Month: December 2024

Latest On Dolphins’ Draft Plans

We heard earlier this morning that the Dolphins and Lions are expecting to execute a trade that will allow Miami to jump up to the No. 3 overall selection while shipping the No. 5 pick to Detroit. The ‘Fins had hoped to keep their No. 5 pick and trade from their other draft assets, but Lions GM Bob Quinn isn’t biting on that.

So if the trade is consummated, it’s unclear what other draft picks will be heading to Motown. Though recent buzz has suggested that the Dolphins will take Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa with their No.5 selection if they don’t engineer a trade-up, the team will likely grab a left tackle if it lands the No. 3 pick. After all, the Giants, who hold the No. 4 overall selection, are also in the LT market, and a move to No. 3 would allow the Dolphins to select the player of their choice at that position.

But that would leave the club with a notable vacancy at QB. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, there are still execs and scouts within the Dolphins’ front office that like Oregon passer Justin Herbert, so if Miami stays put at No. 5, Herbert can’t be ruled out. And if he is still on the board when the Dolphins are on the clock with the No. 18 overall pick — and if they haven’t picked a different QB by then — Herbert obviously becomes even more of a possibility.

In addition to QB and LT, the Dolphins have plenty of other needs to fill. And while WR is not necessarily the most pressing of those needs, a young receiving talent can’t be ruled out in the bottom of the first round. Baylor wideout Denzel Mims could still be available when the team makes its No. 26 overall selection — assuming, of course, it hasn’t been traded — and a Baylor football official tells Jackson that the Dolphins “really like” the raw but talented prospect.

Per Jackson, Miami has also shown interest in UVA wide receiver Hasise Dubois, Auburn safety Daniel Thomas, and Florida edge defender Jonathan Greenard.

Talks For Lions’ No. 3 Pick Are Heating Up

Talks for the Lions’ No. 3 overall draft pick have “heated up” over the last 24 hours with multiple teams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that clubs are looking to work out trades before the draft begins, just in case there are glitches, which has led to increased activity.

The Lions, reportedly, are planning for the No. 5 pick, which means that they could be closing in on a deal with the Dolphins. That swap would allow Miami to get their preferred quarterback or offensive tackle. Meanwhile, the Lions would likely still be in range for the players they’re supposedly targeting – Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Over the weekend, Lions GM Bob Quinn said that if he’s going to trade back, he wants to have a deal in place by Thursday afternoon. Right now, it sounds like things are trending in that direction.

As of this writing, the Lions have nine picks in the draft, including two third-round choices and a pair of fifth-round selections. Their needs include (but are not limited to): cornerback, defensive tackle, defensive end/outside linebacker, and safety.

Chiefs Restructure G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s Deal

The Chiefs have restructured the contract of guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, per Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). There are not yet any details on the restructure, but it will create some much-needed cap room for cap-strapped KC.

LDT was scheduled to count for nearly $9MM against the Chiefs’ cap in 2020, $6.45MM of which was comprised of base salary. It’s possible that Kansas City converted some of that money into a signing bonus in order to spread out the hit over the remaining three years of Duvernay-Tardif’s deal.

The Quebec native was selected by Kansas City in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. By 2015, he had become the team’s full-time starter at right guard, and he inked a five-year, $42.36MM extension after the 2016 season. Though he missed a significant chunk of the 2018 campaign due to injury, he started all 14 regular season contests in which he appeared in 2019, and he also enjoyed perfect attendance in the team’s postseason run through Super Bowl LIV.

Though Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics didn’t love his 2019 performance, ranking him as just the 47th-best guard out of 81 qualified players, LDT is a key component of the Chiefs’ high-octane offense.

Eagles Not Interested In Trent Williams

Michelangelo supposedly carved his statue of David by chipping away the pieces of marble that did not look like David. That, perhaps, will be the method to figuring out Trent Williams‘ next destination. 

A rumor circulating on Thursday morning linked the Eagles to the Redskins left tackle, but they are not interested in acquiring him, a source tells PFT’s Mike Florio (Twitter link). That source says there’s “zero truth” to such talk.

Florio speculates that the initial rumor could have been planted by Washington to drum up a larger market than they presently have for Williams. So far, the Browns have been the most aggressive club in talks, and they might be the only team making a serious offer.

Plenty of teams would like to have the multiple-time Pro Bowler, but few clubs seem willing to part with significant assets, since they’d also have to give Williams a massive new contract. There’s also his age (32 in July) and medical history to consider.

To recap: The Eagles are not looking to acquire Williams, who would be largely redundant given the availability of Jason Peters and 2019 first-round choice Andre Dillard. The Bucs, who nearly traded O.J. Howard for the veteran left tackle two months ago, haven’t revisited discussions with the Redskins. Ditto for the Vikings, who showed interest in March. The Jets, unwilling to cough up a second-round pick, are not the frontrunners.

As far as we know, the Browns are in the driver’s seat. With ample leg room.

