2023 April - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Open To Trading Dalvin Cook, Za’Darius Smith

April 29th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

The post-draft period will no doubt see a number of NFL veterans finding new homes, on the free agent and trade markets. The Vikings will be a team to watch with respect to the futures of key contributors on both sides of the ball.

Minnesota will listen to trade offers on running back Dalvin Cook and edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, as noted (on Twitter) by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Both players have been mentioned in trade talk, leading to speculation that they could be on the move this offseason in the event their respective financial situations could be sorted out.

Cook emerged on other teams’ radars when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah came short of guaranteeing he would be in the Vikings’ plans for 2023. The Dolphins emerged as a potential landing spot for the Miami native, though they have re-signed all four running backs they had last season in free agency and added a rookie (Devon Achane) at the position as well.

Adofo-Mensah recently left the door open to both Cook and backup Alexander Mattison staying together next season, but the latter could provide a cost-effective replacement option for Cook if he were to be dealt. The Vikings have also added DeWayne McBride in the seventh round of this year’s draft, giving the team added depth in the backfield.

Cook, 27, only has guaranteed money on his deal in 2023, but is set to carry cap figures between $14.1MM and $15.6MM in each of the next three seasons. As Breer notes, a re-worked contract would be needed to lower those figures and make a trade possible. Trading the four-time Pro Bowler would yield considerable cap savings both before or after June 1.

Dealing Smith after that date would also result in notable breathing space for the Vikings. The 30-year-old made it clear last month that he wanted to be released, a development which was understandably met by the team with a response indicating they would not grant that request. Smith appeared to have a deal in place to return to the Ravens last offseason, but he backed out of it to sign a three-year pact in Minnesota instead.

If he were to agree to a re-worked contract, Smith could generate trade a market for his services given his continued production (including 10 sacks last season and a third career Pro Bowl nod). Minnesota did not draft any edge rushers this weekend, which could give them added reason to keep Smith. They will entertain offers, though, which could result in a notable move or two in the near future.

Rams Make Toledo DL Desjuan Johnson Mr. Irrelevant At No. 259 Overall

April 29th, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

With the final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have drafted Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson, making him this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The 23-year-old will get to learn behind the best in the business as he gets Aaron Donald as a potential mentor.

Johnson spent five years as a Rocket, becoming more and more disruptive over time. Once he became a starter on the Toledo defensive line in 2020, Johnson took permanent residence in his opponents’ backfield. He ended his college career with 15.0 sacks and 47.0 tackles for loss in only 31 starts, earning second-team All-MAC honors in 2020 and 2021 and first-team All-MAC honors last season.

The two marks on Johnson are the level of competition he played against and his lack of ideal size. At 6-foot-2, 285 pounds, Johnson doesn’t look on the surface to be the ideal NFL interior defender. Neither does Donald, though, and we all know how that’s turned out.

With the departure of Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson in free agency, there should be snaps available in the rotation of the interior defensive line. There are a few other players on the depth chart to compete with for those snaps, but especially getting to be in the same room with an undersized defensive line star like Donald, Johnson will have every opportunity to prove the Mr. Irrelevant title wrong.

Chargers Take QB Max Duggan At No. 239

April 29th, 2023 at 5:44pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers’ first- and fourth-round rookie wide receivers should have a familiar face throwing to them at rookie minicamp as Los Angeles has selected TCU quarterback Max Duggan in the seventh round at No. 239 overall. Duggan is the eighth Horned Frog taken in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Duggan was a four-year starter in Fort Worth who broke out in his senior year. Duggan’s breakout year saw him take TCU to the College Football Playoff National Championship game where the overmatched Horned Frogs ran into the buzzsaw that was the Georgia Bulldogs. His disaster game occurred in what will now be his new home stadium, SoFi Stadium.

The blowout loss in the season finale shouldn’t overshadow a stellar senior season in which Duggan completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns while only tossing eight interceptions. Duggan adds an element on the ground, as well, rushing for 1,856 yards and 28 touchdowns over his four years in college.

