PHILADELPHIA

It’s a new offense in Philadelphia (which does that mean it is no longer Nick Siriani’s offense?).  Joah Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Eagles made several changes to their coaching staff after the disappointing end to their 2023 season, including a move to hire a new offensive coordinator for the second straight season.

Brian Johnson was let go and Kellen Moore was hired to overhaul the scheme that quarterback Jalen Hurts will be in charge of for the 2024 season. On Tuesday, Hurts spoke to reporters about Moore and he said he’s “just in sponge mode” when it comes to grasping the system that the Ealges will be running.

“We’re just all excited,” Hurts said. “I know they’re kinda finalizing some of the things. Crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s in terms of what it is exactly gonna be. I’m just all ears, I’m a sponge. I think there’s some beauty in that.”

Hurts stressed the importance of building a strong foundation to the offense before he starts to put any of his own stamp on it. That process will play out over several months before the Eagles will be in Brazil to kick off the season against the Packers.

WASHINGTON

This seems new.  The Commanders have brought in all four top QB prospects at the same time.  Ryan Phillips of SI.com:

The Washington Commanders are getting an up close look at four top quarterback prospects before the 2024 NFL draft. In an odd twist, they are hosting all of them at the same time.

Washington will reportedly host LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. together on Tuesday and Wednesday. The four signal-callers are part of the larger group of prospects joining them.

It’s not clear why the Commanders are bringing in all four of the quarterbacks at once. It seems owner Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn are thinking outside the box. Maybe they want to observe and compare the prospects’ table manners in person at the same time. Or it’s possible they’ll ask the players to strap on gloves and duke it out for the right to be the second pick in the draft. There are so many possibilities, many of them hilarious.

The Commanders are all but locked in to taking a quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the draft. They traded incumbent starter Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason and currently feature a depth chart headlined by Marcus Mariota. Virtually everyone on the planet expects Washington to snag its franchise quarterback when they are on the clock.

With the Chicago Bears having all but already announced they will take USC’s Caleb Williams with the first selection, the Commanders have their pick of the rest. That leaves the aforementioned quartet to battle for the spot. Meanwhile, Oregon’s Bo Nix has to be feeling really left out.

It’s worth noting, the New England Patriots — who own the No. 3 pick — have also brought in Daniels, Maye, McCarthy and Penix for visits, though not at the same time. That appears to be unique to the Commanders.

JACKSONVILLE

QB TREVOR LAWRENCE and the Jaguars are dipping their toes into extension talks.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Trevor Lawrence is thrilled that Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen was able to lock up a long-term extension.

As for one for the Jags quarterback, he’s not worried about getting his, but more so getting his job done as the franchise looks to rebound from a disappointing 2023 campaign.

“There’s definitely been some conversations as far as where that’s at now,” Lawrence told reporters Tuesday, via team transcript, at the onset of voluntary offseason practices. “It’s not really my focus, I’d love to obviously be a Jag for as long as possible. We love it here and I love where we’re headed as an organization and feel like I’m just getting better. My best ball is definitely ahead of me. From that standpoint, obviously yeah, that would be great. But like I said, going into my fourth year, it’s not like this is necessarily going to be my last season.”

It’s next door to guaranteed that the Jaguars will pick up Lawrence’s fifth-year option, as the 2021 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick enters his fourth season. So, he’s right in that regard. And, in the mind of the one-time Pro Bowler and face of the Jaguars franchise, his onus will remain unchanged before or after a long-term deal.

“It’s not really my focus right now, at the end of the day, my job isn’t going to change whether I get extended or not before this season,” he said. “My job is to go win games and to be the best I can be for this team so we can have a chance to win the Super Bowl. Even if I get the contract extension, that’s still my job even more so, there’s even more expectation and pressure on that. For me, I have the same focus and the same mindset.”

Jaguars’ Arik Armstead felt ‘extremely disrespected’ by 49ers’ pay cut request before his release

Through three seasons, Lawrence has missed just one of a potential 51 starts. His lone missed game came last year, when he dealt with a cavalcade of ailments throughout a trying 9-8 season in which the Jags failed to defend their AFC South crown, fell short of the playoffs and collapsed to the tune of losing five of their last six games.

“You just have to use it, so that’s what I plan to do from last season,” said Lawrence, who threw for 4,016 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023. “I think our approach as a team, too, it’s a waste if you don’t use it. You went through that experience and then you don’t use it, it’s double bad because it sucked going through it and you didn’t get better from it. I think that’s our mindset, that’s my mindset moving forward and so many things to learn from.”

One massive bright spot from last season for the Jags was the play of Allen, who set a new team record with 17.5 sacks, to go along with 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 33 QB hits. It added up to a lucrative five-year, $150 million contract.

Though unfocused on his impending payday, Lawrence was plenty pleased his teammate got his.

“Super excited, obviously one, the season he had, but just the guy that he’s been,” Lawrence said of Allen. “He was here two years before I got here and in the three years I’ve been here, he’s just consistent. One of the hardest workers on the team, dependable. As a person in the locker room, he’s the right type of guy you want. It checks all the boxes that you want as a leader on your team and obviously a great player, too. I was just excited to get him back because there’s a lot of teams that would’ve loved to have Josh Allen on their team. I’m excited we got that done and he’s going to be a Jag for a long time. I think that was a big box checked for us and I’m excited that he’s here.”

Lawrence plans to be there in Duval for the long haul, as well.

Never one to cause a stir with his words, Lawrence isn’t clamoring for a new deal here and now, but he’s also not dealing in falsehoods, either. He wants his due at some point.

“I can’t lie, obviously it would be nice to have that done and feel good about it, but no, it’s not really the focus right now,” Lawrence said. “I know where we’re at, I know where we’re heading and I know what I have to do. I know there’s some improvements that I have to move going forward.”

MIAMI

The Dolphins could not be happier with the effort of QB TUA TAGOVAILOA.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is working to take his game to the next level. And the Dolphins are happy about that.