Bengals Reject Dolphins’ Offer For No. 1 Pick

The Dolphins have called the Bengals on multiple occasions to inquire on the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Bengals told the Dolphins “in no uncertain terms” that they would not give up the top choice. 

No surprises on either end here. The Bengals have been laser-focused on tapping Joe Burrow as their quarterback of the future and the Dolphins probably see him as the best passer in this year’s class as well. The Dolphins’ love affair with the LSU star has been a poorly-kept secret throughout the year and they’ve been pondering a move up to No. 1 since January.

The Bengals, meanwhile, have been hitting the b-button on teams asking about the pick. Unless they’re playing really, really, really hard to get, Burrow to the Bengals is a done deal.

Unable to climb to No. 1, the Dolphins may move up to No. 3 via trade with the Lions. Initially, they tried to make the move without sacrificing their No. 5 pick, but that doesn’t seem to be on the table.

After a strong 2018 season, Burrow shattered all expectations with a 76.3% completion rate, 5,671 passing yards, and 60 (!) touchdowns through the air. He also added another five rushing TDs for good measure.

Giants’ Leonard Williams To File Grievance

Leonard Williams signed his franchise tender this week, but things are far from settled. The Giants lineman will file a grievance to be classified as a defensive end rather than a defensive tackle, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets

[POLL: What Will Giants Do At No. 4?]

This year, the franchise tag for defensive tackles is worth $16.1MM while the defensive end tag is priced at $17.9MM. That would make a difference of $1.8MM for the coming year and, more importantly, it’d give Williams’ camp additional leverage in talks.

Dave Gettleman was widely criticized for his decision to tag Williams this offseason. Although talented, Williams has been inconsistent throughout his career. By cuffing him in March, the Giants put Williams on the books for the second-highest cap number on the team.

Really what it came down to was we felt good about our cap space,” the Giants GM said. “We felt for what Leonard brings to the table and for our team, it was more prudent to put the franchise tag on him.”

Meanwhile, Williams is pressing for a long term deal. The two sides have until mid-July to hash out a contract, but Gettleman doesn’t seem to be in any rush.

You can’t guarantee anything in this life, but we have gotten to know Leonard really well and I feel really comfortable with the decision,” Gettleman said. “Contracts get done when they’re supposed to get done. So we’ll move along.”

Lions Expect To Trade For Dolphins’ No. 5 Pick

The Lions are “making plans for having the No. 5” pick in tonight’s draft, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter) hears. The Dolphins own that choice and they’ve been discussing a potential trade for the last few days.

At one point, the Dolphins were hoping to land the Lions’ No. 3 overall pick without sacrificing No. 5. Instead, they wanted to move up the board by dealing from the rest of their stockpile, which includes the Nos. 18 and 26 picks, plus a pair of Round 2 picks. No dice, it seems. If the Dolphins are to acquire Detroit’s No. 3 pick, they’ll have to cough up their own No. 5.

Had the Dolphins landed No. 3 and kept No. 5, they could have used those picks to address their two biggest needs at quarterback and tackle; not necessarily in that order, but probably in that order. If they send the No. 5 pick to Detroit, they could go either way at No. 3, where Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert should both be available. After weeks of Herbert talk, the Dolphins are now said to be eyeing the Alabama star.

Trade or no trade, the Dolphins will also have to address their tackle situation early in the draft. This year’s top tackles include Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.

Draft Rumors: Hurts, Giants, Jags, Tua

With the draft in less than 24 hours, several names have started to surface as potential first-round upsets. It would not surprise some around the league to see TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor and Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet end up as first-round picks, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes. The Eagles have surfaced as a Reagor candidate; the TCU product clocked two sub-4.3-second 40-yard dashes recently. The tight end class is not viewed to be nearly as strong, but an AFC coach said Kmet’s landing spot will likely be in the back end of the first round or start of the second.

Notre Dame pass rusher Julian Okwara and Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette profile as players who could sneak into Round 1, per Pelissero. One exec compared Romeo Okwara‘s younger brother to an Anthony Barr type who could rush passers and drop into coverage. Julian Okwara registered 12 sacks over the past two seasons. Arnette would join Jeffrey Okudah as a first-rounder in this instance and follow a host of recent Buckeye corners by being a Thursday-night draftee. Arnette started 38 games in his Ohio State career.

