Giants Interested In Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy
The Giants created a bit of cap space by sending Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs. They are believed to be looking to another AFC West team for help at this position.
Jerry Jeudy is on the Giants’ radar, according to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, who notes the team is interested in the third-year wide receiver — a player who spent his freshman season at Alabama working with Brian Daboll. League buzz is indeed pointing to a Giants Jeudy run, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. The Broncos have made Jeudy available, but with the former first-round pick signed through 2023 and able to be kept through 2024 on his rookie deal, the struggling team has a big-picture decision to make ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
[RELATED: Bradley Chubb Expected To Fetch Day 2 Picks]
The Broncos will hold out for a high return, according to Denver7’s Troy Renck. That return could be a second-round pick or multiple selections, an NFL exec told The Athletic’s Dan Duggan (subscription required). The Giants have their own first-, second- and third-round picks in 2023 and now have a Chiefs compensatory selection in Round 3.
If the Broncos do end up trading Jeudy, the return will certainly be interesting. As the prospect of the Broncos acquiring Aaron Rodgers loomed for nearly a year, Renck adds the Packers eyed Jeudy in a prospective trade. The Packers have been linked to a wide receiver move for a bit now. Multiple offers will obviously lead to a better market for the Broncos.
Jeudy did not break out at Alabama until his sophomore season, after Daboll had left for Buffalo. Jeudy’s freshman campaign with Daboll, the Tide’s OC during an Alabama national championship season, centered around Jalen Hurts‘ rushing abilities. Calvin Ridley worked as the powerhouse’s No. 1 target that year.
Denver used the No. 15 overall pick in 2020 to select Jeudy but has not seen consistency from the ex-Crimson Tide standout. Of course, the Broncos have gone through several quarterbacks and two offensive systems since drafting Jeudy, undoubtedly affecting his development. The team will need to weigh Jeudy’s potential long-term impact with Russell Wilson against the offers it receives ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
Toney may have flashed more after the catch, but he has been seldom available since being last year’s No. 20 overall choice. Jeudy, 23, has shown plus route-running skills and has settled in as Denver’s No. 2 wideout behind Courtland Sutton. Jeudy led the 2020 Broncos in receiving (856 yards) and has 24 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns this year. Jeudy has also battled injuries, most notably the high ankle sprain that sidelined him for a chunk of last season. After a productive debut against the Giants (six receptions, 72 yards), Jeudy missed the next six games and finished last season without a touchdown.
No Giant receiver has topped 200 yards yet, as the team has reached the 6-1 mark without wideout consistency. The team was eyeing receiver help early this season, when the bulk of its top contributors were down. New York has since lost Sterling Shepard for the season and seen Kenny Golladay suffer an MCL sprain. Tied to a four-year contract worth $72MM, Golladay came up in trades earlier this year. Even with the Giants willing to eat some of his 2022 money, no team budged on a player who has been one of the bigger free agency busts in recent years. The team shopped Darius Slayton all offseason, one that saw his stock drop and a pay cut ensue, but Daboll’s club has since turned to the former fifth-round pick as a key target for Daniel Jones.
Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson profile as Big Blue’s top receivers. Jeudy, who has seen extensive time in the slot and outside, would help fill a need for the Giants. With Toney gone, Slayton and Shepard in a contract years and Golladay a cap casualty-in-waiting, receiver will be one of the team’s top needs in 2023. While Jones and Saquon Barkley‘s contract-year statuses bring bigger questions for the resurgent team, its receiver situation will need addressing.
Bradley Chubb Trade Price Expected To Include Day 2 Picks?
Jerry Jeudy and Bradley Chubb have become two of this year’s top trade candidates. Jeudy is contracted beyond 2022, with a possible fifth-year option pickup opening the door to the deal running through 2024. But Chubb is in a walk year. He may be more likely to be moved.
It is uncertain if the Broncos will cut ties with Chubb, who is having a bounce-back season and represents a key part of a top-tier defense that suddenly has edge rusher availability issues. Randy Gregory is on IR, and Baron Browning is expected to miss several weeks due to a hip injury. But teams continue to monitor Chubb, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter), and his trade value may mirror longtime teammate Von Miller‘s.