“You’ve got to give him all the credit,” G.M. Chris Grier told reporters on Tuesday regarding Tua’s decision to work with a private quarterback coach this year. “He is just like last offseason when he attacked to stay healthy and doing the jiujitsu or judo, whichever one, but he’s just — watching him work and how he wants to be great. He took all this stuff on his own and told us what he was going to do, so you’ve got to give him all the credit on that.”

He went from adding weight last year to losing some weight this year. Grier was asked whether that was something the team wanted him to do.

“I think this again is to his credit,” Grier said. “He’s trying to do everything he can to do what he can to be great. And that’s been from Day One when Mike [McDaniel] and him connected here, working through the first season and then making the changes offseason, working through last year, staying healthy, leading the league in passing and now this is his next evolution. As Mike has told you guys, we feel like there is a whole other step that he can take, so we’re excited about his future.”

Reading between the lines, it sounds as if Tua is doing the things he believes the team wants him to do, without the team expressly telling him to do them. And Tua seems to be picking up, and acting on, the cues from the team as to the things they think he needs to do to get to the next level.

For both sides, the future consists of one more year under contract. The question is whether the Dolphins will give him a long-term deal before the 2024 season begins, or whether they need to see where he is and how far he has come before making a long-term commitment.

They have the franchise tag at their disposal for 2025. Still, at some point they need to make a financial gesture that converts their words to tangible action.

The challenge continues to be finding the right number for that. Where in the continuum of quarterback contracts does Tua fit? If the two sides agreed on that, they’d already have a deal.

THIS AND THAT

BELICHICK AND THE FALCONS

Scoopmeister Don Van Natta of ESPN.com with inside dish on why Bill Belichick is not the coach of the Falcons – or anyone else.  Robert Kraft played a role.

ON THE MORNING of Jan. 25, a few hours before the Atlanta Falcons named Raheem Morris to be their next head coach, Bill Belichick believed the job was his.

The second-winningest head coach in NFL history had interviewed twice with the Falcons — a one-on-one session with owner Arthur Blank on his superyacht, followed by a lengthy interview with Blank and team executives at Blank’s home after Belichick flew to Atlanta on one of the owner’s private jets.

From Belichick’s perspective, according to sources close to him, he had done everything right.

He assured Blank that he wasn’t seeking the total control he had for most of his 24 seasons in New England. He pledged to work with the team’s existing group of decision-makers, including general manager Terry Fontenot. Belichick also knew that Blank had checked his references with a group that included Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son, Jonathan.

Belichick was in a strange place, unemployed for the first time since 1996, when he was without a job for a few days after Art Modell fired him from the franchise that had been the original Cleveland Browns. Still, at 71, he was confident in his chances, discussing potential staff, despite all that had transpired the past few years, including losing seasons and damaged relationships with Tom Brady and the Krafts. Even in Atlanta’s crowded field of 14 candidates, including former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, 11 offensive and defensive coordinators and a defensive line coach, Belichick was confident he would be hired. No other candidate owned eight Super Bowl rings.

And then, like many fans, Belichick was blindsided by news that Atlanta had hired Morris, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator who had worked for six years as an assistant coach and coordinator in Atlanta. Soon, the seven offseason coaching vacancies outside New England were filled — all by coaches with lesser résumés.

Blank later told reporters that Morris “was the right fit for us going forward, made the most sense. I understood the man, understood the history, understood the presence, understood how he had grown.”

Whenever he was asked about Belichick’s failed candidacy prior to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Blank always spoke respectfully about the coach with nearly a half-century of experience. “A living legend,” Blank called him.

What Blank didn’t say was that he and his top lieutenants had voted on the team’s next head coach, ranking each candidate.

Bill Belichick didn’t even finish in anyone’s top three.

The greatest coach of all time hadn’t come close — and that was as close as Belichick would come in 2024.

THE NFL HAS moved on from this year’s firing-and-hiring cycle, first to free agency and now to the draft, but what transpired in January is still hard to fathom: Why is Bill Belichick suddenly and seemingly unemployable? And will he coach again?

The answer goes beyond his recent run of busted draft picks and underperforming personnel decisions, particularly at quarterback, and a combined 29-39 record since he opened the door for Brady to leave New England. Owners have evolved in the 28 years since Belichick last hustled for a job. Belichick’s brand of dual GM/head coach leadership has not fallen completely out of favor in the NFL. The 49ers and Chiefs, this year’s Super Bowl contestants, both use strong head-coach models.

But most team owners are loath to grant a single person as much power as Belichick wielded in New England, even with his career results. Owners now value collaboration and cooperation among football operations, the coaching staff and other team executives. Most reject the fear and leverage that fueled New England’s dynasty.

This time around, what made Bill Belichick great limited his options.

Belichick’s leadership style led, in part, to the decision by seven team owners to pass on him this offseason, and the bad blood between Kraft and Belichick was no secret around the league, according to more than a dozen sources close to the coach and owners who spoke with ESPN on the condition they remain anonymous. Both Kraft and Belichick declined to comment for this story. Belichick’s longtime agent, Neil Cornrich, also declined to comment.

Next season, the list of potential suitors for Belichick will be limited, the sources said.

“There’s an inherent discomfort with change because people want to protect their jobs,” said Michael Lombardi, one of Belichick’s closest friends and confidants with the Browns and Patriots.

Even Belichick was aware that his head coach/GM hybrid had fallen out of favor around the league, sources said. A year ago, Belichick had drinks with another head coach. Over cocktails, Belichick told the coach that perhaps there was a better way than the way Belichick had been doing things for nearly a quarter century.

And in the pair of interviews with Blank and Falcons executives, sources said, Belichick pledged his willingness to coexist with Falcons executives under this new paradigm. In fact, he insisted he just wants to coach. But the Falcons realized that if you hire Bill Belichick, you hire all of him, an entire philosophy and ethos stemming from one man’s ethic and ingenuity, sources said.

In the end, his assurances failed to persuade Blank and team executives. “He was essentially voted off the island,” a source close to the Falcons’ hiring process said.

In the coming weeks, Belichick is expected to sign a deal to do analysis for Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, which produces ESPN’s “ManningCast” during “Monday Night Football.” He is believed to be biding his time until next January for openings on teams he has told confidants he would be interested in coaching: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. A source who spoke with a longtime friend of Belichick said the friend wonders if the coach will have another opportunity: “I don’t think Bill Belichick will ever be a head coach again in the National Football League,” the friend said. “Unless it’s [for] Jerry Jones.”

