Commanders Rumors

Raiders, Cardinals Have Discussed No. 4; Las Vegas Unlikely To Move Up For Non-Jayden Daniels QB?

April 25th, 2024 at 8:27am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are known to have contacted the Commanders and Chargers about the Nos. 2 and 5 overall picks. It should then come as no surprise to hear the Silver and Black have reached out about the Cardinals‘ No. 4 selection as well.

Arizona has heard from Las Vegas about No. 4, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The Cardinals are both setting a high price on their pick and not believed to want to move too far down the board. The Raiders holding No. 13 would complicate this, as it has complicated their long-rumored effort to climb to No. 2 for Jayden Daniels. With the LSU alum (and ex-Antonio Pierce Arizona State charge) likely out of reach, the Raiders’ path has become murky.

Teams view the Raiders as unlikely to move up for a non-Daniels quarterback, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds. Las Vegas made Daniels the centerpiece of a trade-up effort likely doomed by the 2023 edition’s strong finish. Pierce’s run as interim HC landed him the full-time job — as the first NFL interim boss to move to regular duty in seven years — but it also dropped the Raiders to an unfavorable draft slot. The team has been connected to Michael Penix Jr. as well, and mock drafts have indeed reflected this interest. Penix’s potential late rise aside, the Raiders may not need to trade up if they truly want the Washington standout.

Daniels has made it clear he is prepared to play for whichever team drafts him, but the dual-threat standout appears to have two destinations ranked above the team he will likely end up with by tonight. The 2023 Heisman winner, “in a dream world,” would end up with either the Raiders or Vikings, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required). The Vikings also have been linked to interest in trading up for Daniels, and Minnesota — having made no secret, via actions and comments, about interest in acquiring a first-round QB this year — may be comfortable with more QBs compared to most teams.

In the Raiders’ locker room after their Week 18 win over the Broncos, Daniels has been linked to wanting to be a Raider for a bit as well. These hopes are not expected to deter the Commanders, who have been tied to the five-year college QB for a bit now. While Washington has Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy fans in the building as well, GM Adam Peters is believed to be high on Daniels, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds.

The Commanders’ QB stance may also have changed as the pre-draft process dragged on. The team was believed to have been moving toward choosing Maye before the Senior Bowl, pro days and Combine, Howe adds.

It is unclear what changed the new Washington regime’s mind, as Daniels did not work out at the Combine or his pro day. The two passers famously visited, along with McCarthy and Penix, together earlier this month (Topfolf was also involved). The pre-draft circuit looks to have sold the new Washington personnel boss on Daniels, who enjoyed a far better 2023 season compared to Maye, who is more than two years younger. Peters was heavily involved in the 49ers’ call to draft Trey Lance in 2021; tonight represents a shot at redemption for the first-time GM.

One exec informed Howe he would not rule out a Daniels slide past No. 2. That scenario would add more intrigue to this draft’s expected QB-centric start, as the Patriots and Cardinals’ picks would suddenly become more valuable if Daniels were still on the board. But the purveying view hours away from Round 1 is Daniels is ticketed for D.C. This stands to leave the Pats with a Maye-McCarthy debate; both QBs are believed to have backers in Foxborough.

Commanders Decline LB Jamin Davis’ Fifth-Year Option

April 25th, 2024 at 7:11am CST by Sam Robinson

None of the teams to select a linebacker in the 2020 first round opted to exercise a fifth-year option; each member of that quartet joined another team in free agency last month. The Commanders are moving down a similar path with the ILB they chose in the 2021 first round.

Washington is declining Jamin Davis‘ fifth-year option, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Chosen 19th overall in 2021, Davis carried a $14.48MM option for the 2025 season. With Davis not yet living up to his draft slot — and seeing how teams proceeded with 2020 Round 1 ILBs last year — it is unsurprising to see the Commanders punt on that fully guaranteed number.

