Teams Likely To Move Up For QBs In 2024 Draft
For much of the 2023 football season, there was a clear 1-2 punch at the top of the list of 2024 draft eligible quarterbacks. It was also widely believed that this year’s crop would provide a good bit of depth throughout all stages of the draft. Both of those opinions appear to be up for debate now as depth issues and the projected 2025 class have teams thinking twice about how long they can wait for a young project passer this April. 
The clarity at the top of the draft has been muddied a bit by the meteoric rise of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has pushed North Carolina’s Drake Maye for the honor of QB2 behind Caleb Williams from USC. For some time, it was thought that the first-round considerations ended there, but all of the sudden, three other college passers have entered the conversation of Day 1 draft candidates.
Initially, quarterbacks like Michigan national champ J.J. McCarthy, national championship runner-up Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington, and Oregon’s Bo Nix were considered strong contributors to the depth of the draft’s quarterback class, slotting in as likely Day 2 picks. The depth behind them, though, began to slim down as fringe Day 2-3 passers saw the allure of returning to the NIL-potential of college ball and a chance to better their stock for the subsequent year’s draft.
This migration of 2024 depth pieces to the 2025 class has also done little to improve the projection of next year’s quarterback crop. It improves the depth of the 2025 quarterback class, but the group of passers in college next year remains bottom-heavy. Early class headliners like Texas passer Quinn Ewers, Georgia’s Carson Beck, and the prodigal son at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders, all give reasons to excite, but none have cemented themselves as first-rounders and, beyond them, the cupboard is quite bare for top talent.
A few veterans who once sought Day 1 acclaim have disappointed in recent years to the point where they have left for greener college pastures in an attempt to rejuvenate their potential draft status. Journeyman Dillon Gabriel, who has spent three years at UCF and two years at Oklahoma, will spend his final year of eligibility replacing Nix in Eugene. Once promising Duke passer Riley Leonard will try to replace Sam Hartman as the next leader at Notre Dame. A former freshman phenom at Miami (FL), Tyler Van Dyke will try to reestablish his passing prowess at Wisconsin. The Hurricanes will replace Van Dyke with former Washington State passer Cameron Ward, who backed off an earlier declaration for this year’s draft in order to announce his transfer to Coral Gables. After an injury-ruined 2023, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, one of a few talented passers who returned to their college home instead of transferring, is on the shortlist of Heisman Trophy contenders after impressing in 2022.
A number of sophomore passers will hope to have breakout years that help them rise like Daniels has this offseason. Penn State’s Drew Allar has impressed early with his efficiency, throwing for 29 touchdowns to just two interceptions in his first two years, but has a tendency to disappear from a gameplan far too easily. Conner Weigman has done little to inspire much confidence in College Station, but the former five-star recruit will hope to rebound for new head coach Mike Elko. Lastly, SMU redshirt sophomore Preston Stone will look to take the next step this year under Rhett Lashlee, who coached the earlier-mentioned Van Dyke to his best season in south Florida.
There are several other names that could be added to the previous few paragraphs, but the inability of any of these players, like Florida State’s transfer addition D.J. Uiagalelei, new Ohio State passer Will Howard, new Huskies quarterback Will Rogers, or any of the players above, to separate themselves above the rest of the batch is a testament to the lack of true top talent in next year’s class. The potential depth is real, but if none of these names can establish themselves as potential Day 1 or 2 picks, the 2025 class faces the same dangers as this year’s group as any passers with remaining eligibility will turn back to NIL money if the NFL has yet to warm up to them.
Because of this lack of excitement in the 2025 crop, there’s belief that teams this year may be a bit more eager to take a quarterback, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. This sentiment was echoed today by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, who stated his belief that four to five teams could be looking to move up for a passer leading up to the draft due to the lack of top talent in next year’s group. This hasn’t changed the status much of the established Day 1 picks for this year, though it could push likely mid-first-rounders like Daniels and Maye up closer to the draft position of Williams. The real effect has been attributed to the likely Day 2 picks, Penix, McCarthy, and Nix. 
The increased interest in this year’s fringe group can already be seen on the big board of Trevor Sikkema at Pro Football Focus. Sikkema has ranked Penix and Nix at 20th and 22nd overall, respectively, on his 2024 NFL Draft big board, placing them securely in the first round, if his rankings at all reflect NFL interest. McCarthy trails a bit, ranked at 57th, while Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt provides the only decent depth at 75th overall.
