Vikings Getting Calls On No. 22, No. 25 Picks
No surprise here, but the Vikings have received trade interest in advance of the draft. With pick Nos. 22 and 25 in hand, GM Rick Spielman tells reporters that he’s gotten calls from teams trying to move up, as well as teams looking to trade back (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Vikes Could Still Draft OT]
Based on what we’ve been hearing lately, the Vikings are more likely to trade down than make a leap up the board. The consensus in the NFL is that there’s a clear drop off at cornerback beyond this year’s top two of Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s C.J. Henderson and they’re both very unlikely to be available at No. 22. After that, the next tier offers plenty of promise and upside, but not necessarily anyone worth reaching for. Instead, the Vikings could trade back into Day 2, where they should have an opportunity to select corners like Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, or Alabama’s Trevon Diggs (Stefon Diggs‘ brother).
Then again, the Vikings already have a strong stockpile heading into this weekend. Spielman has a dozen picks to work with, including an extra third-round choice by way of the compensatory formula. If a stud player slips, he has the flexibility to change course and make a move up the board.
Latest On Free Agent Jameis Winston
Free agent quarterback Jameis Winston is still engaged with NFL teams as he looks for his next home, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, the former Bucs passer isn’t in any rush as he looks for the most logical fit and the best possible deal. 
[RELATED: Bucs’ O.J. Howard On Trade Block?]
Teams aren’t necessarily rushing to sign Winston either, for a few reasons. With the NFL Draft just around the corner, most clubs will probably want to see how they fare at the position before getting serious with the former No. 1 overall pick. And, of course, there’s also Winston’s lack of consistency over the years, including a wild 2019. Last year, Winston set career-highs in passing yards (5,109) and touchdowns (33), but he also set a new watermark with 30 interceptions (which led the league).
Despite it all, Bucs GM Jason Licht believes that Winston can turn things around.
“Jameis was still part of our plan if things went a different route,” said the GM, weeks after signing Tom Brady. “We’ve got a lot of respect for him. I thought he did a lot of great things, and anybody in our office or building would say the same thing. He did some spectacular things for us. I would never say that, personally — and I think I speak on behalf of the organization — that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Right now, it seems unlikely that Winston will be handed a starting job for the 2020 season, but you never know how things might shake out. The Patriots are among the teams searching for a QB this offseason and teams with aging passers like the Steelers could give some thought to Winston as a QB2.
Former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck Sues Vince McMahon
Former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck is taking Vince McMahon to court, as Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic writes. Luck is seeking restitution for what he says was a wrongful termination. 
[RELATED: XFL Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy]
The XFL shut down operations in the midst of its comeback season and, recently, filed Chapter 11 to renegotiate its debts. Meanwhile, Luck was set to earn at least $20MM on the multi-year contract he signed back in 2018. McMahon’s attorney says a letter was given to Luck to explain “the reasons” for his firing. In short, Luck is set to argue that he was fired without cause; McMahon will contend that he was fired with cause and, therefore, he does not owe him anything.
Luck helped steward the league’s relaunch, even as he and McMahon watched the Alliance of American Football beat them to the punch.
“We watched them closely,” Luck said in the summer of 2019. “Personally, there was no dancing on the grave, no schadenfreude. I was hoping they’d make it through their championship game. … It’s helped us a little bit, reaffirmed our model. The AAF also made some mistakes. (The Apollos), in the sports business, that’s like a pilot forgetting to turn the engine on.”
The XFL has laid off all of its employees with no current plans to resume operations, so this could be the last we see of the experimental league. However, McMahon may have lots of legal filings and court dates ahead of him – that’s usually the way things go for companies that file bankruptcy.
Luck, the father of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, should be able to land on his feet once the dust settles. After earning his law degree, Luck held key positions in the NFL, NCAA, and MLS.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Set To Earn $31.4MM In 2020
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn’t know whether he’ll get a long-term deal this offseason. But, at least he knows how much he’ll make if an extension doesn’t come together. Upon recalculation, the league has set the exclusive franchise tender salary for quarterbacks at $31.4019MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: “Very Positive” Talks For Cowboys, Prescott]
The franchise tag amounts are based off of the NFL’s top five salaries at the position. Last year, that figure was $26.824MM. When Prescott was tagged in mid-March, Jared Goff ($36MM/year), Ben Roethlisberger ($33MM), Kirk Cousins ($31MM), Russell Wilson ($31MM), and Jimmy Garoppolo ($26.6MM) topped the list. Afterwards, Cousins and Big Ben agreed to restructure their contracts, lowering their cap hits for 2020 and bringing Philip Rivers ($25MM), and Tom Brady ($25MM) into the top five.
