HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Coaching Notes: Texans, 49ers, Bengals, Panthers

February 4th, 2023 at 12:38pm CST by Ben Levine

DeMeco Ryans was a popular name on the head coach market before ultimately landing with the Texans. The now-former 49ers defensive coordinator also generated strong interest from the Broncos, but the coach admitted that his choice to join Houston instead of Denver wasn’t all that difficult.

“When it came down to it, there was no place I wanted to be any more than H-Town,” Ryans said earlier this week (via NFL Network’s Bridget Condon on Twitter). “…It was a no brainer.”

While Ryans’ comments could certainly be interpreted as shade being thrown at the Broncos, his comments were more about his connection to Houston and the Texans organization. Ryans was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2006 draft, and he proceeded to spend six years with the organization. While the Texans were able to lure their favorite for the job, the Broncos had to pivot to Sean Payton, who was ultimately dealt from the Saints to Denver.

With Ryans now in the building, the focus shifts to the rest of the coaching staff. Naturally, the coach will be looking to some of his former peers for positions, as we previously heard that 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as well as 49ers defensive quality control coaches Andrew Hayes-Stoker and Stephen Adegoke are candidates to join Ryans in Houston. Matt Barrows of The Athletic adds another name to the list of targeted 49ers coaches, noting that Ryans leaned heavily on safeties coach Daniel Bullocks when he was in San Francisco. Barrows described Bullocks as Ryans’ “eyes in the coaches’ booth,” so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the head coach recruits his confidante to Houston.

More coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher interviewed for the Buccaneers offensive coordinator job before Cincinnati ultimately signed him to an extension. However, the new contract hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring on his availability. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor indicated that “there’s still interest from other teams” in adding Pitcher to their staff, per ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter. Pitcher became the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2020, and his work with 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow over the past few years is starting to pique the interest of other organizations.
  • It’s been a bit since we heard that the Commanders requested an interview with 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn for their offensive coordinator vacancy. Earlier this week, Josina Anderson passed along (via Twitter) that Lynn had follow-up and informal conversations with the Commanders to determine “if there is mutual interest.” It’s uncertain if the two sides decided to move on with a formal interview.
  • Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris interviewed for the 49ers defensive coordinator vacancy earlier this week. If Harris doesn’t land the gig, he’s most likely going to end up on the Titans coaching staff, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). We heard last month that Harris was set to join the Titans as their their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. However, no deal was finalized, and Harris was clearly waiting out the 49ers’ search before fully committing to Tennessee.
  • The Panthers are searching for new coordinators on both sides of the ball, but it sounds like their special teams coordinator will be sticking around under new head coach Frank Reich. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, general manager Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper encouraged head coaching candidates to retain ST coordinator Chris Tabor and offensive line coach James Campen for next season. Following a four-year stint as the Bears special teams head, Tabor joined the Panthers last offseason, with Reich describing the unit as “really strong.” Campen has bounced around a bit in recent years before landing in Carolina for the 2022 campaign.

Geno Smith: Extension Talks With Seahawks “Looking Very Good”

February 4th, 2023 at 11:25am CST by Ben Levine

Contract talks between Geno Smith and the Seahawks have begun, and the quarterback is optimistic that the two sides will ultimately reach a deal. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio yesterday, Smith said the chances of an extension are “looking very good.”

“We’ve had talks and we’re in the process of getting all that settled right now,” Smith said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “It’s looking very good. We think we can get some things done, but obviously those things take time. This is the process that I hate about the NFL because I just want to play football, but it’s a business as well, so we’ve got to take care of business and then we’ll get back to the football.”

Both sides have expressed optimism that they’d ultimately agree to an extension. As Henderson points out, head coach Pete Carroll has continually expressed his interest in bringing back Smith, but the head coach hasn’t gone as far as to declare it would happen…a factor that’s somewhat relevant when you consider that the Seahawks could always slap the impending free agent QB with the franchise tag.

Smith ended up making about $7MM this past season thanks to incentives. During a separate appearance on the The Pivot Podcast, the quarterback wouldn’t reveal what he’s specifically looking for in a new contract, just noting that he wants to be paid what he’s worth.

“I love Seattle,” Smith said. “We have a great relationship and I think we’ll work things out. When it comes to contracts, I think every player just wants to get paid his worth. And it’s funny because a great friend of mine tells me, no matter what check they write, it’ll never be your worth because your worth isn’t in money, it isn’t in monetary things. So you just want to be respected. Your contract just wants to say, we respect you, we understand what you bring to the table, we understand what caliber of player you are, and we appreciate you. That’s really all it comes down to.”