None of the 2020 ILB class carried a Pro Bowl honor from 2020-22; that placed their option prices between $11.73MM and $12.72MM. This proved too much for the Cardinals (Isaiah Simmons), Chargers (Kenneth Murray), Ravens (Patrick Queen) and Seahawks (Jordyn Brooks). Each player moved on in free agency in March. With a new regime in place in Washington, Davis’ arrow is pointing in that direction ahead of what is now a contract year.

The Commanders signed Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in March; the Wagner agreement, like several Washington pacts this offseason, brought a reunion with new HC Dan Quinn. Washington also signed Jeremy Chinn, a hybrid player who spent extensive time as a box defender with Carolina. These transactions leave Davis’ role uncertain, as the Kentucky product has not become a difference-maker since the Ron Rivera-led regime selected him 19th overall three years ago.

After struggling as a rookie, Davis received criticism from then-DC Jack Del Rio early in the ’22 season. He did play better on the whole over the past two years, and Pro Football Focus slotted the 25-year-old defender inside the top 40 at the position last year. Davis has totaled 17 tackles for loss and six sacks over the past two years combined. He also forced two fumbles and broke up four passes last season, before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury in December.

Davis underwent knee surgery last year as well, and the one-year SEC starter has run into trouble off the field. He was hit with a reckless driving charge in March 2022. While Davis appealed his conviction and avoided a 180-day sentence, Jhabvala adds he also drew a reckless driving charge (later reduced) three months before that. Additionally, Davis joins cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and former safety Deshazor Everett as defendants in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the crash that killed Everett’s girlfriend. Washington cut the safety in March 2022, but the civil suit — brought on by the victim’s mother — alleges Davis, St-Juste and Everett were racing when Everett’s vehicle crashed.

Raiders Contact Commanders About No. 2 Pick; No Trade Expected

April 23rd, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

After new Commanders GM Adam Peters said he did not envision many scenarios in which his team would move off the No. 2 overall pick, the other team that has been regularly connected to Jayden Daniels opted to test the NFC East team’s commitment.

The Raiders indeed contacted the Commanders about a trade-down from No. 2, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. Other teams have inquired about Washington’s selection, but Garafolo and NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport note the team has not shown an indication it is interested in moving down.

Indeed, the draft is expected to start with Caleb Williams and Daniels. While the 2023 Heisman winner is not considered a full-on lock to head to Washington in the way the 2022 Heisman recipient is tied to Chicago at No. 1, SI.com’s Albert Breer offers that most around the NFL expect Daniels to be a Commander by Thursday night.

Not ruling out Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy to Washington, Breer notes Daniels remains a clear favorite here. It has been trending this way for a bit now. Still, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson adds Maye and McCarthy fans still exist within the Washington building. These two joined Daniels on that much-discussed mass Commanders visit last week.

It is certainly unsurprising to see the Raiders mentioned as an 11th-hour suitor. Due to Antonio Pierce‘s past with Daniels at Arizona State, they have been connected to the dual-threat talent longer than any NFL team. But Washington lost its final eight games last season, outflanking New England for the right to pick second. The Raiders holding No. 13 overall has long made it unlikely they could put together a package appealing enough to convince a QB-needy Commanders operation to slide down that far.

A report earlier this month offered intrigue about the Raiders’ desire to move up, putting Pierce and new GM Tom Telesco on opposing sides of that debate. Telesco, who has been tied to either Justin Herbert or Philip Rivers throughout his GM career, was said to not be overly enthusiastic about the prospect of sacrificing major draft capital to acquire a quarterback in this draft. Pierce was pegged as being readier to do what it takes to land a long-term passer. The now-full-time HC has not been shy about expressing his interest in such an addition, but the Raiders’ draft slot will bring complications in a year that could feature an NFL-first QB-QB-QB-QB start to a draft.

