The Chargers rarely trade, but they need experienced depth on the right side of their offensive line after losing Oday Aboushi to a season-ending injury. Cody Ford could make sense for Los Angeles after the veteran slipped from Buffalo’s starting lineup into a backup role. Could the Chargers get him for a late-round pick?

“Hard to find a guard-tackle,” an exec said. “Cody Ford has played guard and tackle. He was a healthy scratch against Kansas City, played very limited snaps against Houston. Started the first three games, has battled some injuries.”

It just takes one team, but … a couple cap analysts thought moving big-money players could be difficult.

“It will be hard unless they are really good,” one exec said. “Carolina gave up a sixth in 2023 for Stephon Gilmore. That is all New England could get for him because there aren’t that many teams that could take on $7 million.”

All it takes is an empowered head coach or GM to be desperate enough, and teams can figure out ways to do the improbable.

2022 DRAFT

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com with a midseason Mock Draft – and as you might expect Oklahoma’s SPENCER RATTLER, a staple of these drafts a few months ago is nowhere to be seen:

The Lions are trending toward a top 3 selection, and fortunately, due to the Matthew Stafford trade, they’ll make two picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Normally, when a team has that two-pick luxury, it will lean toward picking its quarterback of the future first then grab a prospect at another position later.

Not in this mock for Detroit.

Alright, let’s get to all 32 picks.

The draft order below was determined using SportsLine’s Super Bowl odds but in reverse order.

1 – JACKSONVILLE

Evan Neal OL

ALABAMA • JR • 6’7″ / 350 LBS

Neal is a mammoth blocker on the edge with freaky athletic traits and All-Pro upside. Easy selection for Jacksonville.

2 – HOUSTON

Kayvon Thibodeaux DE

OREGON • SOPH • 6’5″ / 258 LBS

Thibodeaux went superhero against California last week with 11 pressures on 22 pass-rushing snaps. The only way he doesn’t go No. 1 is if the Jaguars land the first pick.

3 – DETROIT

Aidan Hutchinson DE

MICHIGAN • SR • 6’6″ / 265 LBS

Hutchinson is having an enormous final season at Michigan and was No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak’s List that was published in the summer. He’s going to be selected very high in late April.

4 – NY JETS

Kyle Hamilton S

NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’4″ / 219 LBS

Hamilton is a freaky, do-it-all prospect who can play anywhere in the back seven and create big plays for the defense.

5 – NY GIANTS

Malik Willis QB

LIBERTY • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

The way it’s trending now, the Giants will probably have a new GM and QB next year. Willis is raw but has major upside.

6 – PHILADELPHIA (from Miami)

DeMarvin Leal DL

TEXAS A&M • JR • 6’4″ / 290 LBS

Leal and Javon Hargrave will create a seriously disruptive interior of the defensive line in Philadelphia.

7 – WASHINGTON

Matt Corral QB

OLE MISS • JR • 6’2″ / 205 LBS

Corral has the athleticism and arm to land early in Round 1, and while he can be overaggressive at times, he’s pretty accurate too. Washington has to address the quarterback spot.

8 – NY GIANTS (from Chicago)

Derek Stingley Jr. CB

LSU • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

Stingley has been penciled into the top 10 for years now. He and James Bradberry would be the longest outside cornerback tandem in the NFL. And quite talented.

9 – ATLANTA

Garrett Wilson WR

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’0″ / 192 LBS

How about more offensive weaponry in Atlanta. Why the hell not? Matt Ryan’s probably playing in his final season with the Falcons in 2022, so Wilson will help him make the most of it.

10 – PHILADELPHIA

Kaiir Elam CB

FLORIDA • JR • 6’2″ / 196 LBS

Elam is a lengthy, athletic, super-physical cornerback who’d help to round out the Eagles secondary.

11 – CAROLINA

Chris Olave WR

OHIO STATE • SR • 6’1″ / 188 LBS

The Panthers have to get more dynamic in their receiver room. Olave isn’t close to the freakiest first-round receiver over the past few years, but he’s one of the most polished route runners with high-end ball skills.

12 – NY JETS (from Seattle)

Tyler Linderbaum OL

IOWA • JR • 6’3″ / 290 LBS

Linderbaum will provide interior protection for Zach Wilson for a long time and boost the efficiency of the Jets run game.

