Jaguars To Acquire G Ezra Cleveland From Vikings
The Vikings are not expected to trade Danielle Hunter, but they will send another of their contract-year players away. The Jaguars are acquiring fourth-year guard Ezra Cleveland, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. In a corresponding move, Jags announced that 2020 fourth-rounder Ben Bartch has been waived. 
Cleveland expressed interest in a Vikings extension this offseason. Instead, he will relocate to Florida to join the first-place Jags in his contract year. A 2020 second-round pick, Cleveland has been a starter for much of his Vikings career. It will cost the Jags only a sixth-round pick to pry Cleveland from Minnesota, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com tweets. Dianna Russini of The Athletic clarifies that Jacksonville will send a 2024 sixth-rounder which originally belonged to the Panthers.
This transaction comes months after the Vikings and Jaguars moved close to completing a Hunter trade. The sides circled back but settled on Cleveland as the exchange piece. The Boise State alum has started 49 career games, converting from college tackle to NFL guard. He will likely be on track to start opposite Brandon Scherff in Jacksonville. Cleveland will reunite with Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher, who was previously on the Vikings’ staff.
The Jags will acquire Cleveland despite the experienced blocker having missed the past two games due to a foot injury. From Minnesota’s view, the team has a veteran ready to step in. The team signed four-year Broncos starter Dalton Risner early this season, ending the 2019 second-round pick’s longer-than-expected free agency stay. The Vikes also drafted Ed Ingram in the 2022 second round, installing him at right guard. Minnesota does not have much money devoted to its O-line, but Christian Darrisaw is a clear candidate to join right tackle Brian O’Neill in receiving a big-ticket extension.
The 49ers showed interest in adding Cleveland, Russini’s colleague Matt Barrows reports. San Francisco’s weak point on offense has shown to be their play up front, so it would have come as little surprise if they invested a Day 3 pick in a starting-caliber addition. Instead, the 49ers have turned their attention to a blockbuster defensive add in the form of edge rusher Chase Young.
Jacksonville ranks mid-pack in a number of offensive categories, posting middling numbers both through the air and on the ground. Cleveland’s run blocking PFF evaluations have generally far outweighed his grades in pass protection, though in this season the two are nearly identical. If he can carry over that two-way effectiveness with the Jaguars, he could play a signficant role in another Jacksonville playoff run and boost his free agent stock in the process.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders Taking Calls On Chase Young
Already unloading Montez Sweat in what may well have amounted to a numbers crunch, the Commanders seemingly have the franchise tag ready for Chase Young. That said, Young has come up in trades as well.
Despite the Sweat trade making the organization’s choice clear, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates Washington is also taking calls on Young before today’s 3pm CT deadline. These calls have transpired since the Sweat trade, pointing to a potentially shocking move in which Washington trades both its defensive end starters. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson confirms Washington is still listening on Young.
This has long been classified as an either/or call, with the Commanders making the choice to extend Daron Payne two years after reupping Jonathan Allen. Four big-ticket extensions on one D-line did not make much sense, even with a rookie-QB contract on the books, but three has never been considered out of the question. Washington moving Young as well would effectively signal a reboot after four years of Sweat and Young coexisting. The two, however, mostly coexisted on the team’s payroll; Young missed much of the previous two seasons after suffering a severe knee injury in November 2021.
Teams called the Commanders about Young prior to today’s Bears blockbuster, though Sweat was believed to have generated the first offer. The Bears also contacted the Commanders about Young, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but they have made their D-end move. It would be interesting to see if the Falcons — also a reported Sweat suitor — move into the mix for Young, now that the Commanders appear open to starting over at defensive end.
It is not known if the Falcons are circling back to the Commanders to pursue a D-end upgrade, but the Patriots have at least inquired what it would take to land Young, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe tweets. This comes as the Pats have discussed Josh Uche with teams. Like Young, Uche is in a contract year. New England has Matt Judon on its books through 2024, though with no veteran-QB salary on the payroll, the team could be envisioning a slot for another highly paid edge rusher. An acquiring team could also use the franchise tag. The 2-6 team not known for big payments does not make too much sense as a buyer, but neither did the Bears, who now have exclusive negotiating rights with Sweat until March.
