The Daily Briefing Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Multiple star players across the league are on the trade block, including Titans running back Derrick Henry, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, according to a report from Michael Silver of Bally Sports.

“According to my sources – all of them current general managers – Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins are among players who’ve been shopped,” Silver wrote in a story posted Monday.

It’s not terribly surprising the Titans are looking to move on from their star running back while his stock is still high. Henry is 29 years old, an age which often signals the beginning of decline for NFL running backs. Henry is just two full seasons removed from being named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2020, but his yards per carry average has dropped from 5.4 that season to 4.4 this past season.

Even so, Henry played in 16 games last season and rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in four of the past five seasons.

Ramsey is still at the top of his game but sent cryptic tweets at the end of the regular season indicating that his time may be up in Los Angeles. After a down year, the Rams appear to be shedding salary, with the release of Bobby Wagner being one such indication.

The 28-year-old defensive back still has plenty left in the tank, as indicated by his four interceptions this past season (which tied a career-high).

Hopkins, once one of the NFL’s top receivers, still has proven to be productive despite no longer being at his career peak. Despite missing the first seven games of the 2022 season due to a PED suspension, Hopkins still hauled in 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in nine games last season.

DALLAS

The Cowboys have tagged RB TONY POLLARD.  Where does that leave RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT?  Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

After the Dallas Cowboys placed the $10.091 million franchise tag on Tony Pollard on Monday, the attention immediately moved to fellow running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott is set to count $16.4 million against the salary cap with a nonguaranteed $10.4 million base salary. The Cowboys could look for Elliott to take a significant pay cut, but it’s worth pointing out they did not make pay-cut offers to linebacker DeMarcus Ware and receiver Dez Bryant before releasing both players.

Speaking late last week at the NFL scouting combine, owner and general manager Jerry Jones was not ready to say Elliott had reached the end of the line with the Cowboys. He said Elliott’s knee injury limited him for a good portion of the season, playing a part in his career-low 876 yards.

“If I could replicate the feeling that I had before [Pollard] got hurt and the feeling with Zeke, I’d dial it right now,” Jones said. “That very feeling. I would not try to improve upon that right now.”

Per ESPN’s Stats & Information, Pollard ranked fourth among running backs last year in yards per touch (5.9); Elliott was last (3.9).

Last year, the Cowboys tied up $20.6 million to their running back room. With Pollard now on the tag, that number is at $27.68 million in 2023. That figure does not make fiscal sense in a salary-cap league where running backs’ values have been diminished.

If the Cowboys cut Elliott, they would save $4.86 million. If they designate him a post-June 1 cut, they would save $10.9 million.

The Cowboys would like to sign Pollard to a multiyear deal. With the tag in place, they have until July 17 to do so or he will play the season counting $10.09 million against the cap.

They don’t have concern about the surgery he had to fix the high ankle sprain he suffered in the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, either.

“I feel very confident that he can have the kind of recovery that will not minimize or impact how he plays,” Jones said.

The Cowboys put the tag on quarterback Dak Prescott after he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle in 2020 before signing him to a four-year, $160 million deal. It’s not just a Cowboy thing. Receiver Chris Godwin (2022), offensive tackle Cam Robinson (2022), receiver A.J. Green (2020) and guard Brandon Scherff (2020) were given the franchise tag after suffering injuries the previous season, per ESPN Stats & Information.

Now to tight end Dalton Schultz.

Had the Cowboys opted to use the franchise tag on him for a second straight year, it would have cost $13 million. The Cowboys offered him a multiyear deal last year that averaged $12 million per season.

Schultz is productive. In 2022, he finished with 57 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns, joining Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Mark Andrews (Ravens) and T.J. Hockenson (Lions/Vikings) as the only tight ends to have 50 or more catches for 500 or more yards in each of the past three seasons.

Among tight ends since 2020, he is tied for third in forcing missed tackles (31), sixth in yards after contact (405) and 10th in yards after the catch (828). He has been a reliable presence for Prescott.

But with free agency approaching, there does not appear to be any momentum toward a long-term deal. The Cowboys did not have a meeting with his agent at the combine, and this is considered to be one of the best tight end drafts in quite some time. Plus, the Cowboys believe Jake Ferguson (19 catches, 174 yards, 2 TDs) and Peyton Hendershot (11 catches, 103 yards, 2 TDs) are ready for bigger roles after good rookie seasons and Sean McKeon is also under contract.

Actually, the vibes coming out of Indianapolis when it comes to most of the Cowboys’ free-agents-to-be is the team wants the players to see their markets and come back to the Cowboys to see if they will match. Not all of them, but most.

Even if the Cowboys wanted to retain some of them, they will have to create some salary cap room.

With the Pollard deal counting against the cap now, they are about $20 million over the $225 million cap, according to Roster Management.

They can restructure Prescott’s contract, which would open up as much as $22 million. A Prescott extension would open up more, but that won’t happen before next week. There’s the potential Elliott savings if he’s cut or takes a pay cut. They can restructure the contract of wide receiver Michael Gallup and create $7 million in space. They can get nearly $18 million if they restructure the deals of defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and guard Zack Martin.