WINNING A SUPER BOWL after trailing 28-3 or with the opponent a yard away from the game-winning touchdown requires a head coach who refuses to concede to the inevitable. For most of the 2023 season, when chatter around the league was that Belichick was in his final season in New England, he believed he could turn it around and coach the Patriots in 2024, serving the final year of a two-year contract reported to be worth $25 million a year. A source close to Robert Kraft said he considered moving on from Belichick after the 2022 season, but Jonathan Kraft talked him out of it.

By mid-December, when the Patriots were 3-10, Belichick knew that his time in New England was coming to an end. Kraft wanted to reassert control and emphasize better collaboration. Four days after the season finale, it was made official at a Gillette Stadium news conference: “Like a good marriage,” Kraft told reporters, “a successful head coach/owner relationship requires a lot of hard work.”

“I will always be a Patriot,” Belichick said. “I look forward to coming back here. But at this time, we’re going to move on. I look forward, am excited for the future.”

Not since Paul Brown in the 1960s had such a revolutionary head coach been available. Owners and executives, even on teams that didn’t have openings, discussed hiring Belichick. Among them were the Eagles, who were coming off a disappointing finish one year after a narrow Super Bowl loss. Owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman, both Belichick fans, still strongly believed in their current head coach, Nick Sirianni, who over a stretch went 26-5. But Lurie thought it was worth asking a confidant of his about Belichick. A source close to Belichick said the coach would have been interested.

Roseman told ESPN he had a conversation with Belichick, a check-in to see how the coach was doing after he was out in New England. A source close to Belichick confirmed there was no talk during the call about working for the Eagles.

Still, there was chatter in league circles that Philadelphia and Belichick could be a match. Despite some owners and executives believing the game had passed Belichick by, the Eagles felt he still had his fastball; he had nearly beaten them in the 2023 season opener with an inferior team. There’s also a belief that Belichick will coach only until he gets 15 more wins, enough to pass Don Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history. Though not seriously considering a move, Lurie wondered to a confidant: Was it worth overhauling the building, changing personnel and philosophies on everything from training staff to salary cap structure, for someone who might coach only two years?

“You’ll have to start over again,” said a source with firsthand knowledge of the Eagles’ thinking. “Who would replace him? He hasn’t had a good record of developing coaches. They were afraid that he’ll have changed everything and every person, and [then] you’ll be starting from scratch again. He didn’t demand those changes, but they felt like, if we hire him, we have to give everything to him and trust how he does it.”

Dallas was another potential suitor. On paper, the Cowboys seemed to make sense: Belichick and Jerry Jones are decades-long friends, and both are in win-now mode. Nobody is better than Belichick at converting a talented roster into a championship team. And Belichick told a friend that he liked the idea of sticking it to the Krafts by working for Jones. But Jones, for all his flash, bluster and vows this offseason to go “all-in,” is change-averse when it comes to head coaches. He decided quickly after Dallas’ blowout exit in the wild-card round to let Mike McCarthy coach the final year of his contract.

Washington seemed to be another good fit, and multiple sources said Belichick was very interested. He grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, and the combination of his hometown ties and football acumen might have helped the Commanders win and land a stadium in Washington, D.C., considered the most-prized location for a new venue. Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson lobbied hard for Belichick to be the team’s new head coach, sources said. Belichick spoke to new Commanders GM Adam Peters, a former Patriots staffer, and said he respected the job Peters had done in personnel since he had left New England, helping the Broncos and 49ers reach a combined three Super Bowls.

However, principal owner Josh Harris, who had spoken privately with Kraft about Belichick, told confidants in early December that he respected Belichick but wasn’t going to hire him. He wanted the same leadership structure he has with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils: a strong general manager over a head coach. Harris’ hiring of the 44-year-old Peters as GM before he looked for a coach was a big tell that Belichick was not a fit, a decision that Johnson endorsed. A source close to Belichick said the coach had questions about working in a strong-GM system. Washington decided to hire Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. The victim of the Patriots’ 28-3 Super Bowl comeback had a job. The primary architect of that historic victory did not.

The Carolina Panthers briefly discussed Belichick, before he signed his two-year extension with New England a year ago. But this offseason, Carolina decided to pass, a source said. Panthers owner David Tepper often sifts through data to critique his coach’s playcalling. That, according to a source, “is tough to do with Belichick as the figurehead.” The Panthers opted for 42-year-old former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

Belichick wasn’t interested in going to Los Angeles, which was fine because Chargers owner Dean Spanos had targeted Harbaugh from the start. The Chargers were looking for a long-term solution at head coach and Belichick’s window felt like, at most, three to five years, sources said. Harbaugh is 60 and has a runway of at least a decade.

The Raiders had just fired a pair of Belichick’s former acolytes in Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Owner Mark Davis considered reaching out to Belichick but instead removed the interim from head coach Antonio Pierce’s title after interviewing other candidates.

The Titans, meanwhile, had fired Vrabel, one of Belichick’s favorite former players. They wanted someone to collaborate with GM Ran Carthon. In a comment echoed by others, a source with a team that had a head-coaching vacancy this year said Belichick’s “ability to build a culture at this stage is an issue. … He was so stubborn with the offense. He ran that offense down to a pulp. Mac Jones looked like a capable quarterback early. You think [Joe] Judge and Matt Patricia can run the offense for him? It’s arrogance.”

That left only the Falcons.

ON JAN. 15, four days after Kraft bid farewell to Belichick in Foxborough, Falcons owner Arthur Blank met one-on-one with Belichick aboard his 295-foot, $180 million superyacht named DreAMBoat, moored late that day in Antigua. It was Belichick’s first official job interview since 1998, when he met with Al Davis and the brass of the then-Oakland Raiders. The job went to Jon Gruden. In a lengthy interview with Blank, Belichick showed no rust, sources said. Blank told colleagues that he was very impressed. “I think Blank came away from the boat thinking this is my guy,” a source close to Belichick said, though from his vantage point, any momentum following that meeting seemed to die over the next week. A second meeting was planned with team CEO Rich McKay and other Falcons executives.

