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.
2021 NFL Draft: Team By Team
The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! Soon, picks will soon be swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. But, before the trading frenzy starts, here’s a look at the draft picks owned by each team:
[RELATED: 2021 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Arizona Cardinals – Picks: 6
Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders)
Atlanta Falcons — Picks: 9
Round 1: No. 4 overall
Round 2: No. 35
Round 3: No. 68
Round 4: No. 108
Round 5: Nos. 148, 182, 183
Round 6: Nos. 187, 219
Baltimore Ravens – Picks: 10
Round 1: Nos. 27, 31 (from Chiefs) overall
Round 2: No. 58
Round 3: Nos. 94 (from Chiefs), 104
Round 4: Nos. 131, 136 (from Chiefs)
Round 5: Nos. 171, 184
Round 6: No. 210
Buffalo Bills — Picks: 7
Round 1: No. 30 overall
Round 2: No. 61
Round 3: No. 93
Round 5: Nos. 161 (from Raiders), 174
Round 6: No. 213
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers)
Carolina Panthers — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 8 overall
Round 2: No. 39
Round 3: No. 73
Round 4: No. 113
Round 5: No. 151
Round 6: Nos. 191 (from Broncos), 193, 222
Chicago Bears — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 52
Round 3: No. 83
Round 5: No. 164
Round 6: Nos. 204, 208 (from Seahawks through Dolphins), 221, 228
Cincinnati Bengals — Picks: 8
Round 1: No. 5 overall
Round 2: No. 38
Round 3: No. 69
Round 4: No. 111
Round 5: No. 149
Round 6: No. 190
Round 7: Nos. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans), 235 (from Lions through Seahawks)
Latest On Bears’ First-Round Draft Plans
The Bears may be looking to jump up the draft board in pursuit of a quarterback. Jason La Canfora reports (via Twitter) that the Bears “have canvassed the teams currently selecting between 7-10,” with the front office focused on drafting a signal caller. Chicago is currently slated to pick at No. 20, which would probably be too late in the round to select any of Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance.
[RELATED: Updated 2021 First-Round Draft Order]
There have been rumblings throughout the offseason that the Bears could be looking to trade up for a quarterback, although we heard recently that the organization hadn’t been particularly active in trade discussions. With general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy potentially on the hot seat, it would be a surprise if they don’t take a bona fide starter with their first-round selection. The team seems to be set in 2021 with Andy Dalton and Nick Foles under center; if Pace and Nagy opt for a young quarterback, there’s a chance they won’t be around to see their plan come to fruition. Chicago has plenty of immediate needs, so there’s some merit to retaining their draft selections and adding players at other positions.
On the flip side, neither Dalton nor Foles are very inspiring choices, and the front office may believe the Bears have a higher upside in 2021 with any of the rookie quarterbacks. Head coach Matt Nagy even seemed to acknowledge that the organization has been eyeing a handful of rookies QBs during a recent meeting with reporters.
La Canfora notes that the Patriots have joined the Bears in shopping around for a top-1o pick, and the reporter believes that one of New England or Chicago will ultimately be successful in their pursuit of a rookie quarterback. We heard a similar sentiment earlier today, with one report indicating that New England could look to trade up from No. 15 all the way to the Falcons at No. 4.
Bears Pick Up Roquan Smith’s 2022 Option
The Bears are set to exercise Roquan Smith‘s fifth-year option (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). As shown in our fifth-year option tracker for 2018 first-round picks, the linebacker is slated to make $9.735MM in ’22.
[RELATED: 2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Smith, the No. 8 overall pick in the ’18 class, has started in 42 of his 44 games for the Bears. Last year, he enjoyed a breakout season as he compiled 139 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, four sacks, seven passes defensed, and 2 interceptions. Some of this offseason’s fifth-year options decisions are tricky, but this one was basically a no-brainer for the Bears.
Bears GM Ryan Pace hasn’t hit on all of his first-round picks, but Smith has worked out better than the likes of wide receiver Kevin White or quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Technically, Smith is the second of Pace’s four first-rounders to get their option picked up, though Leonard Floyd was released before he could play his fifth year in Chicago.
Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1
The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.
As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Draft Trade Rumors: Bears, Falcons, Bengals
Here’s a few of the latest draft rumors, with a focus on teams that could be moving up or down the board in the first round:
- The Bears, who hold the No. 20 overall pick, have been rumored as a team that could be climbing up the draft board to grab a QB, but as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, they haven’t been particularly active in trade discussions just yet. A lot can happen in a week, and Breer says rival clubs do expect Chicago to at least consider a bold trade to land a top passer. On the other hand, such a deal will be very expensive in terms of draft capital, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune hears from some sources that GM Ryan Pace might try to protect his draft assets to fill his club’s multiple needs. Still, Pace’s job and HC Matt Nagy‘s job are very much in jeopardy, and unless the duo is particularly high on a second-tier QB like Florida’s Kyle Trask, expect the team to exhaust all possible avenues for a trade up.
- The Falcons may be open to all options when it comes to their No. 4 overall pick, but Breer is getting the sense that Atlanta is perfectly content to stay right where it is. Whether the Falcons take a QB with that pick or the top non-QB prospect in the draft remains an open question, but they have put a very high price on their selection, and it sounds like they will need to be overwhelmed by a trade offer to move it.
- The buzz around the Bengals has pointed towards the team keeping its No. 5 overall pick and selecting LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said that he has engaged in talks with teams looking to move up to No. 5, but he wants to stay put and select a premier talent (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com).
- Other teams are expecting the Dolphins to keep the No. 6 selection, but GM Chris Grier says that he will continue listening to trade offers up until the pick is in (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). If he does get an offer that convinces him to move down, he won’t want to slide too far.
