The Daily Briefing Wednesday, September 7, 2022

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

Now that it is over, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic looks at the Lions and “Hard Knocks”:

‘Hard Knocks’ superlatives

Now that the show’s season is over, it’s time for a few “Hard Knocks” superlatives, recapping some of the standout moments from the Lions’ time in the spotlight.

Most revealing scene: Speeches by Campbell and Jamaal Williams in Episode 1.

It’s early in training camp, and the Lions are in full pads for a live practice. It should be a day of loud thuds. The intensity should turn up several notches. But by the end of practice, Campbell saw a group of players who looked at him sideways, who might’ve questioned the need to go hard so early into training camp. He let them hear about it.

“The studies say you’ve got to get volume and you’ve got to get intensity before a season comes,” Campbell says to his team. “You have to. If you don’t, I’m not getting you prepared — not only physically for injury, but also for us to get better. … I’ve got a plan, I swear to you. All I think about is you guys. That’s all I think about, man. That’s all I f—ing think about is you guys, and how I set you up for the best f—ing possible, the best possible advantage I can give you to have a season. I swear to you, man.”

It was an emotional Campbell, pleading with his players to trust them. As we learned in this episode, his players reciprocate that feeling. Right before practice ended and players walked off the field, Campbell chose Williams to deliver the final word. Williams was up to the task.

“Do not give up. Do not feel like you tired. When you tired, think of last year, and think of that f—ing record. Every time I get tired, or I think I can’t go no more, I think of the f—ing record. That ain’t us. We can make it.

“If you gonna piss like a puppy, stay on the porch and let the big dogs eat. Let them on the f—ing field. Have some heart. I get emotional about this. I’m about to cry ’cause I care about y’all. Last year wasn’t it. Last year got me angry for this year. I’m trying to be better for y’all. When you see me tired, I’ma keep going. Remember your why. Remember why you play football.”

This has been consistent with everything I’ve seen, as it pertains to the makeup of this team. The talent on the roster might not be there yet. They might not have all the pieces to compete. But you can see Campbell’s message resonating with players. That was a missing element with the previous regime. It’s important.

Breakout star: Rodriguez.

No player on this team gained more notoriety than “Rodrigo” did on this season of “Hard Knocks.” Sure, there are more notable players like Aidan Hutchinson — who had his fair share of screen time. But Hutchinson was a known commodity as the No. 2 pick. He didn’t need the show to stand out. As a sixth-round pick who needed to prove he belonged, Rodriguez did just that and then some.

From salsa dancing at his rookie showcase to outperforming veterans in his position room, Rodriguez was the biggest beneficiary among players highlighted this season. And it wasn’t just the cameras playing things up — the Lions might’ve found something in Rodriguez. He’s a smart, instinctive player who’s already exceeded expectations. Around the draft, the hope was that Rodriguez could be a core-four special teamer and a rotational linebacker. By the end of training camp, he found himself in the mix for a starting job, and gained a whole bunch of fans in the process.

For further proof, take this conversation between Campbell and Lions president Rod Wood during the season finale.

Campbell: “Rodrigo is coming to life.”

Wood: “He’s the No. 2 requested jersey.”

Campbell: “Really? No sh—t.”

Wood, laughing: “We’ve created a monster.”

Or “Hard Knocks” did. Either way, Rodriguez is here. Now that the show is over, fans will just have to watch him on Sundays instead of Tuesdays.

Funniest scene: There are a few different directions you could go with this one. The rookie showcases are always great. Campbell’s comments in passing during stretch lines make for great TV. Craig Reynolds accidentally putting Icy Hot in a place where Icy Hot is not meant to be applied is another. The team brought in a literal comedian to roast the team.

But I’m going with running backs coach Duce Staley losing his voice in Indianapolis.

I should note: This isn’t supposed to be funny. Staley was, uh, not thrilled with the effort his running backs put forth. Hence, the lost voice. But it was absolute gold on television. You even had offensive line coach Hank Fraley walking around saying, “Duce can’t yell,” unable to hold in a laugh.

Staley got a lot of screen time this season, and rightfully so. His presence is felt wherever he goes. He’s Campbell’s assistant head coach and one of the most important voices on his staff. Even if he has to use his indoor voice for a bit.

Best quote: “It doesn’t matter if you have one ass cheek and three toes. I will beat your ass.” — Dan Campbell.

I mean, this has to be the one, right? In the very first episode, Campbell, speaking to his players, laid out his team’s core foundation: grit. In the team meeting room, he goes on to define grit in his own words. He says it means they’ll go a little bit longer. Push a little harder. Think a little deeper, a little sharper. They’ll play any team, anywhere. It doesn’t matter, which leads us to the ass cheek quote.

That’s the one that set the tone for the rest of the season, and the one the show’s national audience took and ran with. But that’s Campbell. It’s never an act for the cameras. What you see is what you get. That’s the identity he wants his team to establish.

Final thoughts

Considering the Lions volunteered for this season of “Hard Knocks,” it was clear those in charge felt like it was time to showcase what they have. If that was the goal, then this season was a success.