The Chargers are obviously set at quarterback with Justin Herbert returning for a fourth season. Los Angeles picked up Herbert’s fifth-year option but are hoping they won’t need it as they continue to work on extending the 25-year-old. The team had used Chase Daniel as a backup passer in recent years, but with Daniel remaining a free agent, Easton Stick, who hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2020, is the only other quarterback on the roster.

Duggan obviously won’t be expected to challenge Herbert for a starting position, but he can push Stick for the backup job. Despite Stick’s experience of being with the team since 2019, Duggan brings a familiarity and chemistry with two of the team’s new targets. He, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis will be following in the footsteps of Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson, wearing the Bolt on their helmet after college in Fort Worth.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson To Start In 2023?

April 29th, 2023 at 4:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The beginning of the 2023 NFL Draft saw what many thought to be the top two quarterback prospects immediately taken off the board. The Colts were, apparently, unfazed. Not only were they able to fill a position of need when drafting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, they were able to get the exact guy they wanted, as well.

In a press conference after selecting Richardson No. 4 overall, Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed that and more. According to a number of quotes provided by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, Irsay claimed he had had a feeling that Richardson would be their guy “even back in February,” going as far as calling the 20-year-old three hours before the first round to inform him of the team’s intentions. Irsay was so bullish on Richardson that he told the media that “even if (they) had the first pick in the draft, (they) would’ve probably taken” Richardson.

Not only was Irsay sure that Richardson would be a Colt, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network, he went as far as to say that Richardson “will start this season.” Richardson has the same ideas in his head, according to Keefer. The former-Gator is ready for the immense pressure of becoming the Colts’ next franchise quarterback, following in the steps of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

It’s not a necessity, though. Despite being a top five pick, Richardson does have the luxury of time, if necessary. Indianapolis has a trio of passers with starting experience it can depend on before forcing the rookie into the starting lineup.

Veteran Gardner Minshew was reunited with head coach Shane Steichen after signing with the Colts two weeks ago. Minshew hasn’t been a consistent starter since his days in Jacksonville, but he does have two starts in each of the past two years with the Eagles. The team also rosters Nick Foles, perhaps the greatest backup quarterback in the history of the NFL, who also hasn’t started consistently since 2020. The Colts have Sam Ehlinger, as well, who started three games for Indianapolis in his sophomore season last year.

After back-to-back-to-back seasons with one-year rentals at the quarterback position, there is certainly an expectation that Richardson will be the quarterback of the future for Indy. Along with that expectation and his draft position come the pressure for Richardson to take the reins of the starting job. With only 13 starts at the college level, starts in the NFL may be exactly what Richardson needs in order to advance his development.

Despite the anticipation of Irsay and Richardson himself, though, the youngster has time. With Minshew, Foles, and Ehlinger all on roster, there’s absolutely no need to force Richardson into a situation he isn’t ready for. If he’s ready, though, it sounds like both parties are ready to see the first-round pick under center with the first-team offense in 2023.

Steelers To Sign CB Chandon Sullivan

April 29th, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carving out some late headline space on Day 3 of the draft, veteran slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan is signing with the Steelers. The former Packers and Vikings defender’s agency announced the move Saturday afternoon.

After four Green Bay seasons, Sullivan spent 2022 in Minnesota. He will join a Steelers team that lost Cameron Sutton but has added Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr.

Sullivan, 27, came to Minneapolis to replace Mackensie Alexander in the slot last year. Pro Football Focus did not view the veteran as being especially reliable for the Vikings, who have revamped their defense after a one-and-done Ed Donatell season. PFF rated Sullivan just inside the top 100 at corner last year, though the five-year vet gave up only one touchdown during his Vikings slate.

