Anthony Richardson

Latest On Raiders’ QB Plans

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

With draft visits set to take off over the next few days, plenty of eyes will remain on the Raiders as a potential wild-card in the rookie quarterback market. Vegas will be active in doing their homework on some of the top passers in this year’s class.

The Raiders have already been active in evaluating rookie QB options, including spending time with Kentucky’s Will Levis before his pro day. As expected, that has been followed up by an official pre-draft visit. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Levis met with Vegas at their facility today (Twitter link). That news comes amongst other interest showed by the team in a potential addition during the first round of this month’s draft.

The Raiders will be the first team to host Anthony Richardson on a top-30 visit this Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Florida product, Fowler adds, is slated to have six sit-downs with interested teams, Vegas having previously been reported to be one of them. Richardson has shot up draft boards since the end of the season, given his intriguing size and skillset, and his performances at the Combine and his pro day. After watching him at the latter, Raiders GM Dave Ziegler was among the contingent of executives which met with the dual-threat passer, and the team was “impressed” with Richardson, as noted (on Twitter) by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Raiders currently own the seventh overall pick in the draft, which could put them in play for either Levis or Richardson. The pair are seen as the more developmental signal-callers amongst the four presumed first-rounders compared to Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Levis has shown elements of high-end play as a passer and runner, but also lacks consistency and threw 23 interceptions in two years with the Wildcats. Richardson, meanwhile, had just one year as a starter and competed only 53.8% of his passes in 2022 while displaying a variance of success in the pocket along with enticing athleticism.

Vegas replaced Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, but the team has made it known they are willing to draft a long-term prospect as early as 2023. That could be possible if one of Levis or Richardson fall to No. 7 on the board, but a trade-up scenario may also be in play. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah named the Raiders – just like the Titans – a team to watch on the subject of moving up to secure a signal-caller (h/t Yardbarker.com).

The Raiders have a number of positions of need after last year’s 6-11 season. Adding to the league’s 28th-ranked total defense from 2022 would be achieved if the team preferred a prospect on that side of the ball with their top selection, but an aggressive move aimed at securing a long-term Carr successor can’t be ruled out.

Breakdown Of Top 2023 QB Draft Prospects

April 2nd, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

After last year’s draft, which saw only one quarterback taken in the first two rounds, this year’s draft class boasts a bit more top talent at the NFL’s signature position. The group’s superior personnel has already created a small amount of chaos atop the draft order with Carolina trading into the No. 1 overall pick. With three of the teams drafting at the top of the first round expected to have a need for a new quarterback, and several others having the option to trade up for one, there is a consensus that four quarterbacks should hear their names called on the night of April 27.

Teams interested in a new passer will have their choice between whoever is left of Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, and Kentucky’s Will Levis. Below, we’ll explore the benefits offered by each young quarterback and provide some reasoning as to why they may or may not hear their names called first.

Bryce Young

Not only was Young the best recruit in his state or at his position coming out of high school, the young athlete out of Mater Dei (California) was rated as the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit in 2020, according to 247sports.com. He committed to nearby USC with two years left of high school play but flipped his commitment to Alabama at the beginning of his senior year.

Young played sparingly as a freshman in Tuscaloosa, backing up junior starter Mac Jones. With Jones having departed for the NFL, Young took over the Crimson Tide offense as a sophomore. He took the college football world by storm in 2021, completing 66.91% of his passes for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns while only throwing seven interceptions. He took Alabama to the title game, falling to Georgia but stoking early perceptions of himself as a future No. 1 overall draft pick. In 2022, Young continued to impress despite the loss of several top receivers, two to the first two rounds of the previous year’s draft. He completed 64.47% of his passes for 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Young came into college as the nation’s top dual-threat passer but never developed as much of a rusher at Alabama. Instead, he utilized his versatility to be an effective passer on the run. Young’s eyes and mind work fast through progressions and help him to anticipate throwing lanes at an elite level. He’s adapted to his smaller size in terms of vision, but he requires his lower body to make strong throws. Teams don’t seem to worry about his lack of size as much as his durability. In a league that’s already seen success from a smaller quarterback in Kyler Murray, Young is expected to become a starting quarterback at the NFL level before long.