Smith had a breakout campaign during his age-32 season, resulting in his first career Pro Bowl nod. He helped guide the Seahawks to a 9-8 record while completing a league-leading 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Saints Emerging As Potential Derek Carr Suitor?

February 4th, 2023 at 9:10am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have yet to grant Derek Carr permission to speak to other teams about a trade, but one potential suitor may be emerging. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that a Carr-Saints pairing “was buzzing a bit” this week during the Senior Bowl.

[RELATED: QB-Needy Teams Expecting Raiders To Release Derek Carr]

There’s a handful of reasons why the Saints could make sense. For starters, it seems clear that the Saints are seeking some more reliability at the quarterback position heading into next season. The organization has turned to five different starting QBs over the past two years, with 35-year-old Andy Dalton garnering 14 starts for the Saints this past year. Jameis Winston is the only experienced QB under contract heading into the offseason, but the Saints could easily cut him without leaving behind a debilitating dead cap number. The Saints are also rostering QB Jake Luton via a reserve/futures contract.

Further, the Saints now have some extra draft assets thanks to the Sean Payton trade with Denver. New Orleans got an extra first- and second-round pick in the trade, and while it’s unknown what the Raiders are seeking in a Carr trade, the extra selections could make it easier to part with their desired compensation. For what it’s worth, the Raiders slightly pushed back at Carr’s notion that the organization hasn’t allowed him to speak to potential suitors. Rather, the Raiders claim they have granted Carr permission to speak to other teams…but only teams that have shown a willingness to pony up the picks that the Raiders are seeking.

Finally, Saints head coach Dennis Allen has some experience working alongside Carr; Allen was the Raiders’ head coach during the QB’s rookie season in Oakland. Since then, Allen has worked in New Orleans, including a seven-year stint as their defensive coordinator.

The Raiders would owe Carr $40.4MM on Feb. 15, and with a dead-money charge of just $5.6MM due with a release, they can save $29MM-plus by moving on over the next week. As a result, teams are expecting the organization to ultimately release the veteran quarterback. Carr confirmed this week that he won’t restructure his contract to facilitate a trade, and it’s worth noting that his deal also contains a no-trade clause.

Vikings Eyeing Ejiro Evero For DC Job

February 3rd, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 3: The Vikings have put in a request to interview Evero, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). That comes as little surprise, given their interest already shown in him, but it remains to be seen if the Broncos will allow him to meet and discuss what would be a lateral move. If they do, Minnesota would presumably become a leading contender for the highly sought-after staffer’s services.

FEBRUARY 1: The Vikings are treading lightly with their defensive coordinator search just in case one of their preferred candidates becomes available. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert (on Twitter), the Vikings are waiting to see if they can get an interview with Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler hints on Twitter that Evero would be a top candidate for Minnesota’s DC vacancy.

[RELATED: Broncos Want Sean Payton To Retain Ejiro Evero]

The Vikings have been seeking a new defensive coordinator after moving on from Ed Donatell after the season. Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai, Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores, Vikings defensive assistant Mike Pettine, and Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen (who has since landed in Atlanta) have been mentioned as candidates for the vacancy. There haven’t been many developments regarding the interview process for a week.

Minnesota may be hard pressed to coax the Broncos into granting an interview. Denver previously blocked Evero from interviewing for the Falcons defensive coordinator gig since it would have been a lateral move. That was before the Broncos had clarity at head coach, and with Sean Payton now running the show, it remains to be seen if Evero will still be sticking around Denver.

For what it’s worth, we heard earlier today that Broncos brass was pushing Payton to keep Evero on the coaching staff. Besides the blocked interview with the Falcons, the Broncos organization has continually shown how much they value the coach. After being brought on to lead the defense last year, he was offered the interim HC role following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett. Evero declined that role out of respect for his ousted good friend, but it’s still clear that the front office values the coach.

Despite injuries and the loss of Bradley Chubb, the Broncos defense still ranked 10th in defensive DVOA and seventh in total defense this past season. As a result, the 42-year-old became a hot name on the head coaching market, and Evero ultimately interviewed for all five HC vacancies. He’s still still a candidate for the Colts and Cardinals head coaching jobs, moves that the Broncos wouldn’t be able to block.