With that change, Prescott’s projected tag amount wasn’t clear and some wondered if he’d wind up at odds with the league office over it. Ultimately, Prescott’s salary was calculated based on the previous Top 5. That’ll cost the Cowboys a few extra million this year and, potentially, many millions over the course of future seasons. Prescott now has extra leverage in talks thanks to the higher data point, and that will serve him well as he looks to reset the market.
The Cowboys have the option to tag Prescott in 2021 and again in 2022, but the numbers would be absolute cap busters. Next year, the tag would cost the Cowboys $37.7MM, a 20% raise over the 2020 salary. A third consecutive tag for 2022 would see a 44% increase, in excess of $54MM. Needless to say, the Cowboys want to get their star QB under contract at a more reasonable sum.
Falcons Prepared To Make “Huge Leap”
The Falcons are working feverishly to move up the board. They continue to be “the team to watch when it comes to moving up in the NFL Draft,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
The Falcons currently hold the No. 16 overall pick, but they’ve been pressing to vault into the Top 10. They have multiple needs on the defensive side – including the pass rush and the interior defensive line – but their top priority is likely at cornerback. With that in mind, Rapoport echoes what we’ve been hearing for a while: Thomas Dimitroff is looking for a high-end cover man with eyes on Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s C.J. Henderson.
Most have projected Okudah to be the first cornerback off the board on Thursday, though not everyone agrees that he is the very best CB in this year’s class. More and more executives seem to be pointing towards Henderson as the best at the position. Recently, Peter King of NBC Sports heard that 40% of NFL teams have Henderson slotted as the CB1, with Okudah somewhere below him.
If the Falcons want to guarantee that they’ll get either player, they may have to move all the way up to No. 3 via trade with the Lions. Okudah has long been connected to Detroit, while Henderson has been flirting with the Top 10 boundary. But, as always, nothing is certain – anonymous sources love to run misdirection this time of year and there’s zero guarantee that Henderson would be available for Atlanta at, say, No. 8.
For what it’s worth, Falcons coach Dan Quinn has told reporters that he sees Kendall Sheffield as a potential CB1 (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
“In our league and division there are certainly some guys that you want to match up on if you need to,” Quinn said. “He’s definitely somebody with the speed and short-space quickness to do that. I definitely think he has a shot to do that, based on his speed and that I just think he’s going to continue to grow. Yeah, we’re very excited about him.”
Lamar Jackson: “I’d Be Happy” If Ravens Signed Antonio Brown
On Tuesday, Lamar Jackson told reporters that he would be in favor of the Ravens signing Antonio Brown (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). Of course, that wouldn’t be the quarterback’s call, but his endorsement is noteworthy nonetheless. 
[RELATED: Antonio Brown Hires New Agent]
“I’d be happy if they signed him,” Jackson said. “But it’s not my decision.”
This isn’t the first time that Brown has been connected to Baltimore. Recently, Jackson worked out with the controversial wide receiver in South Florida, along with AB’s cousin, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Meanwhile, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has refused to comment on his own level of interest in the one-time superstar. Earlier this month, he said that he’d keep those thoughts “in-house” while continuing to explore options at the position.
“Do we feel the urgency? We probably feel that with every position,” the GM told the team website. “We want to be the best we can be at every position. This happens to be a wide receiver class with a lot of really good players. If we’re on the clock and we think that guy is the best player, we’ll probably pick him. Hopefully we can build our offense to the point where we can say, ‘Hey, we’re un-defendable.’”
Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is still in limbo with the league office. Recently, he hired a new agent to represent him, and he’s hoping that will expedite his case with Roger Goodell & Co.
Speaking strictly from a football perspective, Brown would boost any offense – including the Ravens’ world-class unit. He has caught 841 passes for 11,253 yards over the course of his ten-year NFL career, with a good chunk of those coming against Baltimore.
Technical Issues During NFL’s Draft Rehearsal
The NFL did a dry run in advance of its first “fully virtual” draft and experienced some snags. In fact, there was a technical glitch right from the get-go during the Bengals’ simulated No. 1 pick, according to one source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, multiple coaches and GMs told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that bandwidth issues were also causing problems. This does not bode well for the NFL’s attempt at a fully virtual draft this weekend.
The major issue of the virtual draft appears to have occurred near the beginning. After what appears to be a notable hiccup, the mock draft went smoothly, per John Elway (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter).