The former Eagles UDFA, however, has extensive experience patrolling the slot and has never missed a game due to injury. Prior to playing a career-most 945 defensive snaps last season, Sullivan surpassed 700 defensive plays in his final two Packers seasons. The 5-foot-11 defender ranked among the top five slot corners in snaps per target and snaps per reception in his Packers finale, intercepting three passes. But he has been unable to score a notable payday since hitting free agency initially in 2022. Sullivan played on a one-year, $1.75MM deal last season.

In addition to Peterson and Porter, the Steelers have Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre and Arthur Maulet under contract. Maulet logged the most snaps of any Steeler in the slot last season; PFF ranked Maulet just ahead of Sullivan at corner, slotting him 90th. The team has seen its top corners depart in each of the past two offseasons, losing Joe Haden (eventually to retirement) in 2022 and letting Sutton join the Lions this year.

Latest On Titans’ QB Situation With Addition Of Will Levis

April 29th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Ely Allen

There were two levels of surprise when the 33rd pick of the 2023 NFL Draft was announced: 1) surprise that Kentucky quarterback Will Levis had slid back this far and 2) surprise that it was the Titans who felt they needed him badly enough to trade up to draft him. We have a bit more information today as we’ve moved on into the later rounds of the draft.

There were likely several factors that culminated in Levis falling out of the first round, but one of the sticking points was reportedly a potentially lingering toe injury that gave a few teams pause. According to Titans staff writer Jim Wyatt, Levis has let the team know that “his toe feels good” and, currently, there are no plans for follow-up procedures. Any concerns about the previous ailment should be put to rest, especially when considering that he won’t be expected to start any time soon.

That is straight from the mouth of head coach Mike Vrabel, who confirmed this morning that Levis is not expected to be the new starter in Tennessee, according to Bobby Kownack of NFL.com. With incumbent starter Ryan Tannehill returning for at least one more year and Malik Willis back after a turbulent rookie season, Levis has a few depth chart spots to overcome before he’s running with the first-team on a consistent basis.

“Ryan will be the starting quarterback on Monday,” Vrabel confirmed at a press conference last night. “Malik will be the backup. Will will be the third quarterback. And what I’ve told them is whatever happens after that will be up to the players. That’s what it’s always been here. That’s what we always want it to be.”

Tannehill returns after a season that saw him struggle with a lack of production and with injuries. When Tannehill missed time, Tennessee attempted to turn to Willis, a third-round rookie out of Liberty who was expected to be a long-term development project. With Willis seemingly overmatched in his early days as a pro, the team eventually signed local veteran product Joshua Dobbs for two late starts to help close the season.

The Titans shuffled their offensive staff a bit in the offseason, promoting passing game coordinator Tim Kelly to offensive coordinator and bringing in Charles London from Atlanta to serve as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The new coaches reportedly are not sold on Willis and may not be committed to sticking with the project passer. With Dobbs returning to Cleveland, it makes much more sense for Tennessee to invest a number of draft picks in securing a potential quarterback of the future.

Levis, much like Willis, has many physical tools that can lead to success at the NFL-level but will have some mental development to undergo before taking the reins in Tennessee. His decision making was often called into question as he threw 25 interceptions in Lexington.

Willis and Levis presumably still have some time to work on their respective developments. Tannehill has one more year on his contract and should be the starter in 2023. What happens after that will be determined in camps and practices in Nashville.

Saints Trade TE Adam Trautman To Broncos

April 29th, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton will pick up another former Saint. The new Broncos HC is trading for tight end Adam Trautman, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

This is a pick-swap deal. New Orleans will collect Denver’s No. 195 overall pick in this trade, while NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds (on Twitter) the Broncos will receive No. 257 from the Saints. With the sixth-rounder, the Saints chose wide receiver A.T. Perry out of Wake Forest.

Trautman, for whom the Saints traded four draft picks to draft 105th overall in 2020, is going into a contract year. Despite the Saints trading four Day 3 picks to move into the 2020 third round for Trautman, he has not yet put it together as a pro. The Saints gave converted receiver Juwan Johnson an extension this offseason, prioritizing the ascending pass catcher as their top tight end. Weeks later, Trautman will follow his old coach to Colorado.

