HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Latest On Vikings’ Quarterback Plans

April 11th, 2024 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making their intentions fairly clear via the March trade with the Texans, the Vikings are in position to present an intriguing offer to a team willing to trade out of this draft’s prime QB real estate. A path that would make Sam Darnold a bridge (at best) is firmly in play for Minnesota.

Third-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said this draft features multiple quarterbacks the Vikings “love,” creating a similar scenario to the 49ers of 2021. The team was high on multiple QBs when it acquired the No. 3 overall pick from the Dolphins, and the team had not decided which QB it would select when it made that move. The Vikings have not traded up yet, but it would not shock to hear offers emerging soon.

“There’s multiple guys that we’re in love with just on an outright basis, but there’s also other guys that we’re in love with given what — if we get them at a certain value — what they’d also be able to come with,” Adofo-Mensah said (via NFL.com) of this year’s QB class. “As I talked about earlier skillset-wise, if you’re talking about the ability to overcome context, well, if the guy has less ability but we have assets to go get somebody that’s not going to put him that situation, those things add up too.”

As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, the Vikings would prefer to trade up and land their long-term QB in this draft. But it takes two to tango here. A trade with the Patriots, Cardinals or Chargers would likely be necessary for the Vikings to acquire their preferred passer. All three have been linked to trading down, with Arizona perhaps the most willing trade partner. The expectation around the league points to the Vikes trading up for a passer, though the Commanders and Pats’ calls at Nos. 2 and 3 will influence — unless Minnesota strikes a deal with one of those teams — which arm the NFC North team will acquire.

It would appear Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy would be in play for the Vikings; one of them definitely will be on the board at No. 4, when the Cardinals (as of now) are slated to go on the clock. The Vikings are believed to be high on Daniels, who is set for a Minnesota meeting soon, and new QBs coach Josh McCown mentored Maye in high school. McCarthy is also coming up in Vikings rumors, offering more intrigue to this post-Kirk Cousins search.

Moving from 11 to 4 would be costly. It cost the 49ers two future first-rounders and a third to climb from 12 to 3 in 2021, but the Vikings are in better position thanks to acquiring the No. 23 overall pick from the Texans. That choice would certainly be attractive in a trade, and if the Vikings are required to send off a 2025 first-rounder, they would likely only go one draft — as opposed to two, as the 49ers did — without a first.

The Vikings have never drafted a quarterback in the top 10, though Daunte Culpepper (1999) and Christian Ponder (2011) were just outside that neighborhood. Ownership also may be making it known that, after the Cousins partnership moved to a year-to-year stage as the QB’s Twin Cities tenure wore on, a long-term option is needed now. The Vikings scheduled workouts with five of the draft’s top six passers (Maye, Daniels, McCarthy, Michael Penix, Bo Nix), ESPN.com’s Matt Miller adds, preferring to gauge them in that setting compared to at a controlled pro day. Kevin O’Connell was not at this year’s QB pro days, raising the stakes for these Minneapolis-area workouts.

Cousins joined Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Brett Favre as veteran fixes for the Vikings, who had seen their QB plan veer off course when Culpepper suffered ACL and MCL tears in 2005. The homegrown options Minnesota used in the years since did not last long, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury dealing the team another bad break. After Cousins left for Atlanta, his former team appears committed to finding a successor via a move up from No. 11.

“Just because something is risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it,” Adofo-Mensah said of a trade-up for a QB. “It’s something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right? And that’s something you have to weigh and measure. … You can look at countless examples of other teams who’ve made decisions, but maybe the decision you thought was going to be the decision, it was a different decision that ended up being right and the outcomes were good.

“… I think our odds will be better than the margins. How good are those odds? I think it’s still a pretty risky thing, but just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you’re scared from it, you’re scared of it — you just have to believe. It’s uncertain, right? It’s uncertain and we have to take our swing, but that doesn’t give us any pause, I would say.”

49ers Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin

April 11th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are not stopping at Isaac Yiadom at cornerback this offseason; they are adding another veteran outside cover man to the mix. Rock Ya-Sin is signing with the team, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes. The 49ers have since announced the agreement.