Young, 24, has bounced back from the severe knee trouble that sidetracked his career. In seven games thus far, Young has five sacks and nine QB hits. Those numbers each top his nine-game 2021 sample. As a result of this return to full strength, Young is not believed to be eager to do an extension before his rookie contract expires at season’s end.
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year also arrived during Ron Rivera and DC Jack Del Rio‘s stay, whereas Sweat was a Bruce Allen-era draftee. That said, Washington picked up Sweat’s fifth-year option and declined Young’s. The former No. 2 overall pick’s past knee trouble has him on course for free agency in 2024, though the Commanders will have the tag available. That is, if they keep him through today’s deadline. The team dealing away both defensive ends would also be an ominous sign for Rivera, who is on the hot seat after a 3-5 start.
Washington has not made Jonathan Allen available, and while the team has Phidarian Mathis as a third D-tackle option of note, no notable investments are here beyond Sweat and Young. Former Eagles seventh-rounder Casey Toohill does have four sacks this season, however. Still, scrapping the Young-Sweat tandem altogether would be one of the most notable decisions the franchise has made in many years.
Vikings Not Expected To Trade Danielle Hunter
The Vikings reside in an interesting position. They have rallied from 0-3 to 4-4, beating the Packers in Green Bay to reach .500. But Kirk Cousins is now out for the season, putting Minnesota’s playoff viability in serious doubt.
After the slow start, rumors picked up about the Vikings selling. The team has taken calls on Danielle Hunter, who has generated steady trade interest. The Cousins injury could conceivably prompt the Vikings to consider cashing in their top trade chip, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports there is virtually “no chance” Hunter is moved by this afternoon’s deadline.
[RELATED: Jaguars Moved Close To Landing Hunter In Offseason]
Minnesota came into this season in a historically unusual position. With Cousins having been franchise-tagged twice, his 2024 tender would come in north of $52MM. That would obviously be untenable for the Vikings, with no team having tagged a player for a third time since the 2006 CBA introduced language making that prohibitive. The Vikings’ August agreement with Hunter also prevents a 2024 franchise or transition tag. This effectively means the Vikings cannot tag their top two free agents-to-be, putting them in a strange position. That said, moving Hunter would wound a Vikings pass rush that is without Marcus Davenport for the foreseeable future; Davenport is on IR with a high ankle sprain.
Hunter, 29, is on pace for his best season as a pro. After he notched a sack in Week 8, the ninth-year edge defender has an NFL-most 10 on the season. Hunter’s return to full strength — after two injury-marred seasons — in 2022 involved 10.5 sacks. The former Mike Zimmer-era mainstay is on pace to eclipse his career-high mark (14.5, established in 2018 and ’19), and this latest development looks to ensure he will make that push in the Twin Cities.
A logical case can be made to deal Hunter, especially if the Vikings do not acquire another quarterback capable of starting. The team could sink in the standings without Cousins (and Justin Jefferson, who has no reason to rush his recovery from a hamstring injury), and a Hunter trade could provide more ammo to secure a QB heir apparent. Another Cousins-Vikings agreement should not be ruled out, and the 35-year-old passer’s market could certainly be affected by his first notable NFL injury. As of now, Cousins and Hunter will be on track to hit the market in March.
In addition to the Jaguars pursuing Hunter during the offseason, the Bears also contacted the Vikings about a player Minnesota was then considering as a trade piece, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets. An intra-divisional trade would have been highly unlikely, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did make notable draft-slot trades with the Lions and Packers during his first draft in charge. Then again, draft-slot deals and exchanging high-profile veterans are different matters. The Bears have since made their move for a potential long-term piece, acquiring Montez Sweat from the Commanders for a second-round pick.
