The Daily Briefing Tuesday, July 12, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

CAROLINA

In July, QBs BAKER MAYFIELD and SAM DARNOLD are sympatico.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has spent much of the offseason praising quarterback Sam Darnold, but the decision to trade for Baker Mayfield makes clear that Darnold will have to beat out Mayfield to win the starting job. That could create some tension in the quarterback room, but Mayfield insists it won’t.

“Sam reached out, got my number first,” Mayfield said, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “We’ve been talking about how to get the guys together the last minute before camp. It’s been great. Sam just wants to win. That’s just who he is. Our personalities might be different, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the same goal, and that’s to win and help this team out. I’m really looking forward to being in that room with him and just challenging each other, and elevating each other.”

Mayfield sees some similarities between his trade from the Brown to the Panthers and his college decision to transfer from Texas Tech to Oklahoma.

“Obviously, the NFL is different than college, but walking on twice, and having to go through that process, you level the playing field,” Mayfield said. “You compete against other guys, and you build confidence in yourself. It’s very similar to when I left Texas Tech to go to Oklahoma. They had one of my best friends, Trevor Knight, who had just won the Sugar Bowl, was the MVP, he was going to be a sophomore. I decided to transfer there, knowing there was going to be competition, and it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s about betting on yourself and believing in that, and giving it your all. And just trying to be a good teammate and help everybody win.”

That’s what the Panthers hope they get from their newly expanded quarterback room.

TAMPA BAY

TE ROB GRONKOWSKI says this is not a tactical “retirement” but the real thing.  Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com:

Don’t call it a comeback. Seriously.

Earlier this offseason, Rob Gronkowski announced that he would be stepping away from the NFL following an 11-year career spent with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, folks were immediately skeptical about this proclamation, especially after the legendary tight end came out of retirement before joining Tom Brady as he began his tenure in Tampa before the 2020 season. This time around, on the other hand, it doesn’t look like we’ll see No. 87 back on the field.

“I’m done with football,” Gronkowski told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Love the game and definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me. … But done with football and stepping my feet into the business world, the business ventures and seeing what’s out there.”

Part of the reason why many believed that this would again just be another hiatus for Gronkowski rather than an actual retirement was not only because he did it once before, but there was immediate talk of a midseason comeback following his announcement. Shortly after his retirement post went live, Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN that he wouldn’t be surprised to see his client return to the field if Brady came calling.

When asked about that scenario directly, Gronkowski again confirmed he was done.

“I would answer obviously,” Gronkowski said. “I would obviously answer the greatest quarterback of all time and ask him how he’s doing and tell him I’m doing good., but I wouldn’t go back to football.”

If this truly is the end of Gronkowski — which appears to be the case — it was a historic career that will see him in Canton as a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in five years. Among tight ends, Gronkowski is third all-time in receiving touchdowns (92), fifth in receiving yards (9,286), and 10th in receptions (621). That production along with his postseason success and prowess as an elite blocker gives him a strong case to be considered the greatest tight end that has ever played in the NFL.

DENVER

A new member of the Broncos ownership group.  Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com:

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has joined the incoming ownership group for the Denver Broncos.

Rice, who has also served as the national security adviser as well as provost of Stanford University, lived in Denver during her childhood and received a bachelor’s degree and her doctorate from the University of Denver.

“It is an honor to be part of this ownership group. Football has been an integral part of my life since the moment it was introduced to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Broncos organization today,” Rice said in a statement posted on social media. “I spent much of my younger years in Denver, so to be able to combine my love of the game with my love for this great city and team is an adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity.”

In June, a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton that includes Walton’s daughter, Carrie Walton Penner; her husband, Greg Penner; and Mellody Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chair of the board for Starbucks Corp., agreed to purchase the Broncos for $4.65 billion.

In a statement Monday, Walton said: “We’re pleased to welcome former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to our ownership group. A highly respected public servant, accomplished academic and corporate leader, Secretary Rice is well known as a passionate and knowledgeable football fan who has worked to make the sport stronger and better. She is the daughter of a football coach and served on the inaugural College Football Playoff Committee. … Her unique experience and extraordinary judgment will be a great benefit to our group and the Broncos organization.”

LAS VEGAS

The victim’s family speaks out on the unbelievably reckless driving of WR Henry Ruggs III.  Part of a deep dive at ESPN.com from Elizabeth Merrill and Anthony Oliveri:

Three stoplights away, a family was desperately trying to find their 23-year-old rock of the household. After working six days in a row, Tina Tintor had been out with a friend, walking her golden retriever, Max. She had texted her mom to let her know she’d be home late. But then calls to Tina’s phone kept going to voicemail.