The COVID-19 pandemic induced the league to commit to a virtual selection event, and Roger Goodell put the kibosh on criticisms of this decision. GMs, head coaches and other execs will be stationed separately across the country. The NFL initially had stipulated that teams could assemble war rooms of up to 10 staffers — so long as they followed social distancing guidelines. However, the league quickly pivoted to the fully virtual format.
While the league plans to be flexible with issues that may crop up beginning Thursday night, it is not a good sign the trial run produced them so early. Teams have 10 minutes to make picks in the first round. The NFL opted not to extend that clock.
NFL Draft Rumors: Falcons, Steelers, Cowboys
The Falcons could be the most aggressive team in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that GM Thomas Dimitroff went big on draft day – he gambled, and hit the jackpot, with his move up for Julio Jones in 2011. This time around, he could be looking to land one of the draft’s premier cornerbacks. As Mort notes, the Falcons will have to play against the likes of Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater this year. An elite defender like Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah or Florida’s C.J. Henderson could give them the artillery they need to keep up in the NFC South.
More draft rumblings from around the league:
- The Steelers don’t have a first-round pick, but head coach Mike Tomlin says he isn’t “fretting at all” (Twitter link via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com). The Steelers turned that selection into Minkah Fitzpatrick back in September and the former Fins cornerback rewarded them with a first-team All-Pro season. Pittsburgh will have to make the most of their remaining picks, especially since they rank near the bottom of the league in available cap room.
- Despite the Steelers featuring Joe Haden, Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton, they have drafted a cornerback in ten of the past eleven drafts. They also used a third-round pick on Justin Layne last year. Pittsburgh is slated to hold the No. 49 overall pick. After that, a compensatory selection landed in Round 3 (at No. 104). Should the Steelers feel compelled to further bolster this position, however, that move would more likely come on Day 3, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required).
- The Cowboys have done “a ton of work” on Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears. After racking up 17.5 sacks and 37 hurries over the last two seasons while providing solid work against the run, Gross-Matos is in demand.
“Very Positive” Talks For Cowboys, Prescott
The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have had “very positive” contract talks within the last two weeks, according to a source who spoke with David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Apparently, things are trending in the right direction for the Cowboys and their franchise quarterback, regardless of whether he joins the Cowboys for the start of their online (and voluntary) OTAs.
[RELATED: Prescott Won’t Do Virtual OTAs This Week Without New Deal]
Prescott was kept out of free agency by way of a one-year, $31MM+ exclusive franchise tag. It’s a handsome sum, no doubt, but the QB is aiming for something in the neighborhood of Russell Wilson‘s contract. That deal, worth $35MM per annum, is the richest in the NFL.
This saga has surpassed the one-year mark. Prescott turned down a $33MM-per-year offer last year and has held firm on that front. It has now affected his offseason participation. While that ordinarily would not be a major issue, the Cowboys figure to have new wrinkles offensively after hiring Mike McCarthy. Kellen Moore remains OC, but Dallas’ offense will surely incorporate some of McCarthy’s concepts next season.
The latest on the Prescott contract front indicated he wanted a shorter-term deal. The Cowboys, as their 2019 extension spree most recently indicated, are proponents of longer contracts. A short-term pact would give the 26-year-old quarterback a chance at another monster payday in his early 30s or possibly before then. Given the events of the Prescott negotiation timeline to this point, his camp holding firm on this preference adds up.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to sign their quarterback to an extension. That would help the team’s cap situation; Prescott’s $31.5MM cap figure is anchoring Dallas’ payroll at the moment.
Jaguars To Release Marqise Lee
The Jaguars are releasing Marqise Lee, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With that, the accomplished wide receiver will hit the open market just before the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jaguars will save $4.8MM by cutting Lee.
Lee signed a four-year, $38MM deal with the Jaguars in 2018 but did not do well to justify the team’s investment. A knee injury sidelined him for all of the ’18 season, and Lee battled ankle and shoulder injuries last season. The Jags placed him on IR. This cut was expected, but the team did Lee no favors by releasing him over a month after free agency’s outset.
The former Jags second-round pick caught just three passes last season. However, Lee was a reliable contributor in Jacksonville before his 2018 absence. He totaled 1,551 receiving yards between 2016-17, leading all Jags targets in that span. Despite the team still employing its GM and head coach from that span, it has parted ways with most of the talent responsible for the run to 2017’s AFC championship game.
While the Jags still feature D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley, they could be in the market for a wide receiver in the first round. Thanks to the Jalen Ramsey trade, the team holds two first-rounders. With the first of those picks coming at No. 9 overall, Jacksonville could be a landing spot for one of this draft’s top wide receivers. Barring another team trading in front of the Jags, they could be a threat to have their pick of the wideouts in this receiver-stacked draft.