NFLTR Review: Ten Other Notable Trade Candidates To Watch

By
Logan Ulrich
-

It was a randomly busy trade week, with Jeff Okudah dealt to the Falcons & Bucs LB Devin White asking out. And there could be more to come:

  • 10 big names potentially available in the coming months
  • The why, the how much, & the landing spots
  • What is the S2 test and why is it potentially very, very important?

Around The Trade Block

There was a surprising amount of action in the trade market this past week, as the Lions traded former No. 3 overall CB Jeff Okudah to the Falcons for a fifth-round pick. Then there was a report Browns CB Greg Newsome wanted to be traded, which he later corrected, and an actual trade request from Buccaneers LB Devin White that held up. 

And all of this happened as there continues to be little to no movement on the big headline-grabbing trade stories — like the Cardinals trying to unload WR DeAndre Hopkins or trade down from the No. 3 pick, Chargers RB Austin Ekeler’s standing trade request, and of course the Aaron Rodgers trade that’s still not done between the Packers and Jets. It’s a good reminder there’s often more action bubbling beneath the surface on the trade block than what we’re privy to. 

The Okudah trade didn’t totally come out of nowhere, as Detroit’s been busy adding to its secondary in free agency. It was pretty easy to connect the dots, and if this post had been written a week earlier, he would have been one of the under-the-radar names listed. 

So here’s the rest of the list. Some of these players could be dealt right before or during the draft if the right deal is on the table. Others might have to wait until after the clarity the draft brings. Other situations could stretch out into the summer and even into the regular season before the trade deadline. But all of them are names worth knowing. Very few players in the NFL are truly off-limits, and everyone has a price. It’s just a matter of finding someone willing to pay. 

49ers QB Trey Lance

Nothing is ever simple when it comes to the quarterback position in San Francisco. Lance was supposed to change that when the 49ers moved up for him but he’s going into his third season and has barely played due to various circumstances. Now the team has a weird situation to sort out between him and last year’s seventh-round sensation Brock Purdy. 

Lance will have a chance this summer and during part of training camp to try and win the starting job back from Purdy while the latter is recovering from elbow surgery. However, had Purdy been healthy, Lance would have been No. 2 on the depth chart. San Francisco’s brain trust of GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan has pretty much acknowledged that in comments this offseason. 

That doesn’t mean the 49ers are going to be in a rush to trade Lance, however. Purdy’s coming off a pretty severe injury after all. As things stand right now, his timeline has him back and ready to go around Week 1, but how equipped to succeed will he be if he misses all of training camp? And if his rehab hits any snags, it would obviously mean more missed time and a further opportunity for Lance. There could still be a window for Lance to retake the starting job if he can make good on the potential that prompted the 49ers to trade up for him. 

Eventually, though, the 49ers will have some clarity on Purdy and Lance and will have to choose between the two. There’s a lot that could still happen to ultimately dictate their options but if you’re a team thinking you might need a young quarterback in the next year or so, Lance is someone to monitor. If Purdy makes it back in time for camp and picks up where he left off, it’s possible, if not likely, the 49ers could have enough information to make a decision by October. 

However, it’ll be interesting to see how the 49ers’ value for Lance lines up against the rest of the league. It’s hard to see a team giving up a first-round pick based on what Lance has shown so far. But San Francisco doesn’t have to rush to trade him. He’s still on a rookie contract for another two seasons and it’s possible he could either boost his trade value by performing well or end up getting another shot due to injury and giving the team something to think about. It’s hard to rule out anything with the 49ers’ quarterback situation at this point. 

The third variable in the 49ers’ quarterback equation is Sam Darnold. San Francisco signed Darnold to high-end backup money this offseason because both Purdy and Lance have injury question marks and because the 49ers’ season basically ended because they ran out of quarterbacks. He’s an intriguing fit in Shanahan’s system but more of an emergency option as things stand right now. If another team is willing to make a hard charge at Lance before the trade deadline this season, then Darnold would allow the 49ers to make a deal without being down a backup quarterback. 

Giants RB Saquon Barkley

The leverage shifted overwhelmingly in the Giants’ favor when they were able to get a long-term deal done with QB Daniel Jones and save the franchise tag for Barkley. The Giants had been offering an extension worth around $12 million a season which hadn’t been enough for Barkley’s camp. But New York pulled that offer once the tag was in place, which will pay Barkley $10.1 million in 2023. 

