Giants Favorite For QB Mitchell Trubisky?
Mitchell Trubisky could be heading to New York. A team source who is “in the thick of it for a competitive backup QB in free agency” believes that Trubisky will ultimately sign with the Giants and compete with Daniel Jones for the starting gig, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Giants Likely To Target Mitchell Trubisky]
During a recent appearance on the Adam Schefter podcast, Trubisky spoke highly of the Giants and new head coach Brian Daboll, who the veteran QB worked under in Buffalo.
“I think of Coach Daboll right away because of my connection with him in Buffalo. I’m excited to see what he does in New York, really,” Trubisky said (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “I don’t know where I’m going to go, but I know whatever he does there, he’s going to do a great job with that offense. He’s a great leader of men. He’s just real and authentic with all the guys, and I think that is why so many people respected him in our building. So I’m excited to see what he’s going to do.
“And then, of course, New York, you think of the city. I haven’t been to New York that many times, but you think of big New York City and the Giants. So I know Coach Daboll will do a great job, and I’m excited to see that offense.”
We heard last week that Trubisky was on the Giants radar, but they weren’t necessarily considered the favorite at that time. We also recently heard that the former second-overall pick was “creating a lot of buzz” and would likely have a number of suitors pursuing him. After spending the 2021 season as Josh Allen‘s backup in Buffalo, Trubisky will likely have opportunities to compete for a starting gig elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Trubisky’s market could get so hot that the QB could end up earning more than $10MM annually. The ESPN duo also mention the Panthers and Steelers as potential landing spots, and they note that an organization deciding to pair Trubisky “with a first-round quarterback such as Malik Willis wouldn’t shock a few teams.”
While Trubisky isn’t a sexy name, you can still see the semblance of a capable quarterback when you squint. He had a 29-21 record as a starter, and he tossed 64 touchdowns vs 37 interceptions during his four years in Chicago. Any suitors surely wouldn’t guarantee Trubisky a starting gig, but he would make sense to pair with a rookie or unproven young player.
Giants Likely To Target Mitchell Trubisky
While perhaps due to a stagnant quarterback market, Mitchell Trubisky‘s free agency stock has climbed in recent days. The former Bears bust may have interesting second-chance options as a starter or with a team planning a competition.
The Giants fall into the latter category, committing to Daniel Jones returning. But the team is expected to target Trubisky to compete with the in-house starter, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. This would make for an interesting pairing, putting two maligned top-10 picks into a competition, and high-end backup money looks to be Trubisky’s floor at this point. The Trubisky momentum, as strange as this sounds, has been “off the charts” at the Combine, per Pauline.
Trubisky signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Bills last year, trekking to Buffalo after a rough Chicago stay. The Giants hiring ex-Bills lieutenants Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll would make a Trubisky addition logical, since the team still plans to have Jones in the picture. The Giants will listen to offers for many players, but Schoen said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) Jones and Kadarius Toney are not up for discussion this offseason.
Josh Allen made every Bills start last season; Trubisky threw just eight passes in six inconsequential cameos. But he has 50 starts to his credit. The Steelers are also interested in Trubisky, who will turn 28 before Week 1. Since Trubisky’s 2018 Pro Bowl alternate bid, in Matt Nagy‘s first Bears season, he trended downward in Chicago. Trubisky may need to be choosey with his next destination, as starter chances may be elusive if he bombs with his next team. The Steelers join the Giants in being interested in the former No. 2 overall pick, though they are open to other names as well, and the Bills would be fine with him back as Allen’s understudy.
Even though the North Carolina product may never escape his Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson ties, this year’s QB trade market stalling beyond Watson would be a boon for the free agent crop. Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr not being heavily involved in trade rumors stands to help the likes of Trubisky, Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater. Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, which may be becoming an iffier proposition than it appeared earlier this week, would also benefit the UFA crop, which includes Marcus Mariota as well.
Latest On Mitchell Trubisky’s Market
Mitchell Trubisky may not be destined for a future career as a backup after all. According to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com, Trubisky “is creating a lot of buzz,” and teams are pursuing the QB “with the expectation he’ll compete for a starting spot.”
Given what has thus far been a tepid QB trade market, the free agent-to-be is gaining momentum, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. While passer-needy teams’ fanbases would surely not be pleased with a Trubisky addition, the ex-Bears flameout may soon find himself with a true second-chance opportunity as a starter.