As it stands now, Gardner Minshew is on track to be Las Vegas’ Week 1 starter. But Daniels is not the only passer the Raiders have been paired with during the draft run-up. Raiders interest in Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. has escalated, at least per multiple reports; the recent national championship game starter could profile as a Daniels consolation prize for Pierce’s team. Then again, a Monday rumor suggested the Patriots could be open to trading back — perhaps with the Vikings (No. 11) or Broncos (No. 12) — and acquiring Penix. Thus far, however, New England is also expected to stay at No. 3 and choose a passer.

Perhaps a final round of Raiders-Daniels buzz circulated last week, when reports pointed to the ex-Arizona State recruit wanting to play for the AFC West team. Barring historically unusual efforts, players do not exactly have a say in who drafts them. Daniels, who attended Las Vegas’ Week 18 game and visited Pierce’s team in the locker room, did not deny interest in being a Raider. But he acknowledged he will be eager to play for whichever team drafts him. It still looks like that will be the Commanders.

The Raiders showed interest in trading up — likely with Daniels in mind — at multiple points this offseason, even to the point they were interested in obtaining the No. 1 pick. The Bears showed next to no interest in making a move, having traded Justin Fields to clear the decks for Williams. The Commanders made a similar move, dealing Sam Howell to the Seahawks and installing Marcus Mariota as a backup/bridge option.

Commanders Release DE Shaka Toney

April 22nd, 2024 at 10:41am CST by Adam La Rose

Shaka Toney was one of five players recently reinstated from a year-long gambling suspension. The defensive end and special teamer will not be with the Commanders in 2024, though; the team announced his release on Monday.

Toney had two years remaining on his rookie contract, something which distinguished him from the other players who were reinstated (C.J. Moore, Quintez Cephus, Rashod Berry and Demetrius Taylor) but are currently free agents. A fresh start under new Washington head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters could have been in play for Toney, but instead he will join the others on the open market.

The 2021 seventh-round pick recorded 1.5 sacks during his rookie season. Toney added eight QB pressures in 10 games that year, but his defensive playing time took a step back in 2022. Playing primarily on special teams, the 26-year-old was held to just eight tackles. Last April, he received an indefinite ban stemming from one of several violations of the NFL’s gambling policies which was noted during the offseason.

Toney’s rookie pact tolled as a result of the suspension, and he was due base salaries of $1.06MM and $1.1MM over the next two years. Washington will not save any cap space with the decision to release him, but the team will incur a dead cap charge of only $23K in 2024, since that was the value of his signing bonus for this year. The Commanders will move forward with a new-look edge group which no longer features Montez Sweat or Chase Young but has seen a number of free agent signings and could include a rookie drafted this week.

A new agreement for Toney will no doubt come about only during the post-draft wave of free agency. His age could lead to interest from teams as an upside addition, but a lack of production along with the suspension will likely leave him taking a one-year flier this spring or summer.

Latest On Jayden Daniels, Commanders

April 20th, 2024 at 2:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite his seeming lack of agency in the situation, rumors have persisted that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels prefers not to be drafted by the Commanders. Washington holds the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, though, so unless Daniels becomes a favorite for No. 1 over USC’s Caleb Williams all of the sudden, it’s up to the Commanders to make that decision. A recent report from Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports attempted to dispel the recent rumors, claiming that the situation has been overblown.

The rumors seemed to stem from two different instances. The first was a report that Daniels would love to be drafted by the Raiders. Realistically, this would either require a huge trade up from Las Vegas’ current spot at 13th overall. Or Daniels would need to somehow slip back far enough to still be available by then. The rumor stems from the fact that Daniels and new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce are familiar with each other from the time the two shared at Arizona State.

The second instance was Daniels’ “top 30” visit with the Commanders. Washington took a strange approach in their “top 30” visits with the draft’s quarterbacks. Instead of hosting each quarterback on their own individual visit, the Commanders invited Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. all at the same time. Based on reports that Daniels was caught off guard by this, they seemingly designed the group visit without informing the prospects that their competition would be in attendance.

