Following Tuesday’s trade, the Washington Football Team has Ereck Flowers back in the fold. Meanwhile, $6MM of his $9MM salary has already been paid for by the Dolphins, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).
Flowers and the ‘Fins agreed to restructure the contract just prior to the trade. Previously, the Dolphins were on the hook for about $20MM over the next two seasons, per the terms of his three-year, $30MM contract. Now, they’ll take about half of that total commitment off of their books, while moving up in the seventh round with a swap of draft picks. The trade will see WFT get Flowers and pick No. 258 while Miami receives No. 244 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are moving Robert Hunt to right guard, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The decision is yet another signal that Penei Sewell could be a possibility for them at No. 6 overall as they look for a new starting right tackle. For his part, Sewell says he’s comfortable at playing on either side.
This year’s draft is almost certain to begin with Trevor Lawrencegoing to the Jaguars and Zach Wilson to the Jets, making the 49ers’ No. 3 overall pick the beginning of what promises to be a drama-filled top 10. Just behind San Francisco, however, a team faces a more complicated decision.
Picking in the top five for the first time in 13 years, the Falcons hold the No. 4 overall selection. They have a few intriguing options; each would represent drastically different paths for the franchise. After previously not being on the same page about the pick, new GM Terry Fontenot and new HC Arthur Smith are believed to be in agreement now. Which way should the franchise go?
Fontenot was believed to be leaning toward acquiring Matt Ryan‘s heir apparent. There are reasons to support this route. Ryan will turn 36 this year, has not made a Pro Bowl — in the easiest era for such an honor — since his MVP 2016 season, and the Falcons have a rare opportunity to draft one of this year’s prized QB prospects. While late-blooming prospects will likely emerge, the 2022 quarterback class is not currently rated highly. DraftingTrey Lance, Mac Jonesor Georgia native Justin Fields — two will be available — would give the Falcons a player around whom the new regime could build. The Falcons proceeding in this direction would make this the first time a draft has started with four quarterbacks being chosen.
When the duo was believed to be split, Smith was viewed as being in favor of selecting a player who could help a still-Ryan-centric team. With Ryan still an above-average quarterback, and the Falcons possessing needs elsewhere, a case certainly exists for the team to stay the course with its veteran passer. The Falcons having restructured Ryan’s contract earlier this year also would limit their benefit from a rookie-QB salary in 2022. The Jaguars and Jets have no veteran quarterback contract of note on their books, and the 49ers can part ways with Jimmy Garoppolo without much of a dead-cap hit. The Falcons have more than $40MM in Ryan signing bonus money prorated beyond 2021.
Option 3 would be moving the pick. The Falcons are interested in moving down, likely eyeing the type of trade package the Dolphins received (three first-rounders and a third) to do so. Multiple teams have contacted the Falcons about moving up. Washington is believed to be high on Lance, while Broncos GM George Paton has been busy trekking to QBs’ pro days. The Bears are eager to acquire a long-term QB as well, though Washington and Chicago’s draft slots — Nos. 19 and 20 overall — would up Atlanta’s asking price.
So, how will the Falcons proceed? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Oregon’s Penei Sewell is already regarded as the best tackle in this year’s draft. Still, versatility is critical for today’s offensive linemen. To market himself to teams with left tackles already in place, Sewell has also been training at right tackle (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Sewell projects as a top ten pick and, in all likelihood, a Week 1 starter. Still, he’s hoping to appeal to teams that may already have an older left tackle in place. That way, a team could draft him and play him at RT in his rookie year before shifting him to LT down the road.
The draft is expected to start with three quarterbacks coming off the board, giving the Falcons a chance to snag Sewell at No. 4 overall. Sewell would be a solid and safe choice, though they could opt for a young quarterback or a dynamic playmaker instead (i.e. Florida’s Kyle Pitts or LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase). If the Falcons pass on him, the Bengals will have Sewell on the table at No. 5 overall. They already have Jonah Williams on the left side, but Sewell is willing to man the right tackle position.
Sewell opted out of the 2020 season, but he is still regarded as one of the top prospects in the ’21 class. The 6’6″, 330-pound prospect did not allow a single sack in 2019 while surrendering just seven quarterback pressures.
Three quarterbacks will almost certainly go off the board to start this year’s draft, marking the first time in 22 years that will have taken place. The Falcons are undecided on whether they should acquire Matt Ryan‘s heir apparent at No. 4. This puts the Bengals in position to land perhaps this draft’s top non-quarterback.
Picking fifth without a quarterback need, the Bengals will have a bevy of high-end offensive prospects from which to choose. Considering the issues they have had on their offensive line in recent years, they have been linked to Oregon tackle Penei Sewell. Zac Taylor, player personnel director Duke Tobin and offensive line coach Frank Pollack were in Eugene, Ore., for Sewell’s pro day, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Pollack told attendees Sewell impressed him, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
Sewell would make sense as a player who could be a long-term starter opposite left tackle Jonah Williams, but Tobin said the Bengals can acquire a starter-caliber lineman on the draft’s second night. Cincinnati has starter grades on O-linemen projected to go in the second and third rounds, Tobin said during a podcast with Bengals announcer Dan Hoard (Twitter link). Tobin added that the addition of veteran tackle Riley Reiff gives the team a better O-line outlook than it had in 2020 (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby).
Needs exist on the interior of Cincinnati’s O-line, and Tobin said more additions will take place. But the veteran executive understandably is not giving off the vibe the team must add an impact blocker early.
The Bengals also do not want to trade too far down from No. 5; they might not be interested in moving down at all. A best-player-available pick may suit the Bengals, who have included Joe Burrow in their pre-draft process, Tobin more or less confirmed (via Baby, on Twitter). Burrow has stumped for a Ja’Marr Chasereunion, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The Eagles may well expect this to be the direction the Bengals go, with Breer noting Philly believes there is a good chance Cincy drafts Chase at No. 5. Possessing a greater receiver need than the Bengals do, the Eagles traded down from from No. 6 to No. 12 late last month.
The Bengals did not re-sign either of the top-10 receiver picks on last year’s roster — A.J. Green and John Ross — but have invested a first- or second-round pick in a wideout in three of the past five drafts. Chase opted out of his junior season but exploded for 84 receptions, 1,780 yards and 20 touchdown catches during Burrow’s Heisman-winning 2019. He and Burrow played together at LSU for two seasons.
September 7th, 2020 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links
Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell announced that he has opted out of the 2020 season. Citing health concerns, Sewell will now turn his attention to the 2021 NFL Draft.
Sewell has long been regarded as one of the top prospects in the ’21 draft. Most boards have Sewell as a Top 5 prospect and some even him positioned as a Top 3 choice. The 6’6″, 330-pound prospect did not allow a single sack last year and allowed just seven quarterback pressures in 2019. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were fond of him, too — Sewell finished first with a run-blocking grade of 95.3 and while placing third in pass-blocking (91.1).
“There are no words to adequately express how blessed I feel for having played football for the past two seasons at the best school in the country, the University of Oregon,” Sewell wrote (Twitter link). “The love and support I received has been overwhelming, and I could not be more grateful. But ever since I was little, I have dreamt of playing professional football. Accordingly, after long thought, prayer and many conversations with my family, I have decided to opt out of the 2020-21 college football season and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.”
