The Daily Briefing Wednesday, May 4, 2022

The NFL has announced its European games.  NFL.com:

The first-ever NFL regular-season game in Germany is set.

The Seattle Seahawks will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 9:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 13 at Allianz Arena — home of FC Bayern Munich — in Munich, the league announced Wednesday. The game will air on NFL Network.

In February, the NFL announced the participation of five teams — the Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers — in International Series games for the 2022 season. Their opponents will be revealed throughout the morning on Good Morning Football. Follow along live as the rest of the International Series slate is released.

Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints

Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London, U.K.

When: 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 2

How to watch: NFL Network

A pair of teams with new head coaches will clash when Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings face off with Dennis Allen’s Saints. An important NFC matchup — and a rematch of the 2017 playoffs’ “Minneapolis Miracle” — will feature two teams who finished just outside of the playoffs in 2021 and are looking to reverse their fortunes in 2022. Led by offensive standouts Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson, the Vikings must contend with a stellar Cameron Jordan-led Saints defense.

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London, U.K.

When: 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 9

How to watch: NFL Network

Green Bay will become the 32nd and final team to play its first game in London since 2007 in a game against the Giants. This Tottenham matchup will feature the NFC’s top seed in 2021 against a Giants team taking its first steps into a new era with head coach Brian Daboll and an injection of young talent.

Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Where: Wembley Stadium | London, U.K.

When: 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 30

How to watch: ESPN+

The Jaguars — making their ninth trip to the U.K. since the league began hosting overseas games — will round out the three U.K. games when they face the Broncos. Jacksonville will face a familiar face in former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who is now the head coach of the Broncos.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Where: Allianz Arena — home of FC Bayern Munich | Munich, Germany

When: 9:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 13

How to watch: NFL Network

The 2020 Super Bowl champs will again feature Tom Brady on a roster constructed to win now under new head coach Todd Bowles. They’ll take on a new-look Seahawks team in the midst of its first season in a decade without Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback.

Still to come the Cardinals and their game in Mexico.

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

Cleveland’s building program under Hue Jackson did not emphasize winning every game – and that balancing of short term proficiency vs. long term roster and experience building is the basis for Hue Jackson’s claim that he was ordered to “tank.” Jackson’s legal team, which did not cooperate with the NFL investigation, instead makes its case to Gary Gramling and Connor Orr of SI.com:

A Cleveland-area trial lawyer sits in a conference room of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper, prepared to argue for the reputation of a former professional football coach in a hearing the public was never meant to know about.

Joe Stafford had arrived with a cache of evidence he believes shows that the Browns’ front office misled Hue Jackson during the coach’s hiring process, and that the team set out to intentionally lose games over a two-year span, set up Jackson as a dupe, and scapegoated and defamed him in public comments by prominent members of the organization. Stafford plans to lay it all out on this day, Jan. 24, 2020, before an NFL-appointed arbitrator.

What unfolds is hours of frustration for all parties involved. A large portion of the hearing is devoted to whether the details of Jackson’s case will even be heard. The Browns—who are denying all of Jackson’s claims—have a trump card: an agreement, signed by Jackson and dated Nov. 5, 2018, a little more than a week after his firing, that releases the team from all claims in exchange for Jackson collecting the rest of his salary. In September ’19, when Jackson first demanded arbitration, the Browns formally filed a motion to dismiss based on that release agreement. This hearing is Jackson’s only recourse, based on language in his contract—which has become standard across the NFL—mandating football-related disputes with the team be resolved by arbitration. That is why he and Stafford are not in open court but rather here, in the offices of Peter Harvey, the former New Jersey attorney general and the NFL’s hand-picked arbitrator.

Over the course of the day, Stafford frequently interrupts his counterpart, the lead counsel representing the Browns, Richard Millisor. In what seems to be a point of procedural minutiae, Stafford is insisting that 38 pages of exhibits—his evidence—be attached to the hearing’s transcript, making them readily available for the small number of people who might have access to the case in the future. Millisor resists, and Harvey seems to be leaning the team’s way, saying the exhibits are part of the record even if they’re not attached to the transcript.

Stafford isn’t satisfied, and, about four hours into the session, things reach a boiling point. According to the transcript, Millisor says, “So here is the concern, and I think it’s your [Stafford’s] concern, is that while the Club did not move to strike the 38 pages of documents, 95% of that information deals with conduct that would occur before Nov. 5, 2018. Much of which would be extremely damaging to the Club and, frankly, to Coach Jackson if it would be to be made public.”

The NFL’s arbitration system is designed to prevent details–especially “extremely damaging” ones—from becoming public. But Sports Illustrated has reviewed more than 1,000 pages of documents from Jackson’s case, which were part of an application Stafford prepared to file in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to vacate the league’s arbitration (according to Stafford, Jackson chose not to go forward with it due to financial considerations and the prospect of a trial in Cleveland). The documents include those 38 pages in question, plus transcripts from that January 2020 arbitration hearing and a second one in March 2020. Through those arbitration proceedings, Jackson pursued claims including breach of contract, fraud, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the Browns, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

SI also reviewed internal documents from the Browns, Jackson’s contract (one that multiple veteran agents described to SI as highly unusual), and email exchanges between Goodell, Jackson and others supporting Jackson’s case. In addition, SI interviewed people familiar with Jackson and with knowledge of the inner workings of the Browns—some on the record, some on background—as well as, for context, experts in employment law.

Taken together, the reporting provides an intimate look at a franchise attempting to walk a tightrope between “smart rebuild” and “all-out tank,” while trying to meld classic “football” coaches and scouts with a progressive “analytics” front office. They reveal actions that could be interpreted as violating the league’s principle of competitive integrity: Specifically, an addendum to Jackson’s contract includes bonus incentives that—while they do not specifically call for Jackson to lose games—appear to incentivize losing.

Two weeks ago, SI reported that since February, the NFL had been conducting an independent investigation into the Browns’ actions during the 2016 and ’17 seasons. That inquiry was in response to Jackson’s allusion to a pay-to-lose scheme in a series of tweets in February, in the wake of similar claims by Brian Flores against the Dolphins. While Flores claimed he was offered $100,000 per loss by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, Jackson days later clarified that he was not explicitly paid per loss. Flores and Jackson are both citing racial discrimination as a motivation for their respective former teams’ actions.

On Monday, the NFL announced that its investigation had cleared the Browns of any wrongdoing. A letter signed by Roger Goodell and sent to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (with Jackson copied), said that “none of Jackson’s allegations were substantiated,” and that investigators, “found no evidence that the Browns ‘tanked’ any game, or that anyone in ownership, the football department, or coaching staff encouraged losses or discouraged winning to improve the club’s draft position. […] The evidence instead showed a club acting with integrity to develop and implement a long-term plan to build and maintain a successful team and to win every game that it played.”

(we edit out the part where everyone involved declined to speak with SI.com)

Jackson, citing the release agreement that precludes him from speaking publicly about his grievance, declined to answer SI’s questions but, before the NFL released its findings, provided a statement: “Two years ago I tried to do this the right way, through the bylaws and constitution of the National Football League, to ask them to investigate the Cleveland Browns for all the allegations that I’ve made. So why open an investigation now?”

