2021 April - Pro Football Rumors

49ers Likely To Draft Mac Jones?

April 6th, 2021 at 5:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the 49ers’ trade that vaulted them from No. 12 to No. 3 in this year’s first round, Mac Jones was mocked by some to fall out of the top 10. Scouts Inc. rates the Alabama prospect 19th overall. But the noise surrounding the one-year Crimson Tide starter going in the top five has not quieted.

The 49ers are likely to select Jones with this year’s No. 3 pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said during an ESPN radio interview Tuesday (Twitter link). When asked about the 49ers’ likely choice, the longtime NFL insider quickly indicated it will be Jones.

Shortly after the 49ers made the trade with the Dolphins, Kyle Shanahan said he was comfortable three of the top five quarterback prospects in this year’s draft being the team’s long-term answer. While the fifth-year 49ers HC added that he could reach a stronger comfort level with the other two, only three received his immediate approval stamp. It is obviously uncertain which quarterbacks fall into which category, but it should be assumed the 49ers reached a consensus before trading up.

The 49ers are considering Jones, and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN.com’s Todd McShay have mocked Tua Tagovailoa‘s Tuscaloosa successor to San Francisco. When Jones and Justin Fields were pro day participants on the same day last week, Shanahan and John Lynch trekked to Alabama to watch Jones. Fields and Trey Lance are considering staging second pro days to throw for Shanahan, Lynch and Co., but the Jones-to-San Francisco buzz has been building for several days now.

Although Jones is the least mobile of this year’s top QB prospects, he piloted another dominant Alabama team to an unbeaten season and a national championship. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound quarterback threw 41 touchdown passes, compared to four interceptions, and averaged 11.2 yards per attempt. He received the same advantages Tagovailoa did, in throwing to multiple first-round receiver talents. Both those wideouts — DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — said they preferred Jones to Tua.

Shanahan and Lynch insisted Jimmy Garoppolo remains in the team’s plans for 2021, though the 49ers do not appear completely against trading their current starter. They are likelier to move on from Garoppolo in 2022, after giving Jones a year to develop in a backup role, Schefter adds. This reality unfolding would represent a remarkable rise for Jones, but as the likes of Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz have shown in recent years, late QB value ascents are certainly not shocking.

Dunlap: Russell Wilson Assured He Will Stay With Seahawks

April 6th, 2021 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Russell Wilson‘s agent listed four teams that would be acceptable trade destinations, and the one of those franchises (the Bears) proceeded down that path. However, one of the Seahawks’ recent signings indicated the superstar quarterback plans to play next season in Seattle.

Despite being released earlier this offseason, Carlos Dunlap re-signed with the Seahawks on March 25. The veteran defensive end, a 2020 Seahawks trade acquisition, confirmed he asked Wilson if he would be back next season. Wilson assured Dunlap he would.

“I did ask him if, obviously, he was going to be with us. Because if I’m coming back, I’m coming back because I see him as my quarterback — and the rest of the team. I want to pick up where we left off,” Dunlap said, via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “And he told me that he’s with us and that he’s here to stay.”

Wilson is one of the few NFLers who can control his own fate, being in possession of a no-trade clause. If the 32-year-old passer intends to return, the Seahawks will surely accept that and move forward with another Wilson-centric team. While the Wilson trade rumors may not stop because of this, there has been some movement since the rumblings started in February.

The nine-year Seattle starter went public about his issues with the team, pinpointing offensive line issues publicly. He also wanted a greater say in how the team proceeded with its offensive coordinator search. The Seahawks did bring in a notable outside O-lineman, in ex-Raider guard Gabe Jackson, and included Wilson in an OC search that ended with Shane Waldron. Following a report indicating Wilson and Pete Carroll butted heads last season, the quarterback and head coach have spoken periodically this offseason as well. And the Bears’ efforts to acquire Wilson proved ineffective.

Falcons GM, HC Split On Drafting QB?

April 6th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Earlier this morning, we heard that the Falcons were open to moving down from the fourth overall pick. Now, we have some more details on what’s happening inside the building.

Atlanta’s new GM Terry Fontenot apparently favors drafting a quarterback, while new head coach Arthur Smith does not, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported recently, via Evan Birchfield of The Falcoholic. “What I’m hearing is that [Terry] Fontenot is more focused on quarterback, and Arthur Smith believes that Matt Ryan does have two or more years left,” Mortensen said.