The show highlighted Campbell, revealing more about his personality and approach with his players than the handful of viral soundbites for which he was previously known. Campbell’s staff was intentionally given time in the spotlight. It features more than 80 combined years of NFL playing experience and some big personalities who could get looks for bigger jobs down the road. Staley and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, in particular, were stars of the season. Young building blocks like Hutchinson and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had their stories told, and if guys like Rodriguez or Lucas develop into starters, a national audience will be able to say they saw it unfold on “Hard Knocks.”

In the final scene, Campbell, during a sit-down with producers, is asked to describe the 2022 Lions. He internalizes the question. There’s a long moment of silence. Then, finally, a response.

“The 2022 Detroit Lions will be the team that can and will,” Campbell says, before the screen cuts to black.

It remains to be seen whether Campbell is the man to turn this franchise around. But if it comes to fruition, and he builds a winner in Detroit, we’ll look back on this season as the blueprint for how it happened.

MINNESOTA

LB ZA’DARIUS SMITH on why he chose to sign with the Vikings:

Za’Darius Smith will be playing his first game with the Vikings on Sunday, but the edge rusher will see plenty of familiar faces at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Most of them will be on the other side of the field because the Vikings will be opening up against the Packers. Smith spent the last three years with the team before being released in March in a move that cleared a significant amount of cap space.

Smith’s final year in Green Bay saw him play in two games — the opener and the playoff loss to the 49ers — because he had back surgery that he believes soured his relationship with the Packers. Smith told Tyler Dunne of Go Long that it “felt like shit went south” when he went for a second medical opinion that led to the decision to have surgery and that he became “a nobody” to the team, which helped inspire him to join up with Green Bay’s divisional rival.

“Walking past me not saying nothing. ‘Z, how’s your back doing?’ — there was none of that,” Smith said. “As you can see, that adds on to why I’m on the other side. So, I can go back. I get to go back two times a year. . . . I put my back on the fucking line. I put everything. And that Year Three, I was treated bad. That’s why I’m here now. So, I can play them twice a year.”

Smith’s narrative ignores the fact that he originally agreed to a contract with the Ravens and backed out of it a short time later, but it seems things worked out in a way that should lead to a fully motivated Smith taking the field to kick off the regular season.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

The Cowboys are counting for a boost from returner KaVONTAE TURPIN.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Dallas Cowboys kick returner KaVontae Turpin put the NFL on notice with two exhilarating, long returns for touchdowns in the first half of preseason action against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel actually lamented this week that the USFL MVP showed his dynamic ability before the club could spring him on unsuspecting opponents when the real games began.

“He broke it and I was like, ‘Yeah, great for him!'” Fassel said, via Cowboys Wire. “But then, immediately, I thought, ‘Ugh, teams are going to be on him now.'”

Fassel added: “You sign a guy in the middle of training camp, I don’t know maybe if I was just hoping that there was going to be a secret with him. Maybe there wouldn’t have been. The secret’s out, and I think he’s going to be really good.”

The challenge for Turpin will be continuing to be a playmaker when the season kicks off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. But at the very least, Fassel believes the returner’s ability will make opponents think twice when they kick to the 26-year-old.

“We’ve talked about the ‘Devin Hester effect’ quite a few times that Chicago had,” Fassel said. “Their blockers knew they had somebody that could score every time they touched the ball. The guys that were blocking for Hester — we’ve watched a ton of the tape, we’ve watched all of his touchdown returns — you could just see the relentless approach that those blockers had. It’s quite a relationship between returner and blocker when they each feed off each other and have confidence in one another.

“There’s just that little bit extra when the blockers, they’ve got somebody back there like Turp.”

Comparing anyone to Hester, one of the greatest returners in NFL history, is usually foolhardy and doesn’t end well. However, for a player like Turpin, who bounced around the IFL, Fan Controlled Football, the Spring League, the European League, the USFL, and now to Dallas, that comparison is a sign of faith from Fassel that the returner can be an impact NFL weapon.

John Fassel has been around special teams for quite awhile, so this might not be hyperbole.

NEW YORK GIANTS

A pay cut for WR DARIUS SLAYTON.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Darius Slayton took a pay cut to remain with the New York Giants.

The receiver dropped his salary from $2.54 million to the league minimum ($965,000), NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo confirmed Wednesday, per a source informed of the situation.

Tom Rock of Newsday first reported the news.

The move saves the Giants around $1.6 million in salary cap space. Slayton can earn some of the money back through playtime incentives.

Slayton was excused from Tuesday’s practice, leading to speculation he could be cut. The reworked deal indicates he was on his way out if he didn’t take a pay cut.

In three seasons with the Giants, Slayton has earned 124 catches for 1,830 yards and 13 touchdowns but is coming off a down campaign.

The 25-year-old currently is buried on the depth chart behind Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, along with the likes of David Sills and Richie James. His new contract is more in line with this standing.

PHILADELPHIA

Zac Berman of The Athletic on a quality of QB JALEN HURTS that is admired by the Eagles:

In a casual conversation before the Philadelphia-Arizona game in 2020, former Eagles coach Doug Pederson jokingly told Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury that he has to check Jalen Hurts’ temperature sometimes to see if he even has a pulse.

“One of his greatest qualities,” Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson said, “is that he’s the same every single day.”

This personality trait especially matters with Hurts entering a critical third season in Philadelphia, which begins Sunday against the Detroit Lions. It follows an offseason in which the Eagles bolstered a roster that made a surprise run to the playoffs in his first year as a full-time starter.

