HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Falcons, WR Scotty Miller Agree To Deal

March 28th, 2023 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making the opposite move of Russell Gage, Scotty Miller will venture from the Buccaneers to the Falcons. Atlanta is adding the former Tampa Bay wide receiver on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

A former Bucs sixth-round pick, Miller played out his rookie contract with the team last season. Miller will join Mack Hollins as offseason Falcons receiver additions.

Miller made steady contributions to the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning team two years ago but did not factor into the team’s final two Tom Brady-piloted passing attacks much. The diminutive speedster has totaled just 223 receiving yards, along with no touchdowns, since 2021. Miller will aim to bounce back in Atlanta.

In 2020, however, the Bowling Green alum worked alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to give Brady a nice receiving trio. Miller caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns that year. He eclipsed 70 receiving yards four times from Week 1 to Week 7. But the Bucs’ about-face on Antonio Brown led to Miller’s role being reduced. Although Miller’s first-half-ending deep TD grab helped the Bucs hold off the Packers in the 2020 NFC championship game, he never could bounce back as a steady target after Brown’s arrival.

A severe turf toe bout limited Miller to nine games in 2021, and the team’s offensive freefall last season did not leave much room for non-Evans or Godwin options to display much. Gage’s $10MM-per-year deal to come over from Atlanta and replace Brown lowered Miller’s ceiling as well.

The Falcons have added Hollins and Miller to complement Drake London. The team tendered Olamide Zaccheaus as an RFA last year but has not re-signed the Thomas Dimitroff-era investment. Hollins signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal; it is unlikely Miller’s pact matches that number.

Buccaneers To Sign K Chase McLaughlin

March 28th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after cutting Ryan Succop, the Buccaneers have settled on a new kicker. They are signing Chase McLaughlin, according to JoeBucsFan.com. It is a one-year agreement.

McLaughlin will head to Tampa after being replaced in Indianapolis. The Colts, who used McLaughlin as their Adam Vinatieri injury replacement in 2019 and as Rodrigo Blankenship‘s fill-in last season, signed Matt Gay to the league’s second-most lucrative kicker deal early in free agency.

The Bucs released Succop last week, doing so despite having already cleared the cap room necessary to retain Jamel Dean and Lavonte David. The Succop release saved the team $3.75MM, and McLaughlin will be positioned to replace him. Succop, however, represented the only kicking constant over the past decade. The team will see if McLaughlin can effectively replace the veteran.

McLaughlin, 27 in April, has been a primary kicking option for two teams — the Browns and Colts — since 2021. He struggled in Cleveland, making only 71% of his field goal tries, and the Browns then drafted Cade York last year. The Colts brought McLaughlin in after Blankenship played the lead role in a Week 1 tie with the Texans. McLaughlin fared better in 2022, making 83% of his field goal tries — including 9 of the 12 attempts from beyond 50 yards. McLaughlin also made 9 of 11 tries from 40-49 yards, representing a significant improvement on his 2021 work (4-for-10).

Although McLaughlin only began his run as an NFL kicker in 2019, he is already on team No. 7. He will come cheaper than Succop, whom the Bucs had signed to a three-year, $12MM extension shortly after Super Bowl LV.

49ers Aiming For Brock Purdy To Stay In QB1 Role; Trey Lance Still In Team’s Plans

March 28th, 2023 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before Brock Purdy‘s elbow injury, he was ticketed to be the 49ers’ clear-cut starter heading into the offseason program. Purdy’s UCL tear injected some uncertainty into this situation, but John Lynch still views last year’s Mr. Irrelevant as being ahead of the two former top-five picks on San Francisco’s roster.