Since it’s becoming more and more likely that the Bears will keep their No. 1 overall draft slot, it falls to the Commanders (No. 2) and Patriots (No. 3) to decide how valuable Maye and Daniels will be. Both teams are likely to be interested in adding a quarterback this offseason themselves, but if they decide to stick with young passers Sam Howell or Bailey Zappe or address their needs through free agency, they could potentially cash in on a team more desperate to add a top passing prospect.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Raiders (No. 13) and the Vikings (No. 11) as potential teams to move up for a quarterback. Las Vegas is set to head into 2024 with their two veterans, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell, who took over as the starter for much of last year. Minnesota, on the other hand, is set to watch Kirk Cousins and Joshua Dobbs head to free agency, leaving only Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall on the roster.
While those two teams could prove to be contenders for Maye or Daniels, the possibilities are far more numerous for new potential Day 1 picks like Penix and Nix. They could end up falling anywhere in the first round, getting selected in the late-teens or seeing teams trade up at the end of the first night to guarantee that fifth-year option granted to first-round picks. Regardless, teams are being forced to do their homework on future draft classes in order to determine their quarterback needs for this year. The result could see up to five or six passers hearing their names called on the night of April 25th.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley Speaks On Free Agency
Another week, another update on the contract situation of Giants running back Saquon Barkley. In the newest addition to the saga, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post makes the suggestion that the team faces a potential win-win scenario in letting Barkley test free agency, a strategy that Barkley claims he would welcome. 
In Dunleavy’s scenario, the Giants would put negotiations in the hands of the open market. This would be slightly similar to when the Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, allowing other teams to submit offer sheets and, effectively, set the market for their franchise quarterback. Baltimore’s efforts were for naught, though, as other teams saw through the fairly transparent move and opted not to do the Ravens’ work for them. The strategy could work a little better for New York, as unrestricted free agency would not pose quite the same risks for interested parties as submitting offer sheets would’ve for teams wanting Jackson.
Dunleavy suggests that this strategy would need to include a handshake agreement between Barkley and the team that Barkley would “bring his best offer back to the table before signing elsewhere.” Barkley has been vocal in his desires to remain with the Giants long-term. If the team has faith in Barkley’s sincerity, they may be willing to allow Barkley to walk and test the market under the agreement that they will have an opportunity to match any offers made to their franchise back.
“I wouldn’t be against that. That’s fair,” Barkley said of the suggestion. “They know where I want to be. Ownership said they want me to be a Giant for life, too. Last year, we tried our best at the end. Business happened, and we didn’t get it done.”
Barkley is bullish about his self-worth. When the Giants opted for an essential prove-it year during the 2022 season, Barkley accepted the challenge, delivering his most productive year since his rookie campaign. The veteran’s Pro Bowl efforts made things even tougher in negotiations. As the running back position’s collective worth continues to dip in recent years, here Barkley was, proving he was among the best at the position and deserve to be paid like so.
The Giants balked at paying Barkley the numbers being seen by 49ers rusher Christian McCaffrey or Saints back Alvin Kamara. When the two sides failed to reach a long-term agreement to lock down Barkley, they agreed to settle for a one-year, $10.09MM contract, delaying negotiations for another year.
In a second consecutive prove-it season, Barkley mostly delivered, yet again, falling only 38 yards short of the 1,000-yard rushing mark despite missing three contests. Had Barkley appeared in those extra three games, he certainly had the potential to match many of the figures he had put up in 2022. And, though durability has been a point of focus in negotiations of running back value, missing three games is hardly grounds for a significant change in Barkley’s contract numbers.
Regardless, Barkley continues to stand on his desires. His willingness to try Dunleavy’s suggested plan also proves that he remains confident in his value. The likelihood of a team trusting the future of their best offensive player to a handshake agreement seems rather unlikely, but the sentiment is noted. The Giants appreciate their star rusher, but seemingly not enough to pay a little over market value to secure him long-term. So, perhaps, the best chance to determine Barkley’s value will have to come from the interest of the open market.
Injury Updates: Hockenson, Uzomah, Covey
A career-year was cut short for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson when the 26-year-old suffered tears in both his ACL and MCL. Hockenson was forced out of Minnesota’s Week 16 loss to the Lions, officially putting an end to his fifth NFL season.