The 2017 second-overall pick wore out his welcome with the Bears following four inconsistent seasons. Thanks in part to the roller-coaster regular seasons, his 0-2 playoff record, and his label as a draft bust (especially when you consider that the two other first-round QBs were Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson), Trubisky had to settle for a backup gig in Buffalo in 2021. He really only saw stints in garbage time, completing six of eight passes attempts for 75 yards.
While Trubisky isn’t a sexy name, you can still see the semblance of a capable quarterback when you squint. He had a 29-21 record as a starter, and he tossed 64 touchdowns vs 37 interceptions during his four years in Chicago. Any suitors surely wouldn’t guarantee Trubisky a starting gig, but he would make sense to pair with a rookie or unproven young player.
So which teams will have interest in the 27-year-old? Pauline previously reported that the Steelers would make a run at the quarterback, and one source told the reporter that Pittsburgh “would be a great fit.”
Bills Want To Re-Sign Mitchell Trubisky
QB Mitchell Trubisky, taken by the Bears with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 draft, will always be compared to draftmates Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, who were selected that year at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively, and who obviously have enjoyed quite a bit more on-field success than Trubisky. Chicago declined Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021, and he ultimately had to settle for a backup job with the Bills, spending all of last season as Josh Allen‘s clipboard holder and Buffalo’s scout team quarterback.
All is not lost for the UNC product, however. Former Bears HC Matt Nagy received his walking papers last month, and Nagy’s inability to get much of anything out of his offense in his four years at the helm has reinforced the notion that Chicago’s issues may have had more to do with the coach than the QB. And as Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News recently wrote, Trubisky and the organization believe his year with the Bills has helped him grow as a player.
Brian Daboll, who spent the 2018-21 seasons as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator before recently being hired as the Giants’ head coach, said, “[Trubisky’s been] a good addition for us. I think he’s made strides in his game, both mentally and physically.” Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who appreciated Trubisky’s selflessness when running the scout team offense, also saw growth, saying, “[t]he way he comes to practice every day, you wouldn’t know that he’s not a starter currently in the league or the fact that he was a former starter.”
Trubisky himself said of the Bills’ offense, “[i]t’s a lot less restricted than what I’ve been in in the past. The quarterback has a lot more freedom to make checks, go where he wants with the ball, exploiting matchups and getting the optimal play for this team. So it’s been a really fun offense to learn, and I feel like it’s really quarterback friendly once you get it down.”
Although players like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Watson could be available on the trade market this offseason, there are teams that might consider signing Trubisky to compete for a starting job, knowing that they will at the very least have a quality backup. Clubs like the Steelers and Daboll’s Giants could make some sense in that regard, and Trubisky has also been loosely connected to the Browns in early rumors.
Interestingly, Bills GM Brandon Beane said he received some interest in Trubisky in advance of the 2021 trade deadline, but he rebuffed those inquiries because of Trubisky’s fit on a team that had designs on making a championship run. Beane understands that Allen’s physical style of play makes him more of an injury risk than other passers, and as such, he wants Trubisky back if the right opportunity does not materialize for him elsewhere.
“If anybody calls me about Mitch on another team, I’m going to give him a great recommendation,” Beane said. “And I’ve told him and his agent, if he doesn’t get what he wants, we’ve got a spot for him.”
Bills Move OL Jon Feliciano To IR
Jon Feliciano will miss some time for the Bills, who placed the starting guard on IR. A calf injury will sideline Feliciano for at least the next three games.
The veteran blocker has established himself as a steady starter in Buffalo, after having been a four-year Raiders backup. The Bills have used Feliciano as a first-stringer in all 31 games during his tenure, but injuries have intervened in each of the past two seasons.
Feliciano missed a game earlier this year and was down for nearly half of last season. A torn pec sustained last summer delayed Feliciano’s 2020 season by seven games, but he did not miss any time after returning to Buffalo’s lineup.
The Bills have some depth up front, but both Feliciano and rookie Spencer Brown — a third-round rookie who has started the past three games — are out for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Brown is not on Buffalo’s IR, but the small-school product will miss Week 9 due to a calf injury. Cody Ford and Ike Boettger remain healthy guard options for the AFC East leaders. While Ford, Boettger and Brown have each been part-time starters, Feliciano has not given up his starting spot.
In addition to the Feliciano move, the Bills placed Mitchell Trubisky on their reserve/COVID-19 list. Trubisky has served as Josh Allen‘s backup this season. Davis Webb will play that role Sunday, being bumped up from the practice squad. Jake Fromm remains on Buffalo’s coronavirus list. The Bills also elevated offensive lineman Jamil Douglas and tight end Quintin Morris from their practice squad.