The Broncos, whose pass rush was without Chubb (ankle surgery) at last year’s trade deadline, dealt Miller to the Rams for second- and third-round picks. If they move Chubb this year, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes the expected price is believed to be second- and third-rounders. A first-rounder would also be in play here, Renck adds, though that would be a steep price for a player who has battled major injury issues in two of his five seasons.
[RELATED: Eagles Send Fourth-Rounder To Bears For Robert Quinn]
Chubb could be a tool for the Broncos to bolster their 2023 draft arsenal, which the Russell Wilson trade depleted. Denver lacks first- and second-round picks next year. Wilson’s contract does not spike to monster cap figures until 2024, potentially opening the door to a Chubb 2023 franchise tag. But the Broncos have made other investments on the edge since Paton took over. They gave Gregory a five-year, $70MM contract, have converted inside linebacker Browning signed through 2024 and drafted Nik Bonitto in Round 2 this year. Browning’s injury opens the door for extensive Bonitto playing time.
The other side of this would be punting on a possible future with Chubb, who has proven to be one of the NFL’s better edges when healthy. He has 5.5 sacks this season. Chubb registered a career-high 12 sacks as a rookie — his only extended stretch alongside Miller, who missed the 2020 season — and made the Pro Bowl in 2020. Chubb, 26, tore an ACL early in the 2019 season and underwent two ankle surgeries last year, leading to a zero-sack campaign. This up-and-down history stands to impact his trade value, as does his fifth-year option salary ($12.7MM). The Broncos ate most of Miller’s 2021 salary to up the compensation; they would likely be open to a similar arrangement with Chubb.
GM George Paton said Thursday calls have come in for players. Paton, who was not with the Broncos when they drafted Chubb fifth overall in 2018, said last year Chubb was a core player. He labeled Chubb as such today in London. But the team’s edge rusher decisions this year and potential to recoup multiple Day 2 picks could be too tempting to pass up.
“I’ll keep that with Bradley [Chubb] and his agent,” Paton said of trade talks (via NFL.com’s James Palmer, on Twitter). “You know how much we like Bradley. We want to keep all of our core players, and he’s one of our core players.”
As they were with Miller, the Rams could be in play for the future Hall of Famer’s former sidekick. They have not been able to replace Miller since he bolted for Buffalo and pursued Brian Burns. After the Eagles acquired Quinn, Chubb could be of interest to a team that has made in-season deals for pass rushers twice (Miller in 2021, Dante Fowler in 2018) during Sean McVay‘s tenure.
George Paton On Nathaniel Hackett Status, Russell Wilson Extension
Nathaniel Hackett‘s first seven games as Broncos head coach have generated considerable attention. The ex-Packers OC’s 32nd-ranked scoring offense has produced eye-popping numbers in third-quarter scoring (three points) and red zone production (23% touchdown rate), leading to Denver’s unexpected 2-5 start.
Questions about Hackett even finishing his first season have surfaced, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes league chatter has placed the Broncos’ London game as a possible do-or-die spot for the embattled HC. While Graziano expressed skepticism on the prospect the Broncos would fire a first-year coach after eight games, GM George Paton doubled down on his Hackett support.
“I believe in Nathaniel,” Paton said. “I support Nathaniel 100%. He’s been in this seven games as a head coach. The scrutiny he’s faced is unprecedented. We’ve had four primetime games, so he’s kind of had to learn in front of the entire world. But I really like how he’s kept the team together. They’re connected. He’s kept our building together, and I appreciate how he’s fought through that.”
It is obviously arguable the Broncos are not “through” anything just yet, having lost four straight games and having failed to score more than one touchdown in all but one contest (a Week 4 loss to the Raiders). Denver’s 100 points through seven games double as the franchise’s worst at this point in a season since 1966. Hackett encountered unusual game management issues in Weeks 1 and 2, leading to the hire of assistant Jerry Rosburg, and his team leads the NFL in penalties (58).
Hackett, 42, said he is keeping the status quo for this week’s game against the Jaguars, but Graziano notes staff adjustments or role reassignments may be in play if the Broncos cannot beat the 2-5 Jaguars in England. That could include ceding play-calling responsibilities, as the Broncos continue to generate listless second halves under a coach brought in to jumpstart an offense.