Considering what it took for the Commanders to move Sweat — a 2024 second-rounder — SI.com’s Albert Breer adds the Vikings are not believed to be interested in anything less than a top-60 choice for their contract-year pass rusher. The fact that Hunter cannot be tagged in 2024 also stands to dent his trade value, however, further pointing to the three-time Pro Bowler staying in Minnesota.
NFC North Notes: Brissett, Bears, Lions
The Vikings will have a decision to make today. They have clawed their way from 0-3 to 4-4, sitting firmly in the NFC playoff race. But Kirk Cousins‘ injury threatens to deal a death blow to Minnesota’s hopes of making a second consecutive postseason trip for the first time since the 2008-09 seasons. The Vikings attempted to add ex-Kevin O’Connell charge John Wolford, but the Buccaneers’ practice squad QB will instead be promoted in Tampa. However, Jacoby Brissett looms as a name floating around the league as a possible solution, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com notes. While it remains unclear if Minnesota is truly intent on pursuing a notable outside upgrade, some around the league have mentioned Brissett as a sensible option.
Brissestt signed a one-year, $8MM deal with the Commanders but saw Sam Howell constantly mentioned as an ascending player this offseason. Howell won the job easily and has shown flashes. Brissett, 30, also has extensive experience as an emergency QB option. He took the Colts’ 2017 reins shortly after a trade, needed to replace Andrew Luck again after a surprise 2019 retirement and was called upon for an 11-game starter run during Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 suspension.
- One theory regarding the Bears allowing Jaylon Johnson to pursue a trade centers around Chicago seeing what kind of extension the contract-year cornerback can command, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Johnson, 24, does not have to be extended immediately if traded; an acquiring team would have exclusive negotiating rights until the 2024 legal tampering period. Said team could also use the franchise tag, though the cornerback tag price — expected to be around $19.5MM — may not be realistic here. As of now, the Bears have until March to re-sign Johnson. Though, extension talks breaking off obviously does not represent a good sign. The 49ers and Bills are in on Johnson; the Bears have until 3pm CT to make a trade.
- Staying on the quarterback topic, the Bears will once again go with Tyson Bagent. The rookie UDFA will start in Week 9, Matt Eberflus announced, with Justin Fields needing more time to recover from his thumb injury. This will be Fields’ third missed start. While Fields remains week to week, no surgery has taken place. But a Bears season that hinged on Fields making progress — after the team passed on using the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback, trading the selection away — has morphed into a rare backdrop for a Division II-produced arm seeing extensive time.
- The Lions have made good on their offseason hype, starting 6-2. This will naturally lead to expectations their coordinators will be in demand come 2024. In the event the Lions see Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn become head coaches in 2024, after both interviewed for jobs this year, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that running backs coach Scottie Montgomery and Kelvin Sheppard are the most likely internal candidates to be promoted. Sheppard, 35, is in place as Detroit’s inside linebackers coach; he has been on Dan Campbell‘s staff for three years. The Lions added Montgomery, 45, this offseason, after he spent the past two years as the Colts’ running backs coach. Although continuity might be preferred, teams must interview at least one external minority candidate for coordinator jobs.
- As trades dominate the news cycle ahead of the 3pm deadline, the Packers agreed to terms with Rashan Gary on a monster extension. The fifth-year defender is now the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid edge defender, signing a four-year, $96MM deal.
Bills, 49ers Discussing Jaylon Johnson With Bears
Jaylon Johnson‘s request to be traded has produced multiple interested buyers. The Bills and 49ers are in discussions with the Bears about acquiring the contract-year cornerback, ESPN’s Ed Werder reports.
It is not known if these are the only two teams in on the ascending cover man, but Buffalo and San Francisco have each been previously linked to seeking CB assistance. Johnson would be poised to step in as a starter for either team, with the Bills in particular — seeing as they have lost Tre’Davious White at the position and Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones elsewhere on defense — being a team in need.