C.J. Stroud

Not far from Young in the southern California area, Stroud came out of the same class out of Rancho Cucamonga (California). Not quite as touted as Young, Stroud still boasted five stars as the nation’s second-best pro-style quarterback, according to 247. He made his decision late in the process but enrolled early shortly after committing to Ohio State.

Stroud also sat his true freshman season, redshirting behind starter Justin Fields. He was easily as productive as Young in their first years starting. In 2021, Stroud completed 71.88% of his passes for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns while only tossing six interceptions. Last year, Stroud, too, saw a bit of a drop-off in production, losing two receivers in the first round, but still impressed while completing 66.32% of his passes for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Stroud seems to be the most prototypical of the four options. His size, strength, and athleticism all signify a routine pro quarterback. His size gives him an ideally strong platform from which to throw and allows him to layer balls into short and intermediate levels over lineman and backers. The size does limit his agility, making him slow out of breaks and inaccurate when throwing on the run. His biggest strength, though, is his pure passing ability. He throws a strong, tight ball in a smooth motion, resulting in passes that receivers love to catch. His traditional quarterback makeup could be what makes him so attractive to a team like the Panthers at No. 1.

Anthony Richardson

Richardson is far and away the wild card of this group. A consensus four-star, dual-threat quarterback out of Eastside (Florida), Richardson stayed home in Gainesville for college after some back-and-forth on his commitment to the Gators.

Richardson is the least experienced of the four top options at quarterback. Richardson redshirted behind Kyle Trask as a freshman and sat behind Emory Jones as a sophomore. It wasn’t until last year that Richardson found himself starting behind center. Unlike the unquestionable success of Young and Stroud, Richardson’s results were hardly as impressive. Last season, Richardson completed 53.82% of his passes for 2,529 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions. He did display a stronger rushing ability than the above two, racking up 654 yards on 103 rushing attempts and tacking on nine scores with his legs. As a starter for the Gators, Richardson ended college with a 6-7 record.

Despite the seemingly mediocre production, Richardson has skyrocketed up draft boards as pundits have fallen in love with his potential. Richardson has a large frame, similar to Stroud, but boasts an athleticism that makes it much more dangerous. His size and burst make him reminiscent of a young Cam Newton with the ball in his hands. Richardson has a rocket for an arm, completing easy throws with only a flick of the wrist. The physical frame and abilities are there in a raw form, but much molding is necessary. He’s extremely inconsistent in his decision-making and accuracy, resulting in dangerous passes into a crowd and misses that never stand a chance of hitting their targets.

This is a common high-risk, high-reward situation with drafting quarterbacks. Richardson could develop into an All-Pro or flame out, unable to make the most of his abilities.

Will Levis

Levis is another curious prospect whose production doesn’t quite match his hype as a top draft pick. A three-star prospect leaving Xavier (Connecticut), Levis committed to Penn State as part of the 2018 recruiting class. After redshirting as a freshman, Levis sat for two years behind Sean Clifford before transferring to Kentucky.

Levis took over as an immediate starter in Lexington and won 10 games for the Wildcats in 2021, completing 66.01% of his passes for 2,826 yards and 24 touchdowns while tossing 13 interceptions. Levis also displayed an ability to run the ball that year, producing 376 yards and nine touchdowns. When Wan’Dale Robinson and Josh Ali departed for the NFL, Levis’s production suffered as a result. In 2022, injuries and the loss of his top targets led to a down year in which he completed 65.37% of his passes for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, all without displaying the rushing ability of prior years.

