Titans Acquire No. 109 From Panthers
The Titans have jumped up to No. 109. Tennessee has acquired the early fourth-round selection from the Panthers. Carolina will acquire No. 126, No. 166, and No. 232 from the Titans.
The Titans have used their new selection on wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick. The Louisville product had his best collegiate season in 2020, finishing with 833 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches. The Titans have been connected to wideouts throughout the pre-draft process, and it was a bit of a surprise when they didn’t add a player at the position through the first two days of the draft.
Panthers Acquire No. 70 From Eagles
The Eagles will trade out of their No. 70 overall selection, dealing the choice to the Panthers. Carolina possessed three third-round choices; the team will begin that itinerary a bit early.
Carolina will climb from No. 73 to 70 and give Philadelphia a sixth-round pick (No. 191) to do so. With the pick, the Panthers are taking BYU tackle Brady Christensen.
The 24-year-old blocker played three seasons with the Cougars, blocking for No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. This marks the Panthers’ second straight offensive pick, after the franchise began its Matt Rhule era with a slew of defensive selections. Christensen will follow Terrace Marshall Jr. to Charlotte.
Russell Okung remains a free agent, but this marks the Panthers’ second Day 2 tackle pick in three years. In 2019, the franchise selected Greg Little. Carolina used its franchise tag on Taylor Moton but will throw Christensen into its tackle mix alongside Little. Interestingly, Scouts Inc. viewed Christensen as a seventh-round-level talent. Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer clearly disagree.
Browns Trade Up, Draft Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah At No. 52
Cleveland just got one of the highest-rated players left on the board. The Browns traded up with the Panthers to nab the 52nd overall pick, and used it to take Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Owusu-Koramoah was expected by many to be a first-rounder, and it’s pretty shocking that he fell all the way to 52.
Here’s the breakdown of the trade:
Browns Receive
- No. 52
- No. 113
Panthers Receive
- No. 59
- No. 89
Owusu-Koramoah went 19th overall in Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com’s final mock draft. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him as the 15th-best player overall on his board. He received all kinds of accolades last season, including winning the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
He was also a unanimous All-American, and won the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. It’s unclear why he slipped as far as he did, but many people think the Browns got a steal with this pick.
He only played two years at Notre Dame, and won’t turn 22 until November. Cleveland has been steadily adding to their defense all offseason, signing guys like safety John Johnson and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to big contracts in free agency. Linebacker was one spot they still needed help, and now they’ve got it.
Draft Notes: Fields, Giants, Saints, Cowboys
Penei Sewell loomed as the Panthers‘ first-round target, but when the Lions selected the Oregon tackle, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the team moved into a Jaycee Horn-vs.-Justin Fields debate. The Panthers’ need at cornerback — in a division featuring the likes of Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — helped steer them to Horn. Fields, who went three picks later after the Bears traded up for him, was in the mix. The Panthers did not want to force a quarterback investment, Breer adds. While GM Scott Fitterer indicated the Panthers could take a quarterback even after trading for Sam Darnold, the team expressed considerable interest in Deshaun Watson prior to off-field issues squashing his trade market. A Fields pick would have made revisiting that pursuit more difficult. It cannot be assumed the embattled Texans quarterback will be available anytime soon, but the Panthers did not take themselves out of a potential market Thursday night.
Entering Round 2, here is the draft latest:
- The Eagles were correct in assuming the Giants were planning to select DeVonta Smith at No. 11. Big Blue would have taken the Alabama superstar there, Breer notes. Howie Roseman engineered an intra-NFC East trade-up with the Cowboys, moving up two spots for Smith. The Eagles, whose Week 17 quarterback strategy came under fire re: the Giants’ unusual playoff pursuit, saw another move of theirs affect Big Blue. Philly pair Smith with 2020 first-rounder Jalen Reagor. The Giants still took a wideout at No. 20 (Kadarius Toney).
- Prior to the Bears executing a successful trade-up with the Giants, moving from No. 20 to No. 11, they discussed a likely similar deal with the Cowboys, per Breer. The Cowboys did not want to take themselves out of adding a player on whom they placed a first-round grade; sliding down to 20 may well have done that. Dallas ended up with Micah Parsons at 12.