Her family checked with area hospitals and clung to their phones as news trickled out. A celebrity, a football player, was involved in a crash. There were photos of that charred vehicle, a RAV4, and news that the driver of that car had died. Tina’s mother cried. Tina drove a 2013 RAV4.

– – –

HENRY RUGGS III went home one day after the crash. He was released from the hospital, released from custody on a $150,000 bond and released by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was charged with multiple felonies, including driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving, and was put on house arrest, with alcohol and location electronic monitoring devices.

On Tuesday, his lawyers are scheduled to argue in court that Las Vegas police had no legal reason to request a warrant for blood to be drawn from Ruggs the morning of the crash. Police did not conduct a field sobriety test at the site of the crash. A police report said that Ruggs refused. Ruggs’ lawyers plan to argue that any blood alcohol test result should not be allowed as evidence because there was no probable cause to believe Ruggs was driving under the influence. Authorities say Ruggs’ blood alcohol content, measured two hours after the crash, was 0.161 — more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.

Authorities say Ruggs tore through Las Vegas’ valley west of the Strip at 156 mph in his Corvette Stingray. The Clark County coroner ruled in December that Tintor and her dog burned to death in the crash. “I’ve been involved in the justice system for over 40 years as both a defense lawyer and a young prosecutor,” Clark County district attorney Steve Wolfson told ESPN. “I’ve never been involved in, or am I aware of, another criminal case involving somebody traveling 156 miles an hour.”

Ruggs awaits a preliminary hearing — now set for Sept. 7 — to determine whether he will stand trial in state court. That hearing has been rescheduled four times — the latest postponement coming last month. If convicted, the 23-year-old former Alabama standout faces a minimum of two years and a maximum of 50 years in prison, Wolfson told reporters in November.

One Las Vegas DUI defense lawyer not involved in the case said such delays are not unusual, given the volume of DUI cases in the city and the kind of legal maneuvering expected over evidence and medical records.

Still, with each delay, a family wonders whether justice will ever be served.

– – –

The family worries that the longer it takes for the case to be resolved, the less anyone will remember Tintor.

They want to know everything that happened the night Tintor died. They want to know where Ruggs and his girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, had been before the crash — what they were doing, who they were with, where they were going and why he made the choices he did.

But none of that will answer the existential questions. Why was a football player with a multimillion-dollar contract in his car rather than one of the numerous rideshare options? How could this happen when Ruggs’ life and career had been defined by a prior deadly crash?

TINTOR WAS, BY 20-something standards, a homebody. Her uncle said some of that came out of necessity. Her father, Nedeljko Tintor, struggled with language barriers and didn’t have a driver’s license. She took him wherever he needed to go, and she was supposed to pick him up from work the morning she died.

She liked doing things for her family, be it babysitting Ayden, Komazec’s son, or spending a day with her grandmother. Tintor fought to get into the world. She was born premature, and endured bombings in the former Yugoslavia. Komazec’s family would ration food to save for baby Tina.

In 2000, when she was a toddler, Tintor, her parents and her brother, Djordje, came to the United States. Komazec’s family joined them a year later, and they all lived under one roof in Las Vegas for about four years. The cramped quarters, and the shared anxiety of leaving behind everything for another country, forged a deep bond within the family.

Tintor loved cooking and dyeing her hair and doting over her dogs and cats. She graduated from Durango High School in 2016, and worked at the Target on Grand Canyon Drive. It was a placeholder job to pay the bills until she figured out who she wanted to be. She would make the most mundane things fun — Tintor enjoyed sifting through the chaos of the dollar aisle — and hang out with co-workers in the parking lot for hours after the store closed. They’d commiserate over mean customers and teenage angst.

She had plans. She wanted to be a nurse, then changed her mind and focused on computers. She was really good with computers, her friend Ryder Hankins said. He said she had hopes of studying at UNLV.

“She was very tomboyish, and she was brave,” Hankins said. “She didn’t take s— from anyone. She didn’t let anyone talk down to her, especially at Target. If the guest is mad, we just get paid $12 an hour to sit there and listen. She was never shy. She was always there to help.

“She was someone that I gained a lot of courage from, and I looked up to her in that sense. She knew who she was and also wasn’t afraid to be herself. And she was very blunt. She knew how to say something honest without hurting anyone.”

– – –

THE RAIDERS HELD a team meeting on Monday, Nov. 1. They had just come off a relatively uneventful bye week, but interim head coach Rich Bisaccia delivered a message as they entered an off day on Tuesday: Stay out of trouble.