13 – NEW ENGLAND

George Karlaftis DE

PURDUE • JR • 6’4″ / 275 LBS

Karlaftis feels like the oversized, versatile defensive end Bill Belichick will adore come draft time.

14 – PHILADELPHIA (from Indianapolis)

Nakobe Dean LB

GEORGIA • JR • 6’0″ / 225 LBS

Howie Roseman bucks the trend and goes linebacker in Round 1. Dean flies around with serious energy and range.

15 – DENVER

Jordan Davis DL

GEORGIA • SOPH • 6’6″ / 330 LBS

I know, I know. Davis is a nose tackle. But he’s different — he can rush the passer! — and Derrick Brown went in the top 10 in 2020.

16 – CINCINNATI

Kenyon Green OL

TEXAS A&M • JR • 6’4″ / 325 LBS

Green would add more physicality to the Bengals offensive front. It’s needed.

17 – PITTSBURGH

Treylon Burks WR

ARKANSAS • JR • 6’3″ / 225 LBS

Burks would step into the slot position likely vacated by Juju Smith-Schuster leaving in free agency next March.

18 – MINNESOTA

Trent McDuffie CB

WASHINGTON • SOPH • 5’11” / 195 LBS

McDuffie would provide Mike Zimmer with a multi-dimensional defensive back with elite-level athletic traits.

19 – LAS VEGAS

Kingsley Enagbare LB

SOUTH CAROLINA • SR • 6’4″ / 260 LBS

Enagbare and Maxx Crosby would be one frightening edge-rushing tandem in Las Vegas for years to come.

20 – MIAMI (from San Francisco)

Ikem Ekwonu OT

NC STATE • SOPH • 6’4″ / 320 LBS

Ekwonu is pretty darn close to being NFL strong which will speed up his transition to the professional level.

21 – NEW ORLEANS

Drake London WR

USC • JR • 6’5″ / 210 LBS

London lands with Jameis Winston and the Saints to give New Orleans a big body in the slot.

22 – TENNESSEE

Ahmad Gardner CB

CINCINNATI • JR • 6’2″ / 188 LBS

The Titans have to prioritize more defensive back help early in the 2022 draft. Gardner fits the mold Tennessee wants in its corners in that he’s a man-coverage specialist.

23 – LA CHARGERS

Nicholas Petit-Frere T

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’5″ / 315 LBS

The Chargers have their franchise left tackle in Rashawn Slater. They get Petit-Frere here in Round 1 to solidify their right tackle position. He’s very talented.

24 – CLEVELAND

Jameson Williams WR

ALABAMA • JR • 6’2″ / 189 LBS

Williams is listed at 6-foot-2 and he glides around the football field. He’ll be a riser during the pre-draft process.

25 – DALLAS

Jordan Battle DB

ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 210 LBS

The safety spot in Dallas is somewhat of a patchwork group right now. Battle can be another playmaker behind Trevon Diggs in that secondary.

26 – GREEN BAY

Jalen Wydermyer TE

TEXAS A&M • JR • 6’5″ / 255 LBS

Wydermeyer is trending toward being the top tight end prospect in this class. His work in the trenches and pass-catching prowess would be welcomed in Green Bay.

27 – ARIZONA

Adam Anderson LB

GEORGIA • SR • 6’5″ / 230 LBS

Given the age of some of the edge rushers in Arizona, the Cardinals go with the young, hyper-talented Anderson here, who has All-Pro upside.

28 – BALTIMORE

Devin Lloyd LB

UTAH • JR • 6’3″ / 235 LBS

The Ravens add a tall, rangy linebacker to their disruptive defense. He’ll be a movable chess piece for Wink Martindale.

29 – DETROIT (from Los Angeles Rams)

Carson Strong QB

NEVADA • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

Insane value for the Lions here with Strong. He’s quietly had a strong senior season and will enter the NFL with loads of experience.

30 – KANSAS CITY

Drake Jackson LB

USC • JR • 6’4″ / 250 LBS

The Chiefs have to get more dynamic off the edge, and Jackson has serious ability to tightly bend the corner.

31 – TAMPA BAY

Breece Hall RB

IOWA STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 220 LBS

The Buccaneers had a high-caliber talent to their running back position with Hall.

32 – BUFFALO

Sean Rhyan OT

UCLA • JR • 6’5″ / 320 LBS

Rhyan really gets after it in power situations and has legitimate guard/tackle flexibility. He’ll start his career in Buffalo inside.