That said, the Broncos have dealt with injuries to many top players. And starters Garett Bolles, Javonte Williams, Tim Patrick and Ronald Darby are out for the season. But Hackett is on the one-and-done radar, given how his team has performed relative to expectations.
The other scrutinized presence during this start, Russell Wilson, is on track to return in Week 8. The Broncos acquired Wilson when he was tied to a Seahawks-constructed contract that ran through 2023. The team extended the 33-year-old passer — on a five-year, $245MM deal with $124MM fully guaranteed — in order to beat a market that stands to see the $50MM-per-year barrier crossed by multiple passers come 2023.
“We wanted to get ahead of the contract cycle. We had seen how Russ was in the offseason and training camp and we felt really good about Russ. We feel really good about Russ,” Paton said, via 9News’ Mike Klis (on Twitter). “We didn’t want a lot of distraction during the season. We feel really good about it. I feel good about that deal. I feel like it will hold up. I feel good about Russ.”
After nine Pro Bowl seasons in Seattle, Wilson has not transitioned to Hackett’s offense well. He sits 29th in QBR. Even during a 2020 season in which his play tailed off after a hot start and a 2021 campaign that produced post-injury struggles, Wilson placed in the top 10.
The Seahawks did not want to proceed with a third round of Wilson extension negotiations, and select staffers with the NFC West team viewed its former franchise centerpiece as a player in relative decline. Wilson’s age does not support this just yet, but his play in Hackett’s offense has certainly sounded alarm bells.
The Seahawks also expressed doubt about Wilson’s willingness to keep using his legs. Attempts by the likely Hall of Fame-bound player to run have been fairly scarce, and Wilson has cited scrambles against the Raiders and Chargers as the reasons for his shoulder and hamstring injuries, respectively. Operating more as a pure dropback passer in Denver, Wilson is viewed by some as unwilling to play the way he did for much of his Seattle stay, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Wilson’s elusiveness helped the Broncos mount a game-winning drive against the 49ers this season, but the NFL’s No. 4 all-time quarterback rusher (96 yards this season) has largely drifted away from that style over the past two years.
“I am not concerned,” Paton said (via Denver7’s Troy Renck) when asked if Wilson is already showing decline signs. “We are in it for the long haul with Russ, not just the first seven games. We believe in Russ; I believe in Russ. We just need to play better on offense, the timing the rhythm. We need an identity. We really don’t have an identity with offense. I think that comes with time. And hopefully it comes soon.
“He’s trying to learn the staff, the staff’s trying to learn him and all of our players. We know what Russ is capable of. It’s our job to get the best out of Russ and our entire offense. I know we’ll get there. You’ve seen the flashes with Russ, whether it was the first half of the Raiders [game], the first half of the Chargers [game]. You see the arm strength, the accuracy, the mobility.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/22
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: K Rodrigo Blankenship
- Placed on IR: DL Rashard Lawrence
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: G Dieter Eiselen
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: LB Jacob Phillips
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from NFI: LB Damone Clark
- Placed on IR: OL Matt Farniok, CB Jourdan Lewis
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return: OL Tom Compton
Houston Texans
- Designated for return: DB Tavierre Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: S Trevor Denbow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Raiders practice squad: CB Tevaughn Campbell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: OT Jackson Barton
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Jeremiah Attaochu
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: OT Yodny Cajuste
New York Giants
- Designated for return: OT Matt Peart, LB Elerson Smith, CB Rodarius Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated for return: TE Tyree Jackson
- Released: DE Tarron Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: S Nolan Turner
Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy Viewed As Available; KJ Hamler, Melvin Gordon Drawing Interest
The latest London game will feature two 2-5 teams — one of them set to debut a rather odd uniform combination — and lacks the appeal the Giants-Packers matchup brought. But Sunday’s Broncos-Jaguars meeting figures to have a major impact on next week’s trade deadline.
As the interest in Jerry Jeudy persists, the third-year Broncos wide receiver is now viewed as available, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. An initial report indicated the Broncos were not planning to trade the former first-round pick, but interest may be developing to the point the franchise is prepared to follow through.
KJ Hamler and Melvin Gordon are two other Broncos who have also drawn some interest, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Bradley Chubb joins them. Chubb and Jeudy would bring back the most in returns, but Gordon and Hamler have each been three-year contributors in Denver. The Broncos’ disastrous start has piqued teams’ interest re: trades, with Fowler adding teams believe Denver GM George Paton is willing to deal multiple players.