Out in Dallas, Cowboys safety Damontae Kazee had been arrested on suspicion of DWI during his team’s bye two weeks earlier, and that was front of mind for the Las Vegas staff. The Raiders had weathered Jon Gruden’s email scandal, and his bitter departure, and were 5-2 heading into a Week 9 road game against the New York Giants.

Ruggs, a second-year receiver who was finally showing the promise that earned him the 12th overall draft pick and a $16.67 million guaranteed contract, decided to go out that night. He went to Topgolf, a popular entertainment venue that overlooks the Strip. His girlfriend posted a video on Facebook of Ruggs taking swings from the bay while they enjoyed the evening with at least one other, unidentified friend. She later told police that they were drinking mai tais and that she drank two but didn’t know how many, if any, Ruggs had. Messages to Topgolf and the company’s national office were not returned.

Kilgo-Washington narrated Ruggs as he swatted at golf balls. “You’re under pressure when you’re on camera,” she laughed.

Club music thumped. High Roller, the city’s famous 550-foot observation wheel, was in Ruggs’ sight line. Ruggs said that there were 14 minutes left in their session. After they left Topgolf, Ruggs and his girlfriend went to a friend’s house, according to the police report.

Just after 3:30 in the morning, Tintor’s RAV4 was headed north in the far right lane of South Rainbow Boulevard. Kilgo-Washington told police she was on the phone while Ruggs was driving his Corvette. She heard him yell, “What is this guy doing?” around the time he started braking. The car began to slide, veering from the middle of the northbound lanes, south of Spring Valley Parkway, into the far right lane and hit Tintor’s Toyota at 127 mph. The RAV4 was propelled 571 feet.

Michael Leone, who lives along South Rainbow Boulevard, was awake and feeding his 6-month-old son when he heard a boom. Leone went to his backyard, where he could see the street. In an interview with ESPN, he said he saw someone still in the driver’s seat of a Corvette and remembered music blaring. Leone said another man — later determined to be a security guard at a nearby condo complex — helped the driver to the side of the road.

Leone said he saw a black SUV pull up behind the accident scene, and then noticed a white car also parked not far away. He estimated 10 people were walking closer to the crash, and he remembered an officer telling one of the men to back up, and the man replied, “Oh, we are his friends, we know them.”

The police report said that a black Dior shoe was on the ground and a handgun was on the floorboard.

A TMZ video shows the Corvette on the side of the road, partially on the sidewalk — hazard lights flashing and doors ajar. Tintor’s RAV4 sits sideways in the center lane, burning, as Ruggs curses. The fire in the RAV4 pops so loudly that it apparently sets off a car alarm. A man on the sidewalk — who appears dressed in the same clothing as their friend in the Facebook video from Topgolf — points out to an officer that the person sitting on the ground is Ruggs, who plays for the Raiders, and that he needs help “ASAP.”

A voice on the video, but off camera, tells police there is someone still in the car that’s on fire. Two men — the security guard and a passerby — had tried to save Tintor, according to statements made to police, but she was pinned inside. Smoke and heat from the fire caused both men to back away.

The TMZ video reveals Ruggs’ reaction to a disaster in real time: He sits on the road and cries as Kilgo-Washington faces him, holding his head in her arms. She repeatedly pleads for help and tells Ruggs to think of their toddler daughter.

“Think of Kenzli,” she says. “Think of Kenzli.”

Ruggs was taken to University Medical Center, where, according to a police report, an officer noticed Ruggs’ speech was slurred. Citing evidence collected at the scene as well as Ruggs’ condition and behavior at UMC, police concluded he was under the influence of alcohol. Citing tests by hospital staff before police arrived, the report said Ruggs hadn’t suffered head trauma. Ruggs was booked into Clark County Detention Center.

When Ruggs was at the hospital, he became enraged, police said. He attempted to take the IVs out of his arm and the monitor from his finger.

“Get me the f— out of here,” Ruggs screamed.

– – –

ON MARCH 16, the Clark County court granted Ruggs permission to leave home confinement twice a week to work out for three hours a day at a training center in the Las Vegas Valley near Red Rock Canyon. The gym touts itself as a premier sports facility, catering to pro-level athletes.

It’s unclear whether Ruggs is actually working out or whether he has hopes of someday resurrecting his football career. Ruggs’ lawyer, David Chesnoff, said his client will not do interviews while the case is ongoing. Chesnoff wouldn’t comment on a motion the defense made, and a judge granted, in late April requesting permission for Ruggs to go to California for one month — May 2 to June 2 — for medical treatment. ESPN requested a copy of the defense’s motion, but the court sealed the document outlining his medical needs.