Jackson’s haphazard claims in the immediate aftermath of the news of Flores’s lawsuit caused many to see him as an unreliable narrator—and, to be certain, his time in Cleveland was far more complicated, his case far more nuanced, than the one his lawyer prepared.

Above all, Jackson’s case is a study of a team that pushed the envelope like no other team when it comes to rebuilding, who pays what price when it goes terribly wrong, and how the league reacts when a head coach takes on his former team.

The most unusual aspect of Jackson’s contract doesn’t actually appear in the contract itself. It is the incentives package that is referenced in the contract but not laid out in detail. The specific incentives that would earn Jackson bonus money appear only in a separate, internal Browns document, titled “The Four Year Plan,” a booklet that also outlined the organization’s overall philosophy and included specific protocols for how the team would operate. (SI reviewed Jackson’s contract in full, but had access only to excerpts from The Four Year Plan.)

Article 3 in Jackson’s contract lays out his compensation: $4.75 million per year, plus those incentives. The last line of Article 3 reads, “In addition to salary, Employee shall be eligible for bonus compensation in accordance with the criteria amounts outlined on Exhibit A.” The exhibit, a table within the contract, contains an asterisk referring to a “FOUR YEAR PLAN BONUS” that would pay Jackson “up to $750,000” per season. An asterisk notes that, “The Four Year Plan and goals will be developed with input from Employee and be subject to final approval of Owner.”

Jackson was introduced publicly as the Browns’ new head coach on Jan. 13, 2016. His contract was finalized the next day, according to the unfiled application to vacate arbitration. His role in creating his bonus structure in The Four Year Plan is in dispute. According to Jackson’s claims in that filing, he wasn’t shown The Four Year Plan until four weeks later, on Feb. 13, at which point there were no details of his incentives included. The filing then says The Four Year Plan wasn’t finalized until six weeks after Jackson’s hiring, “on or about” Feb. 28, and that the bonus table was approved by Jimmy Haslam “on or about” May 23. The letter from Goodell to Haslam closing the league’s investigation, however, says that investigators found that, “Coach Jackson himself reviewed the Plan and suggested changes to the Plan’s incentive compensation metrics, which were accepted.”

However they came to be formulated, Jackson’s draft-pick and salary-cap carryover incentives, if both were reached, would pay him a little more than $100,000 annually in the first two years of his deal. For the coach to earn his draft-capital bonus in the plan’s first year, 2016, the document said that the Browns would have to make at least 11 picks in the NFL’s seven-round draft, with five in the first three rounds. In the ensuing three years, that shifted to 10 picks per year, with four in the first three rounds. The salary cap clauses called for the Browns to “rank in the bottom quarter of cash spend” in the plan’s first year and “carry over at least 15% of league cap” into the following year, referring to the fact that teams can carry unused cap space from one season to the following year. In the following years, the salary cap incentives shifted: In the second year, the carryover number went to 12.5% (it disappeared in years three and four). In years two through four, Jackson could also hit bonuses if the Browns ranked higher in team winning percentage than total salary spent. In the back two years, he could achieve bonuses if the Browns ranked in the bottom quarter of the league in dead money.

While draft capital accrued and percentage of cap carried over are appropriate goals for a personnel department, it is unusual to reward the coach for those categories—not only are they out of his control, but those goals stand in opposition to every NFL coach’s baseline goal, which is to win as many games as possible. Very simply, the more a team loses, the higher its picks, and therefore the more draft capital it can accrue. And the less money is spent on the roster, the fewer good players there are.

Typically, the NFL reviews all coach and player contracts; Jackson’s agreement itself (with the signatures of Jackson and Brown) was submitted to the league for approval, but it’s unclear whether the NFL ever reviewed the incentive-package details that appear only in The Four Year Plan. While there is no language specific to coach contracts, Section 9.1(C)(8) of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws states that “no player shall receive any bonus of any kind unless such bonus provision is attached to and/or incorporated in the contract of such player.”

Jackson argues that the arrangement was in violation of Section 9.1(C)(12), which prohibits any team personnel from attempting “to illegally influence the outcome of the [team] or fail to suspend immediately any officer or player or other employee of the [team] who shall be proven guilty of offering, agreeing, conspiring, or attempting to influence the outcome of any game[…]”

Ostensibly, the bonus system was built in order to encourage collaboration between the coaching staff and personnel department, as Jimmy Haslam sought to meld traditional scouting with an analytics-heavy approach (a column, presumably designated for the head of personnel, had the same goals as the “coach” column, though some of the percentages differed). It didn’t work; Jackson, according to his unfiled application to vacate arbitration, first alerted the NFL to his concerns with the Browns’ four-year plan in November 2016, about halfway through his first season in Cleveland.

Multiple people outside the Browns organization who reviewed the table believe it could be seen as innovative. But it is, objectively, not in the best interest of the coach from a win-loss standpoint.

“If I got that sent to me, the first thing I’d think was ‘Holy s—, this is, like, a tank bonus,’” one veteran coaching agent says.

The NFL did not respond to questions as to why it found Jackson’s draft-capital and salary-cap bonus incentives acceptable, nor whether it would approve of other teams offering similar inducements. Jackson’s agent, John Thornton, declined comment for this story. It is unclear how much consideration Jackson gave to the table as he prepared for his first season in Cleveland, or whether he realized what the consequences would be. A source close to Jackson says the coach believes that, rather than promote collaboration, the incentive package was meant to implicate him in organization-wide wrongdoing, though no proof of this has emerged.

In October 2019, Jackson filed his claims in the league’s forced arbitration system, which led to two hearings in ’20 (on Jan. 24 and March 13). In a letter dated May 20, 2020, Harvey ruled that, because of Jackson’s release agreement, the evidence that pointed toward tanking would all be barred from Jackson’s arbitration case.

In the months after Harvey’s ruling, Jackson sent multiple letters to Goodell asking him to open an investigation into the Browns for tanking, the first of which, dated in June and replete with words in bold font and all caps, opened with the line, “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!”

Later that month, Jackson and his wife, Michelle, met via videoconference with Goodell, executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, and executive vice president and chief people officer Dasha Smith to make his case; no investigation was opened. In August, after two more letters and a threat of litigation to dismiss arbitration, Goodell responded to Jackson via email, which read, in part: “I don’t have any advice on your decision regarding potential litigation. That is your decision with your legal advisors. Peter Harvey is very experienced and capable. […] In our meeting in June, in response to a question Troy asked you about what you need to do to move forward, you replied; ‘I must let it go. Get it behind me.’ I hope you find the best path forward to accomplish that.”

This is how Jackson’s arrangement with the Browns played out in practice.

Theoretically, Haslam’s plan was to combine Jackson’s football knowledge with DePodesta’s analytics-based roster-building acumen and Sashi Brown’s legal expertise. The arrangement was unusual for a number of reasons. DePodesta, for instance, had two decades of experience in Major League Baseball but none in the NFL when he was hired as the Browns’ chief strategy officer. Soon after DePodesta’s hiring, Brown, the team’s executive vice president the previous three seasons, was made the de facto general manager, replacing recently fired GM Ray Farmer. While Farmer had a football-centric background—he played three years at linebacker for the Eagles and later became a scout before moving up the ranks—Brown’s background was as an attorney, and his only previous NFL stop before Cleveland was as the Jaguars’ in-house counsel. The Haslams, DePodesta and Brown oversaw the head-coach hiring process, landing on Jackson. Two weeks later, Cleveland poached Andrew Berry, the Colts’ 28-year-old pro scouting director, to serve as their VP of player personnel, further bolstering the “football” side of the equation.