Purdy’s stretch-run showing earned him the right to be the frontrunner for the 2023 starting job, Lynch said at the league meetings. The team has its 2022 Week 1 starter, Trey Lance, coming off ankle surgery and just signed Sam Darnold. But if all three are healthy at training camp, it will be Purdy opening with the 1s.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” Lynch said, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. “I’ll let Kyle [Shanahan] make those kinds of decisions. But I know when we talk, Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

Lance and Darnold will be healthy going into OTAs, though the former is coming off two surgeries to repair a fractured ankle. Purdy may not receive full clearance until September, which helped lead Darnold to San Francisco. Purdy, however, avoided Tommy John surgery and is expected to be ready to throw in early June, Branch adds. The second-year QB will undoubtedly be sidelined for San Francisco’s offseason program, but Lynch said the hope is he will be ready to go by training camp. That might be on the ambitious side, and if Purdy does return by the start of camp, all eyes will be on his form.

Lynch was careful to mention Lance is not out of the competition. The former No. 3 overall pick is slated to count $9.3MM against the 49ers’ cap this season. He has made four career starts and has finished just three games, submitting uneven work. The one-year North Dakota State starter may come up in trade rumors this offseason, with Darnold’s presence not guaranteeing Lance the 49ers’ backup job. How this offseason program unfolds may help determine Lance’s future.

“We like Trey on our team right now,” Lynch said when asked about Lance trade possibilities. “We always joke, Kyle and I, that we’d trade each other if someone would give us a good enough deal. So we listen to anything, but we like Trey on our team. We’re very excited about the way he’s progressing, about his opportunity. I think he’s chomping at the bit to get out there, get back under center and be healthy again.”

The 49ers, who sent the Dolphins two future first-round picks to move up to No. 3 for Lance in 2021, would be hit with just more than $5MM in dead money if they traded the third-year passer after June 1. They would obviously not receive close to the value they paid to draft the dual-threat talent; a sell-low trade here would close the book on a massive organizational draft blunder. But the team is still moving forward with its Purdy-Lance setup, with Darnold now in the mix as a much cheaper option compared to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Giants Sign CB Amani Oruwariye

March 28th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: After being on the extension radar during the 2022 offseason, Oruwariye landed a Giants deal worth barely the league minimum. The Giants are giving the fifth-year corner a one-year deal worth $1.2MM, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. By no means is Oruwariye guaranteed a roster spot; this deal includes just $52.5K guaranteed.

MARCH 23: Cornerback unavailability plagued the Giants in 2022, and the team did not address the position during the first week of free agency. Big Blue will bolster the spot on the market, however.

Former Lions corner Amani Oruwariye is signing with the Giants, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. The ex-fifth-round pick served as an every-down player in Detroit during the 2020 and ’21 seasons, before seeing his snaps reduced last year. The Giants will gauge the Penn State product’s form this offseason, adding him to their Adoree’ Jackson-fronted corner crew.

In 2021, Oruwariye intercepted six passes and deflected 11 more. That put him on the radar for a potential Lions extension. But Dan Campbell‘s team ended up limiting Oruwariye’s playing time during his contract year, thus reducing his earning potential. The 26-year-old cover man played just 50% of Detroit’s defensive snaps last season.

This will undoubtedly be a low-cost accord. Pro Football Focus rated Oruwariye as the league’s worst cornerback last season, slotting the 6-foot-2 defender 118th out of 118 qualified players at the position. Oruwariye allowed a 106.1 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage and yielded a 64% completion rate; both numbers came in far higher compared to his 2021 marks. This Giants pact will represent a chance for a bounce-back offering.

The Giants waited until after the draft to cut ties with James Bradberry last year, and they did not make a notable addition to replace him. Former third-round pick Aaron Robinson won the job opposite Jackson out of training camp but went down early in the season with an injury that kept him out the rest of the way. The Giants also lost Jackson to an MCL sprain; he ended up missing seven games but returned in time to match up frequently with Justin Jefferson in the team’s wild-card win. Jackson is going into a contract year, and the Giants — this Oruwariye addition notwithstanding — are likely to continue exploring cornerback additions.