Dozens of friends and ex-teammates were contacted for this story, and a number of them either didn’t reply or declined to comment. Ruggs’ agent, Jovan Barnes, who has made numerous trips to Las Vegas since Nov. 2 to be with Ruggs, said that he would like to talk about the Henry Ruggs he knows but that he can’t comment.

Raiders players have had several brushes with the law involving driving in Las Vegas. In January, rookie cornerback Nate Hobbs pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge after a DUI charge was dropped. Prosecutors said Hobbs’ blood alcohol level was 0.01%, under the Nevada legal limit. Hobbs also faced a separate reckless driving charge from earlier that month — he was going 110 mph in a 65 mph zone — for which he entered a no-contest plea and paid a $250 fine. Hobbs’ incident came almost a year to the day after running back Josh Jacobs was arrested on suspicion of DUI in a single-car crash near the airport. He was never charged because his blood alcohol level was below the legal limit.

Alex Otte, national president of MADD, said that the organization reached out to the Raiders and offered support in the hope of avoiding a repeat of what happened on South Rainbow Boulevard and that they have been in discussions about efforts to prevent impaired driving.

CLEVELAND

As is his custom, Bill Barnwell goes deep, deep, deep into the BAKER MAYFIELD trade:

Let’s run through the winners and losers from this deal, both in terms of the direct parties involved and who else will be impacted around the NFL.

Winner: Carolina Panthers

From Carolina’s perspective, this is an easy victory. Mayfield has his foibles, and I think it’s fair to wonder whether he’s someone worth a significant long-term commitment, but he has been a competent NFL starting quarterback when healthy. The Panthers are getting that for a conditional fifth-round pick while paying the former first overall selection what is reportedly $4.85 million. (Cleveland is paying $10.5 million, while the remainder of Mayfield’s $18.8 million salary has been converted into incentives.)

That’s excellent value for even a borderline starting quarterback. Consider that the Washington Commanders sent two third-round picks and swapped second-rounders to get a more starter on a more expensive contract in Carson Wentz. The Indianapolis Colts gave up a third-round pick for two years and $54 million of Matt Ryan. Heck, the Panthers themselves sent second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to the New York Jets for Sam Darnold, then guaranteed him more than $18 million for 2022. You might prefer Ryan or Wentz, but there’s a much bigger gap in price than there is in talent or expected production between these passers.

Unlike the Darnold deal, which required the Panthers to commit to a second season to make logical sense, Carolina’s in for one year with Mayfield on what amounts to backup quarterback money. If Mayfield excels in Carolina, the Panthers can work on an extension or franchise Mayfield in 2023, when Darnold’s deal comes off the books. Carolina GM Scott Fitterer and Co. might still want to take a bigger swing in the draft or at a veteran like Kyler Murray if he were to come available, but Mayfield improves the Panthers in 2022 without compromising any long-term flexibility.

Winner: Matt Rhule

If Rhule is actually coaching for his job in 2022, Mayfield drastically increased the former Temple leader’s chances of sticking around. Rhule was looking at a quarterback depth chart of Darnold, P.J. Walker and rookie third-rounder Matt Corral before Wednesday’s deal.

Darnold has now started his career with four consecutive below-average seasons. The eight other quarterbacks who began their own careers in the same way are Blake Bortles, Tim Couch, Jeff George, Joey Harrington, Rick Mirer, Mike Pagel, Jake Plummer and Mark Sanchez. Optimists can point to George and Plummer, but they were much closer to league average early in their careers than Darnold has been.

Walker has eight interceptions on 122 career attempts, while Corral was drafted in a round where the success rate for signal-callers turning into NFL starters isn’t very high. (The Panthers trading up for Corral during the draft makes it seem like they didn’t really have a long-term plan to make a Mayfield deal, but that’s a sunk cost at this point.)

Mayfield has posted two above-average seasons in four tries as a pro, and his 2021 campaign was compromised (in part) by a significant left shoulder injury. His floor has been better than Darnold’s typical level of play, and his ceiling over a full season is better than Darnold has ever looked for more than a month at a time.

Loser: Sam Darnold

Obviously, the trade significantly reduces the chances of Darnold starting in Carolina. I wouldn’t close the door altogether on Darnold seeing time for the Panthers in 2022, if only because the price Carolina paid doesn’t exactly lock it into Mayfield. Fitterer and Rhule were willing to trade much more significant draft capital and commit a second year to acquire Darnold a year ago. Meanwhile, they weren’t willing to pay full freight for Mayfield in March after the Watson trade and waited for the Browns’ asking price to come down before finalizing a deal months later.