Ya-Sin, who spent last season with the Ravens, is joining the 49ers on a one-year deal. The former second-round pick will be part of the team’s boundary CB mix, joining Yiadom and a few others in the running to see regular time alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir.

Not signing with Baltimore until after last year’s draft, Ya-Sin did not stay on his path of starting jobs. A regular starter for both the Colts and Raiders, Ya-Sin only started one game with the Ravens. That came in Week 18, when the team rested much of its starters due to clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed previously. He logged a 29% defensive snap share last season, playing behind Marlon Humphrey and late-summer pickup Ronald Darby. Ya-Sin made just 13 tackles and broke up two passes as a Raven. He was on the field for just two defensive plays in the playoffs.

For his career, Ya-Sin has 39 starts on his resume. Nine of those came for the Raiders in 2022, though the former Colts draftee missed six 2022 games and has not played more than 13 in a season since his 2019 rookie year. A knee injury ended Ya-Sin’s Raiders season early. The Colts traded Ya-Sin to the Raiders straight up for Yannick Ngakoue; that relocation came in Ya-Sin’s contract year. The Temple alum, who worked as a Colts starter for parts of three seasons, will try for another bounce-back season.

Pro Football Focus ranked Ya-Sin as a mid-pack corner during his Raiders and Ravens years. In 2021, however, the advanced metrics site slotted Ya-Sin 29th at the position. Primarily playing on the outside, the soon-to-be 28-year-old defender will join a 49ers team that will feature an adjusted CB group from its Super Bowl LVIII plan. Logan Ryan primarily operated as San Francisco’s slot cog during the overtime loss to Kansas City; Ryan retired earlier this week.

The 49ers appear to be looking for an outside regular opposite Ward, which would allow Lenoir to shift to the slot in sub-packages. Lenoir and Ward are going into contract years. The 49ers added Yiadom and Ya-Sin to a group that includes Ambry Thomas, Darrell Luter and Samuel Womack. The defending NFC champs are casting a wide net in hopes of finding CB stability.

Giants Sign DT Jordan Phillips

April 11th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants have added some ex-Bills pieces on offense this offseason, bringing in Devin Singletary and Isaiah McKenzie. A defender from GM Joe Schoen‘s days in Buffalo will follow the skill-position players to the Big Apple.

Jordan Phillips is joining the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Enjoying two stints in Buffalo, Phillips overlapped with Schoen during his first run with the team. The 31-year-old defensive tackle will likely vie for a depth role with the Giants. The team has now announced the signing. This also reunites Phillips — a 2015 Dolphins second-rounder — with ex-Miami GM Dennis Hickey, who is now in the Giants’ front office.

Schoen was with the Bills as assistant GM when they claimed Phillips off waivers from the Dolphins in 2018. In 2019, the imposing inside presence set a career-high mark with 9.5 sacks. That showing led to a Cardinals free agency pact, but that deal did not end up providing much value for Arizona. After the Cardinals cut Phillips in 2022, he ended up back in Buffalo. While this brought a depth role in 2022, DaQuan Jones‘ early-season injury required more work from Phillips last season. The 341-pound defender started nine games in 2023.

The Giants roster one of the NFL’s best D-tackles, in Dexter Lawrence, but traded Leonard Williams to the Seahawks before last year’s deadline. The team also lost 2023 pickup A’Shawn Robinson in free agency; Robinson joined the Panthers last month. Phillips will be in the mix to supply some depth in a group that also includes Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson.

Pro Football Focus did not view Phillips as a productive player last season. The advanced metrics site graded the nine-year veteran as the second-worst DT regular, slotting him 129th overall. Phillips recorded 2.5 sacks and batted down five passes with the Bills. He has aided the team in the run game as well — most notably in 2019, when he posted 13 tackles for loss.

As Jones re-emerged from IR despite a torn pec, the Bills did not have Phillips to close out last season. Phillips ended the year on IR, suffering a dislocated wrist that kept him out of Buffalo’s final three regular-season games and both playoff contests. This signing also comes after the former second-round pick considered retirement earlier this year. Deciding against hanging up his cleats, Phillips will attempt to help a Giants team that also rosters ex-Bills D-end Boogie Basham.