Here is the latest from the draft world:

  • While Jalen Hurts is not expected to creep into the first round, Pelissero notes some NFL personnel believe he will go higher than most predict (Twitter link). So will Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Pelissero adds. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Hurts going off the board at No. 49 overall to the Steelers; Scouts Inc. grades the dual-threat quarterback as its No. 94 overall prospect. The Packers, Chargers and Raiders are among the teams believed to be interested. Winfield (29th per Scouts Inc.) is a second-generation NFLer, the son of former Vikings Pro Bowl corner Antoine Winfield. The younger Winfield intercepted seven passes last year and is also seen as a player who, like his father, could move into the slot.
  • Ex-Hurts teammate Tua Tagovailoa is “very well-regarded” in New England, per Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston. However, Curran also believes the scenario NBC Sports’ Peter King suggested of the Patriots moving up to No. 13 (the 49ers’ slot) to draft a falling Tagovailoa doesn’t make much sense for the team, due to the Pats’ various other needs. Tagovailoa may now be back in play for the Dolphins at No. 5 anyway.
  • Buzz has surfaced about the Giants having a trade partner. While it is not certain the Jaguars are that team, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets several GMs have pointed to the Giants moving down from No. 4 and the Jags climbing up from No. 8. The Giants are believed to be serious about wanting to move down. Although the Jaguars are believed to be planning to give Gardner Minshew a legitimate opportunity, JLC speculates a move up would be for a quarterback.
  • This draft could well see five tackles taken in the first round. With Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt listing Ezra Cleveland as a player who will go higher than expected, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds that the Boise State tackle is a “mortal lock” to be chosen in Round 1 (Twitter link). The Browns were believed to be eyeing Cleveland, which would be a fun fit. If they pass on a tackle at No. 10, the Browns may need to consider making an early move back into Round 1 for the rising player.

Falcons Tried To Move Up For Chase Young

Being connected to rumors of making a big leap in the first round, the Falcons attempted to craft a major trade-up. They tried to move from No. 16 to No. 2 to draft Chase Young, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter).

Young was indeed Atlanta’s target at No. 2, but Glazer adds the Redskins view the Ohio State pass rusher as too valuable to part ways with the draft’s second pick (Twitter link). This may have been the “complete offer” ESPN’s Josina Anderson referenced earlier Wednesday.

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is not new to big-game hunting in the draft. In 2011, he executed a trade that vaulted the Falcons from No. 26 to No. 6. That selection produced a future Hall of Fame player in Julio Jones. Dimitroff’s efforts this time around have thus far been unsuccessful. But Atlanta has been linked to a trade-up for several days now; a tackle may be another target in this pursuit.

The Falcons already authorized a three-year, $48MM deal for Dante Fowler. Sacrificing extensive draft assets to move up for Young would have made this an incredible offseason regarding Falcons resource allocation at defensive end. The team still has Takk McKinley as well.

Neither McKinley nor fellow ex-first-rounder Vic Beasley — now with the Titans — has played on the level the Falcons hoped. And Atlanta had a McKinley replacement lined up. With no other Young-caliber edge-rushing prospect in this draft, the Falcons might need to go with a Fowler-McKinley tandem.

Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith On Season, Salaries, Cap

Although the NFL has begun discussing contingency plans, Roger Goodell said Wednesday the NFL’s expectation remains for Week 1 to start on time. The commissioner, however, said during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up alternative plans will be in play.

The NFL is working with the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health to establish work procedures, and Goodell said the league and the owners will determine if the season must be delayed.

We’re going to do the things we need to do to make sure we’re operating safely, and that includes our fans,” Goodell said during the interview (via SportsBusinessDaily.com). “Everything’s on the table. We’ve got to be smart. We want to try to do what we can to continue playing football, but doing it correctly and safely.”

The NFL’s workforce dwarfs the other major American sports’, creating a bigger problem for the league operating under the cloud of a highly contagious virus. Frequent testing of more than 2,000 players and hundreds of coaches would be quite the undertaking, but the NFL is hoping better testing will be in place by the fall.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said (via ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe) mass testing will indeed be critical to the NFL returning on time next season. Both the NFL and NFLPA have formed task forces to gather information about how the coronavirus is impacting the country, Mike Jones of USA Today notes.

Regarding player salaries in the event of a shortened or canceled season, Smith said the NFL CBA does not contain a force majeure provision. This means the NFL cannot unilaterally cut players’ salaries if the season ends up being canceled. The NFL and NFLPA would need to negotiate a new arrangement if the season is impacted.

Our salaries are tied to revenue. The CBA is clear on how that’s calculated. It’s also clear about the obligations to the parties in the event of cancellations of games,” Smith said. “[There’s] an obligation for the parties to get together and negotiate in good faith as far as projecting the salary cap. We have provisions in place where we know process-wise what happens.

“The only thing we don’t have to plug into the formula is exactly knowing what’s going to happen. We certainly will be engaging in those projections as we go forward.”

Days after the pandemic halted sports, the NFL was still set to negotiate TV deals that were expected to produce bigger cap spikes than the 2011 CBA did. It is unclear where potential negotiations stand a month later, but Smith now expects the 2021 cap to be impacted by the coronavirus.

Obviously if there are no fans attending games, there is going to be some impact on ticket revenue,” Smith said. “The impact of this virus is going to cut across not only a scenario that includes no fans but also for companies who don’t have the money available to match or increase their sponsorships that they’ve done in the past. Companies that might spend a tremendous amount of public relations money on luxury suites or anything else.

You don’t have to look far but the travel and hospitality business is probably the hardest hit, and all of those things could and probably will have an impact on our overall revenue.”