Ravens To Conduct Second OC Interview With Brian Angelichio

February 3rd, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of finalists for Baltimore’s offensive coordinator vacancy continues to grow. Baltimore is set to meet for a second time with Vikings pass game coordinator Brian Angelichio, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link).

The Ravens met with Angelichio last month, as they cast a wide net of internal and external candidates to replace Greg Roman. Their decision to part ways with the latter has left the team in need of a new OC for the first time since quarterback Lamar Jackson became the full-time starter, while speculation continues to swirl about his status in the short-and long-term with the team.

Angelichio, 50, also interviewed for the Cowboys’ OC position yesterday, per Fowler. That role presents a much different job description, as head coach Mike McCarthy will call plays in Dallas in 2023, regardless of who is ultimately tapped to replace Kellen Moore. In Baltimore, by contrast, the incoming coordinator will take charge of the unit and handle play-calling duties.

An NFL coach since 2012, Angelichio has been a tight ends coach at every stop along the way in his pro career. That has included stints in Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay, Washington and Carolina prior to his most recent tenure. This past season was his first with the Vikings, where he had the pass game coordinator title added to his familiar TEs coach one.

Thanks in part to his guidance, the Vikings ranked sixth in the league in passing yards this season; trade deadline acquisition T.J. Hockenson made his presence felt early and often at the tight end position, putting together a 60-519-3 statline in 10 regular season contests. That speaks to Angelichio’s effectiveness as at least a positional coach, though he has yet to operate as a play-caller at the NFL level.

All-Pro TE Mark Andrews is set to remain the focal point of Baltimore’s passing attack in 2023, so Angelichio would again have a high-end seam stretcher to work with if he were to be hired by the Ravens. Baltimore faces plenty of other questions with respect to their aerial attack, however, so their ultimate choice to lead the offense will primarily be tasked with engineering improvement in that regard.

Here is an updated look at the Ravens’ OC search:

Misdemeanor Menacing Charge Against Bengals RB Joe Mixon Dropped

February 3rd, 2023 at 6:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Bengals running back Joe Mixon had a misdemeanor menacing charge against him dropped earlier today, marking a notable turn of events for his case, which may not be over yet. The warrant for the 26-year-old, which alleged that he pointed a gun at a woman’s head last month, was dismissed by a Hamilton County (OH) judge, as detailed by Sharon Coolidge and Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The original investigator for the case was initially instructed to begin a “cursory review” of the matter, which allegedly took place on January 21, before proceeding with charges. Since that failed to take place, the case has since been reassigned, per a statement from the Cincinnati Police Department. The woman in question has remained cooperative with the investigation to date, including the decision to drop the charge at this time.

Mixon’s agent was confident that would take place today, writes ESPN’s Ben Baby. However, the possibility still remains that charges could be refiled in the future, as the investigation into the matter remains ongoing. “The evidence will guide CPD’s investigation and actions, and newly obtained evidence has since been recovered,” per the police statement. “Once all evidence is fully examined, criminal charges can be refiled at a later date.”

Pointing a gun – which Mixon is accused of doing as part of a road-rage incident – is a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio. The alleged incident took place shortly before the Bengals headed to Buffalo for their Divisional Round game against the Bills. Cincinnati’s season came to an end the following week, leaving Mixon with two years remaining on his current contract.

As the investigation is still ongoing, more will no doubt be announced in the near future with respect to evidence collected and whether or not Mixon will ultimately face criminal charges upon its conclusion.

Mutual Interest Between 49ers, RT Mike McGlinchey For New Deal

February 3rd, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers remained surprisingly successful throughout the season in spite of never-ending injury problems at the quarterback position. The team has several key questions to answer as free agency approaches, however, including an experienced mainstay on their offensive line.

[RELATED: Trent Williams Considering Retirement?]

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is scheduled to hit the open market for the first time in his career in March. The ninth overall pick in 2018, McGlinchey has been a full-time starter since his arrival. 2022 saw him play over 1,000 snaps for the third time in his five-year tenure with San Francisco, and deliver a performance roughly on par with his previous campaigns; the Notre Dame alum earned a PFF grade of 70.3, generally excelling in run blocking while allowing six sacks.

McGlinchey earned $10.88MM this past season while playing on the fifth-year option, but he is in line for a notable raise on a multi-year deal. Given his age (28), position and consistency, he could garner a sizeable market if he heads elsewhere. If he had his way, however, he would remain in the Bay Area.