Jackson, according to his unfiled application to vacate that arbitration—and evident in his actions that season—was never on board with the organization’s long-term vision, and roster control became an immediate and constant source of friction. While the letter from Goodell to Haslam closing the investigation stated that the team “signed a significant number of unrestricted free agents and gave substantial contract extensions to existing players during that period [2016–17],” Cleveland ranked 32nd in total salary cap spend in ’16 and 31st in ’17.

Three veteran departures stood out. During the ’16 offseason, the Browns chose not to re-sign right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, believing Schwartz’s asking price was too high and that the compensatory pick in the following year’s draft would be more valuable than what they considered overpaying for the lineman. (Schwartz signed with the Chiefs and was considered one of the league’s premier offensive tackles over five seasons in Kansas City.) That same offseason, Pro Bowl center Alex Mack left Cleveland to sign with the Falcons.

The team spent more aggressively in the 2017 offseason, signing guard Kevin Zeitler, center JC Tretter and wide receiver Kenny Britt to multi-year deals, and re-signing Jamie Collins to a multi-year extension. But they also parted ways with two defensive team captains. Demario Davis was traded to the Jets for safety Calvin Pryor, who was released after a fight with a teammate before ever playing a regular-season game for Cleveland. Davis left the Jets as a free agent after one season and has been one of the NFL’s elite linebackers over the past four seasons. Also in the ’17 offseason, after failing to find a trade partner, Cleveland released cornerback Joe Haden, who was signed by the rival Steelers and started the past five seasons in Pittsburgh, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2019.

Among the most aggressive moves Cleveland made over those first two offseasons was, in 2017, acquiring Brock Osweiler along with draft capital in an unprecedented deal that used its abundant cap space to absorb Osweiler’s contract from the Texans. (Osweiler was cut before the ’17 season, though the long-term approach paid off: One of the draft picks acquired became star running back Nick Chubb.)

The quarterback situation remained unsettled. Jackson had interviewed for the 49ers head-coaching job as well in 2016 (San Francisco hired Chip Kelly). According to one person close to the coach, Jackson was intrigued by the prospect of working with Colin Kaepernick, whom the 49ers put on the trade block that February (Kaepernick did not begin his public protest against police brutality until months later). Jackson wanted him in Cleveland, but the Browns never made a serious play for the QB. At Jackson’s behest, the team signed Robert Griffin III in March.

In the 2016 draft, the Browns traded out of the No. 2 spot, passing on Carson Wentz, then using a third-round pick on USC quarterback Cody Kessler even though, according to three people who were working on the team’s football side at the time, the coaching and scouting departments agreed that he didn’t warrant more than a late-round pick. At the draft class’s introductory press conference, Jackson told the media, “You have to trust me on this one”—a comment that, according to one assistant coach on that staff, was understood to be a “team player” move by the coach. Griffin entered the year as the starter but suffered a shoulder injury in the season opener, limiting him to five games. Kessler struggled over eight starts, was released after the ’17 season, and after brief stops in Jacksonville and New England, was out of the league by ’20.

Of the 2016 and ’17 teams, one veteran league exec says, “Those were the worst rosters I’ve ever seen in this league. If you set out to intentionally lose games, it would look like that.”

One member of the coaching staff remembers meeting with Jackson shortly after the 53-man roster was finalized at the end of the 2017 preseason and wondering aloud: How are we supposed to win games with this team? He remembers Jackson replying: We’ll try our best.

The line between “rebuilding” and “tanking” has been erased in other major sports leagues, such as the NBA and Major League Baseball. For many, it doesn’t matter if an NFL team decides to throw a season (or two) away in the name of future assets.

But there are deeper issues with the approach, starting with how it affects competitive integrity. More than any major sports leagues, the NFL has long promoted its “Any Given Sunday” mantra. The chance of a worst-to-first turnaround—each of the last three and four of the last five Super Bowls featured a team that had a losing record the previous season—holds tremendous appeal for downtrodden fan bases. And the prospect of a coach being incentivized to lose games raises even more issues now, as the league partners with sportsbooks and legalized gambling becomes more prevalent.

For those who work at the highest levels of professional football, the problem with tanking begins with the fact that the price is paid almost entirely by the coaches and players, for whom the decision to tank is out of their control. Among the anti-labor issues, player safety is a problem when a team is rife with players who don’t perform at the NFL level. There are also potential issues for players who have incentives in their contracts—not only can it be more difficult to reach certain statistical benchmarks as part of a bad team, but a franchise with little interest in winning games could look to save money by making sure player bonuses are not reached (there is no indication this was the case with the Browns).

More than anything, in the ultimate team sport, every player gets dragged down by a lack of surrounding talent. In a league where the average career span is less than four years, one season of bad tape on a bad team can be a ticket out of the league.

One player under Jackson in Cleveland says he’s been in touch with around a dozen former teammates since Jackson made his public statements about being incentivized to lose. Believing the Browns’ struggles damaged their individual careers and earning power, they’ve discussed potential legal recourse.

There’s the impact on the coaching staff as well. Ken Delgado, a longtime college assistant, got a chance to break into the NFL with the 2016 Browns. As an assistant defensive line coach, he helped oversee not only Myles Garrett’s early development but also worked with Larry Ogunjobi, a third-round pick who became one of the league’s better 3-technique defensive tackles, and Trevon Coley, a practice-squad addition who started 29 games in Cleveland. Delgado was out after the ’18 season. He’s currently on Jackson’s staff at Grambling.

“Every coach wants to make it to the NFL, and that was my chance,” Delgado says. “I’m realistic; I’m not going to get back into the league.”

But more than anyone, the head coach wears the win-loss record. For Jackson, the losing became overwhelming. “I saw what it did to the man,” Delgado says.

Several times during the 2016 season, without warning or explanation, Jackson handed play-calling duties off to Pep Hamilton, assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, according to two people familiar with the events. That included at halftime of the season finale in Pittsburgh. The Browns led the Steelers, who were locked into their playoff spot and resting starters, 14–7 at halftime. After squandering that lead, Cleveland drove for a late touchdown to force overtime. After the Browns drove for a field goal to open the extra session, the defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown drive to Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones. Had the Browns won, the 49ers—not Cleveland—would have owned the first pick of the ’17 draft. Nobody knows, outside of Jackson, at least, why the coach chose to hand off play-calling duties in those instances, though theories abound among people who were part of that team.

Jackson made no secret about his unhappiness with the personnel department. He felt so strongly about the front office’s roster decisions that, multiple times, he took the unheard-of step of asking players to take issues into their own hands and demand a better roster from management, according to one member of the organization at the time. According to the unfiled application to vacate that arbitration, after bringing up his concerns with the organization’s approach to Haslam, Jackson began alerting the league in November 2016.

