Falcons Open To Moving No. 4 Pick
The Falcons have received calls from multiple teams and are open to trading out of the No. 4 spot, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). With the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers effectively locked into the first three picks, the Falcons hold the highest available pick for teams looking to move up.
[RELATED: Falcons Interested In Pitts At No. 4?]
The Broncos, at No. 9 overall, would be a prime candidate to advance up the board. There will be three quarterbacks selected to start the draft, so Denver can’t really afford to be patient on passers. Trevor Lawrence, of course, is ticketed for the top pick. After that, BYU’s Zach Wilson is likely to go No. 2 overall. Depending on which way the 49ers go, that could still leave Ohio State’s Justin Fields or North Dakota’s Trey Lance there for the taking. The Patriots (No. 15) and the Bears (No. 20) could also be interested in making a jump.
Still, the Falcons seem to be interested in University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and the No. 4 choice would guarantee his availability. Ditto for LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, or any non-QB that catches their eye.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that at least one team calling the Falcons about their top draft choice does not need a QB. Such a club is presumably eyeing Pitts, Chase, or Sewell, and while all are potentially elite talents, it will take a tremendous offer to convince the Falcons to part with their pick.
Cardinals Extend Rodney Hudson
The Cardinals furnished Rodney Hudson with a new deal after he was shipped from the Raiders to the Cardinals, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Originally believed to be a restructure, the center actually inked a brand new three-year, $30MMM contract. 
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Originally, Hudson was set to count for $9.9MM in 2021. Now, he has two additional years worth $20.1MM with $16MM in total guarantees. For the Cardinals, that means a much more palatable $2.86MM cap charge for 2021. Meanwhile, the trade left the Raiders with a $7MM+ dead money charge.
Hudson, a three-time Pro Bowler, joins D.J. Humphries and Justin Pugh on the Cardinals offensive line. Last year, he graded out as the eighth-best center in the NFL per Pro Football Focus. Hudson came with a contract to match his resume, but the cost of a third-round pick was well worth it for the Cardinals. He’s now set to take over for Mason Cole, who finished just 31st on PFF’s list.
Panthers May Still Draft QB
The Panthers’ quarterback depth chart is pretty loaded at the moment. But, even after trading for Sam Darnold, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer says he’s open to drafting a passer later this month. 
[RELATED: Panthers Give Bridgewater Permission Seek Trades]
“This doesn’t take out of anything in the draft,” Fitterer said (via the team website). “It doesn’t take us out of taking a quarterback, it doesn’t take us out of taking any position. What we wanted to do going into this draft, through free agency, through this trade with Sam, was to just get rid of all the needs we have. We wanted to get to a place where the roster was in a good spot, and we could take the best available player at number eight. We could always move up, and we could always move back, but this puts us in a position to make the right football decision for this team moving forward.”
Now the backup, Teddy Bridgewater has two years to go on his three-year, $63MM deal. The Panthers have given him the green light to facilitate a trade, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be staying put. Meanwhile, Fitterer has also exercised Darnold’s pricey fifth-year option, tying him to the club through 2022.
Even if the Panthers opt for a QB, they’re unlikely to do it with the No. 8 overall pick. Instead, they’re expected to target a cornerback or an offensive lineman.
Dolphins Still Searching For Center
The Dolphins made an offer to center David Andrews even after signing Matt Skura, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Andrews ultimately wound up back with the Patriots, but Jackson hears the Dolphins are still in the search for center support. 
[RELATED: David Andrews Chooses Pats Over ‘Fins]
Andrews missed all of 2019 with a pulmonary embolism, but he managed to return for the 2020 season. Even though he missed a handful of games with a thumb injury, he suited up in 72% of the Pats’ offensive snaps across 12 games.
Presumably, the Dolphins were willing to give Andrews a deal that was in the neighborhood of his new Pats contract – $19MM over four years with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. Meanwhile, Skura was signed for just $1.75MM on a one-year deal. Between Skura’s struggles and his injury history, it’s a safe bet that he won’t be handed the starting job in South Beach.
Bengals Open To Geno Atkins Return
Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin says the team is still open to bringing Geno Atkins back in 2021. The defensive tackle remains unsigned, so he could return on a cheaper deal than his original pact.
“Geno is one of the greatest players in franchise history and one of the best defensive tackles of the last decade,” Tobin said (via the team website). “He gave us what he had last year…We’ll see if there are things that can be worked out. If it is, great. If not, I think we’ve got other guys that can fill the role.”