Space won’t be the issue.

The willingness to create that space and chew into future years when the Cowboys need money for WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs, C Tyler Biadasz, LB Micah Parsons and others is the issue.

Pollard is the first piece. Whether Elliott could be the second is a completely different matter.

NEW ORLEANS

QB DEREK CARR follows the money to New Orleans where he moves from QB4 in the AFC West to QB1 in the NFC South.  Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com:

Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has agreed to a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints, the team announced Monday.

Financial terms were not disclosed but sources told ESPN that Carr agreed to a deal that could potentially be worth up to $150 million and includes up to $100 million in guarantees.

Carr will receive $60 fully guaranteed at signing and another $10 million once he starts Year 3 of the deal, the sources said. He will earn $60 million in the first two years of the deal.

The Saints, who finished 7-10 last season, were among three teams, including the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, to have pursued Carr for several weeks.

Carr, 31, visited New Orleans and met with several members of the organization over two days in early February. He also met again with the team last week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

The Saints entered the offseason more than $50 million over the expected 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million but now need about $18 million to become compliant after contract restructures for several players. The next question after Carr is what they’ll do with wide receiver Michael Thomas, who restructured his contract earlier in the offseason to give both sides more flexibility ahead of free agency. He remains under contract at this time.

Thomas retweeted two articles about Carr’s anticipated signing Monday morning and posted “Thank you Jesus” to his timeline at the same time.

Carr declined to waive a no-trade clause in his contract and was released by the Raiders on Feb. 14 — just before a deadline that would have guaranteed $40 million of his contract over the next two years. The release allowed him to immediately sign with any team instead of waiting until the official start of free agency.

Last season he finished with 3,522 passing yards (the third-lowest mark of his nine-year career), 24 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions (tied for the most in a single season), a 60.8% completion percentage (a career low) and an 86.3 passer rating (a career low).

Carr’s history with Saints coach Dennis Allen dates to 2014, when Allen was in his third season as coach of the then-Oakland Raiders. Allen was involved with selecting Carr in the second round of the 2014 draft and made the decision to start him right away as a rookie.

Allen was fired by the Raiders just four games into the 2014 season, but Carr remained with the team for nine seasons, going 63-79 while completing 64.6% of his passes and throwing for 35,222 yards and 217 touchdowns with 99 interceptions.

“I had the opportunity to work with Derek at the start of his professional football career,” Allen said Tuesday in a statement. “In addition to his talent, I admired his approach to the game, work ethic and commitment to get better every day in what were the formative stages of his career. From afar and when we played him as an opponent, I saw Derek’s development into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the National Football League. Derek is an outstanding addition to the New Orleans Saints and I can’t wait to get working with him and the rest of our team this offseason.”

Carr made the Pro Bowl four times and helped the Raiders make the playoffs in 2016 and 2021. He stepped away from the team for the final two games of the 2022 season after being benched in what was described as a “mutual decision.”

The Saints made sense as a landing spot for Carr after they went into the offseason with an uncertain future at quarterback. Andy Dalton, who started 14 games for the Saints in 2022, will be a free agent.

The Saints have Jameis Winston under contract for one more year, but Carr’s signing could facilitate his release. Winston is due $12.8 million in base salary in 2023 and started only 10 games over the past two seasons after winning the starting job from Taysom Hill in 2021. Releasing Winston would save the Saints $4.4 million against the salary cap, but New Orleans would take on $11.2 million in dead money. By designating his release as a post-June 1 transaction, the Saints would save $12.8 million.

Winston tore an ACL seven games into the 2021 season and spent the rest of the year on injured reserve. He signed a new deal in 2022 after the Saints failed to acquire Deshaun Watson.

Winston fractured his back and injured a foot at the beginning of last season and was inactive in Weeks 4 and 5. He never regained his starting job.

The addition of Carr should help improve an offense that dropped into the bottom half of the league in points and total yards after the retirement of Drew Brees before the 2021 season.

Closer look at Carr’s contract

A breakdown of Derek Carr’s deal with the Saints, according to a source who has viewed the contract:

• $28.5 million signing bonus;

• $1.5 million fully guaranteed salary in 2023;

• $30 million fully guaranteed salary in 2024;

• $40 million salary for 2025, of which $10 million becomes fully guaranteed in March 2024 and the remainder in March 2025;

• $50 million salary for 2026, which is not guaranteed.

— ESPN’s Dan Graziano

Thoughts on Carr and his deal from Albert Breer of SI.com who sees signs of a slightly softer QB market:

• Derek Carr has found a new home, and there’s plenty we can learn from the deal he landed.

First of all, it’s clear now why the Raiders couldn’t trade him. He was due $75 million over the next two years in Vegas. He’ll get $60 million over the next two in New Orleans. He was due $116.3 million over the next three years in Vegas. He’ll get $100 million over the next three in New Orleans. And so the reason the Raiders couldn’t trade him wasn’t about who he is as a player—it was who he is a player against the contract another team would’ve had to inherit to acquire him.