According to internal Browns organizational documents, Jackson had virtually no role in making personnel decisions. But multiple people interviewed for this piece depict Jackson as a coach with finesse who, despite all the friction within the organization, was able to win some major personnel disagreements. With the roster in shambles and the team reeling after a 1–15 season, Jackson scored a major victory heading into the ’17 draft. He lobbied hard for Garrett against the personnel department’s desire to take a quarterback, specifically Mitchell Trubisky, with the No. 1 pick—and won over Haslam to secure the pick. (Cleveland selected a quarterback, DeShone Kizer, in Round 2; Kizer struggled as the Week 1 starter and was traded the following offseason.)

Garrett was a star, but things got worse for the Browns the following season. Yet, according to Jackson’s application to vacate arbitration, the Browns gave Jackson a vote of confidence, one that would stay in-house. In a curious bit of timing, on Oct. 30, 2017—one day after the team had fallen to 0–8 and Jackson’s record in Cleveland stood at 1–23—the team quietly exercised an option year in Jackson’s contract, worth $5.25 million.

A little more than five weeks later, on Dec. 7, Cleveland fired Sashi Brown and replaced him with former Chiefs GM John Dorsey, whose scouting background more closely aligned with Jackson. After that season, Todd Haley, a former Chiefs head coach and more recently Steelers offensive coordinator, was brought in as offensive coordinator as Jackson moved to more of a “CEO” role for the coaching staff, but the arrangement failed. Jackson and Haley frequently butted heads, furthering the dysfunction.

There was an organization-wide decision to bring Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft, along slowly behind veteran Tyrod Taylor. Cleveland opened the season with a tie against the favored Steelers in monsoon-like conditions, lost on a last-second field goal as heavy underdogs in New Orleans, and snapped a 19-game winless streak when Mayfield, coming off the bench for an injured Taylor, led them to a Thursday night victory over the Jets. However, they dropped four of their next five games, at which point Jackson (as well as Haley, who believed he would become the interim head coach) was fired.

At the end of every season, the NFL asks each team’s owner, team president, general manager and head coach to sign an “Integrity of the Game Certification.” Jackson refused to sign.

Jackson finished his stint in Cleveland, his second as a head coach, with a 3-36-1 record. He returned to the Bengals, where he had been offensive coordinator before taking the Browns job, as a special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis. As Cleveland rallied with a 5–3 finish under interim head coach Gregg Williams and interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, Jackson became a punching bag. That criticism was a point of emphasis in his complaint against the Browns—and it’s one Harvey considered because the events occurred after the date of Jackson’s release agreement.

In his complaint, Jackson specifically goes after Haslam for a comment made immediately after his firing and featured in a video on the Browns’ website, in which the owner said the issue leading to Jackson’s firing was “internal discord.” Jackson asked Haslam to correct that statement and publicly reference the formalized Four-Year Plan that played a part in the disastrous 2016 and ’17 win-loss records; Haslam declined, saying it was better to let the news cycle run its course.

Jackson’s complaint also highlights a barrage of criticism from Mayfield. After a victory over the Bengals, who then employed Jackson, Mayfield had an icy postgame exchange with his former coach, which he said was because Jackson joined a division rival. He referred to Jackson as “fake” in an Instagram comment.

– – –

Harvey ruled against Jackson on this matter, determining that Mayfield’s comments were non-actionable opinions (of the Fox pregame segment: “It was a bad attempt at humor. … The statement is not, however, a factual statement”) and that, regardless, Mayfield did not make them “within the scope of his employment.” Harvey also determined that the Building the Browns segment did not rise to the standard of actual malice, and that Jackson failed to establish falsity.

Harvey also recognized the economic advantage the Browns held over Jackson but deemed the release agreement valid. The exhibits that pre-dated Jackson’s release—the crux of Jackson’s tanking allegations, and presumably at the center of the NFL’s current investigation—were barred. Jackson’s arbitration case was fully dismissed.

The Browns’ two-and-a-half-year run was one of the most disastrous in NFL history, and Jackson has taken more of the blame for it than anyone. That’s clear when looking at the epilogue for each member of team leadership during that time.

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

Shad Khan has some thoughts on Urban Meyer.

At a time when Fox reportedly is close to re-employing Urban Meyer, his most recent employer is making it clear he wishes Meyer had never been employed.

“When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?” Jaguars owner Shad Khan told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “It’s not possible.”

The Jaguars and Khan reportedly have not reached an agreement on his buyout. The Jaguars don’t intend to pay Meyer, contending he was fired for cause.

“It was not about wins and losses,” Khan told Bell.  “I think when you know someone is not truthful, how can you be around someone, OK? We had Doug Marrone here four years. We had Gus Bradley here four years. I have nothing but the utmost respect and friendship with them. That’s why they got the time, because it wasn’t a matter about respect or truth. It was a matter of wins and losses over four years. This is much bigger than that.”

Khan didn’t elaborate on the basis for his contention that Meyer wasn’t truthful. Obviously, however, something happened to cause Khan to change his mind fairly quickly about the head coach he had to hire.

TENNESSEE

QB RYAN TANNEHILL candidly admits that the horrendous way his season finished took a toll.  Turron Davenport of ESPN.com:

The Tennessee Titans are well aware of how much of an opportunity they cost themselves in their 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Having thrown three interceptions in that game, Ryan Tannehill might have felt it the most.

“It’s a deep scar,” Tannehill said of the loss. “Every time I closed my eyes I kind of rewatched the game. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep for weeks. I was in a dark place, and it took me a while, a lot of work to get out of it.

“I’ve worked through it, but therapy, talking to people, time helped. It took a lot of work to get through it.”

Tannehill said he had a lot of therapy sessions and is now able to look back on the game and learn from it while moving on. The veteran quarterback had been going to therapy for a little while, but the sting from the playoff loss brought a new level of pain.

“This is the first time that I absolutely needed it [therapy] to pull me out of a dark space,” Tannehill said.

Tannehill said that the loss is a scar he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life but that it can serve as fuel for him to work hard to get ready for the 2022 season with a “desire to win like he never had before.”

Being back at the Titans’ facility working with his teammates has helped Tannehill shift his focus away from the abrupt ending to the 2021 season. He’ll also soon have a new quarterback he will be working with.

The Titans’ rookies haven’t reported yet, but when they do, quarterback Malik Willis, a third-round pick in last week’s draft, will be among those first-year players.

Tannehill said the Titans didn’t notify him that they were selecting Willis with the No. 86 pick, although he said he texted Willis soon after the team made the selection. The veteran quarterback said he understands how the league works and welcomes the competition.

“I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him,” Tannehill said. “But if he learns from me along the way, that’s a great thing.”

Tuesday also marked Tannehill’s first chance to publicly react to the Titans’ draft-night trade that sent his No. 1 wide receiver, A.J. Brown, to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Titans used the first-round pick they received in the trade to select rookie wide receiver Treylon Burks.

“I was shocked. When I first found out, I’m like, ‘This isn’t real, this isn’t happening, it’s a rumor,'” Tannehill said of the Brown trade. “And then, I talked to A.J. and found out it was real. I slept terrible that night and kept thinking it was just a bad dream, but that’s where we’re at.”