It’s difficult to imagine Darnold losing a competition to Mayfield and then spending the season on the bench for the Panthers before landing a starting job next offseason. He has to play to wash away the significant amount of bad tape he has put on record over the past four seasons, and once you stop being treated as a viable starter or a promising prospect, it’s almost impossible to get back on that track again. Just look at someone like Bortles, who was one quarter away from the Super Bowl at the end of 2017, struggled in 2018 and has thrown a total of two passes since then.

For Darnold, I wonder if he just plays out the exact same scenario we saw with Mayfield in Cleveland, with the former Jets starter playing the role of the displaced incumbent. The best thing for Darnold (and likely the Panthers) would be a trade where the Panthers eat some of the $18.9 million owed to the USC product, while a new team gives up a late-round pick and pays Darnold like a backup, chipping in $5 million or so. Mayfield gave up $3.45 million to help facilitate the deal, a precedent Darnold would likely have to match or exceed.

But even at that price, are there many teams who would be interested in Darnold?

The Browns could use a backup for Jacoby Brissett if Watson is suspended for the entire season, but they didn’t make him part of this deal. (Watson has been accused in civil lawsuits by 25 women of actions ranging from sexual assault to inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.) The Denver Broncos don’t have much behind Russell Wilson, but they might be afraid to trade away more draft capital after giving up a haul to get their starter. The Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams or Cincinnati Bengals could justify upgrading behind their starters but maybe not while paying several million dollars in the process.

At this point, most teams are locked into their backups, so the most likely scenario would be some team trading for Darnold if they lose either their No. 1 or No. 2 QB to a serious injury. There’s one team left in the quarterback race, but they might be locked in to their top two options at this point …

Loser: Seattle Seahawks

By passing up the opportunity to trade for Mayfield at what was an extremely modest cost, the Seahawks sure seem like they’re going to move forward in 2022 with Drew Lock and Geno Smith as their quarterback competition. It has been difficult to understand or believe since the Wilson trade actually went down, but everything the Seahawks have said and done makes it seem like they believe they can coax above-average play out of what appears to be replacement-level options.

I’m not sure I really understand Seattle’s lack of interest in Mayfield, especially at this cost. Nobody loves competition quite like Seattle coach Pete Carroll, and for whatever you want to say about Mayfield’s ability, it’s hard to argue with the Oklahoma product’s desire. And Mayfield was playing in a run-heavy, play-action-intensive offense in Cleveland, one that bears at least some similarity to what the Seahawks are expected to run in 2022.

Paying significant draft capital for Mayfield would have been a bad idea. But getting him for pennies on the dollar would be a good move for a team needing a backup, let alone one with question marks about its starter.

There is one more starting-caliber quarterback on the market, but given where his current team plays, that passer is likely off limits to the Seahawks. And that quarterback has an even murkier future …

Loser: Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers

In part owing to Garoppolo’s right shoulder injury, the 49ers are stuck in a situation they would really rather have avoided. The Panthers were the team best positioned to give Niners GM John Lynch a meaningful return for Garoppolo, who has just under $25 million in non-guaranteed money left on the final year of his current deal. The only remaining organization with a significant need at QB are those Seahawks, and while anything’s possible, you have to figure that the 49ers would rather not trade Garoppolo within the NFC West division to their archrivals.

So now what? Garoppolo is expected to start throwing later this month, but what do the 49ers do after he arrives? It doesn’t make sense to eat $20 million or so in salary to trade Garoppolo for a conditional late-round pick. Keeping him either leaves the 49ers with the most expensive backup in football history or blocks Trey Lance, for whom they used three first-round picks to move up in the draft and acquire last April. Cutting Garoppolo saves the money, but it leaves the Niners without any draft compensation for their starter and allows him to sign wherever he wants, with Seattle as the glaring favorite pending its love affair with Lock and Smith.

One interesting possibility that has suddenly opened up: Would the Browns trade for Garoppolo if he’s healthy in August and Watson is suspended for the entire season? Kevin Stefanski’s offense in Cleveland shares many similarities to what Kyle Shanahan runs in San Francisco, so there wouldn’t be as significant of a learning curve as there might be in other landing spots. The Browns have $48 million in cap space, so they would be the one team that could trade for Garoppolo and absorb his contract without having to restructure any deals.

A one-year marriage of convenience would make sense for both sides, should a Watson suspension occur. Garoppolo would likely be an upgrade on Brissett, and he would get a year to start on a competitive team before hitting free agency. The Browns don’t have any reason to make a longer commitment with Watson in the fold.