- The Giants were busy at No. 11. Ahead of Dave Gettleman‘s first-ever trade-down (in nine drafts as a GM), he heard from the Vikings and Saints, Breer adds. The Saints, who had already seen top targets Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II drafted, were linked to quarterbacks as well. New Orleans did offer one future first-round pick but did not include a second future first-rounder in its trade-up proposals. As a result, the Saints did not come particularly close to trading up Thursday. After the Chargers drafted Rashawn Slater, the Vikings ended up trading down.
- After the Ravens traded their second-round pick to the Chiefs in the Orlando Brown deal, Eric DeCosta does not expect to move back into the round, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens did not make any trades Thursday night, winding up with Rashod Bateman and Odafe Oweh.
- Some teams are not comfortable with Alabama center Landon Dickerson‘s medcials, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). The Steelers are one of the teams a bit leery on Dickerson, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. Pittsburgh saw 11-year center Maurkice Pouncey retire this offseason. While the team has multiple lower-profile replacement candidates — B.J. Finney and J.C. Hassenauer — Dickerson will enter the NFL as a high-end prospect, albeit one coming off a December ACL tear.
Latest On Bears QB Nick Foles
Nick Foles has become an afterthought in Chicago. This offseason, the Bears signed veteran QB Andy Dalton and promptly anointed him as the starter. Then, they made a bold move up the draft board last night to select Ohio State signal-caller Justin Fields, who will be groomed to be the long-term solution under center the team has been seeking for decades.
That leaves Foles on the outside looking in, unless for some reason the Bears think Fields might not be ready to be Dalton’s backup. However, moving on from Foles could be easier said than done.
As Darryl Slater of NJ.com observes (via Twitter), Foles still has prorated signing bonus charges totaling $5.3MM over the next two seasons, to go along with $5MM in guaranteed salary. Cutting him, at least prior to June 1, would result in a greater dead cap charge than the $6.66MM hit that he is scheduled to carry in 2021. So a trade makes more sense, since the acquiring team would have to take on the salary obligations.
Both Brian Costello of the New York Post and Connor Hughes of The Athletic (Twitter link) believe Foles would be a great fit for the Jets. New York, of course, drafted BYU passer Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, and while the club obviously has high hopes for him, there is presently no QB on the roster that has thrown a pass in a regular season game. The team has looked into signing Brian Hoyer, but if the price is right, GM Joe Douglas — who is familiar with Foles from his days in Philadelphia — might prefer to add the former Super Bowl MVP.
In related news, the Bears did speak with the Panthers about moving up to Carolina’s No. 8 overall pick to grab Fields, according to Joe Person of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Panthers stayed put and selected Jaycee Horn, but Chicago got its guy three picks later by acquiring the Giants’ No. 11 overall selection.
Panthers Pick Up Sam Darnold’s Option
The Panthers have officially picked up Sam Darnold‘s fifth-year option, per a club announcement. This was the expected move after they passed on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields to select South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn at No. 8. 
[RELATED: Panthers Pick Up D.J. Moore’s Option]
The Panthers came into Thursday night knowing that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson were virtual locks to go Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. Unlike other teams, they weren’t all that wild about North Dakota’s Trey Lance, who went No. 3. Fields reportedly held “intrigue” for the Carolina front office, but they chose to bolster the secondary instead.
Meanwhile, it’s undoubtedly a confidence booster for Darnold, who is coming off of a turbulent stretch with the Jets. Darnold, still just 23, has yet to deliver on the hype he carried in 2018. Last year, he ranked last in QBR among qualified passers and he has yet to eclipse 20 touchdown passes in a season. He’s also missed at least three games in each of his three seasons, including a lengthy stay on the sidelines due to an enlarged spleen.
The once-coveted prospect will replace Teddy Bridgewater (now with the Broncos) under center. Surrounded by old pal Robby Anderson, star running back Christian McCaffrey, and fellow ’18 draftee D.J. Moore, Darnold has a great opportunity to reignite his career.
Panthers Select South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn At No. 9
The 2021 NFL Draft offers a handful of top-tier cornerback prospects, and the first one is finally off the board. With the ninth-overall pick, the Panthers selected South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.