The team will likely circle back around closer to the July 17 deadline to sign an extension with a team-friendly offer after letting Barkley stew, as he doesn’t have a lot of good options. Running backs have a short window to maximize their earnings and the Giants could use the tag again in 2024 for only $12.1 million. However, there is some risk here of alienating one of their best players and a fan favorite if they play too much hardball. It could provoke Barkley to play hardball back. 

Until Barkley signs the tag, he’s not under contract with the Giants and can’t be fined for missing any team activities, including training camp. He could demand a trade and hold out until Week 1 to try and make his point without losing any money. That would be inconvenient for a Giants team trying to repeat as a playoff squad in 2023 but perhaps not enough to really move the needle. 

If Barkley really wanted to try and apply maximum pressure to the Giants, he could threaten to sit out the entire season like former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell did. His message to the Giants would be “if you’re not going to pay me what I think I’m worth, I’m not going to play for you. You can try and play the comp pick game when you’re still building up your roster, or you can do the right thing and trade me to someone who will meet my asking price.” 

Now with Bell, it was the second franchise tag he was skipping, not the first. He also turned down a five-year, $70 million extension that would have paid him $33 million in the first two years (2018 and 2019). After sitting out the 2018 season, he signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Jets and ended up making $27 million for basically one year of work before being cut early in the 2020 season — $6 million less. The second tag was $14.5 million, which in theory could have been money earned on top of his later deal signed with the Jets. No matter how you slice it, skipping the 2018 season was a bad move. 

The math with Barkley is a little different but the principle remains the same. While we don’t know the full numbers, we can look at the current running back market and the reports about negotiations and deduce the Giants’ offer was likely in the neighborhood of three or four years, $36-$50 million and perhaps $18 million or so in full guarantees at signing. The two-year payout could have been anywhere from $18-$25 million based on how deals for Browns RB Nick Chubb, Titans RB Derrick Henry, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook and Saints RB Alvin Kamara were structured. Two consecutive tags would have put Barkley at two years, $22.2 million. 

If Barkley were to sit out the entire 2023 season, he would need to make somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million in the first year of his new deal in 2024 or a two-year payout of $30+ million to make up for the lost earnings. He’s a great player but expecting that kind of money to be out there for a 27-year-old running back who hasn’t played in a year is probably unrealistic. 

So if Barkley were to threaten to hold out, there’s a decent chance the Giants would call his bluff. Ultimately, however, when players are unhappy, there is a far greater chance of a trade. There’s a good chance Barkley will be unhappy with his situation in New York this summer, which makes him a trade candidate worth watching. 

Cowboys RT Terence Steele

Let’s look at a few things the Cowboys have done in the last 12 months on the offensive line:

  • They drafted Tyler Smith in the first round last year with the intention for him to get his feet wet at left guard, then eventually slide over to replace LT Tyron Smith, who was turning 32 and had a long injury history. 
  • Once Tyron Smith went down with his hamstring injury, Tyler Smith stepped in at left tackle earlier than planned. He played outstanding and Dallas hardly skipped a beat. Between him and Steele, the Cowboys had two tackles who were 25 or younger and ranked inside the top 25 among all tackles in football, per PFF. 
  • In the December 11 win against the Texans, Steele tore his ACL. Tyron Smith returned the following week and replaced Steele at right tackle. He finished out the season on the right side and was PFF’s 63rd-rated tackle. 
  • Instead of releasing Smith this offseason to save $13.6 million, Dallas reworked his deal to give him $6 million, with the opportunity to earn another $11 million in incentives for paying time and if the Cowboys make the playoffs. 

So where does this leave Steele? The Cowboys gave him the second-round tender which is worth $4.3 million and gives them the right to match any offer sheet from another team. ACL tears usually take between 9-12 months to rehab and nine months from his surgery would be right around Week 1. Dallas is optimistic he’ll be ready for camp but the team has a history of being too rosy about injury timelines. Still, Steele should play at some point in 2023. 

Where is the question. There’s no reason for the Cowboys to move Tyler Smith from the left side. They drafted him to play there long-term and he played well as a rookie. Asking him to flip to the right side to accommodate Tyron Smith would be a curveball that could stunt his development. As for the older Smith, given his resume and the uncertainty with Steele’s status, he’s probably in line to start at right tackle, giving the Cowboys a Smith and Smith bookend duo in 2023. 

