Packers, Chargers Interested In Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts
The Packers and Chargers have been “in touch with and monitoring” Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Both teams have veteran QBs in place, but they could be eyeing Hurts as a developmental option further down the board. 
So far, most projections have Hurts going in the second or third round. The Cowboys and Raiders have also been connected to the dual-threat passer in recent weeks.
Obviously, the Packers are set under center with Aaron Rodgers, who has four years to go on his contract. Rodgers, 36, has also indicated that he would like to play into his 40s. Still, Rodgers did not look like his usual self last year. The two-time MVP completed just 62% of his throws and this upcoming season could be an indicator of how much he has left in the tank. Behind Rodgers, the Packers are lacking in proven options. There’s Tim Boyle, who doesn’t have much of a track record beyond his solid 2019 preseason. There’s also fellow UDFA Manny Wilkins, the Arizona State product who spent all of last year on the taxi squad.
The Chargers say they’re comfortable with Tyrod Taylor, but they haven’t dismissed the possibility of exploring Cam Newton or other veteran QBs. Assuming they stick with Taylor and his extremely reasonable contract, they could pair him with a prospect like Hurts to hedge their bets for 2021 and beyond.
Hurts, the 2019 Heisman runner-up, threw for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions at OU. Before that, he spent two years as Alabama’s starter, and one year as a backup to Tua Tagovailoa.
Bengals HC: “Doesn’t Look Like” We’ll Trade No. 1 Pick
It doesn’t sound like anyone will be able to talk the Bengals out of taking Joe Burrow. In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, head coach Zac Taylor more or less dismissed the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick. 
[RELATED: Taylor Says AJ Green Is “Fully Healthy”]
“It doesn’t look that way,” Taylor said (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “If there is a guy there that you believe in that can really change the franchise over the next 10-15 years, then that’s a hard thing to pass up on. You know, people all the time ask me what would it take to give up that pick and if there’s somebody there that people are willing to give up a lot for, that they believe in, then that just really verifies what we think about those players as well.”
The Giants are “open for business” at No. 4. The Lions are at least willing to listen on offers for the No. 3 pick. Beyond that, it doesn’t sound like teams will be able to move much higher up the board. By all accounts, the Redskins are laser-focused on Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young at No. 2, and the Bengals are locked in on Burrow.
The Bengals’ infatuation with Burrow has been apparent for months. The only thing that was in question, really, was Burrow’s desire to play in Cincinnati. But, at the combine in February, the LSU star put that speculation to rest.
“Yeah. I’m not going to not play. I’m a ball player,” Burrow said. “Whoever picks me, I’m going to show up.”
That’s good news for the Bengals and bad news for other teams hoping to snag Burrow. The Dolphins, at one point, had their sights set on him.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Harrison, Vikings
In February, the Lions released Damon Harrison with two years to go before his contract. Long before that, Harrison says he was looking for a way out of Detroit.
“I came into [2019 training] camp in shape, but during the first three weeks of camp I think I kind of worked myself out of shape because I wasn’t doing anything,” Harrison told Chris Long on a recent podcast (transcript via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “That was a time where, to be honest with you, we were trying to facilitate a trade. I was hell-bent on getting out of there.”
In fact, Snacks says he knew the Lions were a bad fit as soon as he came over via trade with the Giants. Harrison excelled as a run-stuffer for both New York teams, but he didn’t think that he could thrive in Matt Patricia‘s defense.
“To be completely honest with you, I didn’t want to go to Detroit because of some things that I heard from some guys in the past and some guys who were there,” Harrison said. “So when I got the call..I didn’t answer the phone for a couple hours. [Lions GM] Bob Quinn was calling me and I didn’t pick up the phone because I was trying to figure out a way to get out of it.”
Now, Harrison is free to find the team that fits him best. Still on the market, Snacks will likely land a deal sometime after the draft.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- The Vikings have no reason not to draft a quarterback with one of their five picks in the top 105, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com opines. And, if Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa somehow falls to them at No. 22 overall, she says it would be “unconscionable to pass on him.” The Vikings extended Kirk Cousins through the 2022 season and the rest of their moves indicate that they’re taking a longer view on things. With that in mind, she feels the Vikings should at least invest a Day 2 pick in the position.
- Details are in on Darryl Roberts‘ new deal with the Lions. The ex-Jet CB will earn $2MM on his one-year pact, including a $1MM guarantee (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Before his release, he was set to earn $6MM from Gang Green.
- Over the last couple of years, former Vikings head coach Brad Childress has popped in and out of retirement. But, this time around, the 63-year-old tells Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press that he’s retired for good. “People say, ‘Is he really retired? Is he really, really retired?’” Childress said. “Yeah. Last year was my last year. I just felt like it was time to move on. It’s about time. I put my toe in the water in retirement and pretty soon you’ve got to jump in. It’s more about spending time with my family and grandkids and that type of thing.”
Latest On Jordan Love’s Stock
Lately, there’s been chatter about Utah State quarterback Jordan Love finding his way into the upper half of the first round. But, from what Mike Garafolo and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (via Twitter) are hearing, it sounds like Love not hear his name called until the back end of Round 1. 