Cleveland obviously wouldn’t be a logical landing spot if Watson is suspended for only part of the season, and there might not be any money left in the coffers for an organization that’s already spending $280 million in cash this year (per Spotrac), but it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where a Garoppolo-to-Cleveland deal could suit all parties.

If it doesn’t happen, Garoppolo might now be in a position where he’d have to take a significant pay cut either to stay with the 49ers or to sign somewhere else in free agency, given that there aren’t going to be teams with $25 million in cap space or cash in their budget waiting to sign him at the end of training camp. There’s probably a middle ground where staying put makes sense for both parties. I’d guess that lands somewhere around $9 million, but that creates another headache …

Loser: Trey Lance

The best-case scenario for Lance would have been Garoppolo going to Carolina and getting a clean break from the organization. Instead, there’s now a realistic possibility that the 49ers keep Garoppolo around for 2022, at which point Lance’s path to the starting QB job in Year 2 is much more complicated.

I think Lance will be the starter for the 49ers in 2022, and I think he’ll be very good in that role. I don’t think the 49ers traded three first-round picks for the chance to draft Lance at No. 3 in 2021 just to keep him on the bench for multiple seasons. Then again, I also thought the 49ers would move on from Garoppolo last offseason, and the team kept him around and started him when healthy. Garoppolo’s limitations were on display late in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, but he also helped lead a dramatic Week 18 comeback against those very same Rams to get the 49ers into the postseason in the first place.

Even if Lance is the Week 1 starter, though, things are more complicated if Garoppolo’s still on the roster. If Lance gets injured or struggles, there will be much more of a push to turn to Garoppolo than there would be if the Niners were relying on Nate Sudfeld as their primary backup. Garoppolo could also just win the job outright in camp.

Again, to be clear: I think the most likely scenario sees Lance start throughout 2022. With Garoppolo in the mix, though, I think the chances of something unexpected happening are higher than they would be otherwise.

Loser: Derek Carr

I’ll just throw this one out there, but it’s a little more tenuous than the more obvious moves. If Garoppolo had gone to the Panthers, there’s a decent chance Carolina would have committed to an extension as part of that deal, especially if it were for significant draft capital. It would have kept Garoppolo off the market in 2023, which could be a big offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders and their new braintrust of coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

Baker Mayfield ended up with the Panthers and what the Browns will get in return for him.

Wait, didn’t Carr just sign a three-year, $121.5 million extension in April? Yes, but the terms of that extension are very interesting. The Raiders’ QB was guaranteed only $24.9 million as part of the deal. Given that Carr was already set to make $19.8 million in the final year of his existing deal, the Raiders basically paid just over $5 million and gave Carr a no-trade clause to lock in the right to pay Carr $116 million over three years, starting in 2023. But there’s no obligation for the Raiders to pay Carr a single cent after 2022.

If the Raiders decided that they want to move on after this season, they could cut the veteran passer (or get him to waive his no-trade clause) while eating just $5.6 million in dead money. The Raiders would free up more than $29 million in cap space in an offseason when Garoppolo — McDaniels’ former charge in New England — would be hitting free agency.

Does this tell us that the Raiders are about to dump Carr for Garoppolo? No. I don’t think the Raiders can be sure that Garoppolo will be available next year, and I would argue that Carr’s the better quarterback of the two. Things can also change awfully fast in the course of 12 months, as we saw with the Philadelphia Eagles and Carson Wentz, the Rams with Jared Goff and the Browns with Mayfield. If the Raiders disappoint this year, and Garoppolo ends up available in free agency, Vegas would have the flexibility to make a move. But if Garoppolo were in Carolina, that would likely be off the table.

Winner: DJ Moore

On 498 career targets, the star wide receiver has caught passes from a (mostly compromised) Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Darnold, Walker, Taylor Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert and Will Grier. In 2021, per Sports Info Solutions, Moore was thrown 34 uncatchable passes traveling 10 yards or more downfield, the second most of any receiver in football.

Mayfield is not exactly Justin Herbert as a downfield passer, but he’s still a comfortable upgrade on the Carolina quarterbacks Moore has caught deep throws from as a pro.

Winner: The Panthers’ Defense

If Mayfield delivers league-average performance under center, edge rusher Brian Burns and Co. should be able to rest easier as the season goes along.

The Panthers were 21st in points allowed per game last season, but that’s misleading. Carolina faced the fourth-most drives in football and inherited the league’s worst average starting field position by more than 1.5 yards. It was seventh in the league in defensive DVOA through its Week 13 bye, at which point it collapsed and allowed 29 or more points in four of its final five games.

Competent quarterback play should keep the offense on the field for longer, steadier drives, which would reduce the workload on Phil Snow’s defense.