That leaves Steele in a weird situation in a contract year. There’s no guarantee he’s ready for Week 1, so it makes sense that the Cowboys felt they needed a contingency. But all else being equal, Steele is better at right tackle than Tyron Smith. Maybe that changes now that Smith has a full offseason to work on his technique after playing his entire career on the left side. Any offensive lineman will tell you switching sides is like learning how to do everything with your non-dominant hand. Steele actually got much better once he was moved to the right side. 

Dallas didn’t give Smith as much as $17 million to not play, however. So short of an injury — which is another real factor in Dallas evaluation of their tackle group — Steele’s only path to the field is left guard, where Dallas doesn’t have a surefire starter yet. I know if I was in his shoes coming off an ACL tear in a contract year, being asked to play a position I’d never played before in either college or the NFL, I’d be a little salty. Maybe salty enough to push for a trade. 

Steele’s restricted tender is reasonable for the Cowboys to carry even if he’s a backup but it’s a situation where other teams with a need at right tackle could see an opportunity. The Bengals have a lot of question marks on the right side and while OL coach Frank Pollack didn’t overlap with Steele in Dallas, he’s exactly his kind of player. The Chiefs have a question mark at right tackle and Steele blocked for QB Patrick Mahomes in college at Texas Tech. There are a few options that could make some sense. 

49ers DT Javon Kinlaw

San Francisco took Kinlaw with basically the same pick they got from the Colts in the DeForest Buckner trade. So that should give you some idea of the kind of impact they expected from Kinlaw and how they’ve been disappointed so far. Injuries have played a big role, as Kinlaw’s had an iffy knee that’s limited him to 24 out of 50 possible games. He had just 1.5 career sacks. 

The 49ers signed DT Javon Hargrave to the biggest contract of any free agent this offseason to fill the role Kinlaw was supposed to, pushing him to third on the depth chart. While San Francisco likes to employ a deep rotation and Kinlaw’s still affordable enough on his rookie contract, it’s clear he’s on shaky footing. 

The Lions had a similar situation with Okudah and got a fifth-round pick. While Okudah has dealt with injuries too, he flashed more than Kinlaw has in his opportunities, so a fifth-round pick is probably too ambitious of a return to hope for. The benefit for the 49ers would primarily be shedding his $2.7 million, not so much the late-round pick they’d get if another team thought Kinlaw could use a fresh start. 

Bills DT Ed Oliver

Like wide receiver last offseason, defensive tackles have been having a moment this year as the market was due for a major correction. And like last year, there will be some teams who will take advantage of the demand for players they don’t necessarily see as worth paying. Oliver is someone worth watching in that regard. 

The former No. 9 overall pick in 2019 out of Houston, Oliver had a fair amount of hype as a prospect. After a decent rookie year and a bad second season, Oliver’s found his stride over the past two seasons and has become a very good, if not elite, defensive tackle. He’s got 19 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons. His 34 total pressures rank 11th among all defensive tackles in the past two seasons. 

2023 is the final year of Oliver’s contract and he’s due $10.7 million on the fifth-year option. One way to lower that would be an extension but the Bills would have to be sold on Oliver as a piece to build around and the two sides would have to agree on the value. The Bills are tight to the cap this year and probably next, so an extension for Oliver might not be in the cards, even if his asking price isn’t exorbitant. 

The other way to clear cap space is a trade, which would net the Bills a draft pick and space they could reallocate — perhaps in a deal for Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins? Buffalo isn’t rock solid at defensive tackle but they have enough pieces to stay afloat, especially if another team is willing to give up something like a second-round pick believing Oliver can make another leap in his development. 

As far as landing spots, Arizona needs help all over its defense and perhaps Oliver is part of the return for Hopkins. The Bears still need help at three-technique defensive tackle and have a huge gap between their first and second-round pick. The Giants’ front office would know Oliver well and has talked about bolstering their defensive line but they probably don’t have the cap space to fit Oliver’s contract and have to pay DT Dexter Lawrence this offseason. 

Commanders DE Chase Young or DE Montez Sweat

Washington has talked about wanting to keep its fearsome foursome of Young, Sweat, DT Jonathan Allen and DT Daron Payne together as long as possible, and they put a lot of money behind those words when they extended Payne for $22.5 million a year this offseason after already shelling out $18 million per for Allen. Young and Sweat are next, with 2023 a contract year for Sweat and a decision due on Young’s fifth-year option by May. 