Chubb and Jeudy might carry similar value; Day 2 draft capital is likely required to pry either from the freefalling Broncos. But the latter is believed to be close with Russell Wilson and would stand to be a considerable asset in Wilson’s second Broncos season. Jeudy, 23, is three years younger than Chubb and would profile as a cheaper complement to Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, who each signed extensions during the 2021 season.
Providing slot ability Sutton and Patrick lack, Jeudy has flashed at points during his Broncos tenure. Injuries have, however, limited the Alabama alum, who arrived in Denver before Paton. John Elway‘s final first-round pick as GM, Jeudy has also seen the Broncos’ struggles at quarterback limit him. A team eyeing the 6-foot-1 pass catcher would stand to believe it can unlock more from a player who can be controlled on his rookie deal (via the fifth-year option) through 2024. Jeudy’s contract enhances his value, even if his production has come in below draft-class peers Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins.
The Broncos chose Hamler in the 2020 second round, but injuries and inconsistency have defined his career. An ACL tear and hip injury in Week 3 of the 2021 season kept Hamler out to the point the Broncos sat him in an early-season game this year. But the Penn State-developed deep threat has played in six games this season. Jeudy’s 386 receiving yards are second on the team; Hamler is only at 113 (on five catches). The latter’s trade value will be considerably lower.
Gordon, 29, has not seen eye-to-eye, usage-wise, with embattled HC Nathaniel Hackett. Whereas Hackett has run into trouble on most fronts, Gordon’s fumbling problem has led to his reduced standing. Since Gordon signed a two-year, $16MM Broncos deal in 2020, he has fumbled 11 times. No other running back in that span has put the ball on the ground more than nine times. Javonte Williams‘ injury did not lead to a full-time Gordon role, with Latavius Murray — signed off the Saints’ practice squad — soon taking over as Denver’s primary back. This has led to frustration from Gordon, who has still started the past three Broncos games. He is averaging 3.5 yards per carry this season. The two-time Pro Bowler did combine for 20 touchdowns during his first two Broncos slates.
The former Chargers first-rounder re-signed on a one-year, $2.5MM deal that includes a $2.15MM base salary. Gordon joins Cam Akers and Kareem Hunt as prominent backs who could be moved before the Nov. 1 deadline. Gordon might be dealt regardless of the Broncos’ result against the Jaguars, joining Albert Okwuegbunam in that regard. But Denver’s outing against Jacksonville might determine where high-profile cogs like Jeudy and Chubb finish the season.
A regular deadline seller in recent years, Denver has traded Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Von Miller since 2018. The Wilson trade also stripped Denver of its first- and second-round picks in 2023. Will the team make a move to recoup Day 2 value?
Nathaniel Hackett Not Planning To Cede Play-Calling Duties
Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense submitted another second-half dud against the Jets, extending the Broncos’ losing streak to four and increasing the temperature on the first-year coach’s unexpectedly hot seat.
The Broncos’ 16-9 loss leaves them with 100 points. That is not only the NFL’s basement mark, counting the teams that have had their bye week, it is, per The Athletic, the lowest seven-game Denver total since 1966. Considering the Broncos’ struggles during that period and much of the 1970s, the statistics keep looking worse for Hackett, a veteran offensive coordinator hired to repair Denver’s long-anemic attack.
[RELATED: Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy Drawing Trade Interest]
Although this Broncos edition’s 14.3 points per game is well behind Pat Shurmur‘s 2021 offense (19.7, 23rd) — a unit that largely led to Vic Fangio‘s firing — Hackett is not considering ceding his play-calling responsibilities or making staff changes at this point.
“Right now, on a short week, we’re going to keep the status quo. We’re all going to work together to build a great plan,” Hackett said, via Denver7’s Troy Renck. “I feel like our operation has been going well. We held the ball for a long time, and we moved the ball; we just didn’t convert on some third downs. That kind of stalled us, but we’re going to keep going how we are, and we’ll evaluate everything; we always do.”