Broncos Were Interested In Mitchell Trubisky?
Former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky joined the Bills on a modest one-year deal earlier this month, but the former No. 2 overall pick will be the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Josh Allen. One league source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that he was surprised by Trubisky’s decision to sign with Buffalo, because the Broncos had shown interest.
With the Bills, Trubisky will not have the opportunity to start unless Allen should suffer an injury that forces him to miss time. In Denver, he would have battled with third-year pro Drew Lock to become the starting signal-caller for a team with an intriguing collection of skill position talent and a potentially top-flight defense.
Obviously, the fact that the Broncos showed interest does not mean that they extended a contract offer. But it’s not as though Trubisky broke the bank on his contract with the Bills, and if he could have signed with Denver on even a veteran minimum pact, it might have been a good move for him as he seeks to re-establish himself as a legitimate starting quarterback. After all, Lock has mostly struggled through his first two years in the league, and new GM George Paton has said that he wants to bring in a veteran passer and may consider a collegiate QB with the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s draft. Clearly, Paton — who considered a trade for Matthew Stafford — is not committed to having Lock open the 2021 season under center.
In any event, Trubisky will attempt to put on quality tape in the preseason as a member of the Bills, and Paton’s search for competition for Lock continues. As Volin observes, the Broncos are a logical landing spot for Jimmy Garoppolo, but even after the 49ers’ blockbuster trade to acquire the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, it has been reported that San Francisco intends to keep Garoppolo this season.
Contract Details: Trubisky, Andrews, Carson, Jones, Reiff, Joyner
Let’s catch up on the latest contract details from around the league:
- QB Mitchell Trubisky, Bills: One-year, $2MM base salary with $1.5MM guaranteed, $500K signing bonus, and $2MM available in incentives. Via Field Yates of ESPN on Twitter.
- C David Andrews, Patriots: Four-years, $19 MM, with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. More money available in play-time incentives. Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Twitter.
- RB Chris Carson, Seahawks: Two-years, $10.425MM, $4.5MM signing bonus and $1MM guaranteed salary for 2021. $4.5MM non-guaranteed 2022 salary and $450K in per-game roster bonuses in ‘22. Up to $1.4MM in incentives in both years. Via Dan Graziano of ESPN on Twitter.
- RB Aaron Jones, Packers: Four-years, $48MM. The $13MM signing bonus is the only fully guaranteed money in the contract. A $3.5MM roster bonus is due on the first day of next league year. For 2023, a $7MM roster bonus is due on the third day of the league year. You can read the full breakdown of each year of the contract via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
- OL Riley Reiff, Bengals: One-year, $7.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. We hadn’t known the terms of this contract yet, and $7.5MM is a pretty decent price for the Bengals for a solid starting tackle. Via Yates on Twitter.
- S Lamarcus Joyner, Jets: One-year, up to $4.5MM. $2.5MM is guaranteed, with a $1MM signing bonus and $1.5MM base salary. Up to $500K in per game active roster bonuses and $1.5MM in playing time and interception incentives. Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
Bills, Mitchell Trubisky Agree To Deal
Mitchell Trubisky found a landing spot, and it will not give him a chance to start in 2021 (barring injury). The former Bears quarterback intends to sign with the Bills, Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report (on Twitter). The Bills have announced the signing. It’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
The former No. 2 overall pick will be set to back up Josh Allen in Buffalo. This marks the latest in a slew of bridge- or backup-level quarterback signings this week, and it will end Trubisky’s scrutinized four-year tenure in Chicago. It is a one-year agreement, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
A Cleveland-area native, Trubisky will return to the shores of Lake Erie in an effort to stabilize his career. While the Bears did advance to the playoffs in two of the maligned passer’s four seasons, Trubisky’s Chicago tenure veered off course quickly. The one-year North Carolina starter showed early in his run he was incapable of playing on the level of fellow 2017 first-round QBs Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. The Bears used Trubisky as a starter for most of his four seasons with the team but have since signed Andy Dalton.
This will put Trubisky ahead of another quarterback who has seen his value drop, with Jake Fromm now having a more difficult path to becoming Allen’s top backup. Once rumored as a first-round pick, the ex-Georgia passer went in the 2020 fifth round. Fromm now projects as Buffalo’s third-stringer again. Previous Bills backup Matt Barkley is a free agent.