Despite that friendly first session, the unthinkable happened for a billionaire and a legendary coach: Blank and Belichick checked each other’s references. Blank spoke by phone, at least twice, to Robert Kraft. Among the NFL owners, Blank considers Kraft his closest friend. Publicly, Kraft and Blank have said Kraft expressed only support and offered praise of his former coach.

But in a conversation with Blank, Kraft delivered a stark assessment of Belichick’s character, according to a source who spoke to two people: a close Kraft friend and a longtime Belichick confidant. The source quoted the Belichick source as saying, “Robert called Arthur to warn him not to trust Bill.” That account was backed up, the source said, by the close Kraft friend.

Multiple sources said that Kraft spoke with “some candor” to Blank about Belichick, though the sources declined to elaborate. One source close to Belichick said Kraft “was a big part” of why the Falcons passed on hiring him.

The sources said Kraft made clear to Blank that “you’ll never have a warm conversation with” Belichick, echoing what Bill Parcells told Kraft in 1996 when he wanted to bust the budget and hire Belichick. “Blank likes coaches who feel part of a family,” a Falcons source said, “and it wasn’t going to be that way with Bill.”

The comments were consistent with what Kraft had been telling confidants for months: After an unprecedented run, after Spygate and Aaron Hernandez, after backing his coach in moving on from Brady, after disagreements public (cash the Krafts were willing to spend) and private (leaking against each other directly or through associates), the owner had lost trust in Belichick, which was a key reason for their deteriorating working relationship and the end of the Patriot Way. A second source close to Kraft said, “[Kraft] found Bill to be extremely difficult and obstinate and kind of stubborn and, in the end, not worthy of his trust. And also very, very, very arrogant.”

The same source said he did not know if Kraft had warned Blank about Belichick’s trustworthiness, but he said both Krafts felt “betrayed” by the coach. “I don’t think they’d try to hurt Belichick,” he said. “But I don’t think they’d try to help him either. They weren’t going to try to sink him. He was finished as an effective head coach. Just look at his last four years in New England. A disaster … If you’re Arthur Blank, why do you want the headaches?”

A spokesman for Kraft strongly denied that Kraft said anything disparaging about Belichick during the owners’ two phone conversations in January.

“Robert steadfastly denies saying anything negative to Arthur Blank about Bill Belichick after Robert and Bill mutually agreed to part ways,” Patriots spokesman Stacey James said. “In fact, Robert advocated for Bill to get the job.”

When asked if Kraft had ever criticized Belichick in conversations with Blank, James said Kraft had no recollection of doing that. But James acknowledged Kraft might have done so prior to January.

“It would not surprise me to learn that owners sometimes lament to those close to them when their teams are struggling,” James said, “but Robert Kraft never questioned Bill’s character or trust when talking with Arthur Blank. Trust is important to Robert. He wouldn’t have employed Coach Belichick for the past 24 years if he ever questioned his trust.”

A Falcons spokesman declined to comment on whether Kraft criticized Belichick to Blank during the interview process but pointed to Blank’s repeated comments to reporters during Super Bowl week that Kraft had endorsed Belichick.

If the Falcons had hired Belichick, the reported $25 million annual salary owed him by the Krafts for the upcoming season would have been offset by Blank.

Asked whether Kraft had any motivation to keep Belichick off the sideline, a source close to the coach said: “If Bill goes on to have success and Tom already had success, then who does [Kraft] have to blame?”

Kraft’s assessment of Belichick occurred in the run-up to the much-anticipated 10-part docuseries, “The Dynasty,” which debuted in mid-February on AppleTV+. The Kraft-supported project has been criticized by several former Patriots players and fans as intentionally and blatantly anti-Belichick. In the docuseries, Kraft blamed Belichick for the team’s Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles, citing his mysterious benching of cornerback Malcolm Butler. And he also confirmed what he had publicly denied over the years of a contentious and, in his words, “dysfunctional” relationship between Belichick and Brady. “To be honest, my head coach is a pain in the tush,” Kraft said on camera. “But I was willing to put up with it — as long as we won.”

Lombardi, who is close to Belichick, said that since the docuseries, “everyone is asking why this guy isn’t working.”

Kraft has since distanced himself from the project, which lists Kraft Dynasty LLC in the credits, even though James said the Patriots had no editorial control over the docuseries. In late March at the NFL league meeting in Orlando, Kraft said he was “disappointed” that the docuseries emphasized negative stories over the team’s two decades of dominance and barely showed two of the Patriots’ Super Bowl titles. When asked by reporters about how the docuseries depicted Belichick, Kraft dodged.

“I feel so privileged that we had Bill here,” he said, later adding: “And, you know, I look forward to the privilege of putting Bill into the Patriots Hall of Fame one day in the future.”

No matter what he’d heard in the reference checks, Blank entertained trading headaches for wins.

Four days after huddling on the yacht, Belichick was interviewed for a second time on Jan. 19 at Blank’s Atlanta-area home. Blank and top Falcons executives, including McKay, Fontenot and team president Greg Beadles, were present. The executives, whose team has had just three winning seasons since 2012, took the measure of a coach who is used to doing it his own way.

The 4½-hour meeting included explanations of the team’s process with player contracts.

Belichick asked why contracts didn’t include offseason bonuses to entice players to work out at the facility during the offseason, an essential team-building incentive in New England. He was told that’s not what the Falcons have ever done.

Belichick wasn’t eager to work with McKay, but it was unclear how much that would have mattered anyway: McKay is a longtime trusted aide to Blank but would soon be promoted out of daily team oversight, sources said. Belichick assured Blank that he was willing to work with Fontenot.

By the time the meeting was over, Belichick felt confident it had gone well, a source close to him said. But a source familiar with the Falcons’ thinking said neither McKay nor Fontenot wanted to work with Belichick. Their concerns mirrored those of the Eagles: If you hire Belichick, he will inevitably run the team, even if he doesn’t demand total control.