Loser: New Orleans Saints

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the class of the NFC South, the Saints looked like they were well ahead of the rest of the division. The Atlanta Falcons are tanking, although the question of whether they realize it remains up in the air. The Panthers have far more talent on their roster than Atlanta, but with Darnold and Corral under center, the chances of turning that talent into nine or more wins seemed remote.

With Mayfield in the fold, though, the Panthers are a far more viable contender. No, he isn’t likely to lead Carolina to the Super Bowl, but we saw him lead Cleveland to 11 wins and a playoff victory in 2020. Mayfield might very well be the second-best quarterback in the division, especially if New Orleans’ Jameis Winston isn’t 100% as he returns from a torn ACL in his left knee.

If the Saints struggle on offense after losing coach Sean Payton to retirement, the Panthers are much better positioned to take up that second-place spot in the NFC South than they would have been before the Mayfield trade.

Winner: Baker Mayfield

On the simplest possible level, this is a victory for Mayfield, who had clearly run his course in Cleveland. Even if the Browns hadn’t been able to get the Watson deal finished, they didn’t seem very interested in committing to Mayfield as their long-term starter. The coach (Hue Jackson) and general manager (John Dorsey) who drafted Mayfield are long gone from the organization. And in a league that’s becoming more careful about locking up competent passers with market-value deals, I think this split was probably going to happen even without a Watson deal, either in 2022 or 2023.

This is a very good landing spot for the 27-year-old, too. The Panthers have high-end skill players, with Moore and running back Christian McCaffrey as the two top targets. They have a newly upgraded offensive line after using their first-round pick on offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu and importing center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett on the interior. Right tackle Taylor Moton is one of the better players at his position. Mayfield has thrived when his offensive line has been healthy, and the Panthers have a line that, at least on paper, looks like it could be very solid in 2022.

While Mayfield’s numbers have risen and fallen dramatically over his four campaigns, his underlying talent and skill set really have not. When Mayfield is protected and surrounded by talent, his confidence grows, and he plays well. When he doesn’t trust the players around him, Mayfield lapses into hero ball and takes unnecessary hits. His footwork gets sloppy. As much as Mayfield was physically broken down by the end of 2021, I think people underestimate how shot Mayfield’s confidence and self-belief must have been. Mayfield has been his best as a pro when expectations have been low.

Now he has an organization and a fan base that would happily settle for solid, competent play in 2022. The Panthers have enjoyed exactly one healthy season from their quarterback since making the Super Bowl in 2015. Since the second half of 2018, when Newton followed an MVP-caliber first half by struggling through a right shoulder injury, the Panthers have ranked 30th in the league in Total QBR. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Commanders have been worse, and one of those two teams coped by making a much more expensive deal for Wentz earlier this year.

Mayfield quickly became a fan favorite in Cleveland, in part because the bar was set impossibly low. The Browns were coming off of a 1-31 stretch when they drafted him with the first overall pick. They had enjoyed exactly one full season of above-average quarterback play since the franchise returned to the league in 1999, with Derek Anderson’s 2007 campaign the lone standout across a 19-year span. Mayfield wasn’t a superstar, but he was above average twice in three tries to begin his career.

Now he gets the opportunity to revitalize another fan base lulled to sleep by hopeless quarterback play.

PITTSBURGH

Putting a random name on the stadium just doesn’t seem like a Steelers thing to do.  This from Ben Roethlisberger from Patrik Walker of CBSSports.com:

It’s a bold new day in Western Pennsylvania, thanks to a recent decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers. As the team begins the task of trying to figure out the post-Ben Roethlisberger era, the legendary quarterback having officially retired this offseason, they’ll do so by also waving goodbye to Heinz Field — or rather the name itself. Having entered a 15-year naming rights agreement in July to change the field name to Acrisure Stadium, they’ve drawn the ire of fans and players alike, including Roethlisberger himself.

The two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback took to Twitter to voice his displeasure regarding the move, and he was unequivocal in his unwillingness to embrace any stadium name other than the one he built his 18-year NFL career on, one that might land him in the Hall of Fame one day.

“I can’t believe it,” Roethlisberger said. “It doesn’t seem right or real! Home will always be Heinz Field! I will never forget the last game, and all the amazing fans at FOREVER HEINZ!”

As noted above, the former six-time Pro Bowler isn’t the only one who shares that sentiment, with starting left guard Kevin Dotson among them.

What likely stings a bit more is the fact that Heinz is headquartered in Pittsburgh and, as such, made it a perfect marriage for the Steelers from both a corporate and optics front. Additionally, Heinz Field, in both name and standing, has long been a staple of the NFL and it’ll take some time to get used to calling the home of the Steelers by a new moniker. But, for his part, Roethlisberger won’t ever acknowledge the new name — instead referring to it as the only thing he’s ever known it as.