Second, the deal does give Carr more security than he had with the Raiders—which means, in one way, this happening the way it did, versus how it would’ve if he was traded, is a win for Carr. On his Raiders deal, he’d have made more this year ($33 million vs. $30 million), but Vegas could’ve released him thereafter at a penalty of $7.5 million. On this deal, his $60 million for the next two years is fully guaranteed, with, essentially, a penalty of $10 million for releasing him after that.

(Offsets being what they are, yes, that means Carr would get $70 million at a baseline for two years in New Orleans, but the Saints would save some, or all, of that $10 million, based on whatever he earned from a team to sign in 2025.)

Third, the $50 million in the final year is cosmetic. The reality is it is a three-year deal for $100 million, with a balloon payment he’s highly unlikely to see that makes it look like he got closer to the $40.5 million per he had on the Raiders deal.

Fourth, the details of the Raiders deal really helped Carr. The no-trade clause (he’ll have one in New Orleans, too) allowed for him to control the process. The early vesting date on the $40.5 million guarantee—it converted from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee three days after the Super Bowl—allowed Carr to hit the market a month before the rest of what looks like a crowded crew of free agent quarterbacks.

Which leads us to the other thing, I think, we can take from this. That market might be softer than people think.

• Carr’s market can illustrate that pretty clearly. When the Raiders put him on the block, two teams, the Saints and Jets, called. One, New Orleans, was willing to get to trade parameters Vegas was comfortable with (which is why the Raiders gave the Saints permission to meet with Carr). And then he became a free agent.

What happened then?

Same thing, basically. The Saints were ready to work out a deal. The Jets met with him twice, but wanted to slow-play it to keep their options open at quarterback. The Panthers met with him, but that meeting was an exploratory first step and no offer was made. Another team that some thought would throw its hat in the ring, the Buccaneers, never showed interest. So Carr moved, and for good reason—next week, the market will be flooded with veteran options, and the prices could wind up coming down.

If we presume the Giants and Daniel Jones work out a deal, then a look at the market shows a lot of guys with starting experience and not as many teams looking for veteran answers. If the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers, that’d take a potential landing spot off the table for someone without adding one to the mix (since Green Bay would go with Jordan Love). And then I think there are three teams—in Vegas, Atlanta and Tampa—that, absent a superstar being available, are more likely to bring in an economical vet to compete with a young guy.

The operative question here to me can be summed up like this: If you could’ve had Daniel Jones or Baker Mayfield a year ago, who would you have taken?

My guess is most people would’ve taken Mayfield. Today, most would take Jones. That’s fine, I would too. But is he suddenly worth some $30 million per year more than Mayfield? Probably not. And I think that’s how some teams are looking at the quarterback market. Say, for instance, you’re the Raiders. If you could bring Jarrett Stidham back, and sign, say, Andy Dalton to compete with him, which would maintain your flexibility for the draft and for 2024, would you do that, or sign Jimmy Garoppolo (which Vegas could) at $30 million?

Moral of the story: I don’t think it’s crazy to think the bottom might fall out on someone’s market next week. And when you look at the depth of the market beyond guys like Jones (53 career starts), Garoppolo (57) and Geno Smith (51)—there are other names like Mayfield (69), Teddy Bridgewater (65), Jacoby Brissett (48), Sam Darnold (55), Carson Wentz (92), Dalton (162) and Jameis Winston (80) who could also complicate the picture.

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com offers these winners and losers of the Carr signing:

Derek Carr is headed to the Saints, as ESPN first reported, agreeing to a four-year contract with New Orleans on Monday. The longtime Raiders quarterback met with the Jets and Panthers, two other suitors, following his release from Las Vegas this offseason. But he’s going from black and silver to black and gold in 2023, hinting at newfound loyalty to the Saints after reports surfaced of his decision.

Who should feel good about this move? And who is negatively affected by it? Here are our instant winners and losers:

Winner: Derek Carr

No one should be celebrating this more than Carr himself. The Saints aren’t as well-rounded as the Jets or even the Panthers, but they offer a lot: the cozy confines of a dome, a wide-open division, decent skill-position weapons in Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, and perhaps best of all, no true threat of competition at QB. In a market full of teams desperate for signal-callers, Carr joined a Saints team that lacks both an existing long-term option and the necessary draft capital to add a top prospect this year. Sure, he may be going from one middling wild-card contender to another, but he managed to find quite a bit of job security.

Loser: A potential (logical?) Saints rebuild

Cue the annual joke about New Orleans operating without a salary cap. Year after year, dating back to Drew Brees’ days under center, the Saints seemingly find ways to spend money they don’t have. Signing Carr to a four-year deal is precisely their kind of move, embracing a chance to stay in the middle of the pack rather than commit to a full-on overhaul. The QB landscape suggests you might actually be better off hitting the reset button, and yet New Orleans refuses to believe its time has past.