Tannehill wasn’t in attendance for the voluntary portion of offseason team activities because he needed to finish a renovation at his home in Florida and wanted to spend a little extra time with his family. Select Titans receivers, however, went to South Florida to work out with Tannehill during the offseason.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

Pete Prisco writes the following about New England’s draft (see below for his thoughts on all the teams):

The Skinny: Belichick walks to his own beat when it comes to drafting. Sometimes he wins — like when he got Tom Brady — but there have also been a fair share of losses. Strange seemed like a reach, but I love Thornton and third-round corner Marcus Jones. I didn’t understand taking Bailey Zappe in the fourth.

The DB doesn’t understand why drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round was an example of walking to his own beat.  Brady, who passed for nearly 5,000 yards and went 20-5 as a starter at Michigan, was no “reach” in the 6^th round.

Where Belichick marched to his own beat came later when he kept Brady as starter and shipped out Drew Bledsoe.  But the drafting of Brady was really no big deal.

THIS AND THAT

2023 MOCK DRAFT

We waited all the way until Wednesday to unveil our first 2023 Mock Draft which comes from Dane Brugler of The Athletic.  Whereas 2022 had one quarterback drafted, in the late middle of the first round, who might have been a reach even there – there are plenty of hot QB prospects who could be coming out next year.

The 2022 class of quarterbacks was the weakest the NFL has seen in more than two decades, but the position should bounce back strong in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Aside from quarterbacks, the early outlook on wide receivers and edge rushers is again very positive, led by Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson, who would have been the slam dunk No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if he were eligible.

Trust me, I understand that a mock draft 365 days before the actual draft is very silly. But this exercise is less about accurately connecting players to teams and more about introducing 32 names to keep on the radar for the 2022 class.

Note: This draft order is based on the current Super Bowl odds so don’t yell at me for the order!

1. Houston Texans: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

The most impressive quarterback prospect I saw last season was Stroud, who made substantial strides with each game as a redshirt freshman. There is no question he benefits from Ryan Day’s play-calling and the elite talent around him, but Stroud still needs to make the throws, and his understanding of anticipation and touch make you sit up in your seat.

2. Detroit Lions: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

The defending Heisman Trophy winner, Young is undersized and might not check every box by NFL standards. But his poise and processing are both well above average and will transition well at the next level.

3. New York Jets: Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama

With his power, quickness and instincts, Anderson is a rare prospect and a blocker’s worst nightmare. He would have been drafted No. 1 in the 2022 NFL Draft if he were eligible and will be the first non-quarterback drafted next April barring injury or anything off the field.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Ringo put impressive reps on film, including the pick-six of Bryce Young in the national championship that clinched the victory. Georgia had five defensive players drafted in the first round this past weekend and should have a few more in next year’s first round.

5. Atlanta Falcons: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

The top senior quarterback in next year’s class, Levis blossomed in his first season at Kentucky after transferring from Penn State. He is a good-sized athlete with a loose arm and the creative instincts to make plays. Despite losing Liam Coen as offensive coordinator (hired as the offensive coordinator with the Rams), Kentucky went back to the McVay/Shanahan tree and hired former 49ers quarterback coach Rick Scangarello to run its offense, so the scheme and playbook should be similar.

6. Chicago Bears: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

As evaluators fired up the tape to check out Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt on the Georgia defensive line, how many times do you think this phrase was uttered: “Wait, who is this No. 88?” That would be Carter, who is entering his true junior season and was arguably the best player on the national champion’s defensive front last year.

7. Carolina Panthers: Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (Fla.)

After D’Eriq King went down with injury last season, Van Dyke ignited the Hurricanes’ offense and put his name on the NFL radar. There are still a number of things NFL scouts want to see on film this upcoming season for him to be a first-rounder, but he has the potential to get there.

8. New York Giants: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Ohio State had a pair of wide receivers drafted in the top 11 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and could have another one next April. Smith-Njigba has only average size and might not run in the 4.3’s like either Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, but he gets open and has an outstanding feel after the catch.

9. Seattle Seahawks: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson

The former top high school recruit in the country, Bresee showed right away as a freshman why he was such a hyped recruit. He missed most of last season with a torn ACL, so his projection in the top 10 is based on him returning healthy. But based on talent, Bresee is one of the best defensive linemen in college football.

10. Washington Commanders: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s tight end-to-NFL pipeline has been unmatched over the past 20 years, and Mayer will continue that streak. He has the size, athleticism and strong pass-catching skills to be a quarterback’s best friend.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers: Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

A potential first-rounder had he entered the 2022 NFL Draft, Smith was the vocal leader of Georgia’s national title team last season. He has big-time closing speed as a pass rusher and plays with the contact balance and block recognition to make plays vs. the run.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from Saints): Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama

Based just on the 2020 film, Ricks was arguably the top cover man on the LSU defense (over Derek Stingley). He missed the second half of last season because of shoulder surgery and opted to transfer to Alabama, so he will be looking for a bounce-back season in 2022 that could land him in the top half of round one next April.

13. Las Vegas Raiders: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Next year’s offensive tackle class doesn’t look particularly strong right now, and the “OT1” spot is wide open. The Buckeyes’ starting right guard in 2021, Johnson is expected to move out to tackle as a junior in 2022, and scouts will be watching him closely.

14. Minnesota Vikings: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU

Maybe it is the No. 1 LSU jersey, but you can’t help but see shades of Ja’Marr Chase when watching Boutte, especially on catch-and-run plays. He needs to stay healthy in 2022 after missing the second half of last season, but his playmaking talent is undeniable.

15. New England Patriots: BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU

The younger brother of Azeez Ojulari (and the better prospect, according to some), Ojulari is a tough athlete to block off the edge. He led the Tigers in sacks last season and could be one of the best players in the SEC in 2022 if he takes the next step in his development.

16. Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Harrison, Edge, Ohio State

Based on last season, Harrison isn’t yet a first-round prospect because the tape wasn’t good enough. But with his near-36-inch arms and 4.5 speed at 6-6 and 265 pounds, he has first-round traits. And if he shows improvement as a pass rusher on the 2022 tape, NFL teams will happily draft him in the top 32.

17. Miami Dolphins: Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame

Foskey likely would have been a Day 2 pick if he declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has his sights on the 2023 first round. Playing a versatile edge role in Marcus Freeman’s scheme, he has the length to stab and soften the edge, relying both on power and range to be disruptive.

18. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT/G, Northwestern

Northwestern produced a first-round offensive lineman last year with Rashawn Slater, and there is a good chance it does it again with Skoronski. Although he will probably kick inside at the next level, his mix of intelligence, technique and football character is off the charts.

19. Arizona Cardinals: Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

The tape of last year’s Rose Bowl is a good example of why CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are well-liked by NFL scouts. But the same could be said for Phillips, who gave up a few plays but whose cover talent, including an interception, was impressive vs. the Buckeyes.

20. Indianapolis Colts: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

The son of former NFL pass rusher Joey Porter isn’t the most consistent cover man and has his share of missteps on tape, but he is a long, fluid athlete with the potential to be a future first-round pick with continued development.