The Bills have not seen their 2022 first-round cornerback investment — Kaiir Elam — take off. The Florida alum could not wrest a starting job away from 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford, and White’s Achilles tear has not led to regular playing time this season. Benford and Dane Jackson stand as Buffalo’s starting outside corners, with Taron Johnson still manning the slot. Elam has come up in trades, with the Bills seemingly already admitting a misstep in the 2022 draft.
With Von Miller in his age-34 season and Stefon Diggs turning 30 next month, the Bills have a fair amount of urgency to capitalize on their strong roster this season. The White, Milano and Jones injuries have understandably hindered the three-time reigning AFC East champions’ defense. Today marks the Bills’ best opportunity to upgrade; the trade deadline looms in less than five hours.
Despite returning the corners from a No. 1-ranked defense, the 49ers have struggled in recent weeks. Both the Vikings and Bengals bested the 49ers’ secondary, with Minnesota doing so without Justin Jefferson, in upset wins. The 49ers have allowed more than 400 yards in back-to-back games. While Pro Football Focus ranks Charvarius Ward as a top-20 corner, Deommodore Lenoir sits outside the top 50. Some among the 49ers also liked Johnson in the 2020 draft, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner.
The 49ers also bring some urgency, having lost the past two NFC championship games. The Seahawks have since passed the 49ers in the NFC West race, with Kyle Shanahan‘s team slipping to 4-3. The 49ers also hold the most cap space in the NFL. While that will not matter much in a pursuit of Johnson, who is in the final year of a second-round rookie contract, San Francisco does have some ammo other teams do not if upgrades are truly sought today.
PFF’s No. 3 overall corner this season, Johnson has gone from angling for a Bears extension in the offseason to discussing a deal last week to being granted permission to find a trade partner. The Bears will undoubtedly seek a strong return to move the former second-round pick, as they would be in position to net a mid-round compensatory choice if Johnson leaves in free agency. The Bears have not been shy about dealing Ryan Pace-era defensive bastions, having moved Roquan Smith, Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack under second-year GM Ryan Poles.
Both Werder and CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson note the Cowboys are not believed to be in this late-forming derby. After Jerry Jones indicated a satisfaction with the team he has assembled, Anderson adds the price for Johnson is believed to be dissuading the Cowboys from making a genuine push. Dallas has been without Trevon Diggs for a few weeks now, with the All-Pro corner suffering an ACL tear in practice.
Rams, Vikings Showed Interest In John Wolford; Bucs To Promote QB
OCTOBER 31: The Buccaneers will follow through with their protection measure. Wolford will be signed to the Bucs’ 53-man roster, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The Bucs will now carry three quarterbacks on their active roster. This comes after both the Rams and Vikings showed interest in poaching Wolford off the practice squad, per Russini. Kevin O’Connell coached Wolford for two seasons in Los Angeles. Despite multiple potential opportunities to join another team’s 53, Wolford will make the jump in Tampa.
OCTOBER 30, 7:25pm: It sounds like the Rams will have to look elsewhere for QB depth. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Wolford informed the Rams that he prefers to stay in Tampa Bay. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that the quarterback is expected to stick with the Buccaneers and be added to the active roster.
6:25pm: John Wolford is set to return to Los Angeles. The longtime Rams backup left for a Buccaneers deal this offseason, but the Rams have seen Matthew Stafford run into another injury. They will take action via an outside hire.
The Rams intend to sign Wolford off the Bucs’ practice squad, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Wolford did not make Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster, with Kyle Trask in place behind starter Baker Mayfield. Wolford has spent the season on the Bucs’ P-squad, but the latest Stafford injury issue will prompt the Rams to close a deal on a reunion.
Because the Rams are signing Wolford off Tampa Bay’s taxi squad, he must remain on L.A.’s active roster for at least three weeks. That will be a familiar place for Wolford, who resided as the backup to Stafford and Jared Goff during a four-year L.A. stay. The Rams replaced Wolford with ex-Broncos backup Brett Rypien this offseason. Rookie Stetson Bennett is not in the picture presently, residing on the Rams’ reserve/NFI list.