Garafolo cautions that talk of “rising” and “falling” stocks are often misguided in the buildup to the draft, and he’s right. But, still, Garafolo doesn’t get the sense that Love has wowed evaluators during the process like Patrick Mahomes a few years back (Granted, Love has had to conduct most of his conversations via phone and video conference, which is always awkward.)
Recently, we heard that the Packers, Patriots, Saints, Dolphins, Chargers, and Redskins have all been doing their homework on Love. Thanks to his pure throwing motion, Love has put himself into the QB mix, somewhere behind presumptive No. 1 pick Joe Burrow. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s leapfrogged the rest of the field – he’ll probably have to wait until Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and many non-QBs are taken before he’s picked.
Love turned in a 20-17 TD-INT ratio last season, a big drop-off from his 32-6 mark as a sophomore in 2018. That hasn’t stopped a number of head coaches from reaching out to Texas Tech coach Matt Wells — the former Utah State head coach — to learn more about Love, but it might keep him from being a top 15 or even top 32 choice.
Details On Christian McCaffrey’s New Deal
On Monday, the Panthers locked up Christian McCaffrey for the long haul – and it did not come cheap. McCaffrey secured the bag and stole the highest-paid-running-back-in-NFL-history mantle from Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott, who set the record less than a year ago.
[RELATED: Panthers Sign Christian McCaffrey To Record-Breaking Deal]
Details on the four-year, $64MM deal are starting to trickle out. Often times, the fine print of NFL contracts aren’t kind to players and agents, but that’s not the case here. Well over half of CMC’s deal is guaranteed, Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) hears, a sign that new head coach Matt Rhule is willing to reward talented players who fit his scheme.
The four years at $64MM represent the “new money” portion of the deal. All together, the deal will take McCaffrey through the 2025 season for roughly $75MM, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The deal, predictably, has made the soon-to-be 24-year-old very happy.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along even more details on the contract, noting that just over $30MM of McCaffrey’s deal — his $21.5MM signing bonus, his $825K 2020 base salary, and $7.74MM of his $8.03MM 2021 base salary — is fully guaranteed at signing. Additionally, another $8.1MM becomes fully guaranteed next March, so unless something unthinkable happens, the practical guarantees exceed $38MM. Florio also passes along the salary figures for the entirety of the deal, and he notes that McCaffrey can earn $200K per year in workout bonuses from 2021-25.
“I’m so excited to continue my career in Carolina,” McCaffrey said in a statement (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) “I want to thank Mr. Tepper, Marty Hurney, and Coach Rhule for the opportunity to help lead this great franchise, and to all my teammates for their help along the way. And to Panthers fans, KEEP POUNDING!”
McCaffrey’s contract reflects his value as both an elite tailback and a high-end receiving weapon. That was part of the rationale used by the Jets to give Le’Veon Bell his ill-fated monster deal, but that comp would be unfair to McCaffrey. As a younger player with much better conditioning, McCaffrey has a better chance of living up to his deal than Bell ever had.
“To label him a running back, that’s not respectful to him,” Rhule said of CMC recently (via ESPN.com). “He’s a tailback/wideout. He can do it all. I’m anxious to get him out there and to continue to build this thing around him.”
Giants Rumors: Clowney, Golden, Draft, Tomlinson
Here’s the latest on the G-Men:
- Lately, we’ve heard that the Giants aren’t looking to spend big on edge rushers. On Monday, GM Dave Gettleman more or less confirmed that he won’t pursue high-priced options like Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden are not in the plans. The Giants are “not in that position now,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan). In a recent poll, just ~6% of PFR readers picked the Giants as Clowney’s next destination.
- The GM also noted the presence of younger players in-house – guys like Evan Engram, Jabrill Peppers, Saquon Barkley, and Dalvin Tomlinson – who will need new deals soon. There’s only so much cap room to go around and the Giants will need to save those dollars to keep their best. “You can’t manufacture (pass rush), and you can’t overpay for it,” Gettleman said (via Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com). “So, what it really comes down to is it’s not about who gets the sacks, it’s about how many sacks we get. Really, how much pressure you apply. Some of this is going to have to come through scheme. Obviously we haven’t gone to the draft yet. I feel with where we’re at, would I want two guys to have a 25-sack year? Who doesn’t? But we’re not in that position right now so we’ll just keep building it.”
- Gettleman also told reporters that he likes the depth of this year’s tackle class (Twitter link via Raanan). Raanan took those comments to mean that the Giants are targeting tackles early in the draft, and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post got the same impression. For now, the Giants hold the No. 4 pick in the draft, though they’ve entertained the possibility of trading back.
Chargers TE Hunter Henry To Sign Franchise Tag
Chargers tight end Hunter Henry will sign his franchise tag on Monday afternoon, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, he’ll return to the Bolts on a one-year, ~$11MM guaranteed deal. 