Like Richardson, Levis boasts the size, arm strength, and athleticism that make him an extremely attractive prospect on paper. There are latent abilities available within Levis, but a lack of sound technique and procedure hold Levis back from his full potential. He can throw strong balls through tight windows but also struggles with consistent accuracy. He is physical and tough but needs that toughness when standing too long in the pocket. There are strong tools to utilize at the NFL level, but it will likely take time and a good coach preaching strong technique in order for Levis to become a strong starter at the next level. Teams want him to be the next Josh Allen, but he has a way to go in order to get there.

There we have it: two strong options who seem ready to start in Week 1 and two developmental projects who could turn into stars in the right system. Which team needs which quarterback the most? Tell us in the comments who you’d want your team to take a chance on.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Draft Plans

April 1st, 2023 at 11:50am CST by Ely Allen

When the Panthers sent a haul over to Chicago for the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023, many came to the conclusion that Carolina would be taking the obvious route and drafting a quarterback. While Alabama quarterback prospect Bryce Young had been widely considered the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board for some time, the Panthers’ move almost immediately had eyes turned towards Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. So, which rookie will end up rocking the Panther blue and silver behind center next year?

Many view the Panthers’ actions as a dedicated attempt at a smokescreen. While the organization has dedicated significant resources into the research of all the draft’s top quarterback prospects, many are still very much convinced that Stroud is the pick, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Head coach Frank Reich and company, though, have been adamant that they are considering each of the draft’s top four prospects equally. Reich claims to have learned his lessons from his time in Philadelphia, when the Eagles selected Carson Wentz second overall. He preaches patience, stressing that the organization has time. He doesn’t want the team to fall in love too fast and abandon the process.

This has led to a cross-country business trip for many of the Panthers’ decision makers. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Carolina staffers embarked on a Week of Quarterbacks attended by Reich, general manager Scott Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, senior assistant Jim Caldwell, and vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman. The first two visits, in Columbus and Tuscaloosa, even included owners Dave Tepper and Nicole Tepper. The group started at Ohio State with Stroud, went to Alabama for Young, traveled to Kentucky for Will Levis, and took a short break at the owners’ meetings before heading down to Gainesville for Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Each visit entailed a steak dinner with the prospect, a meeting with the quarterbacks’ head coaches, and a workout at their respective pro days.

Although the evaluation appears to be a group project of sorts, Fitterer asserts that each staffer is holding their cards close to the vest. He wants each of them to come to their own conclusions with no biases and, a week or so before the fateful date later this month, they will get together to conclude the process of making a decision.

While the general perception of their draft board hasn’t really changed, Fitterer provided some analyses of the first three quarterbacks they saw. He claimed Levis “had the strongest arm of the group.” He praised Stroud’s fluidity and was pleasantly surprised by Young, saying that the diminutive passer “had a little bit better arm than (they) thought,” in terms of both strength and accuracy. He praised Young’s ability to adapt to his size, asserting that a lifetime of football at that size has contributed to an effective accommodation and compensation.

Despite all the evaluations and field trips, when Person put together a seven-round mock draft for the team yesterday, Stroud remained the pick. Person was seemingly tempted to rock the boat and make the swap for Young, amid buzz he had heard at the owners’ meetings, but regardless, Stroud appears to remain the guy. Not only does his accuracy rival that of Young’s, but Stroud has a more ideal frame than Young, which seems to be attractive to the organization. Stroud’s size contributes to his strength and durability but doesn’t hinder his fluidity or athleticism out of the pocket.

The Panthers are trying to convince the world that they haven’t already made up their minds, and they’re spending a lot of money to do it. Overall, the consensus hasn’t changed. Most in league circles continue to believe that Stroud’s name will be the first one called on April 27.

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.

Panthers Targeting C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson With No. 1 Pick?

March 18th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers’ decision to move up to the top spot in next month’s draft has left them with opportunity to land a long-term solution at the quarterback position for the first time since Cam Newton‘s decline and departure. Carolina has a quartet of passers ranked in the top tier of this year’s class to choose from, but they may have their eye on a pair of prospects.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network Network reports that the Panthers are “targeting” either Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the No. 1 pick (Twitter link). He adds that debate is ongoing within the organization regarding whether or not it would be worthwhile to select the latter with the top selection, something which would no doubt mark a surprise move.