John Breech of CBSSports.com looks at how Acrisure bought its way like LIV into the game.

So why did Heinz give up on the naming rights after holding them for 20 years? The company explained the situation on Monday, and apparently, like most things in life, it all came down to money.

“While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay significantly more than we could justify,” the company said in a statement.

When Heinz originally bought the naming rights in 2001, they agreed to a 20-year deal that called for them to pay a total of $57 million, which means they were paying $2.85 million per year. According to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Acrisure will be paying “more than” $10 million per year under the new deal. That’s a substantial increase that Heinz just wasn’t willing to pay.

Although Heinz is losing its name from the stadium, it will still be partnering with the Steelers.

“Pittsburgh is the city where H.J. Heinz was born and where he launched what is now an iconic, global brand. The Steelers are a legendary franchise, and together with Heinz are a winning combination that represent some of the best of Pittsburgh,” the company’s statement said. “While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we’re excited to announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead. Kraft Heinz is committed to its ongoing support of the Steelers and the Pittsburgh community, in a city that is our co-headquarters.”

JACKSONVILLE

QB TREVOR LAWRENCE expresses his support for the new regime in Jacksonville.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

When the Jaguars hired Doug Pederson in February, he represented a clear upgrade from his predecessor Urban Meyer.

After the disaster that was Jacksonville’s 2021, the team needed someone with instant credibility to lead the team. Having coached the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory in the 2017 season, Pederson had it.

One of Pederson’s most important tasks as head coach is to further Trevor Lawrence‘s development. Pederson hired a staff with significant experience, including offensive coordinator Press Taylor, passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy.

In an interview with Colin Cowherd on Monday’s episode of The Herd, Lawrence said things have been going well with Pederson at the helm.

“[H]is resume speaks for itself. But then seeing the way he carries himself, the way he treats people,” Lawrence said. “The way he leads, I think we’re similar — just our demeanors our personality. Doesn’t get too high or too low. I think that’s really important to have if you’re going to be a really good head coach, especially in the NFL.

“So it’s been great getting to know him. I think he’s done a great job just planning out our offseason. There were a lot of changes we needed to make and I think he’s made those. He’s put together a great plan of progressing our team offensively and defensively. So now that we’re ready going into camp, I think he’s done a great job. So, I’m excited.

“And not only him, just having coach McCoy, Press Taylor, Jim Bob Cooter — all those guys to pull from that are all offensive minds, that have called plays before. Seeing everybody work together and just being able to soak all that up has been awesome.”

NEW YORK JETS

QB ZACH WILSON has made some tabloid news.  Alex Mitchell of the New York Post:

It’s the off-season, but New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is still getting plenty of action.

The 22-year-old has found himself starring in a real-life soap opera after ex-girlfriend Abbey Gile, also 22, accused the Brigham Young University phenom of sleeping with his mom’s close friend. Adding to the drama is the fact that Gile is now reportedly dating Wilson’s former college roommate, Washington Commanders wide receiver Dax Milne.

Those allegations are just the latest in what’s been a full lineup of spectacles surrounding the young QB — once thought to be a wholesome, handsome Mormon boy who loved his mama and would eventually marry his beautiful longtime sweetheart Gile after she’d cheered him on for years.

In a since deleted Instagram post, Gile accused her ex of “sleeping with his mom’s best friend,” calling the QB a “homie hopper.”

Her comments came only a few short weeks after Wilson — who silently scrubbed Gile from his social media in early 2022 and reportedly did the same to Milne — was spotted in the Bronx at a Yankees game with New Jersey-based Instagram model Nicolette Dellanno, 20, in June.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s mother Lisa brings plenty of her own Instagram drama — recently calling out “Satan” for lurking on social media. She first gained attention in April 2021 after she posted photos with her son when he was drafted second overall.

The cameras couldn’t keep off the stunning 49-year-old mom that night — who was initially thought by many fans to be his sister because of her youthful looks. Lisa began trending on Twitter shortly after and has become a loud and proud voice for the team on social media.

But, not everyone is a fan. This time last year Lisa revealed that her son offered to buy her off Instagram with his new salary because he couldn’t “stand these people treating my mom like crap.”

Supposedly scrimmaging with his mom’s bestie isn’t the first time Wilson has played for the Cougars. In 2018, he took not one but two older women — beautiful BYU cheerleaders Breanna Penrod and Brynn Hiatt — to his high school prom.