Last month, the Chargers made Henry the first tight end to be franchise tagged since Jimmy Graham in 2014. Despite the injury concerns, the Chargers were unwilling to leave things to chance. Now, they have Henry locked in for at least one more year and they have a few months to negotiate a long-term deal with the 25-year-old. If they’re unable to come to terms, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to revisit talks.
The Chargers might not rush matters – Henry missed the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL and missed four games last year with a knee injury, so they might want to see how he looks before making a major commitment.
In just 12 games last season, Henry posted career highs in catches (55) and yards (652). If he can stay healthy for a full year alongside Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the Chargers will project to have one of the league’s most potent offenses. Of course, it remains to be seen who will be throwing the ball to them. For now, Tyrod Taylor is set to be the man under center.
In March, the Browns made Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight end of all-time with a four-year, $42MM deal. Soon, George Kittle is expected to take over that mantle, but Henry might not be far behind if he can stay healthy and play up to expectations.
Panthers, Christian McCaffrey Agree To Record-Breaking Extension
Christian McCaffrey has agreed to a new four-year deal with the Panthers, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The deal, worth an eye-popping $16MM per year, will position CMC as the highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL.
McCaffrey and the Panthers have been discussing an extension for some time, even though the youngster was a long way from free agency. The new deal, worth $64MM over the course of four years, will keep McCaffrey in place for many seasons to come.
The Panthers have overhauled their team in recent months, bidding farewell to head coach Ron Rivera, tight end Greg Olsen, one-time MVP quarterback Cam Newton, and other longtime figures. McCaffrey, of course, remained as a building block of the team’s future.
In September, Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott broke the RB record with his six-year, $90MM extension. Now, CMC has beaten that $15MM AAV by a cool $1MM. More importantly, he landed his deal on a much shorter term. The Panthers standout will be eligible for free agency while still in his prime, setting him up for even greater riches on his next deal.
Because records are made to be broken – particularly when it comes to NFL contracts – McCaffrey might not hold the mantle for long either. Saints star Alvin Kamara also has youth and accolades on his side, and his camp will certainly have this deal on the radar when it comes time to talk.
McCaffrey won’t turn 24 until June and he already has a First-Team All-Pro selection on his resume. Even in a down year for Carolina, McCaffrey still managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries, giving him an average of 4.8 yards per tote. he also caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards through the air. All combined, he notched 19 touchdowns on the year.
As great as McCaffrey is, the Panthers’ offer did not come without some serious deliberation. Past market-setting deals for running backs have yielded some seriously mixed results. Todd Gurley, for example, was unable to stay healthy after inking his four-year, $60MM whopper with the Rams. The former Offensive Player of the Year was cut midway through his deal, leading him to a one-year pact with the Falcons earlier this year.
“Obviously, we’ve had internal discussions,” GM Marty Hurney said recently, perhaps understating the status of the talks. “Everybody knows what we think of Christian as a player. Other than that I can’t really say any more.”
Even with one year left of McCaffrey’s contract, plus a fifth-year option for 2021, the Panthers didn’t want to let him get anywhere near the open market. Even after two 1,000-yard campaigns and a total of 2,523 receiving yards over three seasons, the Panthers believe that the best is yet to come.
Seahawks Re-Sign CB Neiko Thorpe
The Seahawks have re-signed cornerback Neiko Thorpe, according to a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Thorpe has spent the last four years with the Seahawks as a reserve, following stints with the Chiefs and Raiders. He’ll aim to make the cut and fill a similar role in Seattle this year. Although he’s not a top-tier corner, Thorpe offers depth support at the cornerback position and special teams acumen.
Last year, Thorpe re-upped with the ‘Hawks on a one-year, $1MM deal with a $100K signing bonus and a modest non-guaranteed base of $850K. He went on to appear in seven games for Seattle, before being placed on IR in December.
This year, the Seahawks will return starters Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers, though recent acquisition Quinton Dunbar figures to see a key role. They may also pad the CB group in the draft. In the ten drafts run by head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, the Seahawks have only passed on CBs once. Still, most of those corners have been taken in the fourth-round or later, and that’s likely how they’d address the position this year given their more pressing needs.
Rams To Sign K Lirim Hajrullahu
The Rams have agreed to sign kicker Lirim Hajrullahu, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hajrullahu, as Pelissero explains, comes to Los Angeles with a CFL all-star resume and an unbelievable life story.
Hajrullahu was an 8-year-old boy when the Kosovo War flared up. One year later, his family managed to escape the danger by moving to Canada. In spite of all the hardship, Hajrullahu grew up to become a two-time CFL all-star and a league champion.
Along with Hajrullahu, the Rams also announced the signing of kicker Austin MacGinnis, who most recently played with the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. In the XFL’s partial season, he nailed all ten of his field goal tries.
The Rams are on the lookout for a new leg after Greg Zuerlein joined the Cowboys late last month. Young GZ has turned in some fantastic seasons over the years, but he made only 82% of his tries last year. The Rams are looking for more consistency, and they hope to find it with either Hajrullahu or MacGinnis.