“You have to be all-in,” Lombardi said. “But where I think he’s not getting a fair enough evaluation is if you have a good way of doing something, he’s one of the all-time best listeners. He’s open to change, it just has to be smart change.”

But several Falcons executives did not see it that way. They viewed Belichick as “an older, stoic coach who’d blow up the building” and wouldn’t likely stay beyond two years after he sets the wins record, a source said. Also, Blank hates coaching searches and he would have to do another.

The executives also were concerned about the staff Belichick would bring with him, including assistants who had worked with him in New England and who had struggled on their own: Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge, Jack Easterby, Matt Patricia. At one point, Blank asked Belichick why his charges had failed elsewhere. Belichick replied that he thought they were better soldiers than generals.

The source close to Belichick said the coach had concerns about the Falcons’ roster and would have needed his most trusted former assistants to execute a quick turnaround. He told one confidant that the Patriots’ lackluster performance in recent years was because some of those former assistants had left.

And there were other considerations for the Falcons. “If Bill were 63 … this might have been different,” a source said. It was ultimately Blank’s decision, but he is notoriously averse to confrontation and controversy. The fact that his top lieutenants pushed against Belichick swayed him, sources said. The Falcons’ second interview was granted to Belichick “largely out of respect.”

In the media, Belichick was portrayed repeatedly as the Falcons’ favorite. One analyst, Boomer Esiason, even reported on his radio show that Belichick had been offered the job. And multiple sources said Belichick felt he was the favorite, in part because of how his meetings went with Blank.

But inside Falcons headquarters, Morris was the leader after he “blew away” his interview and energized the organization with his enthusiasm, ideas and deep football knowledge, both in terms of personnel and strategy. Morris, hired by Tampa as a rising-star head coach in 2009, later held multiple positions on the Falcons’ coaching staff from 2015 to 2020 and was defensive coordinator and interim head coach after Quinn’s firing in 2020. Morris’ defenses with the Rams shut out the 49ers and Bengals in the fourth quarters of the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, respectively, after the 2021 season, and he had become one of Sean McVay’s most trusted confidants.

Morris is where Belichick was in 2000: 47 years old and at a career crossroads, eager to prove that he wasn’t just a brilliant assistant who lacked the gravitas to lead a team, aware that this might be his last, best chance. Morris needed what Belichick was desperate for 24 years ago: an owner unafraid to believe in him.

On the morning of Jan. 25, Blank and executives interviewed a final candidate, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The meeting went 90 minutes longer than scheduled. They liked him but were worried about losing out on Morris, who was due to interview with the Seahawks. After Slowik left, Blank and the Falcons execs compared notes. Morris was the unanimous first choice. The team then discussed alternatives if it couldn’t hire Morris. In that straw poll, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, eventually hired by the Seahawks, was the second choice. Slowik finished third.

Blank offered Morris the job. Told that morning that the job was his to lose, Belichick was eliminated. This offseason’s lack of opportunities left Belichick “kind of shocked,” a source close to him said.

Within a week, he was interviewing agents to help him find a TV gig.

BELICHICK ONCE SWORE he wouldn’t coach into his 70s. He will be 73 when the 2025 season kicks off.

He has told confidants he thinks he’ll get at least one interview next year. Dallas could be an option, if Jerry Jones moves on from Mike McCarthy, a lame duck in the final year of his contract. Belichick has a strong relationship with both Jerry and Stephen Jones, dating back years. On the other hand, Jerry Jones has been close with a lot of excellent head coaches whom he has never hired. Belichick has told confidants that he hopes if a team in the Northeast has an opening, it will consider him. That way, key former assistants who live in the region, such as Patricia and McDaniels, will be able to join him with minimal family disruption. But in the end, if he works, or where, or how much power he is granted, won’t be up to Belichick.

“The Patriot Way is damaged,” a former Patriots assistant coach said.

Belichick also, like many in the New England circle, quietly observed the attacks on the Patriot Way in recent months, through Belichick’s job hunt and fallout from the docuseries. “A lot of people are pissed,” a Belichick confidant said. “His name was smeared.”

This year, Belichick plans to travel abroad, speak to football programs around the country and to write a book — not a tell-all memoir but a football leadership guide. The model is one of the books that influenced Belichick most: “Finding the Winning Edge,” Bill Walsh’s 550-page bid to put his football genius on paper. Walsh’s system was coach-centric, of course. It was the NFL system. Walsh mocked the role of a general manager on losing teams, saying that most of them sit next to the owner during games and blame the coach, avoiding accountability. Belichick read the book and then developed an entire system based on accountability.

Not long ago, a confidant of Belichick was asked why the coach would write a book if he still wanted to coach. Why give away his secrets? The answer was that Belichick could write everything and still not disclose much. He can explain the design and structure, the theories and tenets, the guardrails and bullet points, but how someone thinks cannot be replicated. No book can tell a coach to refrain from calling timeout with 30 seconds left in the Super Bowl and the opponent a yard away from victory. The system is Belichick. Was Belichick.

2024 DRAFT

Don’t expect a running back to go off the board in the first round.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

As NFL teams increasingly conclude that running backs are not particularly important to building a winning team, running backs have largely become an afterthought in the 2024 NFL draft.

It would be a shock if any running back goes in the first round: At DraftKings, zero running backs going in the first round is a -1600 favorite. Any running backs going in the first round is a +800 underdog.

The player with the best odds to be the first running back selected is Florida State’s Trey Benson, who is +210 at FanDuel. Texas’s Jonathon Brooks is at +250, Michigan’s Blake Corum is at +380, Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright is +500, and USC’s Marshawn Lloyd is +650.

But don’t expect to hear any of those names called on the first night of the draft. The running backs will almost certainly have to wait until Day 2 to get picked.

– – –

With just over a week to go, here’s Will Brinson of CBSSports.com providing a Mock Draft.  We like his idea of the Raiders moving up into the late first round to get QB MICHAEL PENIX, Jr.:

There’s some consensus forming in the betting markets, especially when it comes to the top 10, which means we’re due for a bombshell or two over the next week that really shakes things up.

Here we have multiple trade-ups for quarterbacks, including the Vikings moving way up in the first round and the Raiders jumping back into the mix for a second first-round pick.