Richardson started just 13 games in his college career, spending only the 2022 campaign as the Gators’ full-time starter under center. That lack of experience contributed in large part to the sense among many that he would have been better suited to stay in school for one more year, and that declaring for 2023 could hurt his draft stock. The other main factor in that situation, of course, was his erratic performances on the field.

The 6-4, 236-pounder was inconsistent in the passing game in particular, completing less than 54% of his passes and compiling a 17:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. While that has led to calls for him to sit for at least one year upon being drafted into the NFL, his production on the ground is considerable. Richardson totaled 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, and showed off his athleticism with an historic performance at the Combine earlier this month.

Opinion is split considerably on Richardson, but Stroud profiles as a much safer prospect to project at the NFL level. An accomplished pocket passer, his time with the Buckeyes included two years as a starter and a high degree of personal and team success. Stroud went 21-4 at Ohio State, totaling 85 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, though his rushing stats pale in comparison to Richardson’s in particular.

A two-time Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year, Stroud finished fourth and third in Heisman voting in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Stroud nearly decided to remain at Ohio State for his senior season, but he will enter the draft as one of the most known commodities at the QB position. Alabama’s Bryce Young is generally seen as the top signal-caller in this year’s class, but Stroud would not be an entirely unexpected selection for the start of the team’s new era with head coach Frank Reich.

Much is yet to be determined with respect to any player evaluations, but how the Panthers choose to proceed will have a significant effect on several other teams near the top of the board, including those eyeing a rookie QB. While Young or Kentucky’s Will Levis could emerge on Carolina’s radar, their attention seems to be steering them towards either Stroud or Richardson.

NFL Draft Rumors: Combine, Richardson, Raiders

March 5th, 2023 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The league is making efforts to change systemic issues in the combine interview process this year. As issues have been unveiled in the line of questioning that some team interviewers use, the NFL has responded with a potential punishment. Teams and their representatives could be fined a minimum of $350,000 and required to forfeit a draft pick “no later than the third round” if they are found to have conducted themselves “in an inappropriate or unlawful manner” during an interview, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Examples of inappropriate lines of questions would be those that concern a prospect’s race, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation, as none of these are factors that affect the playing ability of a prospect. In the past, we’ve heard such issues as former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland asking if wide receiver Dez Bryant‘s mother was a prostitute or a coach for the Falcons asking cornerback Eli Apple about his sexual preference, obvious questions that would never be allowed in the course of a normal job interview.

The league also provided teams with plenty of examples of “high-risk questions” and their more acceptable alternatives. Instead of asking if a player suffers from mental illness, a team can inquire about any obstacles or hardships the prospect has overcome in their course of success. Instead of asking if a player was ever in “special education” classes, a team can ask if the player has any difficulties in learning and playing the game and whether or not they need any accommodations to play. Instead of asking if a player or anyone in the player’s family is an alcoholic, a team can ask the less pointed question of whether or not they drink alcohol.

Issues, such as the behavior of team staffers in interviews, are becoming more and more relevant as the combine flirts with obsoletion. With personal workouts and pro days proving to be the preferred method of evaluation for athletes, the combine is losing support. The event is still super important for small-school prospects who won’t have the same exposure at their own pro days, but if larger surrounding schools are willing to host their smaller, nearby competitors even this issue could be alleviated.

For now, the league will do what it can to make sure that, as long as the event is still happening, it’s done in a way that’s safe and appropriate for future NFL players.