The Bears, who traded up for Trubisky four years ago, turned to him as their Week 1 starter again in 2020. But Matt Nagy benched him in Week 3. However, Nagy reinstalled Trubisky as his QB1 after Nick Foles then struggled and suffered an injury. Trubisky helped the Bears beat some sub-.500 opposition down the stretch, but that run was good enough to lift the team to the postseason for the second time in three years. Trubisky, his Nickelodeon MVP award notwithstanding, struggled in a one-sided loss to the Saints. He will attempt to regroup behind Allen in Buffalo.
Bears GM Ryan Pace Discusses QB Plans
Nick Foles is the only Bears quarterback under contract in 2021, so there’s a good chance the organization will see at least a few changes at the position in 2021. GM Ryan Pace acknowledged as much during a conference call today, noting that the front office would literally explore every avenue as they determine who will be under center next season.
“Everything is on the table in regard to the quarterback situation,” Pace said (via the team’s website). “And, honestly, that includes players on our current roster, that includes free agency, trade, the draft and a combination of all those. We have a plan in place, and now it’s about executing that plan.”
As Pace noted, it won’t just be himself and head coach Matt Nagy making the decisions at quarterback. Rather, the front office will also be relying on input from offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator John DeFilippo, and offensive analyst Tom Herman, who the team hired yesterday.
We’ve already seen a pair of major quarterback trades this offseason, with the Bears seemingly being connected to every major trade option. However, Pace acknowledged that the team could find themselves setting an unofficial trade deadline if they don’t eventually reach an agreement with another team.
“You obviously have a lot of different things planned out with free agency and the draft, and the last thing you want to do is put yourself or the team in a bad position where you get kind of stuck,” Pace said. “So you have internal timelines based on the calendar year with free agency and the draft, and you operate from that.”
Pace seems to be willing to explore every option, but he wouldn’t give any clues as to whether the organization will retain former second-overall pick Mitch Trubisky. When asked if Trubisky could be back in 2021, the GM noted that “everything is on the table.”
“We’re not going to lay all that out right now,” Pace said. “Those are all internal discussions we’ve had. I would say, again, everything is on the table with all the quarterbacks.”
Latest On Patriots’ QB Outlook
We heard at the beginning of January that the Patriots and quarterback Cam Newton were unlikely to reunite in 2021, but a report from earlier this week suggested that the the door is not closed on a Newton return to Foxborough next season. And multiple sources tell Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that they would not be surprised to see the Pats re-sign the 2015 league MVP.
After all, HC Bill Belichick reportedly loved coaching Newton, and Volin hears that even after the 2020 campaign, Belichick has raved about the effort that Newton put forth last season. He is concerned about Newton’s arm strength — which is understandable given the 31-year-old’s disappointing passing performance during his first season with New England — but he appears open to continuing the relationship just the same. Newton, meanwhile, has been similarly candid about how much he enjoyed playing for the Pats, so if the two sides can agree to another inexpensive contract, a re-up could be in the cards.
Of course, the club has also had conversations about every quarterback in the league that could be available via trade, and the expectation remains that the Pats will select a QB in the early rounds of this year’s draft (perhaps with their No. 15 overall selection). So if Newton comes back, it obviously won’t be as anything more than a bridge option to a younger passer, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com suggests that the team could even re-sign Newton and pair him with another veteran.
If New England goes that route, one obvious option would be to re-sign longtime Patriot Brian Hoyer, as Volin notes. Volin also believes that Mitchell Trubisky could be on the Pats’ radar, and at this point in their respective careers, Trubisky certainly appears to have a higher ceiling than Newton. Some have connected the dots between New England and former Belichick draftee Jacoby Brissett, but Volin sees a Brissett signing as unlikely since he did not “click” with Belichick and OC Josh McDaniels before he was dealt to the Colts in 2017. Assuming the Patriots do end up adding two QBs this offseason, Jarrett Stidham‘s roster status will be very much in doubt.
One collegiate signal-caller that has been routinely mocked to the Patriots is Alabama QB Mac Jones. As Reiss notes in the piece linked above, former New England OC Charlie Weis was effusive in his praise of Jones, and Weis sees him as a perfect fit in the Pats’ offense. Though he is not as athletic as some of the other passers in this year’s class, Jones is more than capable of moving around in the pocket and can make accurate throws to every part of the field.
If the Pats really want Jones, though, they may have to trade up from the No. 15 pick. His stock is rising, and ESPN draftniks Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay both believe he will be off the board by the time New England is on the clock.