“It’s hard to ever want to leave this place,” McGlinchey said of his impending free agency decision, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. “I’ve seen people do it and be kind of heartbroken about it later on. You got to do a lot of thinking and see how the chips fall.”

San Francisco, meanwhile, “would prefer” to keep him in the fold for the foreseeable future, writes ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 49ers saw guard Laken Tomlinson head to the Jets in free agency last offseason, and will no doubt look to keep as much of their offensive core intact as possible. With star defensive end Nick Bosa due for a new contract – one which could easily make him the league’s highest-paid defender – as well, though, finances will be a key sticking point in negotiations for all other pending FAs.

That point is not lost on McGlinchey, who added that money “will certainly have a lot to do with” his ultimate decision to stay or leave. San Francisco currently sits in the middle of the pack with respect to cap space, though plenty remains to be sorted out in the weeks to come. One decision the team will need to make will be a price point for McGlinchey, as they prepare to navigate what will be an interesting offseason.

Broncos Hire Sean Payton As Head Coach

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 3: The Broncos and Payton have sorted through the details and have agreed on his contract. Payton signed a five-year deal Friday, Schefter tweets. The reported salary is believed to be between $17-$21MM on average.

JANUARY 31: Although the Broncos’ head coaching search had experienced some turbulence, the franchise will come away with its initial frontrunner. The Broncos and Saints are finalizing terms on a trade for Sean Payton‘s rights, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Payton is expected to become the Broncos’ next head coach. This will be the former Saints leader’s second opportunity as an NFL HC. While Payton had been connected to staying at FOX for another year and waiting for the 2024 hiring period, the Broncos have changed his mind.

This blockbuster transaction will lead to the Saints receiving compensation for their 16-year head coach, who stepped down after the 2021 season. The teams have finalized the compensation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). The Broncos gave the Saints a choice of two trade packages, Schefter adds. The Saints could have received the Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 fourth or a package that sends Denver’s 2023 first-rounder and 2024 second to New Orleans. The latter deal, which the Saints preferred, will also see Denver acquire New Orleans’ 2024 third-round pick (Twitter link).

As far as compensation goes, this is a significant haul. The Broncos join the Jets, Patriots and Buccaneers in agreeing to send first-round picks for coaches over the past 30 years. Payton interviewed with four of the five HC-needy teams this year but made the Broncos his first meeting. The Broncos will have a depleted 2023 draft arsenal, thanks to the deals for Payton and Russell Wilson. But Payton will become by far the franchise’s highest-profile HC since Mike Shanahan.

This process included twists and turns, including another on Tuesday. Previously linked to having DeMeco Ryans as a frontrunner, the Broncos may or may not have circled back to him again hours ago. The Broncos attempted to hire Ryans, who just accepted the Texans’ HC offer, earlier today, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). When Ryans declined, the Broncos agreed to part with significant draft capital for Payton. Schefter, however, refutes this story and adds the Broncos did not contact Ryans — the Houston frontrunner for a few days now — this week (Twitter link). Regardless, the team produced one of the more eventful HC searches in recent years.

Broncos CEO Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor to meet with Jim Harbaugh, who had previously turned the Broncos down to stay at Michigan. Dan Quinn, who interviewed with the team in each of the past two Januarys, also backed out of Denver’s search last week. Evidently not big on taking “no” for an answer, the new Broncos ownership group ended up landing the coach who was long believed to be the favorite. This certainly proved quite the journey.

Payton, 59, was believed to be intrigued by both the new Broncos ownership contingent and the prospect of coaching Wilson. The latter had included the Saints on his initial list of acceptable trade destinations back in 2021. While the Seahawks did not end up trading Wilson that year, Payton will attach his career to the potential Hall of Fame passer on the heels of his worst NFL season.

Wilson reached out to Payton during the process, and while the former Super Bowl-winning HC was connected to the Cowboys and Chargers’ jobs months ago, he will pass on those potentially opening up down the line to accept the Broncos’ offer. Said offer is likely to be massive, given the leverage Payton possessed. Payton was connected to seeking a deal worth more than $20MM per year. That would put the FOX analyst on par with the league’s highest-paid coaches.