Here are a few more rumors about the upcoming NFL Draft:

There’s been plenty of discussion surrounding the draft stock of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, with projections anywhere from No. 1 overall pick to the fourth round. Regardless, Richardson reportedly did more than anyone else in Indianapolis this week to help his draft stock with an outstanding combine performance, according to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Richardson put up impressive numbers with a 4.43 40-yard dash, a broad jump of ten feet and nine inches, and a best ever for a quarterback vertical jump of 40.5 inches. As impressive as those numbers are, many teams already lauded him on his athleticism; they needed to see him throw a football. Here, Richardson excelled, again. Over the course of throwing drills, Richardson displayed an arm talent that many questioned was present. Do low-pressure throws to receivers running against air make scouts forget about his 53.8 completion percentage last year? It’s hard to say, but Richardson is doing everything he can to give NFL teams something to think about over the next two months.
The Raiders spent their fair share of time evaluating the quarterback position this past week in Indianapolis. In a mailbag to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, many fans inquired about life post-Derek Carr. Through all the questions, one thing became (relatively) clear: the Raiders are impressed with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. The general consensus is that, with the No. 7 overall pick, Stroud will not fall to Las Vegas, leading many to ask about a trade up. Bonsignore seems to be under the impression that Las Vegas feels Richardson or Kentucky passer Will Levis will fall to them at seven. He also projected a 60-percent probability that the team trades up for Stroud as opposed to waiting for Richardson or Levis. However much time remains until a decision must be made, it appears that Las Vegas favors Stroud at this point in time.

NFL Draft Rumors: Richardson, TEs, Wright

February 25th, 2023 at 10:53am CST by Ely Allen

Every year come draft time there are prospects that divide scouts and analysts. Never has that been more apt than this year with Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. We reported this dichotomy back when Richardson first announced his intentions in December, and nearly four months later, teams are still torn.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler went on NFL on ESPN to discuss first-round quarterbacks and the conversation eventually fell to Richardson. Fowler reported that he’s never seen “a bigger variance leaguewide on a feeling about a” quarterback, saying that while some talent evaluators have him as a first-round talent, others (sometimes on the same team) aren’t thinking to look for him until the fourth round.

Fowler believes that Richardson is a bit of a project who will need to find a situation in the NFL where he can sit for a year and develop but notes an NFL executive who calls Richardson a combination of Cam Newton and Justin Fields. Quoting NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 asserts that some teams have Richardson as the second-best quarterback on the board. I’ve personally seen a mock draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports that has the Bears trading Fields and taking Richardson at No. 1 overall.

All this to reiterate sentiments from our breakdown of his initial draft announcement. Teams are evaluating Richardson off of 13 games of film of the one-year starter in Gainesville. That single season saw him complete only 54.2% of his passes for 2,631 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He added 680 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 115 rush attempts. He went 6-7 as a starter for the Gators. The college stats aren’t great, but there’s so little to work with that scouts are still betting on the potential he held as a four-star recruit coming out of high school.

Last year, experts predicted as many as four quarterbacks would be taken in the first round. Only Kenny Pickett actually heard his name on Day 1 of the draft. Evaluators are equally bullheaded this year on quarterbacks going early and often, but with nearly two months until Draft Day, there is still much that we don’t know.

Here are a few other quick notes on upcoming prospects:

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer has long been thought of as the 2023 NFL Draft’s best prospect at the position. Well, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, one tight end made a strong case for himself at the Senior Bowl. Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave made a lasting impression on scouts at the all-star event. Musgrave measured at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds and impressed with his physicality, speed, route-running, and hands. Breer posits that Musgrave did enough to earn the top spot on position rankings.
Another prospect who may be higher than initially thought is Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright. The O-lineman also attended the Senior Bowl with many believing that he had a lot that he still needed to prove. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, Wright may have already done enough. Miller claims Wright is a top-32 prospect and finds it hard to believe that he’ll slip past the first round. The Volunteers didn’t expect to keep the consensus five-star out of West Virginia for all four years and the fact that they did had many thinking Wright is not a first-round talent. An impressive performance at the Senior Bowl and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2022 should prove otherwise as Wright continues to work towards the goal of hearing his name called on the first night of the draft.