Rypien replaced Stafford after he suffered a thumb injury against the Cowboys. The 15th-year QB is battling a UCL sprain in his throwing thumb, and this upcoming transaction casts some doubt the starter’s availability for Week 9. Stafford missed eight games last season. Coming into 2022, however, the former Lions mainstay had only missed time in one of the previous 11 seasons (due to a 2019 back injury). With IR not off the table for Stafford, the Rams are once again scrambling at the game’s premier position.
Goff brought more durability than Stafford has, leaving Wolford on the bench for much of his first two seasons in California. Signed initially after a stint in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019, Wolford did end up playing a key role for the 2020 Rams. A Goff thumb injury sidelined him for the Rams’ 2020 season finale, and Sean McVay turned to Wolford in for Week 17 and then the wild-card round. A Wolford neck injury knocked him out of that Rams-Seahawks tilt, leading an injured Goff back into action. The Rams included Goff in the Stafford trade weeks later.
Wolford, 28, has made five career starts. Three of those came in relief of Stafford last season. Last year, the Wake Forest product was not especially productive. The start he is credited with winning included scant usage, with the Rams inserting Mayfield — with the team for all of two days at that point — into the lineup and seeing the waiver claim lead an improbable game-winning drive to beat the Raiders. Wolford did not factor into the Mayfeld-Trask Tampa competition, but he may have another opportunity soon — depending on how the Rams navigate the Stafford situation.
Giants Unlikely To Trade Adoree’ Jackson, Xavier McKinney
Two of the Giants’ secondary starters are in contract years, and after the Leonard Williams deal, sales rumors have surrounded the Giants. Saquon Barkley continues to come up, despite the team’s insistence he will not be moved. Both Adoree’ Jackson and Xavier McKinney also loom as potential trade chips.
Jackson’s three-year contract — authorized during Dave Gettleman‘s final year as GM — and McKinney’s rookie deal both expire after the season. The Giants are undoubtedly open for business, but neither player is looking likely to be moved before today’s 3pm deadline. The Giants do not appear to be interested in moving McKinney, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, who adds the team is also not especially motivated to trade Jackson.
The Jackson situation is a bit more complicated than McKinney’s. At the veteran cornerback’s request, the Giants engaged in offseason extension talks. Though, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes those did not progress much. The Giants were not too keen on hammering out an offseason extension. They also would be hit with some dead money, with Monday’s deadline to restructure veteran contracts — to help facilitate trades — having come and gone. The Giants would be hit with a $7.5MM dead-money charge by trading Jackson now, and because the deadline passed, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan adds the team is unlikely to move the former first-round pick.
Jackson, 28, is attached to a three-year, $39MM deal that calls for an $11MM 2023 base salary. With Williams off New York’s balance sheet, Jackson holds the team’s highest cap number ($19.1MM). The Giants will be hit with a near-$3MM dead-money charge if/when Jackson departs as a free agent, thanks to a 2024 void year inserted into the contract via a restructure.
McKinney would figure to generate more interest, given his age (24) and experience. The Giants have moved on from Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan and Julian Love over the past two offseasons, leaving McKinney as a last man standing among the Gettleman-assembled safety corps. The Giants were not interested in discussing an extension with McKinney this offseason, however, leaving some ambiguity about the team’s plans for the former second-round pick’s long-term future.
Pro Football Focus has Jackson rated as one of this season’s worst corners, slotting him outside the top 110 at the position. He committed a crucial pass interference penalty in the ugly overtime loss to the Jets, setting New York’s AFC team up for a short game-winning field goal. The former Titans draftee does not appear to have a post-2023 future in New York, with Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins in place as rookie-contract starters signed through 2026. McKinney’s Big Apple future remains to be seen, but the Giants lost Love after letting him play out a contract year. It will be interesting to see if the Alabama alum is in the Joe Schoen regime’s plans.
Bears Grant CB Jaylon Johnson Permission To Seek Trade
The extension conversations between Jaylon Johnson and the Bears have transpired over the past week, but they have not produced sufficient progress. As a result, Johnson will be a name to monitor on deadline day.