While that big split between a GM and head coach in their first year together might not be ideal, it doesn’t sound like the situation has turned toxic or anything. The fact that Atlanta is open to moving the pick would seem to indicate that Smith’s view might be winning out.

“He has no real medical history, he hasn’t missed many games in his career and there hasn’t been a big drop off in his play,” Mortensen said of Smith’s view of Ryan. Interestingly, Mortensen also had some info on who the Falcons might pick if Fontenot gets his way.

“One thing I do hear though is that if they do go quarterback at No. 4, then Trey Lance is probably the guy,” he said. It sounds like there’s a real possibility that Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Lance go 1-4. Ryan, 36 next month, is signed through the 2023 season.

Running it back for at least one more cycle with Ryan and Julio Jones, now 32, still seems like the most likely scenario. This will be one of the most interesting dynamics to watch in the lead up to the draft.

Broncos To Sign Shamar Stephen

April 6th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Broncos have already made several moves in the secondary this offseason, and now they’re addressing the defensive front. Denver has agreed to terms on a deal with defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, a source told Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

There’s some familiarity here, as new Broncos GM George Paton came over from Minnesota, where Stephen has spent most of his career. Stephen was drafted in the seventh-round back in 2014, and was with the Vikings for his first four seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks in 2018 before returning home in 2019 with a three-year, $12.45MM contract from the Vikings.

He made it through two years of that pact before being released last month. He started all 16 games for Minnesota last year, racking up 34 tackles and a half sack while playing just over 60 percent of the defensive snaps. He’s started 65 games in his seven-year career, including at least 14 in each of the past three.

Dre’Mont Jones, Shelby Harris, and nose tackle Mike Purcell currently slot in as the three starters up front in Denver’s 3-4 defense. Stephen could play either outside or inside and will presumably fill a rotational role behind those three guys.

Jets GM Joe Douglas On Draft, QBs, Darnold

April 6th, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jets made one of the biggest moves of the offseason on Monday, trading Sam Darnold to the Panthers. Rather than shying away from the splashy deal, New York GM Joe Douglas gave a press conference on Tuesday to update the media. At that press conference, he made several interesting revelations. You can read most of those revelations in full courtesy of this Twitter thread from Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.

Perhaps most interestingly, Douglas said that the Jets weren’t looking to move on from Darnold at all costs. In fact, he said if they didn’t have the second overall pick, Darnold would’ve been returning for a fourth year in New York. “Having the No. 2 pick, I think it’s safe to say if our pick was a little bit later we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now. We’d be comfortable moving ahead with Sam,” he explained.

When asked if the team was locked in on taking a quarterback at number two, he didn’t try to obfuscate too much. “I think that’s a fair assessment to say,” he replied. Douglas said the team did consider keeping both Darnold and a rookie on the roster, like Josh McCown and others floated recently, but ultimately decided it wouldn’t have been good for the locker room.

Douglas declined to name a specific quarterback the team is after, although they’re now widely expected to take BYU’s Zach Wilson. He also seemed to indicate that Darnold’s impending price tag (the Panthers will pay him $18.9MM in 2022 by picking up his fifth-year option) was a factor.

“We felt ultimately at the end of the day this was an opportunity to hit the reset button financially, so to speak,” Douglas said. Wilson will be pretty cheap for a handful of years on a rookie deal. While he didn’t explicitly confirm that’s where the team is looking, he may as well have. He was asked about Steve Young recently saying the team was committed to taking Wilson. To that, Douglas replied “Steve’s plugged in to BYU pretty well.”

He also said the team is “very excited” about 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan, who could potentially backup Wilson. It sounds like the Jets could forego a veteran backup and roll with a very young quarterback room in 2021.

Panthers To Sign OL Martez Ivey

April 6th, 2021 at 12:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Panthers made the big splash of the week by acquiring Sam Darnold from the Jets, but that isn’t the only move they’re making. Carolina is also signing offensive lineman Martez Ivey, his agents told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

No financial terms were immediately revealed, but it’s a one-year deal for Ivey. A two-time All-SEC player at Florida, Ivey signed with the Patriots as an UDFA back in 2019. He failed to crack New England’s roster, and then spent some time in the XFL in 2020. He wasn’t able to land an NFL job during the pandemic, but is now getting another shot.