Falcons Plan To Keep Desmond Ridder As Starting QB

March 28th, 2023 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Desmond Ridder supplanted Marcus Mariota as the Falcons’ starting quarterback late last season, and although pronouncements about Week 1 roles in March should not be considered full-fledged endorsements, it is clear the 2022 third-round pick will enter offseason workouts ahead of Taylor Heinicke for the gig.

Arthur Smith said Tuesday, “The plan is to start Desmond.” GM Terry Fontenot had previously communicated this plan to Ridder, who made four starts as a rookie after being last year’s No. 74 overall pick. Arthur Blank stopped short of endorsing the Cincinnati product as the Falcons’ 2023 starter in February, but the team has taken a step forward here in the weeks since.

The Falcons subsequently signed Heinicke to a deal that topped the other backup QBs’ money — for average annual value — but the ex-Washington starter’s two-year, $14MM deal will not lead to an open competition with Ridder this offseason.

“We’re very excited to have Taylor in the room, a guy with experience who has won games in this league,” Smith said, via AtlantaFalcons.com’s Scott Bair. “The chemistry in the quarterback room is important, as we expect Desmond to take the next step. But we also have a guy who can go in and win you football games and be ready to play.”

Heinicke has 25 regular-season starts under his belt, along with a playoff outing two years ago. He completed 64% of his passes with Washington, at 7.0 per toss, and went 12-12-1 as the team’s starter. The Commanders gave Carson Wentz his job back in December but installed Sam Howell as their starter for Week 18. The team expressed interest in re-signing Heinicke, but he said he chose a better Falcons offer, Josh Kendall of The Athletic tweets. Atlanta gave Heinicke $6.32MM fully guaranteed. Ridder completed 64% of his throws as well — at just 6.2 yards per attempt — but obviously does not have an extensive NFL sample size to judge.

Smith’s declaration affects Heinicke at present, and the former starter has said he is OK being Atlanta’s backup (Twitter link via Kendall). the Falcons have been connected to both Lamar Jackson and a potential first-round investment at the position. The team will meet with Florida’s Anthony Richardson soon and likely will host other top-flight QB prospects during the pre-draft process. The Falcons have not drafted a quarterback in the first or second rounds since their Matt Ryan pick (No. 3 overall) in 2008. They have only drafted two (Ridder and 2013 seventh-round pick Sean Renfree) since the Ryan pick.

As Fontenot and Smith go into Year 3 in charge, signing off on a Ridder-Heinicke QB depth chart when Jackson is available will likely not go over well with some Falcons fans. But the Falcons have not been connected to the disgruntled Ravens superstar, who is aiming for either a fully guaranteed contract or a deal that enters the Deshaun Watson guarantee neighborhood ($230MM). The Falcons were believed to have finished second for Watson last year; the guarantee led to Blank’s team standing down.

Being prepared to trade three first-round picks and change for Watson and then passing on Jackson altogether would certainly make for an interesting path, but as of Tuesday, that is the organization’s plan. Arriving just after the Browns pried Watson from the Falcons’ grasp, Ridder is now the NFC South team’s centerpiece player.

Draft Rumors: Commanders, Texans, Bears, Titans, Panthers, Raiders, Falcons

March 28th, 2023 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reported as a team not interested in Lamar Jackson, the Commanders are indeed going in another direction at quarterback. Ron Rivera confirmed Tuesday his team will not pursue the dual-threat superstar and, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, never considered doing so (Twitter link).

“It was something we feel didn’t suit what we want to do,” Rivera said. “We know he’s a tremendous player. I just didn’t think that was the direction we wanted to go.”

Washington, however, will likely be hosting other quarterbacks during the pre-draft process. The team will not rule out taking a QB in Round 1, Rivera said Tuesday (Twitter link). The Commanders hold the No. 16 overall pick; they will almost definitely need to complete a vault up the draft board to land one of the top four QBs. The Panthers will take a quarterback first overall, while the Texans, Colts, Seahawks, Raiders, Falcons and Titans — each a QB suitor or a team that would make sense as such — sit ahead of them. The Commanders passed on trading up for Justin Fields or Mac Jones two years ago and had Carson Wentz in place in 2022, tabling draft matters at the position.