1 – CHICAGO (from Carolina Panthers)

Caleb Williams QB                             USC • JR • 6’1″ / 215 LBS

The easiest mock draft pick to project since the Jags taking Trevor Lawrence. A no-brainer at No. 1.

2 – WASHINGTON

Drake Maye QB                                    NORTH CAROLINA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 230 LBS

The betting markets have shifted to Daniels going second overall but we still thought C.J. Stroud was going first overall around this time last year.

3 – NEW ENGLAND

J.J. McCarthy QB                                    MICHIGAN • JR • 6’3″ / 202 LBS

The whole “draft a QB out of Michigan” thing worked well once for the Patriots, why not give it a run this time again.

4 – ARIZONA

Marvin Harrison Jr. WR                          OHIO STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

I think it’s very possible no one wants to pay the cost of moving up to Arizona’s spot in the draft, leaving the Cardinals to stand pat and take their top wideout prospect.

5 – MINNESOTA (Mock Trade from LA Chargers)

Jayden Daniels QB                                 LSU • SR • 6’4″ / 210 LBS

The Chargers are the easiest trade-out team on the board and might even move out of No. 5 for the Vikings’ two first-round picks.

6 – NY GIANTS

Malik Nabers WR                                     LSU • JR • 6’0″ / 200 LBS

Wouldn’t be shocked if the Giants moved down (especially if someone wants to come up and get an OL) but if they stand pat, Nabers makes all the sense in the world. OBJ 2.0 vibes without the drama.

7 – TENNESSEE

Joe Alt OT                                                NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’7″ / 322 LBS

Alt is the betting favorite (-105) to go seventh because the Titans so, so, SO clearly need OL help, are backing Will Levis, signed a receiver and if he’s sitting here, he’s probably their guy.

8 – ATLANTA

Dallas Turner EDGE                               ALABAMA • JR • 6’4″ / 252 LBS

This stretch of the draft feels too “easy” — Atlanta loaded up on offense in free agency and can now focus on helping Raheem Morris’ defensive unit in the draft.

9 – CHICAGO

Rome Odunze WR                                    WASHINGTON • JR • 6’3″ / 215 LBS

Lots of people will project Chicago going defense because of the Keenan Allen trade, but Allen is a rental and it makes sense to pair Williams with a young wideout. Williams and Odunze as a first-day haul will generate boffo ratings for the Bears.

10 – NY JETS

JC Latham OT                                                   ALABAMA • JR • 6’6″ / 360 LBS

Brock Bowers is the betting favorite but I think the Jets would be better served continuing to beef up an offensive line trusted with Aaron Rodgers’ health, especially after adding Mike Williams in free agency.

11 – LA CHARGERS (Mock Trade from Minnesota)

Taliese Fuaga OT                                             OREGON STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 334 LBS

The Chargers know they need help in multiple spots and will still have OL options at 11, hence the trade down. Jim Harbaugh’s made his intentions very clear.

12 – DENVER

Laiatu Latu EDGE                                            UCLA • SR • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

Sean Payton’s history drafting in New Orleans (technically it was Mickey Loomis but come on) makes me think he’ll look to rebuild the defense through the draft especially if some pass rushers fall in his lap here.

13 – LAS VEGAS

Troy Fautanu IOL                                             WASHINGTON • JR • 6’4″ / 317 LBS

The Raiders could easily go QB here, but Tom Telesco’s background with the Chargers suggests offensive line is much more likely with a first-round pick.

14 – NEW ORLEANS

Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT                                     PENN STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 317 LBS

The Trevor Penning experiment hasn’t worked out and Ryan Ramczyk might not be ready for the start of the season. New Orleans is sneakily in trouble on the offensive line.

15 – INDIANAPOLIS

Brock Bowers TE                                               GEORGIA • JR • 6’4″ / 240 LBS

Getting a weapon like Bowers for Anthony Richardson and simply taking the best player seems like a pretty solid Chris Ballard move.

16 – SEATTLE

Jared Verse EDGE                                           FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 260 LBS

Seattle probably ends up trading back or doing something weird but with new coach Mike Macdonald on board, it makes a ton of sense to get him help on the defensive side of the ball.

17 – JACKSONVILLE

Brian Thomas Jr. WR                                       LSU • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

The Jags were shocked to miss out on bringing Calvin Ridley back in free agency so they supplement the position here in the draft.

18 – CINCINNATI

Ladd McConkey WR                                           GEORGIA • JR • 6’0″ / 185 LBS

Letting Tee Higgins walk while replacing him in the draft the same year would fit the Bengals’ modus operandi.

19 – LA RAMS

Byron Murphy II DL                                            TEXAS • JR • 6’1″ / 308 LBS

No one can actually replace Aaron Donald, but you can always try!

20 – PITTSBURGH

Jackson Powers-Johnson IOL                               OREGON • JR • 6’3″ / 320 LBS

JPJ (are we doing that?) apparently spent some time at the Senior Bowl with Mike Tomlin and you can bet they’ll want to shore up the protection for Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields.

21 – MIAMI

Chop Robinson EDGE                                       PENN STATE • JR • 6’3″ / 254 LBS

The need for depth off the edge was never more clear than late last year for the Dolphins, who may need some help while Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips work their way back.

22 – PHILADELPHIA

Amarius Mims OT                                            GEORGIA • JR • 6’7″ / 340 LBS

Is there a Georgia Bulldog high on the big board still available when the Eagles pick? Sure is!

23 – LA CHARGERS (Mock Trade from Minnesota)

Graham Barton OT                                         DUKE • SR • 6’5″ / 314 LBS

Legitimately wouldn’t be shocked if Jim Harbaugh doubled down on the offensive line in this draft.

24 – DALLAS

Tyler Guyton OT                                                OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’7″ / 328 LBS

The Cowboys have dealt with some attrition on the offensive line in recent years and need to get more help there.

25 – GREEN BAY   

Quinyon Mitchell CB                                         TOLEDO • JR • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

Simply a value play for the Packers, who are shocked to see the top corner sitting here this late in the first round.