Eagles Sign TE C.J. Uzomah

April 11th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

C.J. Uzomah will land in an intriguing spot. Released by the Jets earlier this offseason, Uzomah will move to a darker shade of green — save for throwback occasions. He is expected to sign with the Eagles, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

The veteran tight end visited the Eagles on Thursday and passed a physical. He is expected to sign a one-year deal to join the Eagles. After seven seasons in Cincinnati, Uzomah could not live up to his contract in New York. Then again, Jets pass catchers have not enjoyed too much to work with in recent years. This deal is now official.

[RELATED: Eagles Re-Sign TE Albert Okwuegbunam]

Now 31, Uzomah will not have a path to the starting tight end role in Philly. Dallas Goedert remains one of the NFL’s best all-around tight ends. While injury trouble has interrupted Goedert over the past two seasons, he is still tied to a through-2025 contract. The Eagles did not carry much TE depth behind their starter last season; Uzomah would stand to provide more help in a TE2 role. He is poised to replace Jack Stoll, who signed with the Giants last month.

The Bengals rostered Uzomah as a Tyler Eifert backup to start his career, with Tyler Kroft also on that depth chart at the time. Gradually working his way into playing time (due to frequent Eifert injuries), Uzomah posted two 400-plus-yard receiving seasons. He delivered his best slate in 2021, helping the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in 33 years. Uzomah caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns.

That season certainly featured prime circumstances for the former fifth-round pick, with Joe Burrow throwing him passes and the Bengals rolling out a Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins–Tyler Boyd trio for the first time. Uzomah tallied back-to-back 60-plus-yard playoff performances — against the Raiders and Titans — before suffering an MCL sprain in the AFC championship game. While Uzomah returned for Super Bowl LVI, he caught two passes for 11 yards.

With the Jets, the 6-foot-5 pass catcher’s numbers cratered. The Jets gave Uzomah a three-year, $24MM deal ($15MM fully guaranteed) in 2022 but did not see him flash much of his Bengals form. Uzomah totaled just 290 receiving yards as a Jet, losing time to fellow free agent pickup Tyler Conklin. As the Zach Wilson era wound down in New York, Uzomah finished the season on IR. He sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons.

Uzomah, who also has an Achilles tear on his medical sheet (from 2020), provides value in the run game as well. In his 240-snap season, Uzomah graded fourth among tight ends in run blocking (per Pro Football Focus) last season. After helping Joe Mixon in Cincinnati as well, Uzomah — provided he completes his latest rehab effort — stands to see time helping Saquon Barkley find running room for an Eagles team that has deployed one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks for years.

QB J.J. McCarthy To Visit Commanders

April 11th, 2024 at 12:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders are projected to select a quarterback second overall, but three candidates are in place to become the team’s next franchise passer. By the time the draft takes place, all three will have made a visit to the nation’s capital.

[POLL: How Will Commanders Proceed At No. 2?]

Washington will meet with J.J. McCarthy next week, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. He adds the same is also true of Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, both of whose ‘top 30’ visits have previously been reported. Considering every signal-caller not named Caleb Williams will likely be on the board when the Commanders make their selection, it comes as no surprise the team is evaluating each option at the position.

McCarthy entered the pre-draft process as part of the second tier of passers behind the Williams-Maye-Daniels trio. The Michigan product has seen his stock soar in recent weeks, however, owing in large part to an impressive showing at his Pro Day. A report from last month indicated McCarthy could be in play at second overall, and Washington’s interest in an in-person visit certainly suggests that is still the case.

Helping lead the Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national title, McCarthy was not leaned on heavily by Michigan’s run-first offense. His performances in workouts along with his age (21) has led to strong projections based on his upside, though. As is the case with Daniels and Maye, opinions are split amongst NFL evaluators regarding where McCarthy should (and will) end up being selected later this month.

A survey of various active and former general managers, scouts, coaches and ex-players who are now analysts conducted by The Athletic’s Ben Standig slotted McCarthy as the class’ fourth-best quarterback (subscription required). Two of those who were polled ranked him second overall, however, and it will be interesting to see which assessments match the one ultimately made by Commanders’ new regime.