West Notes: 49ers, Hudson, Raiders, Broncos

January 27th, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers may go into the NFC championship game without Elijah Mitchell. The team’s Week 1 starter, who has become a key off-the-bench contributor behind Christian McCaffrey since the team acquired the high-priced back from the Panthers, is battling a groin injury and did not practice this week. Mitchell is listed as questionable to face the Eagles, but this is the latest in a long run of injuries for a second-year player. Mitchell went on IR twice because of separate MCL sprains this season and battled shoulder, knee and finger injuries as a rookie. Jordan Mason worked as McCaffrey’s primary backup during Mitchell’s second stint on IR, while the team also has rookie Tyrion Davis-Price and Tevin Coleman (practice squad) available. Coleman has logged 12 carries for 26 yards this season; Davis-Price has 34 for 99 as a rookie.

Here is the latest from the West divisions:

Rodney Hudson made it through just four games in his second Cardinals season, spending much of it on IR. The 33-year-old center signed an extension — three years, $30MM — with the Cards upon being acquired via trade in 2021, but a recent restructure points him out of town. Hudson agreed to drop his 2023 base salary from $8.25MM to $2.05MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This lends to the notion a new Cardinals regime will release Hudson, with OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald noting the $2.05MM figure doubles as the max amount a player can receive in 2023 via the CBA’s injury protection benefit (Twitter link). Hudson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders, considered retirement this past offseason and may be headed out the door in 2023. The Cards would be hit with $5MM-plus in dead money by cutting Hudson without a post-June 1 designation.
Shifting to the AFC West, the Raiders will spend the next several weeks being connected to quarterbacks. They are expected to trade or release Derek Carr before his $40.4MM guarantee vests Feb. 15, and Josh McDaniels reuniting with Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo is already coming up. Raiders GM Dave Ziegler was also impressed with Florida QB Anthony Richardson when he scouted him against Tennessee this past season, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock has Richardson going off the board at No. 9 — as the fourth QB selected — but the ex-Gator talent is fairly raw and will have more development to complete once in the pros. If the Raiders were to sign Brady, drafting a QB at No. 7 would obviously cut into their offseason resources to build around him. But Brady also would not solve the Silver and Black’s long-term need at the position.
Davante Adams was set to appear in court this week, in connection to the shoving incident at Arrowhead Stadium, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes the appearance will be delayed until June 26. Adams faces a suspension for the postgame shove of a photographer, a 20-year-old Missouri-Kansas City student, in October.
DeShawn Williams started a career-high 15 games for the Broncos this season, playing a career-most 597 defensive snaps. The 30-year-old defensive tackle, who is on track for free agency in March, said he wants to re-sign with the Broncos, via Denver7’s Troy Renck (Twitter link). Denver will prioritize a new deal with D-lineman Dre’Mont Jones, who sounded like he wanted to test the market, and has D.J. Jones signed through 2024. Williams, though, would not be especially expensive. Contributing regularly to a top-10 defense, Williams totaled 4.5 sacks this season.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Matthews

January 25th, 2023 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer provided rare transparency about his team’s first-round decision ahead of last year’s draft, indicating the team was likely down to quarterback or left tackle at No. 6 overall. The pick became Ikem Ekwonu, and the non-Kenny Pickett QB contingent tumbled into the third round. Carolina scooped up one of those arms, Matt Corral, but he missed the season due to injury. With Sam Darnold ticketed for free agency, the Panthers face another offseason of QB questions.

Both Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan spent much of the fall scouting the top four quarterbacks in the 2023 class in person, according Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). Some of these passers will be gone by the time the Panthers pick at No. 9. Mel Kiper Jr.’s first 2023 mock draft has Carolina, however, taking the fourth quarterback in this year’s class — Florida’s Anthony Richardson — in Round 1. The scouting missions to see Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis and the team’s long-running need at the position will connect it to a potential trade-up maneuver. The Bears, who traded up for Justin Fields after the Panthers passed on Stroud’s Ohio State predecessor two years ago, are open for business at No. 1. It remains to be seen which non-QB-needy teams from Nos. 2-8 will join them.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