Here is the latest from the draft circuit:

  • The Texans have already brought in Will Levis and Anthony Richardson for pre-draft visits, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Houston will also host Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud on “30” visits soon. On track to draft a first-round quarterback for the first time since Deshaun Watson in 2017, the Texans should be expected to consider the top four options. Their Week 18 win in Indianapolis, however, allowed the Bears to leapfrog them for the draft’s top slot. The Panthers now hold that pick and will have first dibs on this year’s QB crop.
  • Before making their trade with the Panthers, the Bears discussed trading back with the Texans — as part of a multi-trade effort to accumulate picks — Ryan Poles said recently (via NBC Sports’ Peter King). That scenario would have had the Bears trading from No. 1 to 2 to 9, putting the Texans at first overall and the Panthers at No. 2, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes negotiations with the Texans dragged while Panthers talks accelerated. Poles said his relationship with Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, dating back to duo’s days as scouts, helped the process. Giving Fields a chance to grow with a new regime, the Bears now hold the No. 9 overall pick this year.
  • At least five teams will meet with Richardson before the draft. The Panthers, Colts, Raiders, Falcons and Titans will get together with the Florida-developed passer, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets. Each team holds a top-11 pick, and it can be considered a lock reps from each will be on-hand at Richardson’s pro day Thursday in Gainesville.
  • Titans GM Ran Carthon, HC Mike Vrabel and assistant GM Chad Brinker were among the seven Tennessee staffers at Stroud’s pro day last week, The Athletic’s John Rexrode notes (subscription required). The Panthers topped that, sending a whopping 14 staffers to Columbus for Stroud’s throwing event. Stroud met with the Panthers, Raiders, Seahawks and Titans, Breer adds. Carthon and Vrabel, however, were also at Levis’ pro day last week, Breer tweets. Pete Carroll and John Schneider went to Kentucky to represent the Seahawks for that event, too. Carthon also attended Young’s pro day. While the new Tennessee GM gave some support for four-year Titans starter Ryan Tannehill, it was far from a full-fledged endorsement.
  • Josh McDaniels said the Raiders are open to taking a QB at No. 7 overall, despite signing Jimmy Garoppolo, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes he and GM Dave Ziegler observed Stroud and Young’s pro days. In addition to the Raiders meeting with Levis before his pro day, Tafur adds the Kentucky QB will visit Las Vegas soon. McDaniels did not rule out the Raiders adding a veteran backup as well; Jarrett Stidham left for a two-year, $10MM Broncos deal. The team’s presence at pro days also could serve as a way to drive up trade interest in the No. 7 pick.

Giants Not Out On Odell Beckham Jr.; Jets, Ravens, Rams Interested

March 28th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: Attempting to move this process along, Beckham has arrived in Arizona for this round of owners’ meetings. The free agent receiver is expected to meet with teams, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports notes the Ravens are one of them (Twitter link). Baltimore has added Nelson Agholor in free agency, but the team still features a need for pass catchers — regardless of who will be playing quarterback in 2023. For the time being, Beckham is not expected to meet with the Giants at the league meetings, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (on Twitter).

MARCH 27: The Giants have been busy at the receiver position this offseason, bringing back Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and signing Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. This glut of veterans, however, will not take them off the Odell Beckham Jr. radar.

While a previous report indicated the Giants are likely out on a Beckham reunion, John Mara said Monday (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he is in favor of bringing the standout wide receiver back. The longtime owner, however, deferred to his GM and head coach by indicating this is contingent on OBJ fitting into Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s plans.

Mara’s comments come after Robert Saleh confirmed the Jets are indeed interested in signing Beckham, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Jets have been on the OBJ radar for a bit now, with Aaron Rodgers wanting to see his likely next NFL team add the talented but injury-prone wideout. Mutual interest is believed to exist.