Every bullish projection of the Eagles is offered with the quarterback qualifier. In Buffalo and Kansas City, in Tampa Bay and Green Bay, in both Los Angeles locker rooms, the excitement surrounding the teams has the quarterback as the foundation. That’s not yet the case with Hurts and the Eagles, and until he inches closer to that group, questions about Hurts will persist. Riding those waves would be exhausting.

– – –

Jalen Hurts remembers seeing a meme of himself that he found funny. This is newsworthy because Hurts admitted to being aware of something involving him online and confessed to laughing.

The meme includes four identical images of an emotionless, stone-faced Hurts in an Alabama uniform. The title: “Jalen’s Face During …” One box is labeled “Touchdown,” another is marked “Fumble,” the next is tagged “Interception” and the final box reads “End of the World.”

“I’ve just always been that way,” Hurts said. “Same face.”

There are some quarterbacks who suggest that they’re even-keeled, and use the “don’t get too high, don’t get too low” mantra like it’s Page 32 in the quarterback manual. And then there’s someone like Hurts, for whom it remains a mystery what exactly would be considered high or low.

“I never ride waves,” Hurts said.

In a casual conversation before the Philadelphia-Arizona game in 2020, former Eagles coach Doug Pederson jokingly told Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury that he has to check Hurts’ temperature sometimes to see if he even has a pulse.

“One of his greatest qualities,” Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson said, “is that he’s the same every single day.”

This personality trait especially matters with Hurts entering a critical third season in Philadelphia, which begins Sunday against the Detroit Lions. It follows an offseason in which the Eagles bolstered a roster that made a surprise run to the playoffs in his first year as a full-time starter.

Every bullish projection of the Eagles is offered with the quarterback qualifier. In Buffalo and Kansas City, in Tampa Bay and Green Bay, in both Los Angeles locker rooms, the excitement surrounding the teams has the quarterback as the foundation. That’s not yet the case with Hurts and the Eagles, and until he inches closer to that group, questions about Hurts will persist. Riding those waves would be exhausting.

“I don’t hear it,” Hurts said. “I know there are tons of different things that are said. I don’t hear them. I don’t listen. I don’t look for it. I just come to work and do my job. I strive to grow in doing my job every day. That ain’t nothing but an external factor. I do me.”

How a quarterback acts ultimately matters less than how a quarterback performs, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. What begets what is a worthwhile question, and the Eagles’ bet on Hurts has as much to do with the person as it does the player.

Internally, there’s a belief that Hurts will reach his full potential because of the way he’s wired. There’s even a joke among some of the higher-ups that they never need to worry about Hurts doing something he shouldn’t; he’s always thinking about football. During a quiet portion of the NFL calendar in June, coach Nick Sirianni will put his children to bed, spend time chatting with his wife and then call Hurts to go through 10 plays from seven-on-sevens during an OTA session.

But who Hurts is Monday through Saturday matters only so much if the production on Sundays is inconsistent.

Listen to Hurts this offseason and he’ll emphasize consistency. He finished with 3,144 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes in 2021, along with 784 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. The week-to-week variance became problematic when a clunker arrived in the postseason against Tampa Bay.

The Eagles want to see more — and believe there is more.

“After Year 1 or Year 2 was Josh Allen a franchise quarterback? Was he even thought to be a franchise quarterback when Buffalo drafted him? I think the answers are very clearly no, no and no. He developed into one,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in March. “So now we have a young, (now-24)-year-old playoff quarterback who gets better every year in college and the pros. He’s really had one full year. No one knows where that’s going to end up. I think what you do know is you have a guy that is incredibly dedicated, excellent leader of men. Players around him gravitate toward him.

“He will do anything and everything to get better and work on every weakness he has and try to maximize every strength that he has. That’s why we’re committed to Jalen. … Who knows what the future holds, right?”

The Eagles added A.J. Brown in a blockbuster draft-night trade to help improve the supporting cast. General manager Howie Roseman admitted the team felt it “was necessary” to give Hurts an opportunity to play with superior weapons. Brown, who was acquired for a first- and third-round pick and commanded a four-year, $100 million contract, is Hurts’ close friend and has formed a quick connection with the quarterback. Hurts struggled to complete passes between the numbers last season, which is an area where Brown excels. Brown’s skill set also complements DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, and the formidable group allows for a better quarterback evaluation.

For his part, Hurts is adhering to a checklist of early-career quarterback development. He worked with personal coaches in California this offseason. He improved his nutrition — sugary drinks such as lemonade have been replaced by a new drink called Lemon Perfect. Search the archives for young starting quarterbacks, and you’ll likely find a similar plan at this stage of one’s career.

Yes, Hurts can refine his mechanics to try to improve his accuracy. (Johnson has seen a “tangible difference” in Hurts’ kinematic sequence.) And it’s always a positive when a quarterback feels healthier when he awakes. But what the Eagles are counting on more than anything else is the benefit of experience.

Hurts is not spending an offseason adjusting to a new play caller for the first time since high school. He has a full year against NFL defenses in his database. Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen worked with Philip Rivers when Rivers had a decade in the NFL. Hurts only had four starts going into last season.

“When you play this game, you see so many pictures,” Hurts said, “and every rep is an experience — good, bad or indifferent.”