26 – TAMPA BAY

Terrion Arnold CB                                             ALABAMA • SOPH • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

Again, similar to GB, Tampa Bay sees value in nabbing one of the top corners in this draft class late in the first round thanks to a run on offensive linemen.

27 – ARIZONA (from Houston)

Kool-Aid McKinstry CB                                      ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

Cornerback run! It kind of makes sense if the OL run hits early in this draft for a slew of corners to come off later.

28 – BUFFALO

Troy Franklin WR                                             OREGON • JR • 6’3″ / 187 LBS

Losing Stefon Diggs certainly creates an area of need for the Bills, even if they’re banking on running the offense through Dalton Kincaid.

29 – DETROIT

Nate Wiggins CB                                              CLEMSON • JR • 6’2″ / 185 LBS

The Lions improved the secondary this offseason but still need to add a young stud corner to fill out this suddenly well-rounded roster.

30 – LAS VEGAS (Mock Trade from Baltimore)

Michael Penix Jr. QB                                            WASHINGTON • SR • 6’3″ / 213 LBS

The Raiders have been heavily connected to Penix recently and while it’s not Tom Telesco’s style to trade up in the first round (like, ever), there could be a push from ownership to land a headlining QB in this draft. The Ravens certainly would be willing to trade down.

31 – SAN FRANCISCO

Adonai Mitchell WR                                               TEXAS • JR • 6’4″ / 196 LBS

With the uncertainty surrounding the Brandon Aiyuk situation, the 49ers grab an offensive addition at the same position.

32 – KANSAS CITY

Malachi Corley WR                                              WESTERN KENTUCKY • JR • 5’11” / 210 LBS

The Chiefs wrap up the first round by grabbing a wide receiver, which Chiefs fans might call lazy, but let’s be honest, it makes way way too much sense here.

– – –

Matt Miller of ESPN.com gets some NFL scouts to make the top 10 picks, although not for the team they actually work for:

You’re going to see a lot of mock drafts over the next week, as everyone gears up for the 2024 NFL draft. My final set of projections drops next Wednesday. But did you know NFL teams do their own mocks, assigning staffers to rival teams in Round 1 and trying to project what could happen at each slot in preparation? That gave us an idea.

I asked 10 anonymous scouts from around the league to each serve as the decision-maker for a team picking in the top 10, letting them make the pick based on that roster’s needs and how they evaluate this intriguing class. A couple of rules:

The scouts are unaffiliated with the teams they were assigned here. In fact, none work for a franchise even in the same division as the one they were assigned, and in most cases, we gave them a team from the other conference. They were asked make their selections based on how they’d approach that pick and who was already off the board.

Because the scouts are all anonymous and did not collaborate on the exercise, we didn’t allow any trades. So while many mock drafts might have the Vikings jumping up the board for a QB, no picks changed hands here.

Here is how things played out in the top 10, starting with an evaluator from the NFC East making the call for the Bears at No. 1 overall:

1. Chicago Bears (via CAR)

Projected pick from an NFC East area scout: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

No surprises here — scouts agree with consensus that the Bears should and ultimately will select Williams, my No. 1 overall prospect in this class, to begin the draft.

“He’s too dynamic, too poised and too talented to pass up,” said our guest picker out of the NFC East, a scout who has studied the entire QB class.

Williams seems like a lock at No. 1 after throwing 93 touchdown passes and rushing for 27 more scores over three college seasons. The 2023 Heisman Trophy is the total package, and I like to compare him to Aaron Rodgers. At 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, Williams shows excellent arm strength, running ability and field vision. He’d immediately have a great supporting cast with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Cole Kmet, too.

“Caleb is the most likely player in this class to become a Hall of Famer,” the scout said. “That’s the dude I want.”

2. Washington Commanders

Projected pick from an AFC national scout: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Here’s the first surprise of the mini-mock, with our scout assigned to the No. 2 pick opting for Maye over LSU’s Jayden Daniels. Maye is No. 9 on my board, while Daniels is No. 5 overall.

“Maye has more upside,” said the scout. “I question Daniels’ ability to play in condensed spaces.”

Another consideration for the scout making the pick? Maye’s ability to make throws with pressure in his face and absorb the impact of free pass-rushers in the North Carolina passing game. He threw 10 touchdown passes (tied for seventh in the nation) when pressured in 2023. Maye (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) is often compared to Justin Herbert, and his vertical passing ability would no doubt fit well with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson in Washington.

3. New England Patriots

Projected pick from an NFC South area scout: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

With two quarterbacks off the board, the decision was easy for our stand-in Pats GM: “The other guys really left me without a choice, but this is who we wanted outside of Caleb [Williams] anyway.”

Daniels (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season that saw him throw 40 passing touchdowns and run for 10. He completed 72.2% of his passes and led the nation in QBR at 95.6. And his deep-ball passing and rushing ability are special traits.

“We’re sprinting to the podium with this pick,” the scout said. “He’s a true playmaker and can beat you with his arm and his legs.”

4. Arizona Cardinals

Projected pick from an AFC East area scout: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

“Fastest pick ever,” said our scout picking for the Cardinals. “With Paris Johnson Jr. and adding Jonah Williams [to the offensive line], time to get a top-tier wide receiver for Kyler Murray.”

Harrison is a popular selection for the Cardinals in mock drafts thanks to his pro readiness and high-end positional traits. And because we aren’t allowing trades, the Cardinals can’t take calls from the Vikings or Giants if either wanted to move up for a QB — but the AFC East scout wasn’t interested in moving back anyway. “We’re not answering the phone. MHJ is exactly what this team needs.”

He’s not wrong. At 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Harrison shows elite body control, speed and instincts, helping him to 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. And Arizona currently has 2023 third-rounder Michael Wilson listed atop its wide receiver depth chart.

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Projected pick from a former AFC scouting director: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

A reminder that trades weren’t allowed here, so our Chargers decision-maker had to stay put at No. 5 rather than seek offers from QB-needy teams targeting Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy. That made it a question of receiver or offensive line for L.A.

“I think building the trenches is smarter with the talent stacks in this draft,” said our fifth scout of the exercise. “Get a tackle now, a wide receiver in Round 2 and a cornerback in Round 3. That’s how you win this draft — checking off premium positions of need in every round.”