After Young won defensive rookie of the year in 2020, it seemed like a foregone conclusion his option would be picked up. Two injury-riddled and non-productive seasons have put that in question and Commanders decision-makers like HC Ron Rivera have pointedly not committed to anything with Young. If they declined his option, it would make 2023 a contract year for the former No. 2 pick and set up a situation in 2024 where the Commanders would have just one franchise tag to keep either Sweat or Young from testing free agency. 

Other NFL teams know this. So any team looking to boost its edge rushing group in the next several months is going to have a big target circled around either Sweat or Young. If the Commanders want to trade one of them, they’ll have a market. The two windows that make the most sense are before the draft, to allow Washington a chance to replace either player and use the pick or picks, or at the trade deadline if things go way, way south this season and Rivera is ousted by new ownership before the trade deadline. 

As far as a return, a first-round pick is a fair ask. Young’s injury history might spook some teams but he was so good as a rookie that a team could take the plunge anyway in the hopes of securing a dominant edge rusher. If he gets back to his former level, the $17+ million on the fifth-year option is a good deal. If not, well, that’s the risk. 

Sweat has yet to crack double-digit sacks in a season but he’s been a consistently productive edge rusher, even in “down” seasons. He’s got the prototypical length and athleticism teams covet in the position and has even more growth potential. Last year, the Dolphins traded a first-round pick to the Broncos for OLB Bradley Chubb during his fifth season and signed him to an extension. He ended the year with 28.5 career sacks, Sweat already has 29 in four seasons. 

Vikings OLB Za’Darius Smith

Smith announced his goodbye to Vikings fans on social media earlier this offseason. Then the team basically said “hold up, we’re not just cutting you.” That’s been pretty much the last word from either side on where things stand but the Vikings did go out and sign former Saints DE Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $14 million contract in free agency. Not the kind of deal you usually give someone if they’re going to be a third edge rusher coming off the bench behind Smith and the Vikings’ other starting OLB Danielle Hunter. 

Minnesota has held onto Smith because they believe the 30-year-old edge rusher is someone who should have some kind of trade value. The Vikings have just five picks this year and would love to be able to add more, which seems to be why they didn’t cut Smith despite an additional $5 million of his contract becoming guaranteed. Smith notched 10 sacks last season, the catch is nearly all of them came in the first half of the regular season. 

Smith’s trade value is likely not enormous. In addition to his age, he’s due a total of $14 million in 2023 compensation, $5 million of which has already been guaranteed. His base salary is $9.45 million, there’s up to $3 million in per-game active roster bonuses, a $1.5 million “other bonus” and a $50,000 workout bonus. An acquiring team is likely going to want to modify that, which gives Smith some control over where he ends up. 

Smith likely would prefer to collect his $5 million and double dip with another team while being free to negotiate with anyone. Minnesota would still save $7 or $8 million depending on if they cut him before or after June 1. If they were willing to pick up the guarantee, they are probably willing to carry him into the summer in the hopes a contending team looks to augment its pass rush. Training camp would be awkward if Smith isn’t traded by then

The Bears and Lions would be interesting possibilities if Smith is looking to continue his tour of the NFC North. They have some cap space to play with and could use help at edge rusher. The Eagles always have to be mentioned when it comes to trades, especially for pass rushers. Last year the Bears ate the remainder of DE Robert Quinn’s salary and got a fourth-round pick, so there’s a possible template for the Vikings. The Jaguars or Patriots are other intriguing fits. 

Buccaneers LB Devin White

Despite his trade request, the Buccaneers are saying right now they have no intention of trading White as he enters the final year of his contract on the fifth-year option. Then again, we’ve heard that “no intention” line before from teams only to get a Twitter bomb from Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport about that same player being shipped out. And there’s a strong argument to be made that the Buccaneers should be willing to trade White. 

The genesis of the conflict between the two sides is White’s desire for a top-of-the-market linebacker deal, which is in the $18-$20 million a year range right now. Early on in White’s career, it seemed like that was the trajectory he was on. The former No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft was a key part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl win in 2020 and part of a defense that systematically dismantled Mahomes and the Chiefs. Going into the 2021 season, he ranked as the top linebacker in the league by an ESPN poll of coaches and evaluators. He had warts, but the highlights more than made up for it. 

With four seasons in the books, the warts have not gone away and have instead multiplied. White has always been blazing fast and an excellent pass rusher, so he runs his way into a fair amount of splash plays. In four seasons, he has 35 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, one interception, six forced fumbles, eight recoveries, 15 pass defenses and two defensive touchdowns. However, he’s been near the bottom of PFF’s grading system every year of his career. His best grade was 51.9 grade as a rookie and the highest he’s ever been rated was 62nd-best at his position in 2020. 