Latavius Murray‘s 2-yard touchdown run Sunday gave the Broncos a rare red zone TD, but Hackett’s offense still ranks 32nd in red zone TD rate (23.5%). Only one other team (Seattle) is scoring TDs at a sub-42% clip in the red area. The Broncos have also struggled each week in third quarters; their offense has accounted for just three third-stanza points this season. These figures have helped lead to rampant scrutiny on Hackett and Russell Wilson, who is tracking toward a Week 8 return from his hamstring injury after missing just his fourth career contest Sunday. Although Hackett’s game management struggles have calmed down since the late-September hire of Jerry Rosburg, Denver’s 58 penalties also lead the NFL.
Hackett, 42, has called plays for three teams — the Bills, Jaguars and now the Broncos — but hired a first-time OC (Justin Outten). Denver has Klint Kubiak installed as its quarterbacks coach. Also a second-generation coach, Kubiak, 35, has called plays previously but only for one season (with the 2021 Vikings).
Hackett’s 2017 Jacksonville squad ranked fifth in scoring, but the second-generation NFL play-caller did not produce another top-half scoring finish during his five-season run calling plays in Buffalo and Jacksonville. The Jags ousted Hackett during the 2018 season, leading him to Green Bay as a non-play-calling OC. Hackett’s Packers stay led to four teams — the Bears, Jags, Vikings and Broncos — interviewing him for HC jobs this year. The Broncos hired Hackett over finalists Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn.
Thirteen coaches have been one-and-dones since 2000. Urban Meyer is the only one not to finish out his first season. It would be somewhat surprising if Hackett followed Meyer’s lead, given the fusillade of scandals that led to Shad Khan firing Meyer. But Hackett’s prospects at making it through his first season became a talking point around the league before the Broncos’ losses to the Chargers and Jets. And Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits Denver’s London assignment and Week 9 bye leaves new ownership — not in place for Hackett’s hire — a reboot window. If the Jaguars continue the pattern of the Broncos’ offense being neutralized after halftime, speculation about Hackett not finishing the season will intensify. For now, however, the team will try its scuffling formula in London.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/22
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: CB Daryl Worley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Dolphins practice squad: T Larnel Coleman
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: LS Mitch Fraboni
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Boone
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Maurice Alexander
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Bill Murray
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/22
Here are today’s practice squad transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DE Jordan Brailford
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Daryl Worley
Denver Broncos
- Signed: T Christian DiLauro
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Albert Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Greg Ward
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: T Eric Smith
- Released: OLB Gerri Green
Broncos’ Bradley Chubb Drawing Trade Interest; Baron Browning To Miss Time
One of the more disappointing teams in recent memory, the Broncos have now lost four in a row. Despite hiring an offensive-minded head coach (Nathaniel Hackett), Denver’s offense ranks last in scoring (14.3 points per game). As a result of this offense-geared losing skid, vultures are circling.
Jerry Jeudy‘s name continues to come up in trade rumors, and Troy Renck of Denver7 adds (via Twitter) teams are interested in Bradley Chubb as well. While Jeudy can be controlled through 2024 via the fifth-year option, Chubb is playing on his fifth-year option ($12.7MM). His contract expires in March. Considering where the Broncos’ season has headed, it is certainly unsurprising to see teams show interest in a contract-year pass rusher.
Denver stockpiled an edge-rushing surplus this offseason, but that has deteriorated over the past few weeks. The depth led the Broncos to trade Malik Reed to the Steelers before setting their 53-man roster, but injuries have hit this position group hard. Randy Gregory remains on IR due to arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Broncos placed backup Aaron Patrick on IR recently. He is out for the season. Baron Browning, who has thrived after moving from inside to outside linebacker this offseason, left Sunday’s game with an injury. Browning is expected to miss several weeks because of the hip injury sustained, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
With Gregory on IR and Browning perhaps headed there, the Broncos would seemingly have a tough time unloading Chubb. The former No. 5 overall pick has battled injuries during his career — one that saw minimal contributions in 2019 and 2021 due to knee and ankle trouble, respectively — but may be a candidate for the franchise tag come March. Chubb, 26, is enjoying a bounce-back contract year; he has a team-high 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles through seven games. Chubb’s re-emergence has helped the Broncos maintain a top-tier defense; the unit sits in the top three in points and yards allowed.