A former Dayton prospect, Trautman posted his best receiving numbers in 2021 (27 catches, 263 yards, two touchdowns). But the Saints had both Johnson and veteran gadget cog Taysom Hill in the mix at tight end. Trautman still played a healthy snap share in 2021 (76%) and logged 521 snaps (57%) in his New Orleans finale campaign. Pro Football Focus rated Trautman as an above-average run blocker as well.

Denver’s tight end room centers around 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich. While an injury delayed the UCLA product’s debut, he showed promise in the passing game despite beginning his career during the dysfunctional Nathaniel Hackett-Russell Wilson partnership. The Broncos signed Chris Manhertz this offseason, but he is onboard due mostly to his blocking pedigree. Albert Okwuegbunam remains on Denver’s roster, but the 2022 trade candidate fell out of favor with the team last season. Okwuegbunam is going into a contract year but will certainly not be assured of a roster spot on Payton’s first team.

Cowboys Trade For No. 178, Pick CB CB Eric Scott Jr.

April 29th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys have made a move to get atop the sixth round. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), Dallas has acquired pick No. 178 from Kansas City. In exchange, the Chiefs got a 2024 fifth-round pick.

The pick proved to be one of the more well-traveled selections in the 2023 draft. The selection was initially a Bears pick that was sent to the Dolphins in the Jakeem Grant trade. Miami later traded the pick to Kansas City in the Tyreek Hill deal, and then the Chiefs finally sent off the pick to Dallas.

The Cowboys have used their acquired pick to select Southern Mississippi cornerback CB Eric Scott Jr..

The defensive back got into 31 games for Southern Miss over the past three seasons, collecting five interceptions. That included a 2022 campaign where he compiled 27 tackles and a pair of pick-sixes. His play-making ability should afford him a good look in the Cowboys secondary.

Vikings Select BYU QB Jaren Hall At No. 164

April 29th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings have added a quarterback with their fifth-round pick. The team used pick No. 164 to select BYU QB Jaren Hall.

Thanks in part to his medical redshirt year in 2020, his lack of size (6’0″, 207 pounds), and the fact that he’s 25, Hall found himself slide to the fifth round of the draft. However, the quarterback has still drawn strong reviews from coaches and scouts for his anticipation and his ability to extend plays.

After sitting behind Zach Wilson and redshirting in 2020, Hall got into 22 games for Brigham Young over the past two seasons, including a productive 2022 campaign where he finished with 3,171 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. Hall also showed some promise in the running game, adding another 350 yards and three scores.

Kirk Cousins is still firmly entrenched as Minnesota’s starting quarterback, but there could be an opening for a backup gig. Hall will battle with Nick Mullens for the QB2 gig heading into the 2023 campaign.

Hall marks the 12th QB to be selected in the first five rounds of the draft. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, this is a new record for the Common Draft Era.

Packers Take QB Sean Clifford At No. 149

April 29th, 2023 at 1:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers seem committed to rolling with Jordan Love in a post-Aaron Rodgers offense. However, that hasn’t stopped the organization from selecting a quarterback in the draft. The Packers have picked Penn State signal caller Sean Clifford at No. 149.

Clifford once beat out second-round QB Will Levis for the Nittany Lions’ starting gig. While his former teammate ended up showing more promise for the NFL, Clifford still managed to hear his name called during this weekend’s draft. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out (on Twitter), Clifford is the 11th QB drafted this year, tying the Common Draft Era record set in 1995 for most quarterbacks selected in the first five rounds.

Clifford ended up spending four seasons as Penn State’s starter. That stint included a 2022 campaign where he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,822 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets, many teams viewed Clifford as a priority undrafted free agent, but the Packers were apparently motivated to add him now.

Love will be positioned atop Green Bay’s depth chart in 2023, but the rookie could make a run for the QB2 spot. The only other Packers quarterback on the roster besides Love and Clifford is Danny Etling.