Johnson requested permission to find a trade partner, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, and the Bears granted it. The contract-year cornerback’s camp is now on the hunt for a new team. While Fowler adds the Eagles, Steelers and 49ers are believed to be teams in on veteran corners, it is unclear as of now if Johnson will follow Roquan Smith out the door after contract talks broke down.
A Bears second-round pick who has been a starter throughout his career, Johnson arrived in Chicago before the Ryan Poles–Matt Eberflus tandem. The Ryan Pace-era pickup expressed a desire for a Bears extension back in June, and the talks began recently. But they have not satisfied the Utah alum. Poles has called Johnson a building-block player, but his price has gone up this season.
The Bears have until 3pm CT today to unload Johnson, though it is unlikely they will take whatever they can get. Johnson leaving in free agency would produce a compensatory pick, provided the Bears’ 2024 addition/subtraction balance sheet adds up, so that will need to be weighed against any offers that come in today.
Earlier this month, the Bears were not looking to move Johnson. The 6-foot cover man has started all 45 games he has played for the team. He has taken a contract-year step forward, per Pro Football Focus, which rates the 24-year-old defender third among corners this season. The advanced metrics site had never previously slotted Johnson higher than 50th. Johnson’s completion percentage-allowed (50%) and passer rating-against (44.3) figures have also spiked this season. While this points to Johnson upping his value ahead of either an extension or a free agency push, the Bears could also be leery of overpaying for a platform-year fluke.
That said, Chicago has not been hesitant to trade past-regime acquisitions for draft capital. This front office unloaded Smith and Robert Quinn at last year’s deadline, doing so after sending Khalil Mack to the Chargers. Johnson is unlikely to fetch the second- and fifth-round package Smith did or the second-/sixth-round haul Mack required. But teams will undoubtedly express interest, with the Bills also believed to be looking around at corner. It will be interesting to see if the rebuilding Bears can find a suitable trade. The team has two Poles-era investments at corner — Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon — each signed through the 2025 season.
Teams Calling Giants On Saquon Barkley
The Giants’ Leonard Williams trade has provided a fairly clear signal the Giants are fine building for the future. After their surprise surge to the 2022 divisional round, the Giants sit 2-6 and not in position to contend this season.
Saquon Barkley has said he does not want to be traded, and Brian Daboll attempted to squash trade overtures last week by saying a deal was “not happening.” But teams are still checking in. Clubs have continued to contact the Giants on Barkley, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. Once again, the Giants rebuffed inquiries, with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson confirming teams have received no’s on Barkley inquiries.
With just less than 24 hours until the trade deadline, teams’ interest certainly makes sense — especially now that the Giants moved Williams to the Seahawks. Injuries on offense have driven the Giants to this 2-6 hole, with Sunday’s Jets loss featuring the fewest team passing yards — minus-9 — in the NFL this century. Barkley still displayed quality work, putting together a 36-carry, 128-yard performance despite the team refusing to allow UDFA Tommy DeVito to throw. Barkley, 26, suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2; Sunday provided a decent refresher that the franchise-tagged back is once again healthy.
With the Giants having played eight games, an acquiring team would be on the hook for nine weeks of Barkley’s $10.1MM salary. That works out to just more than $5.5MM. The Giants are paying most of the remaining $10MM on Williams’ salary, but seeing as the team is keeping Barkley off the market, it would stand to reason it is not exactly open to paying some of the Pro Bowl back’s salary to facilitate a trade. Seeing as Barkley is on the tag, however, he does remain an interesting piece that teams clearly are not giving up on potentially obtaining.
The Giants and Barkley could not come to terms on a summer extension, despite negotiations having begun in November 2022. Barkley, who was dangled in trades during the 2022 offseason, was six minutes from free agency at the March deadline to apply franchise tags. But the Giants reaching an extension agreement with Daniel Jones prevented the more talented player from testing the market. The sides then engaged in an unusual negotiation leading up to the July 17 extension deadline for tagged players. The Giants upped Barkley’s guarantees to the $22MM neighborhood but reduced his AAV number in the process. In the end, the sides were less than $2MM apart in terms of guaranteed money and AAV. No deal transpired, opening the door to a Barkley 2024 departure.