Gregory is under contract through 2026, at just $14MM per year, but the longtime Cowboy has now undergone three surgeries this year. His replacement, Browning, is under contract through 2024 and has shown bright flashes since being moved to the edge. The Broncos have rookie second-rounder Nik Bonitto and 2021 seventh-round pick Jonathan Cooper as its top backup edge defenders. The former stands to start in Browning’s place opposite Chubb in Week 8.
Given Gregory and Browning’s contract statuses and the price Chubb figures to command on his second deal, the Broncos entertaining offers would not surprise. They are 2-5 and have obtained value for high-profile pieces at recent trade deadlines. Denver dealt Super Bowl 50 cogs Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Von Miller from 2018-21. The Miller deal helped the Broncos trade for Russell Wilson, but that swap stripped the team of first- and second-round picks in 2023. A Chubb trade would be a way accumulate a Day 2 pick the team lost from the Wilson deal, but it also would mean bailing on a future with the North Carolina State product.
As for Jeudy, Renck notes the third-year wideout continues to generate interest (Twitter link). The Broncos are hesitant to trade the former first-rounder, whom Renck notes is close with Wilson. Denver is tied to Wilson through at least 2025, and Jeudy would seemingly profile as a building-block player around the high-priced quarterback next year compared to a trade asset. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick under long-term contract, on deals ($15MM and $10MM per year, respectively) that look rather team-friendly given where the receiver market went in 2022. Jeudy becomes extension-eligible in 2023. This year’s trade deadline falls on Nov. 1, and the Broncos will now be one of the teams to watch.
Rams Included Cam Akers In Christian McCaffrey Proposal; Broncos, Eagles Made Offers
It took four picks for the 49ers to pry Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers. No strangers to exiting trade or free agency sweepstakes with wins, the Rams made a similar offer. It came down to a Day 3 pick for San Francisco’s proposal to win out.
The Rams offered the Panthers second- and third-round 2023 picks, along with fourth- and fifth-rounders in 2024, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. The defending Super Bowl champions also included Cam Akers in their proposal, Breer adds, but the Panthers went with the 49ers’ offer because it included a fourth-rounder in 2023 as opposed to 2024.
Last year’s Sony Michel trade stripped the Rams of their 2023 fourth-rounder; the team sent the Patriots fourth- and sixth-round picks for Michel. The Rams have their first-, second- and third-round picks in 2024, for now, but are not believed to have included any of those choices in their McCaffrey proposal. The value of the 2023 selections will come down to how the NFC West teams finish this season, but the Panthers still viewed the 49ers’ offer as more attractive.
[RELATED: Bills Did Not Make Offer For McCaffrey]
Los Angeles is still trying to move Akers, who could be a chip for the teams that missed out on McCaffrey. However, one of the teams involved in the sweepstakes moved on with a cheaper solution. The Broncos signed Marlon Mack on Monday morning, doing so in the wake of losing Mike Boone suffering an ankle injury against the Jets. Denver adding McCaffrey at this point, amid an October freefall, would have made less sense than the All-Pro back going to a 2022 contender.
Mentioned as a McCaffrey suitor, the Broncos joined the Eagles in making noncompetitive offers, Breer adds. Both teams are believed to have made offers involving third- or fourth-round picks to see if the Panthers were keen on taking a discount to move the high-priced running back. Considering what the Rams and 49ers proposed, the Broncos and Eagles’ efforts were nonstarters for the Panthers.
Midway through last season, the Eagles pivoted to a run-based attack around Jalen Hurts. The team has Miles Sanders atop its backfield depth chart, but the former second-round pick is in a contract year. Ditto Boston Scott. Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon are each signed through 2024, though neither is obviously close to McCaffrey’s level. McCaffrey would have been an interesting piece for Philly, given his passing-game prowess. The Eagles’ offense has not involved much usage for backs through the air; Sanders leads Philly’s backs with 11 catches for 42 yards this season. And it does not sound like the Eagles, who have been in many trade derbies under Howie Roseman, were too interested here.
The first team to call the Panthers on McCaffrey, the 49ers put the trade prize to work quickly. McCaffrey received 10 touches Sunday against the Chiefs, despite not going through a full practice with his new team yet. Rather than add Akers as a CMC replacement, the Panthers turned to backups D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard in Week 7. The duo combined for a staggering 208 scrimmage yards against the Buccaneers on Sunday. Foreman is on an expiring contract; Hubbard’s rookie deal runs through 2024.