WASHINGTON

A gaggle of Democrat Congressional Representatives anxious to get Washington owner Dan Snyder spent 10 hours with his one-time best buddy, now turned arch enemy.

The House Oversight Committee heard from Commanders owner Daniel Snyder during a marathon deposition in late July. On Tuesday, the Committee conducted another marathon with the man who served for a decade as one of Snyder’s key employees.

Via Ben Standig of TheAthletic.com, former Commanders president Bruce Allen’s testimony before the Committee lasted 10 hours.

While the session was conducted in private, the Committee can release any, some, or all of the testimony. To date, none of the testimony from Snyder has been released — possibly to ensure that it wouldn’t influence Allen’s testimony, directly or indirectly.

Snyder quite possibly laid extensive blame on Allen for the toxic culture that created numerous employee complaints and concerns, and that ultimately sparked a 10-month investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson, the results of which the league continues to stubbornly conceal.

It’s possible that the versions from Snyder and Allen conflict, sharply. It’s possible that the Committee will want to ask Snyder more questions, based on the answers provided by Allen.

Regardless, today’s developments show that the investigation remains open and active. Even if the NFL won’t release any of the information discovered by Wilkinson, the Committee apparently has plenty of facts that it may share with the general public at some point in the future. To the extent the details hidden by the league in a possible effort to avoid a groundswell of pressure that would potentially force an effort to remove Snyder overlaps with the testimony developed during the depositions of Snyder and Allen, the end result could be the same.

Indeed, if/when the Committee discloses what it has learned, the cries for a permanent change at the top of the organization could become deafening.

Interesting how none of Snyder’s testimony leaked.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

Deep thoughts from QB TOM BRADY.  Zach Koons of SI.com:

Tom Brady has found himself having to answer for his 11-day absence from training camp earlier in the preseason on multiple occasions throughout the build-up to the Buccaneers 2022 opener.

During his latest media appearance after the team’s preseason finale in Indianapolis on Aug. 27, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback did his best to shut down any further speculation with a blunt remark about why he was away from the team with the season just around the corner.

“I’m 45 years old, man,” he said, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. “There’s a lot of s— going on.”

Brady expanded upon that thought in the season two debut of his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray on Monday. The Tampa Bay signal-caller declined to say the exact reason why he stepped away from training camp in August, but did get philosophical about his life now, comparing his current situation to when he started playing in the NFL back in 2000.

“I think your life ebbs and flows, through the clouds and the sun, and through the rain and through the beautiful days, and you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things,” Brady told Gray on the podcast.

“I spoke with my dad the other day. He said, ‘All you can do is the best you can do with the circumstances that are presented in front of you.’”

Brady specifically pointed to his own children as an aspect of his life where his focus now lies. He mentioned his oldest son Jack, who is now a high school freshman playing football, in addition to his 12-year-old son Benjamin and 9-year-old daughter Vivian.

“And I have parents, and I have a lot of things that are really important, off-field pursuits and goals that you’re trying to maximize as well,” he added.

“We all have different things that are going on. And I think once football season comes, I really lock in on what I need to do and how I need to focus, and the kind of commitment I need to make for the organization so that we can maximize our potential as a team.”

Brady will look to begin his pursuit of an eight championship this Sunday when the Buccaneers open up the 2022 season on the road against the Cowboys.

NFC WEST

SEATTLE

Brady Henderson of ESPN.com has a hugely long look at why RUSSELL WILSON is no longer the Seahawks QB.  Part of it is below:

SEATED NEXT TO his wife and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a luxury suite at Raymond James Stadium, Russell Wilson watched Super Bowl LV and stewed.

To Wilson, who was in Tampa, Florida, to receive his Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the game was an unsettling reminder of what he wanted and didn’t have, of where his career was after nine seasons with the Seattle Seahawks as compared to the quarterbacks on the field before him. On one side, there was Tom Brady getting hit twice all night, winning his seventh Super Bowl at age 43 and doing it with a collection of marquee players, several of whom the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had signed at his request. On the other side, there was Patrick Mahomes throwing 49 times in a pass-happy Kansas City Chiefs offense that had helped him win an MVP.

“You play this game to be the best in the world,” Wilson would say on “The Dan Patrick Show” two days after that Super Bowl in February 2021. “You know what I hate: I hate sitting there watching other guys play the game. There’s nothing worse.”

Wilson was frustrated. And in his mind, it was time to do something about it.

In an interview with Patrick and on a Zoom call set up to discuss his Man of the Year honor, Wilson made those frustrations public. In a 180-degree turnaround from his usual news conference puffery, he vented about pass protection and a perceived lack of say in personnel decisions relative to other elite quarterbacks. He made multiple mentions of his legacy and said the nearly 400 times he’d been sacked in his career — the most in a player’s first nine seasons since the 1970 merger, per ESPN Stats & Information — was “way too many.”

The Super Bowl, Wilson’s comments and the trade conversations that followed proved to be the most significant flashpoints in the yearslong fraying of his relationship with the Seahawks.