First-year general manager Adam Peters, new head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will be key players in the decision-making process at No. 2 overall. Washington has Marcus Mariota in place, but a rookie selected with the team’s top pick would have the chance to earn the starting gig right away. Passers with more college experience will be on the board when the time comes to make a selection, but McCarthy will nevertheless receive consideration.

Patriots, S Kyle Dugger Agree To Deal

April 11th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

APRIL 11: Dugger’s new pact is guaranteed in full for its first two years; he will collect $29.75MM over that span, as detailed by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin (the additional $2.75MM guaranteed, set to paid out in Year 3, is conditional). The contract includes an $18MM signing bonus along with per-game roster bonuses worth up to $5MM. Dugger’s cap hit will sit at $7.5MM in 2024 before rising to $11MM the following season, then $12.5MM and $13.5MM.

APRIL 7: Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is no longer on the transition tag. Per Mike Garafolo and Eric Edholm of NFL Media, player and team are in agreement on a four-year contract, which NFL Media colleague Ian Rapoport says has a base value of $58MM (including $32.5MM in guaranteed money). The maximum value, according to Rapoport, is $66MM.

This offseason, New England made it a point to retain its homegrown talent, re-signing players like Michael Onwenu, Anfernee Jennings, and Josh Uche. At one time, Dugger seemed the likeliest of that group to remain in Foxborough on a long-term basis, with the Patriots submitting a $13MM/year offer to the Lenoir-Rhyne product shortly before the deadline to apply the franchise or transition tag. The two sides were unable to come to terms prior to that deadline, which compelled the Pats to deploy the transition tag, but it ultimately did not take too long for an agreement to be consummated.

Per the rules of the transition tag, if Dugger had signed an offer sheet with another team and New England declined to match the offer sheet, the Patriots would have received no draft pick compensation. Fortunately for them, no outside club extended an offer, as Dan Duggan of The Athletic confirms. As such, all the Pats needed to do was bump the average annual value of Dugger’s new contract ($14.5MM) slightly above the $13.8MM transition tag value to get a deal done.

In terms of both AAV and total guarantees, Dugger now ranks fifth in the league’s safety hierarchy (excluding Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who remains on the franchise tag as of the time of this writing). That underscores his importance to New England’s defense, a unit that finished in the top-10 in total yardage and defensive DVOA in 2023.

Now 28, Dugger has been a full-time starter for most of his four-year career, racking up nine interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and 20 passes defensed along the way. He has not yet earned any Pro Bowl acclaim, and his Pro Football Focus evaluation in 2023 was less than ideal; PFF assigned him an abysmal 50.0 coverage grade and considered him the 68th-best safety out of 95 qualified players.

While it is true that Dugger is more suited to play near the line of scrimmage — he eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in his career last season — he did yield a fairly modest 82.7 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction in 2023, and his PFF evaluation was much more favorable in 2022, when the advanced metrics placed him as the 11th-best safety among 88 qualifiers.

Regardless of what PFF might say, the Patriots clearly consider Dugger to be a foundational player and value his versatility (in addition to lining up in the box and at free safety, he has also seen action as a slot and boundary corner, on special teams, and even on the D-line). His new contract will keep him under club control into the Pats’ next competitive window.

Vikings Schedule Meeting With QB Jayden Daniels

April 11th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Adam La Rose

As one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s class, Jayden Daniels remains busy with respect to in-person meetings with potential NFL destinations. That process will see him take part in a private visit with the Vikings.

Minnesota has lined up a second summit with the reigning Heisman winner, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Daniels had already booked a ‘top 30’ visit with the Vikings, and it comes as no surprise the team is taking an extended look in this case. Minnesota has frequently been linked to a trade moving the team up the order from 11th overall into the top five.

In the event that were to take place, Daniels may very well be the target. Plenty of intrigue exists at the top of the board with the draft drawing nearer, as only Caleb Williams-Bears connections with the No. 1 pick are believed to be certain. After Williams (presumably) hears his name called first on Day 1, Daniels (who is also set to visit Washington) is one of the top candidates to be selected second overall by the Commanders. Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy join him in that regard.