The Panthers have been busy with their offensive line this offseason, already signing new projected starters Cameron Erving and Pat Elflein, franchise-tagging Taylor Moton, and re-signing John Miller. Ivey will be another dart throw for a team making low-risk signings to shore up the O-line.

Falcons Open To Moving No. 4 Pick

April 6th, 2021 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have received calls from multiple teams and are open to trading out of the No. 4 spot, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). With the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers effectively locked into the first three picks, the Falcons hold the highest available pick for teams looking to move up.

The Broncos, at No. 9 overall, would be a prime candidate to advance up the board. There will be three quarterbacks selected to start the draft, so Denver can’t really afford to be patient on passers. Trevor Lawrence, of course, is ticketed for the top pick. After that, BYU’s Zach Wilson is likely to go No. 2 overall. Depending on which way the 49ers go, that could still leave Ohio State’s Justin Fields or North Dakota’s Trey Lance there for the taking. The Patriots (No. 15) and the Bears (No. 20) could also be interested in making a jump.

Still, the Falcons seem to be interested in University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and the No. 4 choice would guarantee his availability. Ditto for LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, or any non-QB that catches their eye.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that at least one team calling the Falcons about their top draft choice does not need a QB. Such a club is presumably eyeing Pitts, Chase, or Sewell, and while all are potentially elite talents, it will take a tremendous offer to convince the Falcons to part with their pick.

Cardinals Extend Rodney Hudson

April 6th, 2021 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals furnished Rodney Hudson with a new deal after he was shipped from the Raiders to the Cardinals, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Originally believed to be a restructure, the center actually inked a brand new three-year, $30MMM contract.

Originally, Hudson was set to count for $9.9MM in 2021. Now, he has two additional years worth $20.1MM with $16MM in total guarantees. For the Cardinals, that means a much more palatable $2.86MM cap charge for 2021. Meanwhile, the trade left the Raiders with a $7MM+ dead money charge.

Hudson, a three-time Pro Bowler, joins D.J. Humphries and Justin Pugh on the Cardinals offensive line. Last year, he graded out as the eighth-best center in the NFL per Pro Football Focus. Hudson came with a contract to match his resume, but the cost of a third-round pick was well worth it for the Cardinals. He’s now set to take over for Mason Cole, who finished just 31st on PFF’s list.

Panthers May Still Draft QB

April 6th, 2021 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers’ quarterback depth chart is pretty loaded at the moment. But, even after trading for Sam Darnold, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer says he’s open to drafting a passer later this month.

“This doesn’t take out of anything in the draft,” Fitterer said (via the team website). “It doesn’t take us out of taking a quarterback, it doesn’t take us out of taking any position. What we wanted to do going into this draft, through free agency, through this trade with Sam, was to just get rid of all the needs we have. We wanted to get to a place where the roster was in a good spot, and we could take the best available player at number eight. We could always move up, and we could always move back, but this puts us in a position to make the right football decision for this team moving forward.”

Now the backup, Teddy Bridgewater has two years to go on his three-year, $63MM deal. The Panthers have given him the green light to facilitate a trade, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be staying put. Meanwhile, Fitterer has also exercised Darnold’s pricey fifth-year option, tying him to the club through 2022.

Even if the Panthers opt for a QB, they’re unlikely to do it with the No. 8 overall pick. Instead, they’re expected to target a cornerback or an offensive lineman.

Dolphins Still Searching For Center

April 6th, 2021 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins made an offer to center David Andrews even after signing Matt Skura, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Andrews ultimately wound up back with the Patriots, but Jackson hears the Dolphins are still in the search for center support.

Andrews missed all of 2019 with a pulmonary embolism, but he managed to return for the 2020 season. Even though he missed a handful of games with a thumb injury, he suited up in 72% of the Pats’ offensive snaps across 12 games.

Presumably, the Dolphins were willing to give Andrews a deal that was in the neighborhood of his new Pats contract – $19MM over four years with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. Meanwhile, Skura was signed for just $1.75MM on a one-year deal. Between Skura’s struggles and his injury history, it’s a safe bet that he won’t be handed the starting job in South Beach.