Thirteen months later, Seattle traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos along with a 2022 fourth-round pick in exchange for Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, Denver’s first- and second-rounders in each of the next two drafts as well a 2022 fifth-rounder. One of the biggest blockbuster trades in NFL history sets up Monday night’s Week 1 reunion (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+) at Seattle’s Lumen Field, where Wilson and the Broncos will face the Seahawks and his former backup Geno Smith.

People at the heart of the Wilson-Seahawks breakup — including those close to the quarterback and members of Seattle’s front office, coaching staff and players — described to ESPN how a dysfunctional situation built toward its eventual breaking point. Wilson wanted out, believing coach Pete Carroll and the organization were holding him back. And with their own misgivings about how his game was aging, the Seahawks lost faith in Wilson, just as he had lost faith in them.

“From my vantage point,” said former Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, a teammate of Wilson’s for seven seasons, “the divorce was inevitable and was many years in the making. The reasons are multiple, but ultimately, I think it comes down to a difference of pursuits.”

LEADING UP TO an October 2019 game at the Atlanta Falcons, Wilson’s fast start had made him one of the prime early-season contenders for MVP, an award he badly wanted to win. With the Baltimore Ravens and eventual winner Lamar Jackson on a bye, this was Wilson’s chance to pull ahead. He threw two touchdowns as the Seahawks jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead but attempted only five passes in the second half.

Afterward, according to a source who spoke with the quarterback, Wilson was livid at how Carroll had taken his foot off the gas, believing it had cost him a chance to grab hold of the MVP race.

Wilson would find himself back in the early-season MVP conversation a year later. The Seahawks went into the 2020 campaign with the plan to lean more on Wilson’s arm, much to the delight of the quarterback and fans who had backed “Let Russ Cook,” a social media movement and catchphrase that Wilson would later trademark for charitable purposes.

“Going into Year 9, I’m trying to break away,” Wilson said, mentioning four of the all-time greats whose company he wanted to join: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Joe Montana. “I want to be the best in the world to ever do this.”

With Carroll and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer running the offense through Wilson more than ever, he tossed 19 touchdowns to three interceptions during a 5-0 start to claim undisputed status as the early MVP front-runner.

“I don’t want a vote,” Wilson said, alluding to the fact he hasn’t received any in his career. “I think more importantly, I want to win. Obviously, MVP is a special award.”

The fact Wilson hasn’t received a vote for MVP is partly a function of the balloting process, as each of 50 voters make a single pick. But it didn’t help that he was operating one of the NFL’s more run-heavy systems. Since his rookie season, the Seahawks have been 29th in designed pass-play rate. They’re 21st since 2015, when Wilson signed his first megadeal.

Wilson’s lead on winning his first MVP in 2020 quickly faded when the prolific stretch gave way to the worst turnover funk of his career. Wilson committed 10 over the next four games, and with their defense also faltering, the Seahawks went 1-3.

One of Wilson’s seven interceptions in that stretch came in a loss at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10. Trailing by a touchdown, he scrambled to his right and had a massive swath of empty turf in front of him. He bypassed the rushing yards, uncorking a deep heave back across the field that was picked off in the end zone.

“What are we doing here?” one source in the Seahawks’ front office remembers thinking at the time. “Are we trying to win games or are we trying to win MVP?”

– – –

Carroll fired Schottenheimer after the season, citing philosophical differences. Two days later, the Seahawks set up a Zoom call with reporters at Wilson’s request. He praised his ousted OC and told reporters a point he said he had already made to Carroll — that he expected to have input in the hiring of his new offensive coordinator.

And he did. Seattle hired Shane Waldron with a strong endorsement from Wilson, who liked his lineage from Rams coach Sean McVay and experience with the up-tempo style. Waldron had spent the previous four seasons in an offense that was built around the run game and play-action, and now he had a quarterback with arguably the best deep ball in the NFL.

But inside team headquarters, concerns were growing about Wilson’s legs.

IN THE SPRING of 2017, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was a conspicuous attendant at Patrick Mahomes’ pro day. The GM had become so enamored with the Texas Tech quarterback that Seattle would have taken him had he been available late in the first round, multiple team sources said. The massive gamble on an unproven quarterback would have carried an obvious benefit: flexibility to build the roster around a cheap rookie contract the way Seattle had done during Wilson’s first three seasons when the Seahawks won one Super Bowl and nearly a second.

A year after eyeing Mahomes, Schneider attended Josh Allen’s Wyoming pro day, a repeat move that raised eyebrows among observers and ruffled feathers inside Wilson’s camp. Why would Schneider travel to far-flung campuses to scout quarterbacks when he already had one building a Hall of Fame résumé as a Super Bowl champion and perennial Pro Bowler? Wilson, 29 at the time, was coming off a season in which he led the NFL in touchdown passes with 34, then his career high.

Schneider had an explanation. He was working in the Green Bay Packers’ front office when Aaron Rodgers unexpectedly fell to them late in the first round in 2005. That experience, plus his and Carroll’s oft-cited promise to leave no stone unturned in player evaluation, meant Schneider had to do his homework on quarterback prospects. Schneider’s in-season schedule kept him from attending any of Mahomes’ or Allen’s games, so the pro day was his chance to see them throw live.

Wilson’s camp had a different view.

“They were f—ing pissed,” a Seahawks’ front-office source said.

