Multiple Teams Wanted To Sign Alex Smith
When most players retire from the NFL, it’s because the phone stops ringing. That apparently wasn’t the case with Alex Smith, who announced earlier this morning that he’d be hanging up his cleats. 
“Multiple teams wanted to sign” Smith, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. Pelissero adds that Smith made the decision to call it a career a couple of weeks ago. Smith then appeared on SportsCenter, where he offered a bit more info on his process. Interestingly, Smith said he did visit with the Jaguars and considered signing with them, via Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
That would’ve reunited him in Jacksonville with Urban Meyer, who coached him in college at Utah. We heard at the beginning of the month that the Texans had interest in bringing him in, and the Colts, Patriots, and Eagles were also intrigued, according to Greg Bishop of SI.com. Smith, of course, miraculously returned from a devastating leg injury last season to improbably help lead Washington to the playoffs.
It’s not surprising teams were interested in Smith as a veteran mentor, as the 36-year-old surely has a lot of wisdom to impart to a young quarterback. It would’ve been cool to see him give Trevor Lawrence some guidance in Jacksonville, just like he did with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
Ultimately it wasn’t mean to be, and Smith will wrap up his rollercoaster of a career after 16 seasons in the league. He can walk away knowing he had offers on the table, which is more than most can say.
Jaguars Impressed With Lawrence's Playbook Retention
- Not that it’s any secret the Jaguars are taking Trevor Lawrence, but we’ve got some more info on what’s going down behind the scenes. Urban Meyer pretty much publicly acknowledged a couple weeks ago that the team would draft the Clemson passer first overall later this month, and it sounds like the budding relationship is going well. Jacksonville has been sharing elements of their offensive scheme and playbook with Lawrence to see what he can retain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter video link). These zoom sessions have apparently been going well, as Lawrence has “impressed them” by “being able to talk like he’s already a member” of the team, Rapoport says.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/16/21
Today’s minor moves:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: DL Dakota Allen
New England Patriots
- Waived: C Dustin Woodard
Washington Football Team
- Waived: CB DeMarkus Acy
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: LB Dennis Gardeck (RFA), LB Kylie Fitts (ERFA)
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia, DL Ryan Bee, RB Tavien Feaster, LB Jamell Garcia-Williams, WR Darece Roberson
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: DE Porter Gustin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LB Dakota Allen (ERFA)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Cut: QB Kyle Sloter
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Jalen McCleskey
PFR Poll: Which QB Will Be Traded Next?
The NFL’s quarterback carousel continued earlier this week when the Jets finally traded former third-overall pick Sam Darnold to the Panthers. The 23-year-old became the fifth quarterback to switch teams via trade this offseason:
- Matthew Stafford, Lions to Rams
- Jared Goff, Rams to Lions
- Carson Wentz, Eagles to Colts
- Ryan Finley, Bengals to Texans
- Sam Darnold, Jets to Panthers
While teams have already shifted focus from veteran acquisitions to the draft, that doesn’t mean we won’t see another QB trade. Sure, it takes two to tango, and a number of teams already have already solidified their quarterback situation (or they will in the upcoming draft). Still, teams like the Patriots, Broncos, Bears, Saints, and Washington could be in the market for a signal-caller depending on what happens with the draft.
So who could be available? We know one name is definitively on the block: Teddy Bridgewater. Following the Panthers’ acquisition of Darnold, the front ofice gave the 2020 starter permission to seek a trade. It seems like a trade is inevitable, with reports indicating that multiple teams have reached out to Carolina about the veteran. Many of these teams are apparently eyeing Bridgewater as a backup, which could complicate a trade if the veteran is hunting for a suitor who will let hm start. Further, interested teams would also like to rework Bridgewater’s contract, adding another hurdle to negotiations.
It was widely assumed that Jimmy Garoppolo would be on the trade block after the 49ers made a blockbuster trade for the No. 3 pick. However, the organization appears to be playing hard ball. After declaring that the veteran would be sticking around San Francisco for the 2021 season, the 49ers are reportedly seeking a first-rounder for Jimmy G. This could obviously just be leveraging via the media, and the 49ers will be hard pressed to find a team that will give up that type of draft capital and inherit Garoppolo’s hefty deal. Either way, the rumors will surely persist, especially if Garoppolo’s former team, the Patriots, roll into the regular season with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham as their top quarterbacks.
What about Gardner Minshew? The former sixth-rounder took a step back from a team-record perspective in 2020, but he still proved to be a capable game manager, connecting on 66.1-percent of his passes and tossing 16 touchdowns vs. only five interceptions. The Jaguars will presumably take Trevor Lawrence will the first-overall pick in the upcoming draft, relegating Minshew to a backup role. Minshew has a low salary and plenty of upside, so Jacksonville won’t just give him away. However, if a team is willing to pony up for the mustached quarterback, the Jaguars will probably listen. For what it’s worth, we heard back in March that the Jaguars weren’t shopping Minshew “at this point” in time.