Still, despite the surprise nature of the visit, it doesn’t seem like there are any hard feelings. Vacchiano reports that any issues have been settled, as the two sides have since spoken. Daniels hasn’t taken the issue personally, and the Commanders view the reported issue as “just noise” that won’t contribute to their eventual decision.

If Washington decides that Daniels is the answer moving forward, they will select him. And, based on a statement from one of Daniels’ representatives, he is “excited” to be in the NFL, regardless of wherever he gets drafted. Does this confirm or dispel rumors that he has a preference? No, but it likely provides assurance that he won’t force the issue later this month.

Jayden Daniels Latest: Commanders, Kingsbury, Harris, Raiders, Visit, Weight

April 19th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jayden Daniels remains the favorite to be chosen second overall. The Commanders hold that pick, and they hosted the 2023 Heisman winner — at the same time as a few other quarterbacks — just before the deadline for “30” visits to be conducted. While the LSU and Arizona State product does not have much of a say in where he goes, rumors still point to him preferring another team.

Daniels would “love” to see the Raiders draft him, two GMs told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. During an interview with ESPN colleague Pat McAfee, Adam Schefter noted Daniels has had interest in playing elsewhere from the outset of the pre-draft process. Considering his past with Raiders HC Antonio Pierce and the AFC West team not doing a good job of making it a secret it would want to reunite the two, it is unsurprising Daniels would be more interested in playing in Las Vegas than Washington.

In place since the 1930s, the draft system obviously does not cater to players’ wishes. The Raiders are believed to have asked OC candidates about working with Daniels, but that came months ago. As of this week, a Raiders move up from No. 13 into Daniels territory — quite possibly as high as No. 2 — was viewed as impossible. It is also not known if GM Tom Telesco feels as strongly as Pierce does about trading up for a QB, adding more intrigue to a pre-draft process that has featured little known beyond the Bears’ likely Caleb Williams pick.

New Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury is believed to favor Daniels, La Canfora adds, who impressed more as a runner than Kyler Murray did in college. Daniels is coming off an 1,143-yard rushing season, and his improvement as a passer (40 TDs, four INTs last season) at LSU — while targeting the likes of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas — has rocketed the slender prospect up the board. On the slender subject, however, Daniels’ weight has come up frequently during the draft run-up.

Daniels played at 185 during the 2021 season at Arizona State, a scout told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. He weighed in at 210 pounds this offseason, after having bulked up some following his transfer. Another scout told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required) that Daniels was at 181 with the Sun Devils and played in the 190s at LSU — before ballooning to 210 this offseason.

This issue did not limit the talented QB at LSU, and some NFL coaches view Daniels as a better prospect than even Williams. But Daniels playing south of 200 before adding offseason weight calls into question how big he will be during his rookie season. Considering his playing style — one NFC coordinator told Pelissero that Daniels takes hits like Anthony Richardson, who is 244 pounds — this not an insignificant concern for teams ahead of the draft.

Pivoting back to the Washington side here, Daniels’ camp did not expect (via Schefter) the QB’s visit to come at the same time Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. met with the team. Teams generally do not gather QB prospects as a group for “30” visits, staggering them to gain better looks at passers. Considering Washington holds the No. 2 overall pick and is on the cusp of drafting a passer in the top 10 for the first time since trading up for Robert Griffin III in 2012, the team’s group gathering was a bit surprising.

The Commanders’ new regime took shape this offseason, with Josh Harris hiring Adam Peters to run football operations and Dan Quinn to coach the team. In the new owner’s first offseason, however, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates the Dan Snyder successor has been more involved in the pre-draft process than expected.

Owner involvement — as Washington fans know well — is not too uncommon in the NFL, though it is usually a concern when ownership overreaches as football personnel prepare for major decisions. Harris is believed to have made his stance known about trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young at last year’s deadline, when the coaching staff did not want to move Sweat. It will obviously be interesting to see how much Harris — who has extensive experience in an ownership role due to his work with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — impacts how the Commanders proceed next week.