Beckham expressed interest in rejoining the Giants, who traded him in March 2019, and the team re-signing Shepard and franchise-tagging Saquon Barkley will help keep that door open. Both players have been longtime Beckham friends, dating back to the trio’s time together before the Browns trade. But the Giants still should be considered more likely to finish off their wide receiver augmentations early in the draft. Still, Beckham being available nearly four months after his free agency visit — and after the Cowboys went in another direction — keeps the door slightly ajar for the Giants, who should not be considered certain to carry each of the receivers they signed and re-signed on their 53-man roster come September.

Jets GM Joe Douglas confirmed Monday he has spoken with Beckham’s agent, noting productive conversations have taken place. Douglas expressed confidence in the team’s adjusted receiving corps, via Garafolo, but added OBJ is a “unique player” who remains on the team’s radar. A Beckham-Jets meeting is in play, but Douglas adds nothing is scheduled just yet.

The Jets have signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman while shipping out Elijah Moore after two seasons. Beckham remaining on the radar keeps Corey Davis on unsteady ground. The Jets can save $10.5MM by moving on from the former top-five pick, who has one season left on his three-year contract.

The Rams are still keeping tabs on Beckham, GM Les Snead said Monday. That said, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue does not sense much urgency on the Rams’ part here (Twitter links). Last year, the Rams, as they eyed a Super Bowl title defense, loomed as the frontrunners for months. Snead, Sean McVay and COO Kevin Demoff expressed a desire for Beckham to be re-signed. But OBJ did not like the team’s incentive-laden offer and went ahead with Bills, Giants and Cowboys visits.

McVay’s team is in a different place a year later, trading Jalen Ramsey and cutting Leonard Floyd as they attempt to cut costs and regroup after years of a Super Bowl pursuit. Unless Beckham’s market nosedives further than it already has appeared to, the Rams do not make too much sense as a landing spot any longer.

Josh Harris, Steve Apostolopoulos Submit Bids For Commanders

March 28th, 2023 at 1:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Snyder has not committed to selling the Commanders, but two bids that would break an American sports record have come in for the franchise. The groups headlined by Josh Harris and Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully funded bids hitting the $6 billion mark.

Although more issues are in play here, Adam Schefter and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com note a growing belief has emerged Snyder will sell before the draft (Twitter link). It is unclear which bid is higher. No Commanders matter is believed to be on the docket at this week’s league meetings, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, but it is a safe bet this topic will be among those informally discussed at the latest league gathering.

Harris finished second in the bidding for the Broncos, which the Rob Walton-fronted group won after submitting a then-record $4.65 billion bid. Magic Johnson has rejoined Harris’ group; the NBA legend was part of the Philadelphia 76ers owner’s group when it contended to purchase the Broncos. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has also emerged as a potential bidder. A Canadian billionaire, Apostolopoulos was not part of the Broncos bidding. Another anonymous group has joined these in touring the team’s facility, per ESPN.

It will require 24 votes for either prospective owner to acquire the Commanders, though a vote is not expected to be the primary issue here. Engulfed in investigations, Snyder has pushed for indemnification as part of a sale. Colts owner Jim Irsay, who spoke out against Snyder during owners’ meetings last fall, came out against offering Snyder any sort of special protections in order to streamline his NFL exit, NFL.com’s Judy Battista tweets. NFL owners are not expected to allow Snyder indemnification.

Rumors emerged following Irsay’s fall comments that Snyder could sell part of the franchise, and he hired a firm to explore that possibility soon after. Snyder had long said he would never sell, but this process has moved down the road in the months since he and wife Tanya hired the firm. The Harris and Apostolopoulos bids have moved this process further along. Snyder is unlikely to fetch the $7 billion price he has sought, per NBC Sports’ Peter King, but these bids are still 7.5 times the price he paid to buy the team in 1999 ($800MM).