Then came the clearest sign yet to Wilson’s camp that Seattle’s interest in other quarterbacks was something more than due diligence. The Seahawks, according to someone in Wilson’s camp and the Seahawks’ front office, called the Cleveland Browns before the 2018 draft to discuss a trade that would have swapped Wilson for the No. 1 overall pick. Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, found out.

The Browns weren’t interested, but Seattle’s flirtation motivated Rodgers to secure a no-trade clause when he negotiated Wilson’s four-year, $140 million extension the following April.

Unlike with Wilson’s 2015 extension, talks among Rodgers, Schneider and Seahawks vice president of player administration Matt Thomas didn’t drag into the summer, with Wilson and Rodgers setting an April 15 deadline for a deal. Without one, Wilson’s side said he would play the final season of his deal, with the plan to go year to year on the franchise tag then hit free agency, a tactic that landed quarterback Kirk Cousins a record contract with the Minnesota Vikings the year before.

The no-trade clause put Wilson’s deal over the finish line in the middle of the night. In exchange for the Seahawks preserving the right to use the franchise tag at the end of his extension, Wilson got protection in the event the team wanted to move on — and a measure of control if he wanted out.

– – –

During Wilson’s 10 seasons with the Seahawks, they ranked last in the NFL by a wide margin in pressure rate, which measures the percentage of offensive dropbacks in which a quarterback is sacked, hit or put under duress. They fared better in recent seasons in ESPN’s pass block win rate, which measures how often blocks are sustained for at least 2.5 seconds. Since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2017, Seattle has finished as high as third (2018) and as low as 28th (2019).

– – –

“I just felt like he’s a descending player,” another front-office source said, citing the same mobility concern. “Is he going to be able to be a true pocket passer at the end of his career and just stand there and drop the ball off to his checkdowns? He’s never done that. I can’t tell you he’s going to be able to do that.”

Over his past 25 games, Wilson’s 57.7 Total QBR ranks 11th among qualified quarterbacks. He was fifth at 71.1 in his 25 games before that. In a polling of NFL executives, scouts, coaches and players done by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Wilson ranked as the eighth-best quarterback for 2022, down four spots from last year.

“It’s going to get more and more difficult for him to create and do what he used to do … I do think that’s going to be harder,” said former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard, who co-hosted a radio show on Seattle Sports Station 710-AM during most of Wilson’s career with the Seahawks. “Is that going to hit in 2022? Probably not. I think this will likely be one of his best years for the Broncos. But will he slow down in ’23, ’24, ’25? Yes.

“The guys that have endured and changed the threshold and played into their 40s — Brady, Brees — they played a different game than Russell plays. They play a game totally from the pocket and have done that the entirety of their career. That’s not necessarily Russell’s game.”

– – –

“So those two things,” a source in the Seahawks’ front office said. “A declining player and then what the ask was going to be the next time, which would have been his third time. It’s like, ‘No, let’s play really good defense, let’s run the s— out of the ball. That’s how we won a world championship.’ That’s what we’ve kept going back to.”

Not everyone in the organization believed Wilson is declining.

“The 4.5 speed where he’s scrambling and now he’s running down the field for big chunks of yards, that might not come anymore,” one Seahawks coach said. “But the feel for pocket presence, he’s always going to have that. … I have no reservation in saying that Russ is going to continue to compete with his style, and then as that begins to slow down a little bit, I think he’ll adjust. That’s just who he is. He finds a way to win.”

– – –

Wilson had his best game of the season in January against the visiting Detroit Lions, tossing four touchdowns and looking like himself for the first time since his finger injury. He was the last player off the field, lingering well after the final whistle. He flapped both arms to the sky as he walked off, eliciting a roar from the fans who had stuck around and gathered near the exit into the home locker room. He stopped to sign a few autographs before disappearing into the tunnel.

Some in the organization doubted it would really be the last time, believing the 70-year-old Carroll wouldn’t want to part ways with Wilson and start over with a young quarterback.

“I always thought Pete was not going to be OK with it,” a source from the Seahawks’ front office said. “Like it would just be tough for him, because Russ was Pete’s guy for a long time. Obviously, all the stuff that happened, Pete would always back Russ, that caused all that friction with the defense. So I just thought Pete would have a tough time doing it.

“But things change.”

The Seahawks received calls from the Broncos and several other teams, including the Saints, New York Giants and Washington Commanders. They knew Wilson wanted Denver, according to a front-office source, but kept New Orleans involved in the bidding so the Broncos would have to compete against another offer.

Schneider later apologized to the Saints and other teams who had called, having told them they weren’t trading Wilson. Denver was Wilson’s only option and Schneider’s preferred choice, because Drew Lock was the quarterback Schneider wanted in return. Schneider met with Broncos GM George Paton at the Senior Bowl in early February and again at the scouting combine in Indianapolis a month later. At the combine, Carroll told reporters in carefully chosen wording that the team had “no intention” of trading Wilson.

But the deal was soon done.

– – –

On Thursday, the Broncos committed to Wilson with a five-year, $245 million extension that includes $165 million in guaranteed money, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“To be able to get this done before the season, to have it all done, is just a blessing,” Wilson said at a news conference following the extension. “And it allows us all to be excited.

“It’s so important to me … to me what it’s about is to be able to win championships and have enough space on the salary cap so George [Paton] can work his magic and we can get guys like Randy Gregory … and other great players. We want to make this a destination location.”