After waiting 36 days in order to allow his MCL to heal, Hockenson underwent surgery to repair his ACL at the end of January, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Seifert reported no complications from the procedure and a typical recovery period of nine months. Training camp for Minnesota is set to begin six months from the date of his surgery, so there’s a growing possibility that Hockenson will miss a chunk of the 2024 season.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL as the season nears its close this weekend:
- Another tight end, one who’s been around a bit longer than Hockenson, also suffered a season-ending injury late in the year. Jets veteran C.J. Uzomah sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, recovery is going well, though rehab is reportedly “way worse” than when he came back from an Achilles tendon injury a few years. Uzomah is headed into a contract year with New York, but his injury combined with an impending cap hit of $11.22MM could put him at risk of being a cap casualty. A potential out in his contract would allow the team to release him with only $5.92MM in dead money.
- Second-year Eagles wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey was reportedly dealing with a quadriceps injury down the stretch of the season, per EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee at the opening of last year’s offseason, and he seemed to be under the impression that his quad issues were a byproduct from that previous injury.
CB Stephon Gilmore Wants To Re-Sign With Cowboys
Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore just completed his 12th season in the NFL, playing for his fourth team in as many years. Despite this recent bouncing around, Gilmore has proclaimed his interest in remaining in Dallas for the 2024 season, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. 
“I want to come back,” Gilmore said on a local radio show. “We can’t talk until March, but that’s the goal, because I think we do have the pieces to get to where we want to go, and I want to be part of that.”
Gilmore, 33, has struggled with injury in recent years, though his season stats may not show it. After missing five games, including the final two with a partially torn quad, in 2020, Gilmore would miss the first seven weeks of the 2021 season due to the prior year’s injury. He’d make a strong rebound in 2022, starting every game but the season finale in Indianapolis, but injuries would turn their ugly head once again in 2023.
Three weeks ago, it was reported that Gilmore had found out that he had torn his labrum in his right shoulder before Super Wild Card weekend. An injury like that is certainly grounds for season-ending surgery that late in the season. Gilmore, though, made the conscious decision to delay surgery, toughing it out for what he hoped would be the second Super Bowl run of his career. Gilmore wore a shoulder harness and played 100 percent of the defensive snaps for Dallas in their loss to the Packers. He would’ve done that three more times, if given the opportunity.
With the Cowboys’ season officially ended after their loss to the Packers, Gilmore underwent surgery soon after, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Gilmore’s surgery has an expected recovery period of four to six months, so wherever he chooses to sign, he should be able to make a return in time for training camp. Whether or not the limited communication until March that Gilmore mentioned is self-imposed is not quite clear, as the two sides should have full access to each other for negotiations. Regardless, Gilmore has interest in his training camp return being with the Cowboys.
Patriots Hire Dont’a Hightower As LBs Coach
The trend of former players turning to coaching after their playing careers end continued today with former Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower getting hired to coach his former team’s linebackers group, according to his agents at SportsTrust Advisors. ESPN’s Mike Reiss posted that the hiring seemed to complete the main coaching hires on the defensive side of the ball, indicating that cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino would be returning to coach the position in 2024. 
Hightower was a 2012 first-round addition out of Alabama for the Patriots back in 2012. An immediate starter, Hightower performed at a high level for the entirety of his ten-year career, all of which saw him play in red, white, and blue. The two-time Pro Bowler’s only big issue throughout his career was durability. Throughout his time in New England, he only appeared in every game of a season once and missed 11 games in 2017 due to a torn pectoral muscle. He also was one of the few NFL players who opted out of the 2020 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hightower would return for the 2021 season and, after going unsigned in 2022, would retire in 2023. Hightower finished his career with 569 total tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, two forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries. He hit the quarterback 67 times, intercepted them once, and deflected 18 passes over his career.
Hightower will return to the NFL as a coach for the only team he ever played for, joining his former teammate, and new head coach, Jerod Mayo. With former defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington taking over as defensive coordinator, Hightower is joining new defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, returning safeties coach Brian Belichick, and Pellegrino as the position coaches on the defensive staff. This should conclude the major hires on this side of the ball, though minor roles may still be filled.
Speaking of a minor coaching role, New England is reportedly finalizing a deal to bring in former Panthers assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler, per Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal. Kugler is a hot name in coaching circles who is viewed as a possible candidate for offensive coordinator jobs in the not-too-distant future.