21. Baltimore Ravens: Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama

A few weeks after helping defeat Alabama in the national championship game in January, Burton made a business decision and opted to leave Georgia and join the Tide as a transfer. With Alabama losing its top three receivers, Burton will have an opportunity to flourish this season.

22. Cincinnati Bengals: Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina

An athletic big man, Pickens isn’t yet a finished product, but you don’t need to squint to see why NFL scouts are intrigued by his talent. South Carolina has a solid track record of producing defensive linemen, and Pickens is next up in the hopper.

23. Dallas Cowboys: Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

The younger brother of Penei Sewell, Sewell is well-strapped together with the power, pursuit and recognition skills that will play well in the NFL. He led the Ducks in tackles last season (106) and is arguably the best off-ball linebacker in college football.

24. Houston Texans (from Browns): Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia

The fourth Georgia Bulldog prospect in this mock, Van Pran is the least known of the group, but that should change soon. After redshirting in 2020, he started all 15 games at center last season and put himself on the NFL radar.

25. Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos): Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

The fifth and final quarterback to crack the first round of this mock, McKee has fans around the NFL. He is well-built and gets the ball out quickly and accurately. He will get himself into the first round if he continues to hone his decision-making. I also considered Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec here.

26. Los Angeles Chargers: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

The Howell-to-Downs connection was a fun one last season thanks to the quarterback’s beautiful deep ball and the receiver’s go-get-it skills. What Downs lacks in size he more than makes up for with his playmaking ability.

27. Miami Dolphins (from 49ers): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

The lone running back to appear in this mock draft, Robinson is a special player with the ball in his hands. Not only does he run with power and balance, but his cutting skills and vision make him hard to tackle. The Big 12 had the first running back drafted in the 2022 class and could do the same next year.

28. Detroit Lions (from Rams): Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

Roy has yet to be a full-time starter for the Tigers, but he routinely flashed when on the field last season. Not only can he stand up blocks and stuff the run, but he shows disruptive qualities as a pass rusher as well.

29. Green Bay Packers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

After TCU was shut out of the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnston could get the Horned Frogs back in the first round next April. He is a big athlete with outstanding body control and adjustment skills to make plays on the football downfield.

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Myles Murphy, DL, Clemson

Whether he is lined up outside or inside the offensive tackle, Murphy plays with the initial quickness and nose for the football to be disruptive in the backfield. Clemson should have one of the best defensive lines in college football next season.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jalen Catalon, S, Arkansas

The only chance Catalon has of cracking the first round is if he cleans up his wild pursuit skills and missed tackles. He is also undersized, but he plays with the explosiveness, instincts and toughness that makes it feel like he is part of every play — similar to Antoine Winfield Jr.

32. Buffalo Bills: Jordan Addison, WR, Pittsburgh

Last year’s Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver, Addison benefited from Kenny Pickett’s jump in production. He is currently deciding on a potential transfer destination, but regardless of where he plays in 2022, the NFL will be interested in his talent.

2022 DRAFT

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com hands out his draft grades (alphabetical order – A or A+ in green, C- or less in red):

Three years.

That’s the time it takes to fully grade an NFL Draft. Yet here I am two days after the conclusion of the 2022 draft handing out grades that will infuriate fan bases and even some teams.

Oh, well.

We live in a want-it-now society, so that’s why we do it. But at least I go back and re-grade the draft and myself three years late. That’s accountability.

This year’s highest draft grade goes to the Baltimore Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta. He killed it. Aside from not picking a receiver after trading Marquise Brown to the Cardinals — they must really like James Proche — DeCosta hit on pick after pick in my book.

It started with two in the first round, taking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and then following it by taking Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. I didn’t love Hamilton’s tape as much as many, but he’s a good player who will dominate near the line of scrimmage.

The Ravens followed that by selecting a bunch of talented players who will push for time and add to the depth. That leads to them getting the only A+ grade from me this year. Yes, I probably would have taken a shot on at least one receiver with one of my six fourth-round picks, but they opted otherwise. Despite that, the Ravens owned the weekend.

So they get the only perfect grade this year. Check back in three years to see see if that holds up.

Now for the rest of the grades:

Arizona Cardinals: C-

Best Pick: Third-round edge rusher Myjai Sanders is a long, athletic pass rusher, but he needs to gain weight. That will happen and he will turn out to be a nice rotational player.

Worst Pick: I didn’t like trading their first-round pick to land Marquis Brown. I know they needed receiver help, but they could have waited to get one later in the draft. They had other pressing needs, like pass rush and offensive line.

The Skinny: They opted to trade their first-round pick for Brown, which I didn’t like. Taking edge rusher Cam Thomas and Sandra both in the second addresses a major need. Keep an eye on sixth-round guard Lecitus Smith. He has talent.

Atlanta Falcons: B-

Best Pick: Third-round quarterback Desmond Ridder will end up as their long-term starter. They waited to take a quarterback, and they landed a good one. Ridder has all the tools to be a quality NFL starter.

Worst Pick: Linebacker Troy Andersen is a good player, but he went a little higher than I would have taken him. He’s developing as a linebacker, but could be a solid starter in time.

The Skinny: They took Drake London with their first pick, which will pay off, and wisely waited to take a quarterback in Ridder. He will be a good one and eventually be their guy.

Baltimore Ravens: A+

Best Pick: Taking center Tyler Linderbaum with their second first-round pick, acquired in a trade, was a smart move. He will anchor their line for a long time.

Worst Pick: Fourth-round tackle Daniel Faalele is a massive man, but does he have the foot speed to hold up in the NFL? It’s hard to argue with what they’ve done drafting offensive linemen, though.

The Skinny: Even though I didn’t love their first pick of safety Kyle Hamilton, they killed the rest of the draft. Their first four picks all were mentioned as possible first-round picks. They added a bunch of talented players on day three, including tight end Charlie Kolar. Eric DeCosta nailed this draft.

Buffalo Bills: B

Best Pick: First-round corner Kaiir Elam fills a need and will end up being an outstanding cover player. He has the length and talent to be a lock-down man player.

Worst Pick: I like second-round running back James Cook, but is he much different than Devin Singletary? Why not a bigger back who can run between the tackles?

The Skinny: This team doesn’t have a lot of holes, but they filled a big one with Elam. Cook was a bit of a surprise, but I did like fifth-round receiver Khalil Shakir. This is the team to beat in the AFC.

Carolina Panthers: C-

Best Pick: It was their first-round pick, tackle Ikem Ekwonu. He is a nasty mauler who fills a major need. He does need to improve his pass protection, but he will be a long-time starter.

Worst Pick: I didn’t like the pick of Matt Corral with Sam Howell available. Howell will be a better player. Corral will take some time to get onto the field.

The Skinny: Ekwonu makes this draft, but the rest of it was so-so in large part because they didn’t have a lot of picks. Corral is a risky pick. Sixth-round offensive lineman Cade Mays is a good player who will play in the league for a while.

Chicago Bears: D

Best Pick: Second-round corner Kyler Gordon will be an above-average starter and maybe a lot more. I think he has the tools to play inside or outside and he’s a willing tackler.

Worst Pick: Third-round receiver/return man Velus Jones can fly, but he is 25, which has to be a concern. He’s not a polished receiver, but speed is attractive.