A place for Wilson to build his legacy.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

A big deal for TE DAWSON KNOX.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Bills have locked up one of their key offensive contributors.

Buffalo and tight end Dawson Knox have agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2026 season, according to multiple reports.

A third-round pick in 2019, Knox emerged last year as one of the Bills’ top offensive threats. He caught 49 passes for 587 yards with nine touchdowns in the regular season, adding seven receptions for 98 yards with a pair of TDs in the playoffs.

Knox was entering the final year of his rookie deal. He has 101 career receptions for 1,263 yards with 14 scores.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Knox is expected to become one of the top five highest-paid at his position. Knox is slated to sign the deal after Buffalo’s Wednesday practice.

The Bills will take on the Rams to open the season tomorrow night.

NEW YORK JETS

And now it turns out that QB ZACH WILSON is further away from a return than hoped.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Joe Flacco will be starting at quarterback for the Jets against the Ravens this Sunday and he’ll be starting all of their September games as long as he remains healthy enough to play.

Shortly after word that Flacco will get the nod for Week One broke, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said in a press conference that Wilson will not be available until Week 4 at the earliest. Wilson is recovering from having meniscus surgery after injuring his knee in the team’s first preseason game.

Wilson will not go on injured reserve because the Jets want him to practice in the coming weeks.

The timeline is a major change from what Saleh and the Jets have been saying recently. All word from the team was that Wilson had a chance of playing in the opener, but it appears that was just misdirection from the team about their plans.

After hosting the Ravens, the Jets travel to Cleveland and return home to face the Bengals in Week Three. They face the Steelers on the road in Week Four, so Flacco could get a long walk down his AFC North memory lane if Wilson remains out into October.

The Jets have maintained that Wilson will be the team’s quarterback as soon as he’s healthy enough to play, but an extended absence opens the door to the possibility of the team playing well enough under Flacco that some might argue against rocking the boat. While that would be a good thing for the Jets in the standings, it wouldn’t be the ideal way for Wilson’s second NFL season to unfold.

THIS AND THAT

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com identifies a player who can lead to a change in first place finishers in each of the eight divisions:

he 2022 NFL season was full of surprises, as new players on new teams completely shifted the balance of power not only in their respective divisions, but in the NFL at large. Quarterback Matthew Stafford took the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was a huge factor in the Cincinnati Bengals’ postseason run and rookie quarterback Mac Jones got Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots back to the playoffs.

It wasn’t all about newcomers, however, as we saw some young players take important steps in their development that helped their teams in a big way, such as Las Vegas Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow and Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Who are going to be the players who shift the balance of power in the NFL this upcoming season?

Below, we will identify one player in each division who could help their teams take over the division crown in 2022. Players from teams that won their divisions in 2021 are not eligible for this list. With that being said, let’s jump in.

AFC East

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

 Out of all the wild wide receiver drama we saw this offseason, Tyreek Hill being traded may have been the most surprising move. The perennial All-Pro has taken his talents to South Beach and will add a unique element to Mike McDaniel’s offense. Everyone can agree that Patrick Mahomes is a better quarterback than Tua Tagovailoa, but that doesn’t mean there will be lowlight reels created this year of Hill being under-thrown or publicly lamenting the play of his new signal-caller. Whether it’s burning the free safety or beating defenders to the inside on a quick slant, Hill can do plenty on offense. In fact, his first request following the trade was to return punts! He’s one of several pieces the Dolphins added this offseason who I believe can help Miami at least challenge Buffalo in the AFC East.

AFC North

Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens

Oweh made the Pro Football Writers of America NFL All-Rookie Team last year after notching 33 combined tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles. Quite a promising start to an NFL career after he registered zero sacks in his final seven games at Penn State.

Many are predicting Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman will step up in 2022 — which would be great — but can you imagine what it would do for this team if the Ravens had a new monster crushing around the edge? That secondary with Marcus Peters, Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey would absolutely thrive. What stands out about Oweh is how quick he is around the edge, and it feels like he’s poised for a huge campaign. Pass-rusher is a premier position, and the Ravens having a star there will help in their pursuit to go from worst-to-first in the division.

AFC South

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

Vegas is again high on the Colts to win the AFC South, although they haven’t done so since 2014. Matt Ryan is the newcomer who has fans excited in Indy, but it may be his No. 1 wideout who’s most excited for a new quarterback. Pittman had a rather impressive second NFL season, catching 88 passes for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. With his talent and what is perceived to be an upgrade at quarterback, we could see better numbers from Pittman in 2022.

Jonathan Taylor may be the MVP of this offense, but Pittman being a legitimate No. 1 wideout could mean the Colts win the division. In addition to having a new quarterback, Pittman also has more talent around him. Rookie Alec Pierce has made some headlines in camp, and maybe this is the year Parris Campbell can stay healthy.

AFC West

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs are still seen as the favorites in the AFC West, even though the rest of the division received a facelift this offseason. The Denver Broncos are certainly an intriguing team with the addition of Russell Wilson, but the Chargers are my pick to win the division in 2022. If I’m correct, it will be in large part due to star quarterback Justin Herbert.