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos still lurks here, and many around the league expect the Snyder rival to submit a bid the Harris- and Apostolopoulos-led groups refuse to top. Snyder is no longer believed to oppose a Bezos bid, FOX Business’ Charles Gasparino reports (on Twitter). Bezos bidding will obviously bring more intrigue compared to the two numbers that surfaced Tuesday, but he has yet to submit his own price.

The NFL’s second investigation into Snyder and the Commanders — one of a few the embattled owner has become embroiled in over the past few years — is ongoing. A full report is expected soon. Snyder has declined to be interviewed as part of the Mary Jo White-run probe, Mark Maske, Liz Clarke and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post report. White will continue to pursue Snyder cooperation; this would not be the first time Snyder has attempted to evade providing testimony in an investigation. He did so last year amid the House Oversight Committee’s probe and declined to answer more than 100 questions when he did end up testifying. White’s investigation, which followed a league probe that did not produce a written report, has now run for 13 months.

Owners have paused any effort to remove Snyder from his seat, per the Washington Post. The NFL has never voted to remove an owner, and a sale will certainly be the league’s preferred outcome. This process is obviously far more complicated compared to recent sales involving the Broncos and Panthers, but the finish line may soon be in sight.

Jets Willing To Give Up Second-Round Pick For Aaron Rodgers

March 28th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 28: Providing the latest update on the matter of compensation, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that talks are now centered on the possibility of New York sending a second-round pick in 2023 and ’24 to Green Bay. The latter selection would be conditional, and have the potential to become a first-rounder depending on the Jets’ success with Rodgers at the helm.

With the 39-year-old admitting that retirement was a strong consideration following this past season, however, the Jets remain hesitant to sign off on 2024 compensation without assurances Rodgers will continue his career that long. As a result, Robinson notes that New York is seeking 2025 draft capital from the Packers in the event Rodgers does indeed retire after next season, to help protect against the lost draft pick in 2024. Progress made within this new framework will help determine if/when this deal gets over the finish line.

MARCH 27: The Jets and Packers remain engaged in trade talks on Aaron Rodgers; this week’s league meetings will allow for additional time for the sides to produce a resolution. While Douglas said Monday no timetable is in place, the Jets GM acknowledged progress has occurred.

Another Jets transaction may have changed the Rodgers talks. In trading Elijah Moore, the Jets obtained an additional second-round pick (No. 43 overall) from the Browns. They are willing to give up that pick for Rodgers, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes, but have thus far refused to part with their first-rounder (No. 13 overall). The Packers want a first-rounder in this trade.

Gang Green is also likely prepared to part with a conditional draft asset down the road, Salguero adds. That choice’s value could be a sticking point as well. When asked about parting with the No. 13 pick in this deal, Douglas did not shoot down that prospect, nor did he address which picks have been discussed. But the veteran Jets GM said that selection will give the team a chance to “bring in a strong player,” while confirming (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt) the Jets and Packers’ talks are not where they need to be yet.

Fifteen years ago, the Jets sent the Packers a conditional draft choice — which ended up a 2009 third-rounder — for Brett Favre. The Packers are positioned to land more for Rodgers, who made it clear he is ready to join the Jets. The Packers are moving forward with Jordan Love, but they want better draft capital than the Jets have offered. They also want “cap-related concessions” in this deal, Salguero adds.

It would cost the Packers just more than $40MM to trade Rodgers before June 1. While that dead-money number drops considerably (to $15.8MM) on a deal after that date, the Packers look to be targeting more than just draft capital from the Jets, who would — absent any contract maneuvering — have Rodgers on their 2023 cap sheet at barely $15MM in 2023. The Jets are, assuming they finish this trade, prepared to pay Rodgers’ roughly $59MM bonus negotiated into his three-year, $150.8MM extension agreed to last March.