Winner: Packers

Assuming Aaron Rodgers doesn’t retire, Green Bay now has more leverage when it comes to shopping the longtime QB. Why? The Jets have long been considered a favorite to pursue A-Rod, and Carr was reportedly their next-best option, even apparently leaning toward signing with New York in recent days. Now that he’s in New Orleans, the Jets’ options are thin if they’re dead-set on adding an experienced starter. They’d surely rather pay for Rodgers than bank on, say, Jimmy Garoppolo staying healthy.

Loser: Raiders

Not because Las Vegas was wrong to move on from Carr, but because the divorce happened too late. The Raiders should actually be commended for their willingness to cut ties in search of a better long-term answer, even if said answer doesn’t arrive in 2023. But the reality is they probably should’ve done it a year ago, before trading two premium picks for Carr’s friend Davante Adams and then later extending Carr out of obligation. By waiting a year, and diminishing Carr’s value thanks to a lackluster pairing with Josh McDaniels, the Raiders got literally nothing in return for their Pro Bowl starter.

Winner: Dennis Allen

After a middling debut as Sean Payton’s successor, the Saints coach should be elated and, like Carr, fairly confident about his job security. Firstly, Allen has an existing relationship with Carr from their shared time on the Raiders; the former was Carr’s first NFL head coach. Secondly, Allen’s defense alone somehow kept New Orleans in the wild-card mix late in 2022. While Carr isn’t necessarily a massive upgrade on Andy Dalton, he’s got a superior ceiling. The fact he got a four-year contract from team brass suggests New Orleans, again, isn’t all that interested in a rebuild, meaning Allen won’t be immediately saddled with shepherding a totally overhauled roster.

SEATTLE

The Seahawks have landed QB GENO SMITH for three years at big, but not enormous, money.  Only $35 million per.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Well, that didn’t take long.

Not long a report indicated the Seahawks were finalizing a deal with Geno Smith, Jordan Schultz of theScore.com updates that a three-year, $105 million agreement is done. Smith has a chance to earn $52 million in the first calendar year, per Schultz.

The quarterback was scheduled for free agency next week, with the Seahawks expected to use the one-year, $32.4 million franchise tag on him Tuesday absent an agreement.

Smith got a raise after earning $7 million on a one-year deal in 2022. He is coming off a career year, having earned Pro Bowl honors and comeback player of the year.

Smith had to beat out Drew Lock for the starting job to replace Russell Wilson, who the team traded to the Broncos last offseason. He was expected to be a bridge quarterback in 2022, but instead proved he was more than that in throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns and leading the league with a 69.8 completion percentage.

Albert Breer with more:

• The Seahawks’ completion of the Smith deal highlights just how big a win the Russell Wilson trade was for Seattle.

But we’ll start with what this means for Smith, who had gone through a six-season stretch during which he only started two games, from 2015-20, before starting three in 2021. That stretch was enough for the Seahawks to give him a chance to win the job after they dealt Wilson to Denver. This year, he took that opportunity to the moon, posting a 100.9 passer rating and leading the Seahawks back to the playoffs after the worst season of Pete Carroll’s 14-year run in the Pacific Northwest had led to Wilson’s departure.

And it was when that all was starting to come together, after an early October win, that I asked him if he saw his fast start coming. He answered that he did.

“I mean, to be honest, I’ve been playing like this for a while,” Smith said. “It just doesn’t get recognized by you guys for some reason. But with the offense that I’ve inherited, man, we have playmakers everywhere. And these guys are playing great; they play hard. They’re some of the best players at their position in the league. We drafted two amazing tackles, we signed a first-class center who’s done a heck of a job, our running game is coming along.

“Obviously, we have to continue to build in all areas, but we’re getting better.”

Smith is right—his limited playing time in 2021 did offer a glimpse into what he could do. In four games, and three starts, his passer rating was 103.1. So all that time sitting, it turns out, had its benefits, even if those benefits were hidden from the rest of us while Smith was on the bench.

That brings us to where the Seahawks stand now a year after the Wilson deal. The trade brought back draft picks that helped John Schneider build a loaded rookie class in 2022, and positions Seattle with four of the top 52 picks this April. And the team is now two years younger than it was at quarterback, and a little leaner economically at the position, too.

We’ll see if Wilson, with Sean Payton alongside, can tip the scales of the blockbuster deal back in Denver’s favor in the fall. But for now, the Seahawks and Smith are the big winners.

CINCINNATI

What will the Bengals do with WR TEE HIGGINS?

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer gave his thoughts on the Tee Higgins trade ideas getting floated so far this season.

The MMQB columnist thinks the Bengals should try and get a deal done with Higgins before the draft. If that doesn’t happen, they’d be “better off” trading him and drafting his replacement with one of the first-round picks they get back.

“The Bengals are going to get inquiries on Tee Higgins for the same reason the Titans, 49ers, Commanders, and Seahawks did on their young receivers last year,” Breer wrote. “Higgins is going into a contract year and will be expensive to keep. Compounding the problem for Cincinnati is that Ja’Marr Chase will be eligible for a new deal next year.