Reports pegged Payton as both being onboard with Denver’s Rob Walton-fronted ownership contingent while also potentially fearing a power struggle with one of the struggling team’s new owners. Payton made a point to directly refute the latter stance, and it should be expected he will have final say when it comes to the Broncos’ roster. GM George Paton had held that control from 2021-22, and while a phonetically challenging Payton-Paton partnership could still be in the works, the team’s new head coach is believed to want to bring some personnel staffers with him. Penner said both Paton and the team’s next HC will report directly to him. Tuesday’s hire stands to further diminish Paton’s power, though the rumored Broncos big swing happening represents a major development for a team that has whiffed on a few HCs in recent years.

Denver won Super Bowl 50 in Gary Kubiak‘s first season and went 9-7 in 2016, narrowly missing the playoffs. Citing health reasons, Kubiak stepped down after the ’16 season. That began a wayward course for the Broncos, who saw first-time HCs Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Nathaniel Hackett combine for six straight losing seasons. Hackett’s tenure, in particular, led to ignominy. Despite trading for Wilson, the Broncos plummeted to last place offensively and saw their HC struggle with game management and play-calling — eventually giving up both those responsibilities — before becoming the third HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before his first season ended. That led to the Broncos’ push for an experienced coaching option. They will end up with one of this era’s top play-callers.

Despite taking over a team that went 3-13 during a Hurricane Katrina-affected 2005 season, Payton led the Saints to the 2006 NFC championship game and finished his New Orleans run without a 10-loss season. The Saints signed Drew Brees in 2006, but the future Hall of Fame passer — who had gone through an inconsistent Chargers tenure — made immense strides under Payton. Prior to the Brees-Payton partnership, the Saints had won one playoff game in 39 years. Payton and Brees ballooned that total to 10, churning out top-10 offenses annually. The Bountygate scandal dinged Payton’s reputation for a bit, but his return to the Saints produced another run of playoff berths and a would-be Super Bowl LIII trip — one a historically controversial pass interference no-call ultimately denied.

In seeing Payton follow Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Jon Gruden as modern coaches traded for packages fronted by first-round picks, the Saints will hold a 2023 first-rounder — months after sending their own to the Eagles in a deal that helped them move up for Chris Olave. Longtime Saints GM Mickey Loomis played his Payton card well, asking for two first-round picks and collecting first- and second-rounders.

The Saints will obtain the 49ers’ first-round pick (No. 29 overall), one the Broncos acquired from the Dolphins in the Bradley Chubb trade. This will officially close the book on the most successful tenure in Saints history. New Orleans is keeping ex-Payton lieutenant Dennis Allen around for a second season, but the second-chance HC still has plenty to prove after a 7-10 season in charge.

Over the past two years, the Broncos will have given up three first-round picks, three seconds and a fifth (while getting back third- and fourth-rounders) to bring Wilson and Payton to town. The Broncos now do not have a pick until this year’s third round. Draft-wise, this has been a historically costly period for the AFC West franchise. Denver held a second-round pick in last year’s draft, thanks to the 2021 Von Miller trade, but now will face a tougher road to adding talent around Wilson this year.

Considering the team’s 2022 disaster, making a big move to salvage Wilson trumped concerns about draft capital. The gap between Payton’s accomplishments and the non-Harbaugh wing of this year’s Broncos search will lead to the explosive transaction, and the former NFC South sideline mainstay chose a franchise that has biannual games against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert as the place for his second HC stay. For a second straight year, the Broncos will be one of the most-discussed teams leading up to the season.

Raiders Hire Scott Turner

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:12pm: That was fast. Evidently, the Raiders will greenlight this hire early. The team announced Turner’s addition to McDaniels’ staff Friday afternoon.

3:34pm: Just as Mike LaFleur did recently, Scott Turner is expected to have another job lined up. The Raiders are planning to meet with the former Commanders OC, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes a hire is on track to follow (Twitter link).

Turner will meet with the Raiders next week. Should the second-generation NFL staffer join Josh McDaniels‘ staff, this will mark the second straight team to hire him after previously employing his father as head coach. Norv Turner was the Raiders’ HC from 2004-05. Scott Turner has a Las Vegas past as well, having played in college at UNLV.

Days after the season ended, the Commanders fired Scott Turner after three years. While the team’s issues at quarterback effectively capped what could be accomplished during this time, a host of Commanders voiced frustrations about the direction of Turner’s attack. Washington, however, has still not settled on a Turner replacement.