Commanders Unlikely To Consider Trading Down From No. 2 Overall

April 18th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Jayden Daniels-Washington buzz persists, the Commanders have not been a team — unlike some others in this year’s top five — closely linked to trading down. Their new front office boss effectively confirmed no such move is likely.

New Washington GM Adam Peters said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) he does not see many scenarios in which the team would move down from No. 2 overall. While Washington resided at No. 2 overall four years ago, the team’s 2019 Dwayne Haskins selection effectively prevented a Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert move. With the decks cleared at quarterback ahead of this draft, the new regime is widely expected to begin its tenure with a QB move at 2.

The Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers, who round out the top five, have been far more open to moving down from their first-round slots. But the Commanders, who held their QB “30” visits en masse this week, appear set to make their choice just after the Bears — in all likelihood — begin the draft with Caleb Williams.

Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. each visited Washington this week, making for an interesting scheduling effort by the Commanders’ new regime. As for which quarterback the team plans to take at 2, Peters said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) the team is “real close” to determining its direction.

Since we asked readers to predict which QB the Commanders would select at 2, Daniels — the leader in that early-April poll — looks to have pulled ahead. A report soon after indicated the 2023 Heisman winner is the likely Commanders choice at 2. This would put the Patriots to a decision at 3, and a recent report pegged the AFC East team as having a “healthy debate” between Maye and McCarthy. The Pats have also let it be known they have discussed trading down, joining the Cardinals and Chargers in being open to picking up assets to move off a top-five selection.

If Washington is truly zeroing in on Daniels — a five-year college passer who rocketed up draft boards after a dominant 2023 season — New England’s choice between starting over at quarterback or tabling that decision in order to accumulate assets will become the draft’s pivot point. While it may still be early to lock in Daniels at 2, the ex-LSU and Arizona State passer has been the favorite here for a bit. Washington went QB in this slot 12 years ago, trading two future first-rounders for Robert Griffin III. Not needing to fork over any draft assets to select Daniels (or Maye or McCarthy) at 2, Peters and Co. appear prepared to stay put and address the team’s biggest need.

NFL Reinstates Five Players Banned For Gambling

April 18th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year’s round of gambling suspensions affected a few teams’ starting lineups, but a handful of depth-level players also received significant suspensions for violating the NFL’s betting policy. Five players from this group will have a chance to resume their careers.

The NFL is reinstating Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney, along with veteran special-teamer C.J. Moore, wide receiver Quintez Cephus, linebacker Rashod Berry and defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor. None of the five played last year due to indefinite suspensions that covered at least one season in length. Moore, Cephus, Berry and Taylor are currently free agents.

Cephus, Moore and Toney were part of the initial wave of suspensions — a development headlined by Jameson Williams‘ six-game suspension — last April. Cephus and Moore lost their jobs as a result. Isaiah Rodgers headlined the Colts’ suspensions, but Berry was also banned for at least a season. Indianapolis waived both players. Rodgers, now with the Eagles, has not been reinstated.

The Lions released Moore, a four-year special teams contributor, despite having re-signed him in March 2023. Cephus, who has been a rotational wide receiver under Matt Patricia and Dan Campbell, hit the waiver wire. Of the contingent reinstated Thursday, Cephus has delivered the most early-career production. As a rookie in 2020, the former fifth-round Lions draftee caught 20 passes for 349 yards. He was at 15-204 in 2021, scoring four touchdowns in that span. Cephus, 26, spent much of the 2022 season on IR but had one more season remaining on his rookie deal at the time the Lions cut him.

Drafted in the seventh round during Ron Rivera‘s time with Washington, Toney totaled 1.5 sacks as a rookie but none during a 16-game 2022 season. For his career, Toney has played just 169 defensive snaps. He served as a special teams regular for the Commanders in 2022, however. With Dan Quinn taking over, it is worth wondering if the rebuilding team will keep Toney onboard.