“So the question, to me, isn’t if you want Higgins on your team (you do). It’s whether you can sign him. And if you can’t, you would be better off with Jordan Addison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or Quentin Johnston, with the pick you’d get in a trade, for the length of a rookie deal than Higgins for one more year.”

This take makes a lot more sense if the calendar read 2024, not 2023. No receiver in this class is close to the level of player Higgins is right now.

Nor are they as good as he was coming out of Clemson.

Secondly, I might be missing something, but the Bengals have never in team history traded a player of Higgins caliber while they are still under full team control. Higgins is not guaranteed to leave in just one year either—it would be shocking if Cincinnati didn’t franchise tag him next offseason, should a deal not get done.

They could then trade Higgins for a similar haul. Regardless, it would be truly shocking if the Bengals flipped from the AllBengals reporting and traded Higgins in 2023.

CLEVELAND

The Browns are turning to QB DESHAUN WATSON to help get them out of the salary cap hole created by QB DESHAUN WATSON.

The Browns currently are $13.415 million over the salary cap, with a little over a week to get under the $224.8 million cap. They also need to create room to sign free agents.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that quarterback Deshaun Watson is open to restructuring his contract to help with that.

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that a restructuring for Watson “could be on the table.”

Watson is scheduled to have a $54.993 cap charge for 2023, and the Browns could give him more bonus money up front to lower the cap charge. With his entire $230 million, five-year contract fully guaranteed, it’s a simple matter on when he is getting the money.

Berry already has acknowledged the Browns are releasing safety John Johnson III, which will save $9.75 million of his $13.5 million cap charge with a post-June 1 designation. The team also could lower the cap charges of Myles Garrett ($29.176 million) and Amari Cooper ($23.776 million) among others.

JACKSONVILLE

A friendly game of tag for TE EVAN ENGRAM.  Larry Holder and Jeff Howe in The Athletic:

The Jacksonville Jaguars are placing the franchise tag on tight end Evan Engram, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

Engram will cost around $11.3 million to the Jaguars’ 2023 salary cap if he signs the tender or doesn’t land a long-term contract.

After five seasons with the Giants, the 28-year-old tight end signed a one-year deal with the Jags last offseason and thrived in Jacksonville in 2022.

Engram is coming off a career year in terms of receptions, hauling in 73 passes on 98 targets for 766 yards and four touchdowns.

How does Engram stack up?

Engram’s risk to sign only a one-year deal last offseason paid off for the 2017 first-round pick. He was one of the most consistent and potent tight ends in the league last year. Engram ranked third in Expected Points Added per target, via TruMedia, and second in reception percentage among the 10-most targeted tight ends in 2022.

Here’s a look at the rates for those tight ends last season:

George Kittle       0.41              69.8

Travis Kelce       0.4                 72.4

Evan Engram     0.27               74.5

Mark Andrews   0.17               64.6

Pat Freiermuth    0.14             64.3

Tyler Higbee       0.04             66.7

T.J. Hockenson   0.02            66.7

Gerald Everett    0.01            66.7

Tyler Conklin      0.01            66.7

Dalton Schultz    -0.07          64.0

In terms of Pro Football Reference’s “Approximate Value” for the 2022 season, Engram ranked within Nos. 5-7 with the Eagles’ Dallas Goedert and the Bears’ Cole Kmet. Engram finished 10th among all tight ends using Sports Info Solutions’ “Total Points Earned” metric. — Holder

MIAMI

Mike Florio on the rumors that QB TOM BRADY may not be done after all:

Last Tuesday at the Scouting Combine, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels told PFT Live that he believes quarterback Tom Brady is done. But not everyone who was in Indianapolis agrees.

For reasons previously articulated in this space, I don’t believe the door is completely slammed on Brady returning to football in 2023. While he can truthfully say as of now that he’s done, he could change his mind at any time.

Indeed, he once said that he’ll retire when he “sucks.” When reminded of that by Jim Gray during an episode of the Let’s Go! podcast, Brady said he believed it when he said it.

And thus he may have believed it when he said he was done. And he may continue to believe that until he’s no longer done.

Rich Eisen dabbled delicately, and appropriately, in the things he heard while in Indianapolis about Brady, during Eisen’s weekday show on Monday. Eisen couched it very carefully. He’s not saying Brady is telling people he wants to come back. Eisen isn’t saying Brady intends to come back at all. Instead, others were speculating that Brady could be willing to return, if the right situation arises.

And the right situation could be Miami. They were linked to him in 2020 and 2022. They were busted for tampering with him during that same period of time. Now, they have real questions about the short- and long-term durability of Tua Tagovailoa. Also, two of Brady’s children are now living in Miami.

There’s a long way to go to get the point that it would happen. And chances are it won’t. One big factor to keep in mind is that Bruce Beal, Brady’s primary connection to the Dolphins, apparently has lost plenty of standing since everything blew up last year.

Still, Brady could change his mind at any time. And it would be foolish to assume that it’s impossible he’ll wake up one day in June or July and decide to continue playing.