Daniels threw at LSU’s Pro Day, after he declined to take part in testing or measurements at the NFL Combine. As a result, it would come as little surprise if the Vikings preferred to have him take part in a workout when making his return to Minnesota. The team has not sent large contingents to many Pro Days this offseason, instead opting for private visits. Daniels’ frame has been the only main criticism he has faced so far, as detailed by Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. Compliments based on his processing and ability to make throws while on the move has helped his stock’s notable rise during the build-up to the draft.

After watching Kirk Cousins depart in free agency, Minnesota signed Sam Darnold on a one-year deal. The Vikings have nevertheless been named as a team to watch regarding a long-term investment under center, and the acquisition of a second Day 1 pick (No. 23, from the Texans) has given them the capital to move up the board. Daniels is firmly on Minnesota’s radar as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Co. contemplate an aggressive QB addition later this month.

Browns Rework Nick Chubb’s Contract

April 11th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Adam La Rose

Ahead of free agency, signs pointed to Nick Chubb remaining with the Browns as he continues to recover from the major knee injury which ended his 2023 campaign. That will indeed be the case, with team and player working out a revised contract for the upcoming season.

The four-time Pro Bowl running back has agreed to a restructured deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. Chubb has lowered his base salary ($11.78MM) for 2024, the final year of his contract. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that figure will now check in at $6.28MM. His scheduled cap hit – $15.83MM – will unsurprisingly come down as well, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com adds.

Incentives are in place on this new arrangement, which will give Chubb the opportunity to earn back the $12.2MM in total compensation he was previously due. Much of his ability to do so, of course, will depend on when he is able to return to game action. Cleveland expects the 28-year-old to play at some point in 2024, and in the event that happens both sides will enter next offseason with more clarity regarding his future in the organization.

The high cap hit the Browns were set to carry in the final year of Chubb’s deal led some to speculate he could become a cut candidate. However, the team has remained confident the former second-rounder can return to his pre-injury form upon receiving medical clearance. Chubb has undergone two operations aimed at repairing the damage done to his MCL during Week 2 of the 2023 season. Prior to that injury, he had generally been healthy throughout his career.

The Browns’ run game is at its best with Chubb in the picture, and the team took a step back in production on the ground without him last year. Cleveland was not among the big spenders at the RB spot during free agency, but both pass catcher/returner Nyheim Hines and journeyman D’Onta Foreman have been added on one-year deals this offseason. They will join incumbents Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong in the backfield to start the season.

Cleveland entered Thursday with $3.9MM in cap space, one of the lowest figures in the league. The Browns’ financial situation remains tight in large part because a new restructure has not been agreed to with quarterback Deshaun Watson; the latter is set to carry a cap hit of $63.77MM in 2024 as things currently stand. While it will be interesting to see what happens in Watson’s case, Chubb’s immediate financial future has been clarified.

Eagles, DeVonta Smith Discussing Extension

April 10th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Extending A.J. Brown upon trading for him during the 2022 draft, the Eagles paired that contract with DeVonta Smith‘s rookie deal for two seasons. Philadelphia now appears prepared to have two highly paid receivers.

The Eagles have begun extension discussions with Smith, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus reports. This could be challenging, as the team has Jalen Hurts on a top-market QB deal as well. The team also recently re-upped Landon Dickerson on a guard-record pact and reached a third contract agreement with Jordan Mailata, pairing with Lane Johnson‘s deal — one that leads the right tackle market.

But Smith has become a key performer for an Eagles team that had struggled with homegrown receiver investments prior to the 2021 draft, helping lead to the Brown trade. While the Eagles have time with Smith — thanks to the fifth-year option — they have been proactive with other players on the extension front. Optimism exists a deal will be completed in the near future, McManus adds.

Philly’s cap sheet makes Smith extension talks fascinating. The team has been good at managing its payroll, with restructures and void years regularly coming into play to help Howie Roseman‘s club afford some of the high-priced talent brought in. But this many upper-crust deals on one offense would be an interesting NFL roster-building chapter.