Taylor joined Cephus and Moore in having been with the Lions in 2022. With an apparent communication breakdown transpiring in Detroit, the Lions axed multiple staffers amid this gambling scandal. The NFL tweaked its gambling policy last fall, which allowed for quicker returns for players given a six-game ban for betting on non-NFL games while on team grounds.

This adjustment did not impact the five players reinstated Thursday, as each was popped for betting on NFL games. Rodgers’ betting scheme was quite elaborate, so it will be interesting to see if the league greenlights the young cornerback’s return this year. It appears the Eagles had hoped to see the league reinstate Rodgers today, as the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicates they were monitoring today for a potential re-emergence. But Rodgers’ indefinite ban persists.

More Bill Belichick Fallout: Kraft, Falcons, Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, Commanders

April 17th, 2024 at 10:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Plenty has emerged in the wake of Bill Belichick going from eight-time Super Bowl champion to unemployed, but as the legendary coach regroups, some additional information about what went down in Atlanta — along with other teams’ coaching searches — has come to light.

Connecting some dots based on what has previously come out this offseason, ESPN.com’s Don Van Natta, Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler report in an expansive piece that Falcons execs dissuaded Arthur Blank from hiring Belichick and Robert Kraft played a major role in the process that ended up veering away from an overqualified candidate who had initially appeared the favorite for the job Raheem Morris now has.

On the morning of the day Morris became the pick, Belichick still viewed himself as likely to land the job. Blank confirmed the 24-year Patriots HC did not ask him for personnel control, but power brokering — given Belichick’s outsized influence and experience — is believed to have still gone down in Atlanta’s front office. As a result, Belichick felt “blindsided” by the Morris hire.

CEO Rich McKay and GM Terry Fontenot did not want to work with Belichick, according to ESPN, which adds the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC was willing to work with the fourth-year GM (while confirming he and McKay’s less-than-stellar relationship). A previous report pointed to Belichick’s concern with Fontenot and the Falcons’ overall power structure. Fontenot, McKay and Falcons president Greg Beadles were part of the Falcons’ second Belichick interview.

Going so far as to reveal Falcons brass’ final rankings for the HC job, Fowler, Van Natta and Wickersham indicate Belichick did not finish in the top three for the Atlanta position. Beyond unanimous top choice Morris, Mike Macdonald and Texans OC Bobby Slowik respectively slotted second and third in this process.

Kraft is believed to have played a role in Blank backing off his initial hope to hire Belichick. A conversation between Blank and his longtime friend came after the Jan. 15 Blank-Belichick yacht meeting, and ESPN reports the Patriots owner warned the Falcons boss not to trust the accomplished HC.

Seeing as this comes during an offseason that has seen more information come out — via the much-discussed The Dynasty series — about Kraft’s issues with Belichick, it is hardly surprising the longtime Pats owner would provide such a warning. Robert Kraft, who considered ousting Belichick after 2022 (before son Jonathan Kraft advised against), referred to Belichick as “very, very, very arrogant, per ESPN. A Robert Kraft spokesman denied the owner, who was naturally complimentary of the game’s second-winningest HC upon the January separation, disparaged Belichick to Blank.

Belichick had already assembled a coaching staff, with some familiar names indeed believed to be part of it. Beyond plans to bring Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge aboard, former Texans VP (and Patriots staffer) Jack Easterby was on the radar to be part of a Belichick Atlanta staff. Falcons execs expressed reservations about this staff, with ESPN adding Blank also questioned why this group failed elsewhere. Belichick reportedly responded by saying this group was comprised of “better soldiers than generals.” Judge has since joined Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss staff. The Texans moved on from Easterby in 2022.

New Commanders GM Adam Peters, a Patriots scout in the 2000s, discussed the HC position with Belichick. Minority owner Magic Johnson pushed for Washington to hire the Maryland native, but Josh Harris — who spoke to Kraft about Belichick in December — had decided he would not make that move. We had heard previously the NBA and NHL owner wanted a more collaborative approach, which many current NFL owners prefer, rather than handing the keys to one person. With Harris wanting a front office-oriented leadership structure, Peters has final say on Commanders football matters. Belichick was not interested in the Chargers.