The Skinny: They didn’t have a first-round pick after trading it to get quarterback Justin Fields last year. They picked defensive backs with their first two picks, which they need, but why not an offensive lineman at some point before round five when they took Braxton Jones? I do like Gordon, but they better hope Jones can play.

Cincinnati Bengals: B

Best Pick: First-round safety Daxton Hill might not seem like a guy being taken at a position of need, but contracts are in play at safety for Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell. Hill has the range to play in the deep middle.

Worst Pick: Second-round corner Cam Taylor-Britt went a little higher than I had him ranked. He has talent, but he needs to be more consistent. He does fill a need.

The Skinny: This team has really improved in the offseason and can again push for the Super Bowl. They needed help in the secondary, and they landed it with three picks there. Third-round defensive tackle Zach Carter is a player to watch.

Cleveland Browns: C

Best Pick: Fourth-round defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey is a good player who many thought would go earlier than he did. The talent is there to be an upfield player in their defense.

Worst Pick: I love Jerome Ford as a running back. But do the Browns need him? It’s just a strange pick with the backfield so crowded.

The Skinny: They didn’t pick until the third round because of they traded their first to land Deshaun Watson, so it wasn’t a great haul. Landing Winfrey was a nice pick and second-round corner Martin Emerson is a long player with coverage skills.

Dallas Cowboys: B+

Best Pick: Second-round pass rusher Sam Williams is an impressive edge rusher. Were it not for character concerns, he would have been a higher pick. He fits a major need.

Worst Pick: Fourth-round tight end Jake Ferguson probably went a little high for his skill set. They do have a need there, so it makes sense to take a chance, but there were better options.

The Skinny: I like what the Cowboys did. I was higher on first-round pick Tyler Smith, the offensive lineman from Tulsa, than most. He will be a good player, likely at guard to start. I also liked Williams and third-round receiver Jalen Tolbert.

Denver Broncos: B-

Best Pick: Fourth-round corner Damarri Mathis is a fast cover player who can come in and compete right away. He can fly, which corners will need in the AFC West.

Worst Pick: I know they needed a tight end, but I didn’t love the pick of Greg Dulcich in the third. He’s a one-dimensional player since he isn’t a great blocker.

The Skinny: They traded away their first to get quarterback Russell Wilson, which makes this draft. He changes the dynamic of this team. Second-round edge Nik Bonitto is an explosive player who will liven up the defense.

Detroit Lions: B+

Best Pick: I loved the bold move to trade up to land Alabama receiver Jameson Williams. He is a guy who can change the game with one big play. Even if he won’t be ready for a while, it’s a smart move.

Worst Pick: I didn’t love the pick of fifth-round tight end James Mitchell. They had too many other needs to fill and he is coming off a torn ACL.

The Skinny: They had an outstanding draft. Landing Aidan Hutchinson with the second pick gives them big-time edge player, and I love Williams. Second-round edge Josh Paschal gives them another player to pair with Hutchinson.

Green Bay Packers: B+

Best Pick: First-round linebacker Quay Walker is a playmaker who will really add speed to their defense. I know fans probably wanted a receiver, but Walker is a heck of a player who pay off in a big way.

Worst Pick: I didn’t like the trade up for receiver Christian Watson. I know they need help, but I think there were better options.

The Skinny: They hit big with their first two picks in Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Most wanted at least one receiver there, but they held true to their board. They traded up to get Watson, but I think there were better options. I love fourth-round tackle Zach Tom.

Houston Texans: B+

Best Pick: The pick of safety Jalen Pitre in the second round will pay off in a big way. He will be a star. He’s a lot like Tyrann Mathieu. Think Honey Badger 2.0.

Worst Pick: Trading up to take receiver John Metchie in the second round was aggressive for a player coming off an ACL injury, who isn’t as explosive as teammate Jameson Williams.

The Skinny: I liked a lot of what they did. First-round corner Derek Stingley Jr. will be a shut-down player, while offensive lineman Kenyon Green is a nasty mauler who will help up front. I love Pitre and fourth-round running back Dameon Pierce.

Indianapolis Colts: C-

Best Pick: I love second-round receiver Alec Pierce. He can run, which the Colts badly need. He’s one of those guys who will get better as he learns the tricks of the trade. Matt Ryan will love him.

Worst Pick: It’s not having a first-round pick. They traded it away for Carson Wentz. Ouch.

The Skinny: The Colts landed good players in Pierce and tight end Jelani Woods, but is third-round pick Bernhard Raimann ready to start at left tackle? He better be. Losing the first-round pick was a bad move.

Jacksonville Jaguars: B-

Best Pick: Trading up to get Devin Lloyd in the first round was a smart move. He will give new defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell a linebacker he can use like Tampa Bay used Devin White when Caldwell was there.

Worst Pick: Why would they take linebacker Chad Muma in the third round with so many other needs? You can only play two linebackers at a time with so much nickel and dime packages. Weird pick.

The Skinny: Taking edge player Travon Walker with the first overall pick is a risk, but he’s a good player. Can he be a great one? Landing center Luke Fortner in round three was a good move, but why take Muma when you didn’t need him, unless Lloyd will be more of an edge on passing downs.

Kansas City Chiefs: A

Best Pick: First-round pass rusher George Karlaftis will end up being a major steal in this draft. The Chiefs need help rushing the passer, especially in their division, which is why it fills a need as well.

Worst Pick: Third-round linebacker Leo Chenal doesn’t seem to be a player that fits with what they want to do. He doesn’t run like their current linebackers.

The Skinny: First-round corner Trent McDuffie will be an immediate starter and Karlaftis will push for a job right away. Second-round receiver Skyy Moore and second-round safety Bryan Cook were good picks.

Las Vegas Raiders: B

Best Pick: Fourth-round defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. is a power player with a big body who moves better than expected. He will help their run defense in a big way.

Worst Pick: Fourth-round defensive end Matthew Butler is a solid player, but he went a little higher than I expected. Why not a corner?

The Skinny: They didn’t pick until the third round because of trades, one of them to land receiver Davante Adams. He’s worth it. The draft brought some quality players I liked, such as Farrell Jr. and sixth-round guard Thayer Munford.

Los Angeles Chargers: C

Best Pick: First-round offensive lineman Zion Johnson will add a nice inside presence to their offense. He can play up and down the line, which is key. He’s a good player.

Worst Pick: Do they really need third-round safety J.T. Woods? They have Derwin James and Nasir Adderley. It seemed like a luxury pick.

The Skinny: Getting Johnson to help up front was big. He will be a longtime starter. The rest of the draft was just OK for me. I do like sixth-round offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer.

Los Angeles Rams: B-

Best Pick: Corner Decobie Durant is a smallish corner who can cover. They lost Darius Williams, a smaller corner, so this is a player who can push to take over in getting some time as maybe the nickel corner.

Worst Pick: I like running back Kyren Williams in the fifth, but do they really need a back? They have Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson.

The Skinny: The Rams didn’t pick until the third round because they traded away their picks to land veteran players, including quarterback Matt Stafford. With that philosophy, they have to hit on the later picks. So far they have. This draft includes some interesting players who can follow suit.