Buccaneers Hire Thomas McGaughey As ST Coordinator
After the Giants fired long-time special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey a month ago, the veteran coach became a hot name around the league for different vacancies. After interviewing at a few other spots, McGaughey will reportedly land with the Buccaneers as their new special teams coordinator, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
The Buccaneers spared no effort in their attempts to find Keith Armstrong‘s replacement. On the day the team interviewed McGaughey, the Buccaneers also confirmed an interview with former Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, according to Buccaneers senior writer/editor Scott Smith. Smith also reported that Tampa Bay gave defensive/special teams assistant Keith Tandy an opportunity to interview for the coordinator job, as well. Seahawks special teams coach Larry Izzo also was confirmed to have interviewed, per Smith.
Interview reports continued to roll in over the last two days, with Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports posting that Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano would get to interview for a potential return to Tampa Bay, where he coached back from 2012-13. Jenna Laine of ESPN unveiled the most recent interviewee yesterday to be University of Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods.
McGaughey is a respected special teams veteran who has spent significant time coaching at the college and professional level. After starting as a graduate assistant at the University of Houston, McGaughey first broke into the NFL as a Bill Walsh Minority Fellow for the Chiefs in 2001. He earned the assistant special teams coordinator job the following year but left in 2003 to become the special teams coordinator back at his alma mater in Houston.
After two years back with the Cougars, McGaughey returned to the NFL for assistant special teams coordinator jobs with the Broncos and Giants. Once again, he would depart for a coordinator gig at the collegiate level, this time heading to LSU. After three years in Baton Rouge, McGaughey finally got his first NFL coordinator position with the Jets in 2014. He followed that up with a one-year stint in the same position for the 49ers and a two-year stint with the Panthers.
In 2018, McGaughey returned for his second job with the Giants, this time as the official special teams coordinator. He held the position for six years despite multiple hurdles along the way. The position group he inherited was a mess, he was diagnosed with periampullary cancer in 2020, and injuries decimated his unit this past season, leading to his eventual dismissal.
Despite the poor results at times in New York, many teams were interested as soon as he became available. McGaughey interviewed for the job in New England and was an interviewee in Tennessee, as well, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. In the end, though, he’ll end up replacing Armstrong, who made the move to retire a little over a week ago after five years in Tampa Bay.
The team made two other adjustments to their staff in the last few days. Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that Saints assistant offensive line coach Kevin Carberry would be joining the Buccaneers staff as the team’s new offensive line coach. Additionally, defensive assistant Mike Chiurco, who previously served as assistant to the head coach under Bruce Arians, is no longer with the team, per Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Cowboys To Interview Jets’ Marquand Manuel
The Cowboys added another name to their list of defensive coordinator candidates today, scheduling an interview with Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the meeting will take place tomorrow. 
Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later.
When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.
Manuel would be an interesting choice to replace former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, having worked for two years as Quinn’s defensive coordinator in Atlanta. He faces some stiff competition for the job as the list of candidates includes a number or current Cowboys assistants and multiple former NFL head coaches:
- Aden Durde, defensive line coach (Cowboys): Interviewed 2/6
- Al Harris, cornerbacks coach (Cowboys): Mentioned as candidate
- Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): To interview 2/8
- Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 2/5
- Rex Ryan, former head coach (Bills): Interviewed
- Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Frontrunner?; hired as Commanders DC
- Mike Zimmer, former head coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/6
Chiefs Activate WR Skyy Moore, Place DE Charles Omenihu On IR
As the Chiefs continue to prepare for their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance (their fourth in five years) and attempt to become the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in the ’03 and ’04 seasons, the team continues to tinker with its roster. Today’s adjustment saw Kansas City activate wide receiver Skyy Moore off of injured reserve and place defensive end Charles Omenihu on IR in his place. 
After a fairly pedestrian rookie season last year, Moore was expected to take on a bigger role in his sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, Moore was only barely outpacing his rookie numbers when he suffered a knee injury in a Week 15 victory in New England that would land him on IR and force him to miss the remainder of the regular season.
After the team’s Wild Card win over the Dolphins, Kansas City opened the young wide out’s 21-day practice window, allowing him to return in time for the Super Bowl if possible. Today was the last possible day that the Chiefs were able to activate him off of IR. Moore was a full participant in practice today, so he should be able to step in as a second-string receiver should things continue to trend in the right direction.
Omenihu, third on the team in sacks this season (7.0), suffered a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the Ravens. With his season officially over, it was only a matter of time before he found himself on IR. As it turns out, Kansas City was waiting until it could add a new name to the active roster in his place. The injury means Omenihu will miss a grudge match against his former team on the biggest stage possible.