The three other NFC East HC jobs may well be open in 2025, and ESPN notes Belichick would be interested in the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants positions — should they open up. The Eagles did work on Belichick before determining Nick Sirianni would stay, with Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman viewed as fans of the future Hall of Famer, and the former has been close with Jerry Jones for many years. Lurie looks to have joined the Falcons in expressing hesitancy in greenlighting a Belichick move that would bring major changes while qualifying as a short-term fix.

Belichick, who turned 72 on Tuesday, is now six years older than the oldest HC ever hired (Bruce Arians). Any team that considers a 2025 hire would be adding someone who will turn 73 before coaching his next NFL game.

A Belichick confidant also expressed doubt the former Giants DC would earn another HC job unless Jones signs off on a Cowboys hire. Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck status will keep Belichick rumors going, it would seem, but for now, a TV gig appears in the works. Belichick is expected to join Peyton Manning‘s Omaha Productions for analysis-based work. ESPN’s Pat McAfee also announced Belichick will be part of his show’s draft coverage (video link).

Fifteen wins shy of Don Shula‘s career record, Belichick is believed to have informed allies he expects to land at least one interview next year. While the NFC East jobs are worth monitoring, the bumps the Patriot Way has taken — coupled with Belichick’s age and implied threat to organizations’ status quos — leave it far from certain he will have a third opportunity to lead an NFL team.

QB Prospect Notes: Williams, Patriots, Commanders, Giants

April 16th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Caleb Williams is still expected to hear his name called first during next week’s draft, but the USC quarterback didn’t make the best impression on teams during the pre-draft process. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Williams’ interviews with teams were described as “good, not great” and “just OK.”

As Fowler notes, Williams declined medical exams and only did a handful of interviews, where he didn’t show the same poise and preparation as his fellow QB prospects. Naturally, some teams assumed this was a “byproduct of being a player who knows he’s going No. 1.” While Williams’ pre-draft strategy wasn’t considered a personality red flag by scouts, one AFC executive believes Williams left the door open for the Bears to pivot.

“I don’t think he’s had a great spring,” the executive told Fowler. “He’s still going first. That’s pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there’s at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he’s a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he’s going.”

Perhaps partly due to Williams’ offseason showing, there are some coaches who have actually graded LSU’s Jayden Daniels over the USC QB, per Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com. Of course, the only opinion that matters belongs to the Bears, but this recent grading adjustment at least leads Caplan to surmise that Daniels will be selected ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

While Maye is an underdog to be selected in the top-two, it’s no longer a guarantee that he’s even chosen with the third-overall pick. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, there’s a “healthy debate” in New England between Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. While there’s still a chance the Patriots trade out of the No. 3 spot in pursuit of future picks, Breer believes owner Robert Kraft “views this as a rare chance to get a quarterback at this level.” The organization has certainly made it clear they’re eyeing all of the top-tier prospects, as the Patriots have met with Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy.

Washington is currently sitting with the second-overall pick, and they’ve been equally active in scouting QB prospects. Interestingly, the team will be hosting all of Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix for their top-30 visits at the same time, per Breer. This stems from GM Adam Peters‘ experience from San Francisco, where the 49ers would bring in groupings of prospects to see how they interact with peers.

With the Cardinals and Chargers likely out of the running for a top QB prospect, the Giants are next in line at the position behind Chicago, Washington, and New England. There’s been recent buzz that the Giants could look to move up (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) or even move back (per Fowler, via WBG84), but either way, it’s pretty clear the organization is targeting a signal-caller.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the Giants are high enough on Maye that they’d swing a trade up the draft board. The writer also believes the organization isn’t enamored with McCarthy, perhaps necessitating a trade back if the Michigan QB is there at No. 6. If the Giants do end up trading back, Duggan could see a scenario where the team is actively pursuing Penix or Oregon’s Bo Nix in the back half of the first round.

Load More Posts