Even with their bevy of high-end contracts on offense — Dallas Goedert‘s and Saquon Barkley‘s included — the Eagles sit fourth in the NFL in cap space, holding just more than $30MM. The team packed in seven void years on Hurts’ deal, keeping the cap hits at a manageable level in the near future. The QB is only attached to $13.5MM and $21.7MM cap numbers in 2024 and ’25. That stands to help the Eagles afford some of their recent extensions. But teams do not make a habit of rolling out two big-ticket receiver deals, and what the Eagles would be aiming to do would surpass where the Chargers and Buccaneers have gone recently. A Smith extension now would also break new ground due to the terms of his rookie contract.

Since the 2011 CBA introduced the fifth-year option, 10 offseasons have brought May deadlines attached to first-rounders’ contracts. In that span, no team has authorized an extension for a rookie-deal wide receiver with two seasons of club control remaining. Through the option, the Eagles can keep Smith on his rookie contract through 2025. That buys them some time, leverage-wise, and the likes of Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb played four seasons on their rookie deals. Because Jefferson and Lamb did so, the receiver market looks set for another spike.

Both players are going into their fifth-year option seasons, and each is in position to break Tyreek Hill‘s receiver AAV record ($30MM). Each could do so by a notable margin as well. With Ja’Marr Chase ticketed for a record-setting deal in 2025 (in all likelihood), the Eagles — who have been early on extensions for O-linemen and QBs, with Carson Wentz being re-upped ahead of Year 4 back in 2019, under Roseman — may be motivated to strike early here.

Smith, 25, does not have a case to land a record-setting contract. Although the slender Eagles pass catcher has put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, he is not the No. 1 receiver on his own team. Brown broke a longstanding Eagles single-season receiving yards record in 2022; he is attached to a $25MM-per-year extension. The Brown-Smith tandem has crossed the 1,000-1,000 barrier in each of its two seasons together.

With the salary cap ballooning at a record rate this year, though, players are cashing in. This represents good news for this wideout crop, though it will be interesting to see where the Eagles are comfortable going for the 2020 Heisman winner.

Raiders Owner Mark Davis OK With First-Round Trade?

April 10th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Currently set to pick 13th overall, the Raiders will need to move up the board if the team decides to use its top pick on one of the 2024 class’ top quarterbacks. An addition of some kind under center is expected, and a move aimed at acquiring Jayden Daniels in particular would be a costly endeavor in terms of draft capital.

Las Vegas already has Aidan O’Connell – who finished his rookie season as the team’s starter and will at least have the chance to retain QB1 duties in 2024 – along with free agent signing Gardner Minshew in place at the quarterback spot. The Raiders also have a new general manager in Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce (who closed out the 2023 campaign on an interim basis) as a first-time NFL head coach. Electing to stay at No. 13 could thus serve the purpose of retaining draft assets while allowing a new regime to add at other roster spots.

However, ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez reports Raiders owner Mark Davis “has given his blessing” to Telesco and Pierce to make a trade in the first round. While that could of course include a move down the order, it would also mean an aggressive effort aimed at landing a passer like Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy or Daniels could be on the table if a partner were to be found. The latter has been named as the top choice for a hypothetical Raiders trade-up maneuver (along with, notably, that of the Vikings).

Daniels has a connection with Pierce given their time together at Arizona State. The reigning Heisman winner is a candidate to hear his name called second overall, though, putting him firmly on the Commanders’ radar. After Washington (a team expected to retain the No. 2 pick), the Patriots are in line to add a signal-caller if they elect not to trade down. Other teams – such as the Vikings and Broncos – are candidates to move into the top five to acquire a QB, while the Giants (No. 6) have also received the green light from ownership to spend a first-round pick at the position.

Provided the same holds true for the Raiders, they will remain a team to watch closely as the draft draws nearer. Vegas has met with not only Daniels but also Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, passers generally regarded as second-tier prospects in the 2024 class. If a trade partner can be found near the top of the board, though, it will be interesting to see if Telesco, Pierce and the Raiders decide to pursue a high-profile quarterback addition later this month.

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