Atkins fought through a shoulder injury throughout 2020. Towards the end, it proved to be too much to play with. He suited up for just eight games in total, and, even when he was healthy, he wasn’t happy about his playing time. His final tally: zero sacks and zero starts. It was a sharp drop from his pre-extension season in 2017, when he finished out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 ranked interior defender.
The Bengals could have had the perennial Pro Bowler under contract through 2022, but his $14.8MM cap hit for 2021 was too much. Instead, they dropped Atkins and his $12.2MM in non-guaranteed money.
Of course, given Atkins’ lack of playing time last year, he may prefer to add to his 75.5 career sacks in a different uniform.
Bengals To Stay At No. 5?
The 49ers, Eagles, and Dolphins did some serious shuffling last week, but the Bengals don’t seem quite as eager to make a move. Currently armed with the No. 5 overall pick, Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin believes that he’s poised to land an impact player. 
“We feel we’re in a good spot. We’re going to be careful not to be overly greedy and get out of a spot where we maybe lose a premier player and we feel like can get one of the premier players in this draft,” Tobin said (via the team website). “We feel there are enough guys with the fifth pick in the draft to get a real guy that we feel comfortable with. And hits in a position of need.”
Unlike other teams near the top of the board, the Bengals aren’t in the hunt for a quarterback. Instead, they can hone in on a promising young target or blocker to aid Joe Burrow. With that in mind, Tobin indicated that he’s fond of Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
“All three are high-level prospects at the top of the draft and guys we feel like could fit us and make us a better team,” Tobin said.
Fortunately, two of those three players should be there for the Bengals at No. 5.
49ers Considering Mac Jones At No. 3
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is squarely “in the conversation” for the 49ers at No. 3 overall, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Presumably, that group also includes Trey Lance and/or Justin Fields, who are eager to showcase themselves in front of John Lynch & Co. 
Needless to say, Trevor Lawrence won’t be there for them. BYU’s Zach Wilson probably won’t be available either, now that the Jets have moved on from Sam Darnold. The Niners say they’d be comfortable with three quarterbacks in this year’s class, which is why they vaulted up from No. 12 in last week’s trade.
“We looked at how our four years have gone and we looked at how we want the next four years to go and we looked at where we’re at in the draft and the options that are there,’ head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this month. “And that’s why sitting there looking at this stuff since January and going all the way through the process, we felt pretty strongly we were gonna be left at the altar sitting there at 12.”
Neither Shanahan nor Lynch attended Lynch’s pro day at North Dakota State. Instead, they went to Tuscaloosa to watch Jones throw. Jones was pegged as a mid-first round type just a few weeks ago but, apparently, the Niners are quite serious about making him the third overall pick.
Bears’ HC, GM On Andy Dalton, Draft QBs
The Bears’ quarterback hunt didn’t end with the splash that some fans were hoping for. When their push for Russell Wilson went nowhere, they pivoted to longtime Bengals starter Andy Dalton, who just finished a so-so year as the Cowboys’ fill-in QB. For now, GM Ryan Pace plans to build the offense around the 33-year-old. 
“With Dalton, the things we like as you look at it, obviously his experience — he’s a nine-year starter, he’s been to three Pro Bowls, a lot of leadership with Dalton, decision making, his decision making, he’s won a lot of games in this league,” Pace said (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com).
Still, with Dalton backstopped by 32-year-old Nick Foles, the Bears need to think beyond 2021. They currently hold the No. 20 overall pick, which takes them out of the mix for this year’s elite prospects. In theory, they could explore trades for the Jets’ Sam Darnold, or the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo, but they already seem set on experienced signal callers. So, where do the Bears go from here?
Over the weekend, Pace and head coach Matt Nagy discussed their decision to sign Dalton and their mindset heading into the draft.
Pace on Dalton’s fit:
“Andy’s been a durable player. I think that is something that is understated. And I think, really, Andy fits our style of offense. When you go through it with our scouts and coaches, he can handle the drop-back game, he can handle the RPOs, the play actions, the movements. And we just felt, as we went through those free-agent quarterbacks, he’s one of the more complete quarterbacks that we evaluated in free agency, and we’re excited to have him.”
Nagy on the draft’s QB depth:
“As everybody knows, we’ve been to a few pro days with some of these quarterbacks and it definitely helps, but there is only so many of those you can do and see. What’s fair is every other team is doing the same thing. Ryan and I are super excited about going through that evaluation process together and how we do it. It’s a challenge, but we look forward to it. There are a lot of good quarterbacks in this draft class.”