- Connor Hughes of The Athletic says Jets GM Joe Douglas could try to engineer a trade up from the No. 23 overall pick, especially if an OL like Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater or USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker should start to fall. However, he doesn’t see Douglas moving into the top-15.
Latest On Trey Lance, Justin Fields
Trey Lance conducted his second pro day Monday in Fargo, North Dakota. A few notable teams attended the event. While previous reports indicated the 49ers, Falcons and Broncos were to have personnel at the showcase, the Patriots were there as well.
The Pats sent Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Dave Ziegler to observe Lance, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The Panthers and Bears are not believed to have sent representatives to watch the North Dakota State prospect throw this time, Breer adds, though both teams were at his first pro day. Washington, which has been linked to Lance recently, did have a contingent present, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED: 49ers Open To Drafting Trey Lance?]
Lance ran 49ers drills at the workout. The idea of working in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense appeals to Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, according to Breer. Lance and Fields opted to go through with second pro days in order for Shanahan and John Lynch to be on-hand. Lance has worked with QB guru John Beck in recent weeks and, per Graziano, did so at Shanahan’s request (Twitter link). San Francisco’s staff gave Beck a set of drills for Lance to work on during the leadup to his second pro day. Shanahan coached Beck when he served as Washington’s OC in the early 2010s.
The Panthers sent their top brass to Lance’s first pro day March 12; Matt Rhule, GM Scott Fitterer and OC Joe Brady made that trip, Breer adds. The Bears sent Matt Nagy to watch Fields’ second pro day last week, with Washington having director of college scouting Tim Gribble at that event. Nagy and GM Ryan Pace made the trip to watch Lance last month but were not believed to be at Lance’s second throwing session, which, like Fields’ workout sequel, was closed to media.
Denver OC Pat Shurmur was at both Fields and Lance’s second sessions, and while the Broncos are not a lock to draft one of this year’s top five passers, teams believe they are lurking as as stealth QB suitor, according to Breer. The Broncos are set to pick ninth. One of those QBs could well fall to them, but the Broncos have also been linked to a possible trade-up for a quarterback. The team last drafted a first-round quarterback in 2016 (Paxton Lynch) but has never selected one in the top 10. If the 49ers take Jones, the Broncos would stand to be in play for Lance or Fields.
Bears Re-Sign Tashaun Gipson
The Bears have agreed to re-sign safety Tashaun Gipson, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Once finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran. 
[RELATED: Bears Sign WR Marquise Goodwin]
Gipson spent time with the Browns, Jaguars, and Texans before joining the Bears as a free agent last year. Brought in to help replace Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the 30-year-old (31 in August) went on to start in all 16 games last year. In total, he finished out with 66 stops, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. Now, he’ll return to a Bears secondary that is without Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller. Fortunately, the Bears still have All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson to help hold down the fort.
Gipson, a 2014 Pro Bowler, has 25 career interceptions to his credit. He might not be the player that he once was, but he’s coming off of a solid and disciplined season. Last year, Gipson committed just one penalty across 1,130 defensive snaps.
Seahawks Had Interest In WR Marquise Goodwin
Before he ended up joining the Bears, wideout Marquise Goodwin received some interest from one of his former team’s top rivals. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks were interested in adding the veteran receiver.
Following a four-year stint with the Bills to start his career, Goodwin put his name on the map once he joined the 49ers. He had a breakout season in 2017, hauling in 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns. The receiver’s production dropped off in 2018 and 2019, and after getting traded to the Eagles last offseason, Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns.
The Seahawks are plenty familiar with the 30-year-old; Goodwin has played in five career games against the Niners’ division rival, hauling in 12 catches for 154 yards. Had Goodwin joined Seattle, he would have had to battle for reps behind starters D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, although Fowler notes that the Seahawks are content rolling with Freddie Swain as that “complementary piece.” The 2020 sixth-rounder hauled in a pair of touchdowns during his rookie campaign.
Instead of joining Seattle, Goodwin ultimately joined the Bears. We learned yesterday that the veteran inked a one-year deal with Chicago.
Bears Sign WR Marquise Goodwin
Marquise Goodwin will be affiliated with a third team this offseason. After seeing his rights sent from the Eagles back to the 49ers, the veteran wide receiver became a free agent. The Bears will end that stay.
The former Olympian agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Bears on Friday. Goodwin has not played since the 2019 season, having opted out in 2020.
While Goodwin was part of San Francisco’s Super Bowl LIV-qualifying squad, he did not hold a regular role. The 49ers reduced his offensive responsibilities before placing him on IR then traded him to the Eagles during the 2020 draft.
The 49ers gave Goodwin a three-year, $20.3MM deal in March 2018 but ended up regretting the pact. The Eagles sent the 49ers to the Eagles in a pick-swap trade involving 2020 sixth-rounders. When Goodwin reverted back to the 49ers in March, San Francisco sent a 2021 seventh-rounder back to Philly. After spending a month in free agency, the 30-year-old wideout will join the Bears’ Allen Robinson-led receiving corps.
Months after qualifying for the London Games in the long jump, the 5-foot-9 wideout blazed to a 4.27-second 40-yard dash time at the 2013 Combine. He went to the Bills in the third round. The ex-Texas Longhorn has shown flashes as a receiver, most notably during a 962-yard 2017 slate that did not involve Jimmy Garoppolo until late in the season, and has some experience as a kick returner. Despite Goodwin’s speed, however, he has not returned a kick since the 2015 season.
This move comes nearly a year after the Bears signed Ted Ginn, a fellow speedster with 49ers experience. Ginn, however, did not play a big role on Chicago’s offense and did not last the season in the Windy City. The Bears have Robinson, Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller positioned as their top three wideouts. However, Miller may still be on the trade block.