Don’t forget that Brady will be a free agent on March 15. He will have full flexibility to go wherever he wants, or nowhere at all. And he’s surely concerned that, if he stops now, he’ll later regret that he didn’t play the game as long as he possibly could.

THIS AND THAT

2023 DRAFT

Here is what Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com heard about two of the Combine QBs:

Anthony Richardson, it’s your world

The combine can be a little funny in that things we know to be true can be counted twice. Everyone who has seen former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson play knows that he’s a powerhouse athlete unlike most quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, but there’s still a level of appreciation that’s gained from watching it in person.

Richardson, unsurprisingly, blew the doors off the combine. He ran an official 4.43 40-yard dash at 244 pounds and notched a 40.5-inch vertical, vaulting him into arguably the best quarterback combine of all time. According to Kent Lee Platte of Relative Athletic Scores, Richardson’s all-time NFL athletic comparisons are Daunte Culpepper and Cam Newton. This doesn’t answer some of the questions that Richardson has on his film, but it is a strong confirmation that he has the athletic upside to become one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. Players at this size just don’t move like that — at any position, let alone quarterback.

The reports from the combine suggested that Richardson fared well in his chalkboard sessions with teams, which at the very least shows that he can explain what he was doing at Florida at a high level and whittles down the potential reasons not to draft him. Scouts and media analysts have said that Richardson’s biggest problem with his passing game is his footwork, not his understanding of schemes. The shaky footwork can leave some passes looking scattershot, which appeared throughout his combine workout, but he also ripped some beautiful deep passes that showed off the talent that has tantalized teams.

At this point, it would be hard to see Richardson falling out of the top 10 picks of the first round of the NFL Draft. He impressed in Indianapolis in a big way that’s going to net him a big chunk of coin at the end of April.

C.J. Stroud may have cemented QB1 status

Richardson had the most explosive quarterback performance at the combine, but Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud might have had the most profound. Throwing on air with no defenders around isn’t exactly the most difficult thing for a talented quarterback to do, but Stroud really looked the part of a No. 1 overall pick during the throwing session Saturday.

Stroud threw the ball with confidence and most importantly, accuracy. There is an added degree of difficulty with throwing to brand new receivers in an intense environment like that, but Stroud made it look like he was throwing to receivers he had known for a long time.

It was a different kind of impressive from what Richardson put together, but Stroud was smooth and in control of what was being asked of him. Of course, it’s different when there’s a host of talented edge rushers trying to flush Stroud out of the pocket, but there doesn’t appear to be a quarterback this year with a higher floor than Stroud. He might want to start looking up homes in Houston.

– – –

Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com offers this post-Combine Mock Draft:

There are no trades in this version, but there are still a few changes. Quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to make his way closer to the top spot. And C.J. Stroud, who was incredibly impressive during the 2022 season, is even more so in person.

There’s a new CB1 and WR1 after strong performances in Indianapolis that only bolstered an already strong argument of their draft status. And be on the lookout for a handful of names who are back in our first round after slipping out in recent versions.

1  CHICAGO

Will Anderson Jr. EDGE     ALABAMA • JR • 6’4″ / 243 LBS

The Bears moved on from Robert Quinn before the trade deadline, so they’ll be in the market for an edge rusher this offseason, and Will Anderson Jr. is in the same pre-draft conversations as Chase Young and Nick Bosa when it comes to best non-QB players in a class.

2  HOUSTON

Bryce Young QB                  ALABAMA • JR • 6’0″ / 194 LBS

Bryce Young came in at 5-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at the combine. Neither number should affect his draft stock because his tape isn’t going to change. Either way, heights and weights are part of the process, and it’s one more box for Young to check as he prepares for his pro day. He’s still our QB1, though, admittedly, some teams have concerns about his ability to hold up at the next level. Our advice: Don’t overthink it.

3  ARIZONA

Tyree Wilson EDGE                 TEXAS TECH • SR • 6’6″ / 275 LBS

The more you watch Tyree Wilson, the more you love his game. Not only what he put on tape at Texas Tech, but his upside 2-3 years down the road. He’s long, has the frame to add weight if needed, and he’s a dominant, high-motor pass-rusher who can take over games. He’s had a foot injury that sidelined him late in the college season and kept him from participating in the Senior Bowl and the combine. The hope is that he’ll be ready for his pro day.

4  INDIANAPOLIS

C.J. Stroud QB                           OHIO STATE • JR •  6’3″ / 218 LBS

Since Andrew Luck’s retirement, the Colts have had little success turning to QBs nearing the end of their careers, and it’s safe to assume that owner Jim Irsay will be looking for the team’s next face of the franchise. C.J. Stroud has flown under the national-media radar all season, but some NFL teams will tell you he’ll be in the running for QB1, and his performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal game vs. Georgia showed that he can beat you with his arm and his legs. We also talked about this last week at the NFL Combine, but Stroud is impressive in person, and that will no doubt come across in his interviews with teams.