It always seemed like a foregone conclusion that Horn would be selected in the first round of the draft; it was just a matter of if he’d be the first cornerback off the board. He ultimately earned that distinction, beating out the likes of Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley.
The son of former Pro Bowl wideout Joe Horn, the defensive back prospect has more than family pedigree on his side. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Horn possesses the rare combination of speed and physicality. The prospect undoubtedly has the talent to become one of the top players at his position, and the Panthers are clearly bullish on his potential.
Horn was on the draft radar for several years following solid campaigns in 2018 and 2019. He seemed to elevate his play in 2020, collecting a pair of interceptions, six passes defended, and 10 tackles in only seven games. However, following the dismissal of head coach Will Muschamp, Horn sat out the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.
Considering the draft capital that the Panthers gave up for Sam Darnold, it’s a bit of a surprise that the front office didn’t look to provide their new quarterback with offensive line help. Still, it’s hard to be critical of the Horn selection. Carolina’s current depth chart consists of Donte Jackson and Troy Pride, so the rookie will probably be a starter from Day 1.
2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 3 to officially pick up their options on 2018 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. In a change from years past, fifth-year option seasons are fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement, and specific performance metrics:
- 2-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
- 1-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
- Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the 3rd-20th highest salaries at their position:
- 75%+ snaps in two of their first three seasons
- 75%+ average across all three seasons
- 50%+ in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will get the average of the 3rd-25th top salaries at their position.
With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:
Updated 4-30-21, 4:24pm CT
- QB Baker Mayfield, Browns: Exercised ($18.858MM)
- RB Saquon Barkley, Giants: Exercised ($7.217MM)
- QB Sam Darnold, Panthers (via Jets): Pending ($18.858MM)
- CB Denzel Ward, Browns — Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Bradley Chubb, Broncos — Pending ($12.716MM)
- G Quenton Nelson, Colts — Pending ($13.754MM)
- QB Josh Allen, Bills: Pending ($23.106MM)
- LB Roquan Smith, Bears: Exercised ($9.735MM)
- OT Mike McGlinchey, 49ers: Exercised ($10.88MM)
- QB Josh Rosen, Cardinals: N/A
- S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers (via Dolphins): Exercised ($10.612MM)
- DT Vita Vea, Buccaneers: Exercised ($7.638MM)
- DT Daron Payne, Washington — Exercised ($8.529MM)
- DE Marcus Davenport, Saints: Exercised ($9.553MM)
- OT Kolton Miller, Raiders — N/A (extension)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Bills: Pending ($12.716MM)
- S Derwin James, Chargers: Exercised ($9.052MM)
- CB Jaire Alexander, Packers: Exercised ($13.294MM)
- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys: Pending ($9.145MM)
- C Frank Ragnow, Lions: Exercised ($12.657MM)
- C Billy Price, Bengals: Declined ($10.413MM)
- LB Rashaan Evans, Titans: Pending ($9.735MM)
- OT Isaiah Wynn, Patriots: Pending ($10.413 MM)
- WR D.J. Moore, Panthers: Exercised ($11.116MM)
- TE Hayden Hurst, Falcons (via Ravens): Pending ($5.428MM)
- WR Calvin Ridley, Falcons: Pending ($11.116MM)
- RB Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: Pending ($4.523MM)
- S Terrell Edmunds, Steelers: Pending ($6.753MM)
- DT Taven Bryan, Jaguars: Pending ($7.638MM)
- CB Mike Hughes, Vikings: Pending ($12.643MM)
- RB Sony Michel, Patriots: Pending ($4.523MM)
- QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens: Exercised ($23.106MM)
QB Rumors: Patriots, Raiders, Lock, Love
If the Patriots do not opt to make a trade up for one of this draft’s top five quarterback prospects, or if none falls to New England at No. 15, the team could conceivably turn to Jimmy Garoppolo. The Pats, of course, sent Garoppolo to the 49ers nearly four years ago and have a need at quarterback — the Cam Newton re-signing notwithstanding. Tom Brady‘s former backup appears to be on New England’s radar. While a Thursday-morning report indicated Garoppolo is likely to stay put, some in the Patriots organization are wondering if San Francisco will realize keeping Garoppolo and the quarterback it selects at No. 3 overall tonight will not make sense, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. The Patriots would figure to be at or near the top of Jimmy G’s wishlist, given his familiarity with Josh McDaniels‘ system. Garoppolo has a no-trade clause, giving him say in where he is dealt — if/when he is traded.