While Barkley was obviously interested in gauging his worth in free agency, he has repeatedly said he wants to stay with the Giants. The team will have the option of tagging the former No. 2 overall pick once again, at just more than $12MM, next year. Keeping Barkley past this year’s deadline will keep that option open for the Giants, though considering they extended Jones, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas and tagged Barkley, it is worth wondering if the New Jersey native is a core piece any longer.
Teams are seeing if that remains the case. The Ravens and Dolphins are believed to be looking into running back additions. Miami asked about Barkley this summer, but it did not appear the teams discussed him for long. With the Titans either committed to keeping Derrick Henry or holding out hope for a big offer, teams are looking into Barkley. As of Monday afternoon, the Penn State alum is being kept off the market.
Cardinals To Bench Josh Dobbs; Kyler Murray Week 9 Return In Play
The Cardinals may end up starting at least three quarterbacks for a second straight season, but Kyler Murray‘s extended onramp complicates matters for the NFC West team. One issue will be resolved following Week 8; the Cardinals are set to bench Josh Dobbs.
Jonathan Gannon said Monday the Cardinals will bench Dobbs for their Week 9 matchup against the Browns, with Clayton Tune now in the picture to start. That said, Gannon has not ruled out Murray returning Sunday, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Following the Cards’ Week 8 loss to the Ravens, Gannon said Dobbs would receive another start. But after meeting with the three QBs Monday morning, the rookie HC has changed his mind. It will be either a Tune cameo or Murray’s long-awaited return against the Browns.
[RELATED: Cardinals Not Shopping Kyler Murray]
While Murray is clearly close, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports Tune is likely to receive the call for the Cards’ Cleveland trip. With the Browns ranking first in pass defense, this promises to be a difficult spot for the fifth-round rookie. But the Cardinals are in a clear rebuild, having never been expected to vie for a playoff spot this season. Tune will receive an early audition for the presumptive role of Murray’s long-term backup.
Murray has until Nov. 8 to be activated, but after deeming the two-time Pro Bowler fully healthy, Gannon (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) has seen the fifth-year passer resemble his pre-injury version in practice. If the Cardinals are moving Dobbs out of the picture, a Murray activation could be imminent. Murray has not played since Week 14 of last season, when he suffered ACL and meniscus injuries. The Cardinals have given the dual-threat talent an extended runup to his fifth season — and first under Gannon and OC Drew Petzing.
Had the Cardinals profiled as a contending team coming into the season, Murray likely would have debuted already. But they are in a rebuild and sitting 1-7. Murray patience has made sense through this lens, and Rapoport adds a Week 10 return is the more likely scenario.
The Cardinals took Tune at No. 139 this year, drafting the ex-Houston Cougar as part of a Day 2 trade with the Lions. As Detroit moved back into Round 3 for defensive tackle Brodric Martin, Arizona continued to stockpile picks. The team had already traded back in Rounds 1 and 2, allowing the Texans and Titans respective access to Will Anderson and Will Levis. Months before Dobbs arrived via trade, Tune came to the desert as part of what was then a crowded depth chart. But Colt McCoy, David Blough and Jeff Driskel are no longer with the Cardinals. Tune has operated as Dobbs’ backup throughout this season.
Tune boasted an impressive stat line in 2022, throwing 40 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions at the then-American Athletic Conference school. Over his final two years with the Cougars, Tune posted a 70-20 TD-INT ratio and averaged at least 8.8 yards per attempt in each slate. Tune should be expected to give way to Murray soon, but this will present an early opportunity. Should Murray return as the starter in Week 10, the Cards will have started seven QBs from 2022-23. McCoy, Blough and Trace McSorley started games last season.