The former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year upped his game this past season, as he finished second in passing yards with 5,014 and third in passing touchdowns with 38. He feels like someone who is going to be in the MVP conversation all year, and I also think he’s a player who is just gaining confidence. What he’s shown through two seasons is impressive. Shoutout to the football gods for creating this Mahomes vs. Herbert rivalry that we will be able to enjoy for years to come.

NFC East

James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have been the bettors’ darling this offseason. In fact, at 25-1 over at Caesars Sportsbook, the Eagles have received more money to finish with the NFL’s best record in 2022 than every other NFC team combined. Some see Jalen Hurts taking a big step forward this upcoming season or A.J. Brown sparking the offense, but I’m more excited about the defense.

Philly could have one of the best defenses in the league, as the front office added pass-rusher Haason Reddick, versatile defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, linebacker Kyzir White and drafted two players from what may be the most dominant defense in college football history. Another starter the Eagles added is cornerback James Bradberry — who most recently played for the rival New York Giants.

The former Carolina Panther earned Pro Bowl honors in his first season with the Giants back in 2020, then recorded 47 combined tackles, 17 passes defensed and a career-high four interceptions in 2021. As cornerback No. 2 opposite of Darius Slay, Bradberry provides the Eagles with experience and needed talent in the secondary. He may be the underrated player who solidifies this unit, which could help the Eagles overtake the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.

NFC North

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

We all know by this point that Justin Jefferson is one of the best players at his position, but there’s reason to believe this upcoming season could be his best yet. New Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been a coaching prospect people have had eyes on for years now. Not only has he worked with Sean McVay, but he’s also next in line to keep alive the former-Washington-assistant-who-was-passed-over-but-then-turned-into-a-star-head-coach stereotype. Jefferson told me this offseason that under O’Connell, everyone is having fun and connecting as a team.

The former No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft finished his rookie campaign with 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 catches, breaking the record for most receiving yards recorded by a rookie. Jefferson then improved in 2021 with 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns on 108 catches. That’s two NFL seasons, two All-Pro selections and two Pro Bowl appearances.

With O’Connell improving the offense and already knowing quarterback Kirk Cousins fairly well, it just feels like we have a recipe for another monster campaign from Jefferson. He told me in June that he’s out to prove he’s the best wide receiver in the NFL, and he may do just that in 2022.

NFC South

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

The Saints made a great pick in wide receiver Chris Olave, and this wide receiving corps is 100x better than last year with the return of Michael Thomas and the addition of Jarvis Landry.

With Thomas’ injury concerns and Landry coming off of his worst NFL season, I feel as though Olave is going to play a pretty important role in this offense in 2022. He left Ohio State as the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns with 35 and caught 13 touchdowns last season — which ranked first in the Big Ten. He was versatile, consistent and has all the makings of a legitimate NFL wideout. Jameis Winston had the fourth-best win percentage among Week 1 starting quarterbacks last season, going 5-2 with what was one of the lesser wide receiving corps in the NFL. I’m excited to see what he can do with weapons around him.

NFC West

Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers

It’s Trey Lance time in The Bay, and this fan base is juiced. I’m sure that Lance’s first full season as starter will include both impressive highs and disappointing lows, but he may be a quarterback who hits his stride towards the later part of the regular-season slate — much like the 49ers did as a team last year.

The thought process is rather simple: If Lance can be just a bit of an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo, then the 49ers will once again be right in the thick of contending. I’m not going to lie, I really like the Rams to win the division at plus money. But if there’s another team that can steal the NFC West, I’ll take Lance and the 49ers.

JOINT PRACTICE DISCIPLINE

NFL Justice saw DT AARON DONALD running amuck at a joint practice with the Rams, committing an offense that would result in a suspension if done on the regular field of play.  Naturally, it has sought to expand its jurisdiction to police such events and punish bad actors.  And, almost as naturally, the NFLPA opposes the expansion of disciplinary powers.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL “absolutely” will explore taking control of player discipline during joint practices. The NFL Players Association definitely will oppose it.

Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, the NFLPA will fight against the league’s effort to impose the same penalties for on-field, in-game misconduct to joint practices. As the source put it, the opposition is rooted in the union’s disdain for joint practices generally.

During the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, the NFLPA pushed hard to eliminate joint practices. Ultimately, the two sides agreed to specific rules. For example, they can’t occur more than two days in any week of the preseason, and they can’t happen the day before a preseason game. Also, with three preseason games, there can be no more than four joint practices per team.

The union prefers to have none. As Cam Heyward (who spoke out against joint practice during the 2020 negotiations as Pittsburgh’s player representative) has argued, it’s a wrestling match, a free-for-all. And while it’s less of a free-for-all if the NFL can impose discipline for conduct happening during joint practices, if the NFL’s alternatives are not being able to discipline players who, for example, swing helmets during joint practices and getting rid of joint practices entirely, maybe the best move would be to get rid of joint practices entirely.

Currently, only teams can impose discipline for player misconduct during joint practice. The union believes that there are clear limits on what teams can do, even if they are inclined to do anything. As the NFLPA sees it, the teams are responsible to ensure things don’t get out of hand, and the teams responsible if they do.

Regardless of how it plays out, the NFL won’t be able to assume responsibility for joint practices without the union’s agreement. Currently, the union doesn’t seem to be inclined to agree — mainly because the union would like to get rid of joint practices.