On a rather big day for the position, here is the latest from the QB world:
- Jon Gruden has met with a few of this year’s top quarterback prospects, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Teams were permitted to conduct virtual meetings with an unlimited number of virtual prospects this year, with the pandemic still nixing “30” visits. Perennially linked to aiming for a Derek Carr upgrade, the Raiders have scouted QBs in this class. They have also discussed potential trade-ups from No. 17, Breer adds. Carr is going into Year 4 with Gruden, and although he has played well, the Las Vegas HC has been known to covet other passers from time to time.
- If the Broncos pull the trigger on a quarterback at No. 9 or trade up from that position to snag one, Breer notes Drew Lock would be expected to go on the trade block as soon as Friday. The Broncos would certainly not recoup a second-rounder for their former second-round QB choice, but Breer notes the Vikings and Panthers would be teams in the Lock mix in this scenario. The Vikings have acquired two ex-Bronco QBs in recent years — Trevor Siemian and Kyle Sloter — to back up Kirk Cousins, while the Panthers just dealt Teddy Bridgewater to Denver. Bridgewater would make sense as a mentor to a quarterback the Broncos select — Justin Fields or Trey Lance perhaps — but Lock would not have a place on the team in this scenario.
- The Packers are running away with the draft-day news cycle lead, despite not picking until No. 29 tonight. The Aaron Rodgers saga hitting a fever pitch thrusts Jordan Love back into the spotlight. Despite Green Bay’s first-round pick last year receiving zero regular-season snaps, the team remains high on him and is pleased by his development, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Packers let QB2 Tim Boyle go this offseason, moving Love up to Rodgers’ primary backup. Rodgers appears keen on letting Love receive another promotion.
Pats, Bears, Washington Pursued Deshaun Watson; Dolphins Prepared Big Offer
Prior to Aaron Rodgers taking his turn as the centerpiece of 2021’s complex quarterback saga, Deshaun Watson resided there. However, the Texans quarterback’s legal issues ground trade rumors to a halt. Prior to that happening, however, a fourth of the league pursued him.
While several of Watson’s suitors have been known, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (via the Sporting News) the Patriots, Bears and Washington were among the eight teams to express interest in three-time Pro Bowler. The others were previously known suitors — the Broncos, Dolphins, Jets, Panthers and 49ers. The 49ers have kept tabs on Watson this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. San Francisco also has inquired about Rodgers’ availability.
It certainly is not surprising the Bears and Washington reached out. Both teams have sought QB answers for a bit. Each moved on, but the Andy Dalton and Ryan Fitzpatrick deals are stopgaps. The Patriots join as a clear connection, having employed Texans honchos Nick Caserio and Jack Easterby previously. The Pats re-signed Cam Newton but are on the radar to trade up for a quarterback tonight.
In addition to this octet of teams interested in a quarterback the Texans had previously refused to discuss in trades, McClain adds the Dolphins were preparing a big offer for the passer. Tua Tagovailoa was to be included in the proposal. As was the No. 3 overall pick. A future Dolphins offer would be different, with the team having traded that pick to the 49ers.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier has backed Tagovailoa on multiple occasions this offseason but has not been shy about making seismic deals — as the trade with the 49ers or the 2019 Laremy Tunsil deal showed. Tagovailoa was mentioned in Watson rumors at one point.
This market could heat up again at some point, but a few of these teams will have moved on to long-term QBs by Thursday’s end. The Jets and 49ers are prepared to select quarterbacks tonight. The Broncos and Patriots may do so as well, with Washington and Chicago looming as trade-up candidates. The Watson market has been on pause for several weeks now. More than 20 women have accused the 25-year-old passer of sexual misconduct or sexual assault.