5 SEATTLE (from Denver)

Jalen Carter DL                         GEORGIA • JR • 6’3″ / 300 LBS

Jalen Carter, who was arguably the best defender on a 2021 Georgia defense that had five first-round picks, would be an easy pick for the Seahawks here. He left the combine only to return less than 24 hours later after meeting with Athens police. Where he is ultimately drafted remains an unknown, but he is a special talent, one who would be teaming up with pass-rush specialist Brandon Jordan, who was just hired by Seattle.

6  DETROIT (from LA Rams)

Myles Murphy DL                            CLEMSON • JR • 6’5″ / 275 LBS

Myles Murphy turned 21 in early January, and while we’d like to see him play with more consistency … he just turned 21 in early January. He has all the physical tools you look for in an elite edge defenders, and it’s easy to see him in a few years being dominant. And that, in large part, is what makes him such an interesting prospect.

7  LAS VEGAS

Anthony Richardson QB                 FLORIDA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 232 LBS

Anthony Richardson is one of the most exciting prospects in this class. The problem: he’s short on experience, and while his physical tools are rare, Josh McDaniels has a track record of dialing up plays to put his QBs in position to succeed. Richardson told us at the combine that he wants to play Day 1, but it might be in his best long-term interest to ease into that role. Either way, a few years from now, he could be the best player in the league.

8  ATLANTA

Christian Gonzalez CB                     OREGON • SOPH • 6’2″ / 201 LBS

Christian Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed — he ran a 4.38 40 at the combine — to line up against NFL wide receivers; he just needs to improve in run support.

9  CAROLINA

Will Levis QB                                  KENTUCKY • SR • 6’3″ / 232 LBS

Will Levis spent a lot of time at the combine explaining why the 2022 season went the way it did. In his defense, he was banged up, his offensive line had been decimated, he had a new offensive coordinator and he was working with young wide receivers. And Levis didn’t make excuses for any of this when we spoke with him in Indy. The physical tools are undeniable, but questions about whether he’s QB1 will remain throughout this draft process.

10  PHILADELPHIA (from New Orleans)

Joey Porter Jr. CB                          PENN STATE • JR • 6’2″ / 194 LBS

Joey Porter Jr. is the prototypical big, physical cornerback who looks like he belongs in the NFL. He can sometimes get a little too handsy downfield, but he checks many of the boxes of what teams look for when drafting DBs. Is this too early for Porter? Maybe … then again, there is a premium on big, physical cornerbacks; in recent drafts, Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II were all taken early in the first round.

11  TENNESSEE

Paris Johnson Jr. OT                        OHIO STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 310 LBS

Paris Johnson, who played left tackle for the Buckeyes this season, also has experience on the interior; either way, he is a Day 1 starter.

12  HOUSTON (from Cleveland)                     

Lukas Van Ness EDGE                     IOWA • SOPH • 6’5″ / 275 LBS

Lukas Van Ness never started a game at Iowa, but that’s not the point. The point is that NFL teams love his size, his athleticism, and where his game could be a couple of years from now. Purdue’s George Karlaftis went at the end of Round 1 a year ago, and USC’s Drake Jackson went a round later; both players were high-upside prospects who exceeded expectations as rookies. Van Ness is in the same conversation but could be the best of the bunch.

13  NY JETS

Peter Skoronski OT                          NORTHWESTERN • JR • 6’4″ / 315 LBS

Peter Skoronski is solid and consistent, which are two of the best things you can say about an offensive lineman. The biggest issue he’ll face during the pre-draft process will be arm length and whether his NFL future is at tackle or guard. But like he told us at the combine, there are plenty of NFL offensive tackles who have long arms and struggle, too. That’s not the final determinant of success.

14  NEW ENGLAND

Darnell Wright OT                           TENNESSEE • SR • 6’6″ / 335 LBS

The Patriots have needs at wide receiver but instead look first to bolster the offensive line. Wright had Day 3 grades coming into the 2022 season and was dominant for the Vols, and he capped that off with a strong Senior Bowl week. Don’t be surprised if he makes his way into Round 1.

15  GREEN BAY

Zay Flowers WR                               BOSTON COLLEGE • SR • 5’10” / 172 LBS

Zay Flowers was virtually unstoppable for Boston College, and that was with suspect quarterback play. He has a chance to be WR1 — and deservedly so — and he also has return skills.

16  WASHINGTON

Devon Witherspoon CB                    ILLINOIS • JR • 6’0″ / 180 LBS

Devon Witherspoon had a great season for the Illini, and while there will be questions about his slight frame, you wouldn’t know it to watch him play.

17  PITTSBURGH

Nolan Smith EDGE                            GEORGIA • SR • 6’3″ / 235 LBS

Nolan Smith missed part of the 2022 season with a pectoral injury, but he’s an electric pass-rusher when healthy. He’s also a freakish athlete — he ripped off a 4.39 40 at the combine (and was mad about running too slow!). That motor is all over his tape, and while the Steelers have other needs, Smith might be too good to pass up here.