The Raiders have McDaniels and Mick Lombardi in place as their HC-OC duo, with McDaniels holding play-calling reins. But the team will soon search in earnest for a new quarterback. Turner should be expected to play a key role there, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com offering (via Twitter) a job overseeing the Raiders’ passing game is expected.

Turner, 40, finished the 2019 season as the Panthers’ OC and ended up rejoining Ron Rivera in Washington. Turner’s offenses never ranked inside the top 20 in scoring, with the team’s quarterback merry-go-round — featuring a large dose of former UDFA Taylor Heinicke — often sputtering. Dan Snyder kept Rivera for a fourth season, but Turner hit the job market.

The Raiders ranked 12th offensively in McDaniels’ oft-scrutinized debut — one marred by blown leads — but are now in the process of finding a Derek Carr trade partner and searching for a replacement. The Raiders did not have much luck with quarterback continuity between Rich Gannon and Carr, with Norv Turner’s stay overlapping with an unremarkable Kerry Collins tenure. The team will still have Davante Adams, who said he will not seek a trade despite its plan to deal Carr, and Josh Jacobs. Vegas is expected to retain Jacobs, who is a franchise tag candidate.

QB-Needy Teams Expecting Raiders To Release Derek Carr

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:05pm: Although Carr said Thursday night the Raiders have not granted he and his agent permission to speak to trade partners, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes (via Twitter) the team has done so — but only for suitors who have agreed to the team’s desired compensation. It is unclear if any team has offered sufficient compensation, but the Raiders are attempting to follow the Texans’ Deshaun Watson path. Vic Tafur of The Athletic points to no conversations having yet occurred (Twitter link).

Houston only let Watson meet with teams that met the trade price; four finalists emerged. The Carr process will unfold much differently. The Raiders will not land anything close to what the Texans did — three first-round picks and change — in the March 2022 sweepstakes, but they will let Carr discuss a fit with franchises that are willing to pay up.

10:54am: From what has become an alternate-heavy Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas, Derek Carr addressed his unusual situation with the Raiders. The nine-year veteran confirmed he has not been given permission to speak with other teams about a trade.

Rumored to be concerned Carr’s agent will use that permission to negotiate with teams about his client’s potential free agency rather than talking trade fits, the Raiders are attempting to maintain control of this process. But teams look to be willing to wait out Las Vegas here.

As of now, quarterback-needy teams are expecting the Raiders to release Carr, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Teams are recognizing the Raiders’ limited leverage here. The team made no secret of wanting to move on, having benched Carr for its final two games in an effort to prevent an injury affecting his contract. The Raiders would owe Carr $40.4MM on Feb. 15, and with a dead-money charge of just $5.6MM due with a release, they can save $29MM-plus by moving on.

Carr confirmed he will not adjust the uniquely structured contract to move the vesting date back, indicating (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) “I don’t think that would be best for me.” The longest-tenured QB1 in Raiders history could be less than two weeks from hitting the open market a month before the rest of this year’s lot of free agent passers. Teams are already doing work on Carr, with the Jets, Saints and Commanders three known suitors.

“That’s for [the Raiders] to talk about,” Carr said when asked about the Raiders’ refusal to permit talks with other teams. “I’m just obeying the rules. If it gets to the date [and I get released], then I’ll be able to talk to all my friends.”

Carr, 31, holds a no-trade clause, further limiting the Las Vegas’ options. Still, second-year Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said during a SiriusXM Radio interview (via NFL.com) he expects teams to begin contacting him on a Carr trade. A few prospective Carr suitors — the Buccaneers, Commanders and Titans — have yet to hire an offensive coordinator, adding another complication to these slow-moving midwinter trade sweepstakes.

Aaron Rodgers‘ status figures to also affect certain teams’ Carr pursuits. With Rodgers a candidate to be traded well after Carr, teams that believe they can acquire the future Hall of Famer may be willing to wait. The Jets come to mind here, but the Packers’ disinterest in sending Rodgers to an NFC team would make that conference’s QB-needy franchises more likely Carr fits. Tom Brady‘s second retirement, which he chose over coming back to the Bucs for a fourth season, would stand to make Tampa Bay an interested party. Ditto Washington, New Orleans and possibly Atlanta. The Commanders attempted to engage the Raiders in Carr trade talks last year, and they are open to adding a veteran yet again.

It appears one of these teams will add a starting quarterback early, following the likes of the Rams in 2021 (Matthew Stafford) or Washington in 2018 (Alex Smith). Will said team end up acquiring Carr in free agency?

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