Those three quarterbacks appear to be the most realistic trade targets, but there are plenty of additional quarterbacks who have lingered in trade rumors. Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson were the biggest names thrown around this offseason, but it’s unlikely either player is dealt any time soon (Wilson because he’s a franchise quarterback and the Seahawks aren’t dumb, Watson because of the ongoing sexual misconduct allegations against him (and the Texans prior refusal to trade him despite demands)). Some less sexy names include Nick Foles, who could be displaced in Chicago after the Bears signed Andy Dalton. Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, and Drew Lock have also been tossed around, but it’s unlikely any of those players switch teams.
So that leads to our question: who will be the next quarterback to be traded? Let us know if we forgot anyone in the comments.
Which QB Will Be Traded Next?
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Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers 62% (2,120)
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Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers 19% (647)
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Gardner Minshew, Jaguars 13% (450)
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Other 7% (229)
Total votes: 3,446
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/9/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: DT Daniel Ross
New England Patriots
- Waived: G Ross Reynolds
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL T.J. Carter
Jaguars Host DL Daniel Ross
Daniel Ross has a chance to return to Jacksonville. After ending last season with the Jaguars, the free agent defensive tackle auditioned for the team earlier today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
While the defensive lineman certainly isn’t a household name, he has one of the better success stories in the NFL. Ross played a few seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College (a school that boasts a handful of NFL players, including former Pro Bowler Jerome Woods), and he spent a handful of years bouncing around the CFL, including a 2015 campaign that was scrapped due to a knee injury.
After going undrafted during the 2017 draft, he joined the Texans for the preseason, and he spent most of his rookie season on the Lions and Chiefs practice squads. He was signed by the Cowboys late in the season, and he appeared in three games down the stretch, compiling five tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery.
Ross ended up getting into 13 games with Dallas in 2018, collecting one sack, one forced fumble, and seven QB hits. He missed the entire 2019 season due to a shoulder injury, but he still managed to catch on with the Raiders last offseason. He appeared in three games for his new team before getting cut in December, and he appeared in two games for the Jaguars after getting claimed off waivers.
Jaguars Sign LB Damien Wilson
After hosting Damien Wilson on a visit earlier this week, the Jaguars agreed to terms with the veteran linebacker on Friday. The team announced the signing.
Wilson spent the past two seasons as a starter with the Chiefs, working as a first-stringer for both of Kansas City’s two Super Bowl runs. Wilson will join a Jaguars team that houses three-down linebackers Myles Jack and Joe Schobert, adding some additional experience to defensive coordinator Joe Cullen‘s linebacking corps.
The Jags will be Wilson’s third team. He began his career as a part-time starter with the Cowboys, arriving in Dallas as a fourth-round pick in 2015. While Wilson made 22 starts in four Cowboys seasons, he logged 29 for the Chiefs over the past two. This agreement could push Wilson into Jacksonville’s starting lineup, but he likely will have to battle a few younger cogs to earn that spot alongside Jack and Schobert.
Wilson, 27, posted a career-high 81 tackles for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in 2019. Pro Football Focus graded Wilson better in 2020, when he rated 44th among off-ball ‘backers. The six-year veteran wrapped his Chiefs career with a team-high 10 tackles (one for loss) in Super Bowl LV.
Jaguars Hosting LB Damien Wilson
A starter for each of the past two Super Bowl-qualifying Chiefs teams, Damien Wilson secured a free agency meeting Wednesday. The Jaguars brought in the veteran linebacker, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Formerly a Cowboys contributor, Wilson played an increased role for the past two Chiefs defenses. Kansas City used Wilson on 64% of its defensive snaps in 2019. Overall, Wilson started every game he played in two Chiefs seasons.
Wilson, 27, posted a career-high 81 tackles for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in 2019. Pro Football Focus graded Wilson better in 2020, when he rated 44th among off-ball ‘backers. The Cowboys used the former fourth-round pick as a part-time starter from 2015-18 but allowed him to leave via free agency two years ago.
The Jaguars have two three-down linebackers already, with Myles Jack one of the last men standing from the team’s high-end defenses of the late 2010s and Joe Schobert agreeing to join the rebuilding team last year. But the team appears on the lookout for a third starter and/or depth at the position. The Jags ranked 31st in both total defense and points allowed last season.
Jaguars’ Urban Meyer: “Zero Chance” Of NCAA Return
After years of speculation, Urban Meyer finally made the jump to the pros. Unlike other well-known college coaches before him, the Jaguars’ HC says there’s “zero chance” that he’ll return to the NCAA ranks. 
“Zero chance at that happening,” Meyer said (via Peter King of NBC Sports). “What coach [Nick] Saban went through, I don’t know. That’s Coach Saban’s business. I’m not quite sure. At some point, I might talk to him about it…he’s a friend of mine and I got great respect for him. It is different. It’s completely different. My mind is set. There’s gonna be some losses. That’s gonna be miserable. I hate losing. We all do. But the reality is that you’re gonna lose. Hopefully you win more than you lose. But that’s something that’s gonna be new to me. I have to get my mind right and I’m working on that.”
Two years after leaving LSU for the Dolphins’ job, Saban requested his releasee so that he could go to the University of Alabama. Meyer, on the other hand, says he’s in it for the long haul. With a lucrative contract in hand and Clemson star Trevor Lawrence (likely) on the way, the former Ohio State and Florida coach has little reason to look in the rear view mirror.