18  DETROIT

Deonte Banks CB                            MARYLAND • JR • 6’2″ / 205 LBS

Maryland teammate and fellow CB Jakorian Bennett got much of the buzz in the fall, but Banks put together the type of season that will land you in the first-round conversation. He’s a fluid athlete who is also a big, physical corner who can match up with NFL wide receivers.

19  TAMPA BAY

Broderick Jones OT                       GEORGIA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 310 LBS

Broderick Jones had a strong 2022 campaign for the Bulldogs, where he faced some of the best defensive players in the country every day at practice for the last two years. He’s not yet a finished product, but he has the athleticism and strength to be a difference-maker when he puts it all together.

20  SEATTLE

O’Cyrus Torrence OL                       FLORIDA • JR • 6’5″ / 347 LBS

O’Cyrus Torrence transferred from Louisiana and didn’t miss a beat. He was dominant for Florida last fall, he was dominant during Senior Bowl practices, and if history is any guide, he’ll be dominant in the NFL, too.

21  LA CHARGERS

Michael Mayer TE                         NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’4″ / 265 LBS

Michael Mayer told us at the combine that he loves the way Travis Kelce plays the position, and while he may not be quite that athletic, Mayer is already a better blocker. He’s also a legit downfield threat who it’s easy to imagine quickly becoming one of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets.

22  BALTIMORE

Quentin Johnston WR                  TCU • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

Quentin Johnston’s an above-the-rim playmaker whose athleticism and contested-catch abilities make him in the running for WR1. Assuming the Ravens and Lamar Jackson get on the same page, finding a No. 1 WR is on the to-do list based on GM Eric DeCosta’s recent comments.

23  MINNESOTA

Kelee Ringo CB                            GEORGIA • SOPH • 6’2″ / 210 LBS

The Georgia-to-first-round pipeline continues. A year after five Bulldogs went in Round 1, expect a handful this time around, too. Ringo is a long, physical corner who has matched up against some of the best players in the country.

24 JACKSONVILLE

Brian Branch S                             ALABAMA • JR • 6’0″ / 193 LBS

Brian Branch isn’t the first name you hear about when the conversation turns to Alabama’s defense, but maybe he should be. He’s a sure tackler, can blitz off the edge, and is solid in coverage. And if Nick Saban trusts him, that’s all you need to know about his NFL prospects.

25  NY GIANTS

Jalin Hyatt WR                          TENNESSEE • JR • 6’0″ / 185 LBS

Jalin Hyatt wasn’t in the first-round conversation heading into the 2022 season, but he’s a great example of a player taking advantage of his opportunities, thanks in large part to Hendon Hooker’s Heisman Trophy campaign. Hyatt is a bona-fide deep threat who consistently beat defensive backs who were helpless to do much about it all season.

26  DALLAS

Drew Sanders LB                      ARKANSAS • JR • 6’5″ / 233 LBS

Drew Sanders is a former five-star who transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season, and all he did was show out for the Razorbacks. He was an edge rusher for the Crimson Tide, but he lined up all over the defense for Arkansas. He’s a one-man wrecking crew when he’s on the field.

27  BUFFALO

Bijan Robinson RB                   TEXAS • JR • 6’0″ / 220 LBS

Bijan Robinson is special, and while he is probably one of the best players in this class, he could still be around late in Round 1 because he’s a running back. And yes, we know, the Bills used a second-round pick on James Cook a year ago. But Cook isn’t an every-down back, and more than that, Nyheim Hines is the only other RB currently on the roster ahead of free agency. Adding a Saquon Barkley-type talent to this offense? There are worse things.

28  CINCINNATI

Anton Harrison OT                    OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’5″ / 315 LBS

There was some thought that Anton Harrison might return to Oklahoma for an NIL deal that was too good to pass up, but he’s instead opted for the NFL. He’s one of the top tackles in the class, and now the question is whether he finds his way into Round 1 or goes early on Day 2.

29  NEW ORLEANS (from San Francisco)

Jordan Addison WR                       USC • JR • 6’0″ / 175 LBS

Jordan Addison isn’t a big target, but he’s one of the most dynamic players in the country who can line up anywhere. Addison “only” managed a 4.49 40 at the combine, but the tape is the tape — and it consistently showed that he was regularly the best player on the field who can win at all three levels.

30  PHILADELPHIA

Darnell Washington TE                 GEORGIA • JR • 6’7″ / 270 LBS

At the combine, Darnell Washington came in at 6-foot-6 1/2, 264 pounds with 11-inch hands and nearly an 84-inch wingspan. And while he’s growing into his role as a receiver, he’s essentially another offensive tackle when he’s inline. Basically, he’d serve two roles in Kansas City: receiver in a high-powered offense and an extra blocker.

31  KANSAS CITY

Bryan Bresee DL                           CLEMSON • SOPH • 6’5″ / 305 LBS

Bryan Bresee battled injuries in 2021 and suffered off-field tragedy last season. And while his tape was uneven in 2022, he’s a special talent whose best football is ahead of him.