Leverage in the form of a Lamar Jackson pursuit could have been an option for the Jets, but Douglas joined the host of teams preparing to stand down on the Ravens’ disgruntled quarterback. Praising Jackson but not wanting to negotiate with the Packers in bad faith, as they are far down the Rodgers road, Douglas said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets will not pursue him. Hit with the franchise tag, Jackson has requested a trade.

Jackson would likely have been a Jets consideration had he requested a trade in January or February, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds (video link). The team met with Derek Carr, but its Rodgers meeting took place a day after Carr signed with the Saints. It would seem the Jets could still pivot to Jackson, though the former MVP would cost far more in a trade and require a monster extension. But they are pot-committed to Rodgers at this point. That represents good news for the Packers. While Green Bay is certainly taking a risk with its Rodgers-to-Love transition, the team is set to collect a premium draft choice for a player no longer in its plans.

Lamar Jackson Requests Trade

March 27th, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the latest development in the ongoing Lamar Jackson saga, the former MVP has made a major announcement. Jackson tweeted Monday morning that, as of earlier this month, he requested a trade from the Ravens.

In an open letter to his fans, Jackson acknowledges that on March 2 he formally asked to be traded from the Ravens. The reason, he adds, is that the organization “has not been interested in meeting my value” with respect to a new contract. The issue of full guarantees in his newest deal has produced a major stalemate between the two sides, and now this public admission that Jackson wishes to continue his career elsewhere.

The 26-year-old has been at the center of speculation in Baltimore for several years now, as a mega-extension has never seemed to be particularly close to being finalized. It has long been believed that Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed pact matching (if not exceeding) the value of Deshaun Watson‘s five-year, $230MM contract signed last offseason. The Ravens’ decision to not reach that level of compensation was hinted at last summer by owner Steve Bisciotti, and has been confirmed by the subsequent deals they have offered the agent-less Jackson.

The impasse between club and player made it no surprise that the Ravens placed the franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler. Since they went the non-exclusive route, other teams are eligible to negotiate with Jackson on a new deal, but Baltimore would have the right to match any offer sheet he signed with an interested suitor. In the event they didn’t, Jackson’s new team would lose its first-round pick in the next two drafts as compensation.

That price has led to several teams bowing out of the running for a pursuit of Jackson via the offer sheet (with the Colts representing a potential exception). Now, however, a tag-and trade possibility exists. Jackson could sign his franchise tender (valued at $32.4MM) to pave the way for a deal sending him to a new team which, presumably, would appeal to him because they would be able to meet his contract demands. The Ravens and the acquiring team would be free to negotiate trade compensation of any kind, but this latest news doesn’t guarantee that a blockbuster deal is on the horizon.

Jackson’s reveal of his trade request came at exactly the time Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was scheduled to speak at the league’s meeting taking place this week. Amidst his reaction to the news of Jackson’s desire to be dealt, Harbaugh reiterated multiple times that he still fully expects Jackson to be the team’s quarterback in 2023 (Twitter links via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo).

This latest development comes just days after it was reported that Ken Francis – a business associate of Jackson’s, but not a certified agent permitted to negotiate trade or contract terms – was speaking with potential new teams. It was also reported at that time that Jackson was ready to move on from the Ravens, something confirmed by his actions today.

Never in NFL history has a former league MVP under the age of 30 been traded. That would make a move in which the Ravens meet Jackson’s request an historic one, though a somewhat familiar path to the one taken last spring with wideout Marquise Brown. The latter was traded at the draft in 2022, and it was soon learned after that deal that Brown had asked to be moved. Jackson’s situation is different, of course, but a swap involving him would obviously mark another major alteration to the team’s offense.

This situation could, on the other hand, play out more similarly to the one concerning 49ers star Deebo Samuel last year. Samuel requested a trade after contract talks initially failed to produce a new deal, but the team made it clear they were not interested in dealing him. The two sides later came to an agreement on a big-ticket extension, though a repeat of that would involve a much larger pact in Jackson’s case. How the Ravens (and potential Jackson destinations) react to this news will steer this saga into its next phase.

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