The Saints are retaining offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael for what will be his 14th season in the role, but Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes they moved on from their second-longest-tenured offensive staffer. The Saints parted ways with Dan Roushar after 10 seasons. Roushar, 62, had held a number of key roles on New Orleans’ staff since 2013 — offensive line coach and running backs coach among them — but was working as the team’s run-game coordinator and tight ends coach over the past two seasons. The Saints ranked 18th and 19th on the ground, respectively, over the past two years. A former college OC, Roushar has only coached for the Saints at the NFL level.
As more details surface on Michael Thomas‘ recent restructure, the likelier it appears the Saints will release him. The former All-Pro’s reworked deal includes a $31MM roster bonus due on Day 3 of the 2023 league year, and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football adds Thomas would collect a whopping $30MM if he is active for four games next season (Twitter link). So, if Thomas is on the Saints’ roster absent another restructure, he would collect a cool $61MM. That reality seems … unlikely to commence. If Thomas is designated as a post-June 1 cut, the Saints would only be tagged with $11MM-plus in dead money this year.
In more Saints restructure news, the team pushed back the void-year vesting dates for David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport. Both D-linemen’s contracts are now set to void March 14, as opposed to February 17, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That gives the team more time to negotiate extensions with each free agent-to-be, and GM Mickey Loomis said recently (via Underhill) the team is interested in re-signing both. Due to restructuring Davenport’s fifth-year option, the Saints would be tagged with $7.6MM in dead money absent an extension before March 14 — the final day of the 2022 league year. A $10.2MM bill would come if Onyemata is not extended by that date.
The Falcons created $4.2MM in 2023 cap space by doing another Jake Matthews restructure. The team accelerated $7MM of the left tackle’s 2023 roster bonus onto its 2022 payroll, Yates tweets. After eating considerable dead money over the past two years — much of it from the Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and Deion Jones trades — the Falcons are set to hold the second-most cap space in the NFL — more than $56MM.

Latest On 2023 QB Draft Class

December 12th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the regular season continues to wind down for the teams near the bottom of the standings in the NFL, attention will turn increasingly to the upcoming draft class. This year’s crop of prospects was thought at the beginning of the year to include far superior options at the quarterback position relative to 2022, but that may not be the case in the eyes of some evaluators.

As detailed by Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, the 2023 class of passers is not viewed by some around the league in the same light as their pre- and in-season buzz would suggest. Alabama’s Bryce Young is seen as the clear-cut top signal-caller, which puts him in a good position to be drafted first overall. With the Texans looking increasingly likely to finish with the worst record in the league, they are expected to hold the No. 1 pick in the spring.

Young’s numbers are down this season compared to his Heisman-winning campaign of last year, but that has not been seen as a regression so much as a reflection of an underwhelming Crimson Tide offense around him. Nevertheless, one source expressed concern to La Canfora about the six-foot, 194-pounder’s upside at the pro level. Similar questions could be asked of C.J. Stroud, the Buckeyes passer whose stock may have taken a hit given his and Ohio State’s performances down the stretch this season. He and the team still have the CFP semifinal available to generate momentum for the spring, of course.

Other highly-regarded QBs in this class include Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. The latter – who officially declared for the draft last week – is perceived to have perhaps the highest ceiling in the group from an athletic standpoint. Both have been named as first-round candidates, but significant holes in their games have led to doubts about their NFL readiness in 2023 in particular.

Evaluation of these and other passers comes against the backdrop of few teams near the top of the board being locks to pursue upgrades at the position during the offseason. Another factor greatly influencing the college environment is NIL money. As Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl notes (on Twitter), the spike in players using the transfer portal in de-facto free agency has – among other things – “considerably” shrunk the list of signal-callers entering this year’s draft.

Plenty is still to be determined between now and Day 1 of the draft, including further examination of the top QBs. While a repeat of last spring – where Kenny Pickett was the only first-rounder – is still highly unlikely, though, the position may not dominate the top of the board as some predicted not long ago.

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