Miami Dolphins: C

Best Pick: They waited to take a player until the third round because of trades, but they nailed their first pick taking linebacker Channing Tindall. He is a playmaker who will be better in the NFL than he was at Georgia.

Worst Pick: I didn’t like the choice of receiver Erik Ezukanma from Texas Tech. Isn’t this a team with a lot of receivers already? Why not another position?

The Skinny: They didn’t pick until the third round because of trades, including to get Tyreek Hill. He was worth getting, so that helps this grade. And I love Tindall.

Minnesota Vikings: C

Best Pick: Third-round linebacker Brian Asamoah was the captain of my Better-Than team for a reason. He is a run-and-chase linebacker in the mold of Lavonte David.

Worst Pick: Why did they take third-round guard Ed Ingram? They have Wyatt Davis, who was picked last year. The pick makes no sense.

The Skinny: New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved up and down the board, but in the end was it really good maneuvering? They took Lewis Cine in the first round, a player I like, but I didn’t love the rest of their draft, other than Asamoah.

New England Patriots: C-

Best Pick: Second-round receiver Tyquan Thornton will be a star. He can flat out fly — and he’s much more than just a track guy.

Worst Pick: The pick of Tennessee-Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange in the first round was a bit of a reach. But he fits what Bill Belichick likes in his linemen, which means a high-motor guy.

The Skinny: Belichick walks to his own beat when it comes to drafting. Sometimes he wins — like when he got Tom Brady — but there have also been a fair share of losses. Strange seemed like a reach, but I love Thornton and third-round corner Marcus Jones. I didn’t understand taking Bailey Zappe in the fourth.

New Orleans Saints: B

Best Pick: Offensive tackle Trevor Penning, the second of their two first-round picks, will be a plug-and-play at left tackle. They needed to fill that spot and they landed an aggressive player to do so.

Worst Pick: I didn’t love the pick of second-round corner Alontae Taylor. They could have waited to get a player like Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant.

The Skinny: They moved up in the first round to land receiver Chris Olave, a good player with speed that was needed. Penning will be a good player, and keep an eye on fifth-round linebacker D’Marco Jackson. He can run.

New York Giants: B+

Best Pick: Landing offensive tackle Evan Neal in the first round will pay off in a big way. He is the best offensive lineman in this draft. In five years, he will be among the best in football.

Worst Pick: Third-round offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu has some talent, but he probably went a round too high. I get they need line help

The Skinny: Landing Kayvon Thibodeaux, the best pure edge rusher in this class, and then Neal makes this a good class. But they also added a good receiver in Wan’Dale Robinson and a bunch of other players who will compete for spots.

New York Jets: A

Best Pick: Loved the move to back into the first round to land pass rusher Jermaine Johnson. He was their third pick in the first round, but he will pay off big time for Robert Saleh.

Worst Pick: They waited a long time to take a tackle, and when they did take Max Mitchell in the fourth round, he’s a project. Maybe they are thinking more down the line with him.

The Skinny: Joe Douglas had two picks in the top 7 and nailed them, getting corner Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson. Then adding Johnson and Breece Hall, the best back in this class, makes it a heck of a group.

Philadelphia Eagles: B+

Best Pick: It’s first-round defensive tackle Jordan Davis. He is a good run player, but he will be much more. He’s a massive man who can anchor in for the run, but will improve as a pass rusher.

Worst Pick: Third-round linebacker Nakobe Dean was rumored to be a first-round pick, but he had some injury questions and he isn’t big. That’s why he dropped to the third.

The Skinny: General manager Howie Roseman had a good weekend. He traded to get receiver receiver A.J. Brown and then took Davis in the first. Second-round center Cam Jurgens will take over as the starter when Jason Kelce retires. Counting Brown, it’s a good haul.

Pittsburgh Steelers: B

Best Pick: It was their first pick, quarterback Kenny Pickett. He was the best quarterback in this draft, and that will play true. He will be pushing for the job early this coming season.

Worst Pick: I didn’t love taking receiver George Pickens in the second round. He’s a big-bodied receiver, but he isn’t a burner. He also missed time with an ACL injury last year.

The Skinny: Getting Pickett will make this draft. There was talk they considered trading up, yet they still landed him. I like fourth-round receiver Calvin Austin, and we know the Steelers have had success with receivers getting taken in this area.

San Francisco 49ers: C

Best Pick: Fourth-round receiver Danny Gray can fly. The 49ers are adding a player that needs refinement, but can add that speed dimension to the offense.

Worst Pick: Taking running back Tyrion Davis-Price in the third round was a little odd. They have backs. I know they love to run the ball, but there were other needs.

The Skinny: They didn’t have a first-round pick after trading to get Trey Lance last year. But they landed some solid players the rest of the way. Second-round edge rusher Drake Jackson had some talking first round before the draft. Lance better be good.

Seattle Seahawks: C

Best Pick: Fourth-round pick Coby Bryant is a tough, feisty corner who will step in and compete right away. Playing opposite Sauce Gardner, he held up with a lot of action coming his way.

Worst Pick: Taking running back Ken Walker in the third round makes no sense. Walker is a good player, but they had so many other needs. When will this team get away from the importance of running backs?

The Skinny: They picked two offensive tackles, including first-round pick Charles Cross, which they had to do. But taking a running back early is weird as they need to transition from a run-heavy offense. Second-round pass rusher Boye Mafe has talent, but he is raw.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

Best Pick: Taking guard/tackle Luke Goedeke in the second round is an outstanding pick. He is a tough guy who is a former tight end, showing his athletic ability. He will be a long-time starter.

Worst Pick: I didn’t like the pick of running back Rachaad White in the third round. I think they had better options and more pressing needs.

The Skinny: They traded out of the first round to get extra picks, but still landed a solid group. Goedeke will compete at left guard and fellow second-round pick Logan Hall could be a starter at defensive tackle. Fourth-round tight end Cade Otton was a good pick.

Tennessee Titans: B-

Best Pick: It wasn’t a major need, especially after the last few drafts, but I like the pick of corner Roger McCreary in the second round. Yes, he has short arms, but he was a good cover player in a good league.

Worst Pick: Trading A.J. Brown for economic reasons is one move that will be scrutinized, which will put a lot of pressure on first-round pick Treylon Burks to replace him. Burks is a big receiver, but he doesn’t run that well.

The Skinny: They ended up picking a lot of good players, which Jon Robinson usually does. The positions are a little strange in that they took a bunch of corners in recent years and added some more.

Washington Commanders: B+

Best Pick: The pick of quarterback Sam Howell in the fifth round will pay off in a big way. Carson Wentz is their guy for now, but Howell has the talent to become the starter.

Worst Pick: I know they want to get tougher running the football, but I wouldn’t have taken a back in the third round. Alabama running back Brian Robinson is a good player, but I would have went elsewhere with the pick. That’s nitpicking since I like the player.

The Skinny: The move to trade down and still land receiver Jahan Dotson was smart drafting. They needed a receiver who can help Wentz. Dotson will liven up the passing game. They added some other nice players, but Howell is the icing. Keep an eye on fifth-round tight end Cole Turner. It was a good draft.