Nagy on the QB evaluation process:
“It is more difficult because you just don’t have the luxury of being at the combine and seeing these guys throw and see the ball come out of their hands and their footwork. You get to see every one of those guys from the top guy to the bottom guy. Right now you just don’t have the luxury of doing that.”
PFR Poll: Will The 49ers Trade Jimmy Garoppolo?
There’s an old saying in the business world: “Don’t tell them ‘no.’ Tell ’em how much it’ll cost.” That seems to be the 49ers’ approach when it comes to Jimmy Garoppolo. There’s at least some level of interest in the quarterback, but the asking price has been set at a first-round pick, according to one recent report. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has heard similar chatter of a first or high-second round pick (h/t Bleacher Report). 
[RELATED: 49ers Want First-Round Pick For Jimmy G]
The Niners only gave up a second-round pick for Garoppolo back when his stock was at its peak, so it seems unlikely that any team will be willing to cough up more. Last year, the Niners went 3-3 in the six games he started, and Garoppolo completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,096 yards and seven touchdowns against five interceptions. That’s a far cry from his best work two years ago, when he was under center for the Super Bowl. In 2019, he racked up 3,978 passing yards and 27 touchdowns (with 13 INTs) en route to the NFC title.
Even after trading up to the No. 3 pick, the Niners are insistent that Garoppolo will be in the fold for 2021. Beyond that, the job will probably belong to one of this year’s top QB prospects — Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or, perhaps, BYU standout Zach Wilson, if he gets past the Jets.
No one’s going to send a first-round pick to SF for Garoppolo – we can say that with confidence. Would a QB-needy team offer a third-round pick for him? That seems possible, especially since the Patriots are far from sold on Cam Newton as their starter. The Bears could also give that some thought, even though they insist that Andy Dalton will be their guy in 2021.
Assuming that no one meets the 49ers’ initial ask, do you envision the Niners trading Garoppolo between now and September? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Will The 49ers Trade Jimmy Garoppolo?
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Yes 57% (1,288)
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No 43% (959)
Total votes: 2,247
NFL Draft Prospect Profile: BYU QB Zach Wilson
Could Zach Wilson leapfrog Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick in April? No, probably not. New Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has taken a refreshingly candid approach to the draft process in recent weeks, telling everyone within earshot that the Clemson star will be his quarterback of the future. 
“I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed,” Meyer said. “Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?”
Lawrence may be one of the best QB prospects — or pro talents, period — in recent draft memory. Still, Wilson offers lots of promise in his own right. He’s fresh off of a breakout season in which he completed 73.5% of his throws, good for second in the nation. Meanwhile, he placed third with 33 passing touchdowns and lobbed only three interceptions. And, for good measure, Wilson added ten rushing touchdowns in his 12 starts.
Wilson’s mobility is a big part of his appeal. In fact, some see a bit of Johnny Manziel in him — which is not necessarily the pro comparison that young QBs want. Like Manziel, Wilson has shown the ability to escape pressure. He also comes from an affluent background, and draft evaluators tend to nitpick everything about players this time of year. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the similarities are strictly limited to his highlight reel.
“I’ve heard Zach Wilson is an incredible kid, but again, [he’s] a little bit new on the scene,” Schefter said (via KNBR). “Have to vet it out, check him out, make more calls, but I know people that know him pretty well, and they speak pretty highly about him.”
The other major knock on Wilson comes from his so-so decision making in 2019, a season that was cut short by thumb surgery. But, last year, Wilson kept the turnovers to a minimum and consistently found the open man. He’ll be asked to work in the pocket more frequently at the pro level, but his ability to extend the play when the pocket collapses will still serve him well in the NFL. At his pro day, the BYU product showcased that for all to see, intentionally throwing a pass across his body and nailing his target dead-on.
Some critics may also wonder about Wilson’s durability — aside from the aforementioned thumb injury, Wilson underwent thumb surgery after his frosh season. Now, he’ll be facing bigger, stronger, faster defenders with just ~210 lbs on his 6’2″ frame. Still, no prospect is perfect (not even Lawrence), and Wilson profiles as one of the very best QBs in this year’s class.
Right now, just about everyone has Wilson ticketed for the Jets at No. 2. It’s not quite as certain as Lawrence going No. 1, however. Mac Jones, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance are also in the mix, but it seems more likely that those will be the names available for the 49ers. Even if the Jets throw a curveball, we’d be surprised to see him slide much further.