As for the rest of the Chiefs’ injury report, all but two players were full participants at today’s practice, meaning running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who both were limited participants for most of the week before the AFC title game, are in better shape heading into the season finale. Today’s sole limited participant was running back Jerick McKinnon, who has served as the team’s second receiving back throughout the season.
The only non-participant at today’s practice was first-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Thuney missed the team’s win in Baltimore with a pectoral injury and isn’t expected to make a comeback this weekend. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that he “would probably bet towards (Nick) Allegretti playing” in the Super Bowl, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Allegretti made his second start of the season a week and a half ago as an injury replacement for Thuney and is expected to make his third on Sunday.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/7/24
Today’s only reserve/futures deal:
Detroit Lions
The next NFL stop for Smith will be Detroit after an uneventful season in Denver. Smith had initially followed Sean Payton and company to the Broncos after five seasons with the Saints, but injuries and an inability to make his way off the practice squad led to only one game appearance in 2023, in which he played only ten snaps for Denver. When healthy, Smith has proven to be a productive supporting receiver, demonstrated by 17 touchdowns over the course of his four-year rookie contract in New Orleans. If he can shake the injury bug and get to looking like his old self, the veteran could be a nice addition to a talented, young wide receiving corps.
Chargers Hire Greg Roman As OC
FEBRUARY 7: The Chargers have officially hired Roman, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The veteran coach is also expected to be named offensive coordinator. This will be Roman’s fourth crack as an NFL OC. He served in that capacity for the 49ers (under Jim Harbaugh) and Ravens (under John), along with the Bills.
FEBRUARY 5: Former NFL offensive coordinator Greg Roman is on the cusp of making a return to the NFL as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that he is expected to join the Chargers in a prominent capacity. Roman is not only going to be rejoining the NFL, he will also be joining the staff of a Harbaugh in the NFL for the third time in his career. 
After spending the 2023 season away from the NFL following his resignation from Baltimore’s offensive coordinator position under John Harbaugh, Roman is primed to return to the league under John’s younger brother, Jim Harbaugh. Jim is fresh off a National Championship victory with the Michigan Wolverines and, after years of anticipation, has finally decided to make the leap back to coaching at the NFL level in Los Angeles. With his return, the younger Harbaugh has opted to bring back a trusty coworker with whom he is very familiar.
Roman first started in the NFL as an offensive line assistant for the Panthers in their inaugural season back in 1995. After a four-year stint with the Texans that saw him coaching both the tight end and quarterback positions, Roman had his first job with the Ravens as an offensive line assistant under Brian Billick. Following his first stint with the Ravens and a one-year detour as a high school offensive coordinator in New Jersey, Roman found his first job under a Harbaugh with Jim as associate head coach at Stanford.
When Harbaugh made his first move to the NFL to coach the 49ers, he brought Roman along as his offensive coordinator. After a rumored power struggle led to Harbaugh’s departure from San Francisco, Roman accepted the offensive coordinator job at Buffalo under Rex Ryan. After a two-year stint with the Bills, Roman found his way back to Baltimore to work for the elder Harbaugh brother as a senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach, exchanging the “senior offensive assistant” for “assistant head coach” in his job title in his second year with the team.
Roman would be promoted to offensive coordinator in Baltimore following the retirement of Marty Mornhinweg. In a full offseason with a second-year Lamar Jackson determined as the starter with Joe Flacco newly departed, Roman and Jackson would help deliver the franchise’s winningest season in its history, with Jackson winning his first MVP award. The next two seasons would see similar success from Jackson when he was healthy but a complete inability to mold Jackson’s offense to his backups in an effective manner.
Eventually, after a series of disappointing postseason exits, Roman and the Ravens would mutually part ways. Roman’s stretches as an offensive coordinator have revealed interesting patterns. He has routinely been paired with dual-threat quarterbacks like Jackson, Colin Kaepernick, and Tyrod Taylor. He tends to see less and less success the longer he stays in one place with lots of attention being called to his red-zone play-calling.
Roman’s pairing with an offense led by quarterback Justin Herbert is an interesting prospect. He may not have the same influence on quarterbacks as he’s had in previous years and may be asked to help boost a rushing attack that finished 25th in the league in yards last year. Regardless, Roman is a trusted companion for the new Chargers head coach, and his return to the NFL will be interesting to watch in Los Angeles.