Alt is No. 6 on my board and the clear OT1. The 33-game starter has power, length and agility at left tackle, and he allowed just two sacks over the past two seasons. The drop-off in talent from Alt (6-foot-9, 321 pounds) to the next best tackle is notable compared to the talent drop-off at wide receiver. And the AFC scouting director we put in charge of the Chargers even had a dream scenario.

“We can get a starting-level wide receiver in Round 2,” he said. “Imagine leaving the first two rounds with Alt and [South Carolina receiver] Xavier Legette?”

6. New York Giants

Projected pick from an AFC North area scout: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

With Daniel Jones coming back from a torn ACL, the Giants could shake things up here with McCarthy, but the AFC North scout who took on the Giants for this exercise decided to go a different direction.

“Only minor consideration to J.J. here given the importance of the position and the team’s need, but it’s ultimately just too rich for me considering the top-end potential still on the board,” the evaluator said.

Instead, the Giants go with an elite playmaker for their struggling offense. New York hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018, but Nabers can be its next. He is a great route runner who totaled 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He also accelerates well and is physical at 6-foot and 199 pounds.

“Nabers is a special mover that will give New York a bona fide No. 1 and will immediately make life easier for whomever is throwing the ball this season,” the scout said.

7. Tennessee Titans

Projected pick from an NFC West area scout: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Explaining the pick, this scout said, “I wanted a tackle here, but with Alt off the board, it’s too rich to reach for [Penn State’s Olumuyiwa] Fashanu, and drafting a right tackle doesn’t help them. So this is a little best player available but also a need.”

Odunze (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) is my No. 3-ranked player in the class and a fantastic value at this spot. He’s physical and wins on 50-50 balls, and he finished last season with 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.

This scenario seems realistic if the Chargers opt to take Alt off the board at No. 5, and it’d be a tough decision for the Titans, who do need a left tackle. Our scout handled it by getting the top player on the board to fill a future need at wide receiver — DeAndre Hopkins is almost 32, and Calvin Ridley turns 30 this season — and waiting on the offensive line.

“We would definitely be on the phone trying to trade out if this is how the board ran … and it really could depend on how desperate the Vikings get [to move up].”

8. Atlanta Falcons

Projected pick from an AFC South area scout: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

I didn’t see this one coming. Everyone — including myself — has been projecting Alabama defensive end Dallas Turner to the Falcons at No. 8, and he remains on the board here. But our replacement general manager had a very different strategy.

“Mitchell is the best cornerback in the class and honestly a harder position to fill,” the scout explained. “Also, think about this: Young defensive ends rarely make a huge impact early on. It’s rare to get 10 sacks from a rookie. But a rookie cornerback can come in and be an All-Pro.”

The Falcons have two clearly defined top needs at defensive end and cornerback. Addressing CB at No. 8 and grabbing a pass-rusher in Round 2 is certainly a real strategy. Sure, Turner had 10 sacks last season, but Mitchell had six interceptions and 32 pass breakups over the past two seasons. At 6-foot and 195 pounds, he can be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL.

“Mitchell at 8 and then someone like [Washington’s] Bralen Trice in Round 2 is how we stack the board and get two studs.”

9. Chicago Bears

Projected pick from an AFC South area scout: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas

The Bears face a board with the top three wide receivers gone and don’t have the possibility of trading back here, even if there would be plenty of trade offers for this pick if McCarthy was actually still on the board. The scout making this pick instead lands, in their opinion, the best impact defender in the class.

The evaluator said, “Murphy is a legitimate game-changer who is just scratching the surface of his talent. We can’t believe he’s still available. Murphy on the inside and Montez Sweat on the edge will wreck things for offenses. And look at how much interior defensive tackles are getting paid today? Murphy is a huge value on a rookie contract.”

Defensive tackle is a sneaky need in Chicago, even after the team used Day 2 selections on Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens last April. But as the scout says, “Murphy is the perfect 3-tech for Matt Eberflus, and it’s the one position the Bears haven’t figured out on defense.”

Murphy (6-foot-1, 297 pounds) has a quick first step and power, and he finished his final season at Texas with five sacks and 33 pressures despite not getting many opportunities to rush the passer from inside.

10. New York Jets

Projected pick from an NFC South area scout: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

The two most common scenarios talked about with the Jets at No. 10 are drafting a tackle of the future and taking an instant-impact offensive player such as Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Our 10th and final scout in this exercise decided to plan for life after 2024 with the selection of Fuaga, even after the Jets traded for Morgan Moses and signed Tyron Smith. Both players are 33 years old.

“The two offensive tackles added this year can’t be seen as more than Band-Aids, and there has to be insurance plans in case they’re injured again,” the scout said.

Insurance all over the offensive line is crucial, as right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has already been banged up a ton in his career. Fuaga might not be a Day 1 starter in New York, but he could push Moses at right tackle and slide in on the interior if Vera-Tucker or left guard John Simpson were to miss time in 2024. He’s a big, powerful run-blocker who stands out in space at 6-foot-6 and 324 pounds.

“With [Aaron] Rodgers returning and the weapons on offense set, we can’t afford to ignore the offensive line for a third- or fourth-option pass-catcher,” reasoned the evaluator.

My reaction to the scouts’ picks

This was a chance to learn a lot about how evaluators truly see this class and how pressure to fill needs — especially at quarterback — influence what general managers will do. These scouts attacked core positions with their picks, including quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and cornerback. However, it’s notable that none of our GMs drafted McCarthy, who is ranked No. 19 on my board but is also widely expected to be drafted in the top six. (No trades certainly impacted that.)

Outside of McCarthy not being selected, Mitchell and Murphy making the top 10 were probably the biggest surprises for me. I’m a fan of Mitchell’s game — he is ranked No. 15 on my board — but I wasn’t expecting him at No. 8. And while Murphy is No. 13 overall for me, I haven’t seen too many top-10 predictions on him. I was also a little surprised to see Turner not get picked anywhere here, considering he’s seventh in my rankings. But this is the kind of stuff that makes the draft fun and unpredictable.