It’s not just PFF being a hater either. Since he entered the league, White has the most missed tackles of any linebacker, per Pro Football Reference’s advanced stats. PFR has his missed tackle percentage at just 10.5 compared to 12.7 percent from PFF but it still is the ninth-worst among players classified as inside linebackers who played at least 60 percent of the defensive snaps. If we look at coverage stats, White’s career yards per target of 7.0 is about middle of the pack, compared to 5.3 for teammate Lavonte David which is second in the entire league. 

Given all this, it’s clear why Tampa Bay might have balked at giving White that much money in extension talks this offseason. They might have told him, “let’s see what happens this year and revisit things next offseason.” As a former first-round pick, he’s someone they’d love to turn into a key foundational piece for the defense as they figure out the next era of Bucs football. David isn’t getting any younger either. 

But even if White puts it together in 2023, that will be one to one-and-a-half good seasons against three-plus of sub-standard play. That’s why the Buccaneers absolutely should be willing to listen if another team comes in with a really good offer, perhaps a mid-to-high second-round pick. It’s questionable if they’d get that but you never know. White does have outstanding traits after all, and was seen as a top-five linebacker just a year ago by plenty of coaches and evaluators. If another team wants to hand over a pick and pay White what he’s looking for, now is the time for the Bucs to make the move since they’re already hitting a big reset button. 

There are a limited number of teams that have the cap space to take on White’s fifth-year option right now. The Chargers made an aggressive play for LB Kenneth Murray in the 2020 NFL Draft that hasn’t worked out, so perhaps they could try again with White. The Eagles have what seems to be an annual need at the position but they also don’t believe in investing major resources at linebacker, so they’re probably out. The Cardinals need a major influx of talent on defense, and the Lions have a weak spot at linebacker and are looking to take a big step forward in 2023. 

Browns CB Greg Newsome

Shortly after Newsome changed agents, going from the Damarius Bilbo-led Klutch Sports to NFL super-agent Drew Rosenhaus, he and Rosenhaus shot down a report that Newsome’s desire for a trade was behind the agent change. Newsome actually quote-tweeted the report with an interesting response: 

https://twitter.com/gnewsii/status/1645805167856726016?s=20

So we’ll take Newsome’s advice and stop and think about this. Players don’t change agents because they’re content with the status quo. Newsome isn’t eligible for a new contract until after this season and his fifth-year option isn’t due until next May, so it’s not a financial issue. As a part of clarifying that his client didn’t want to be traded, Rosenhaus told Adam Schefter he had a meeting with the Browns about Newsome, one that left everyone feeling “happy” and “positive.” Well what was the need for the meeting then? 

Secondly, contrary to popular belief reporters don’t last long if they make up things from sources. The one in question later issued an apology to Newsome while making it clear someone he thought he could trust told him Newsome wanted to be traded. 

I’m not saying Newsome is lying about not wanting to be traded right now but it’s pretty easy to connect the dots and conclude things may not have been peachy at one point. Perhaps those troubles resurface down the road, and perhaps we end up having trade discussions about Newsome again. Teams don’t usually give up on high draft picks without a good reason and Newsome has been solid if not spectacular. PFF has graded him in the top 30 or so the past two seasons, although he’s still looking for his first career interception. That’s the kind of player plenty of teams would be interested in if the Browns made him available. 

This Week In Football

  • This week started off with a fun bit of drama when on the eve of his visit to the Jets when the expectation was the team would finally close the deal to bring him back to New York, veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. and the Ravens absolutely stunned the entire league by agreeing to a deal. It’s been a rough offseason in Baltimore, who have had little to no good news and a major need at wide receiver. So they took a swing at changing both by chucking $15 million at Beckham on a one-year deal with upside for $18 million. That’s roughly three times as much as reports had anyone else willing to fork over. There’s zero question the Ravens overpaid, but it’s what they had to do to get Beckham. Now there are two main questions to answer; how much does Beckham have left in the tank at 31 coming off his second ACL tear and what will be a 20-month gap since he last played; and (more importantly) what does this mean for negotiations with QB Lamar Jackson? Because surely Beckham didn’t sign on, even for $15 million, with the expectation of catching balls from Tyler Huntley…
  • We’ve touched on a lot of the other player trade drama that happened this week above but it’s worth diving into the Okudah trade more. Atlanta gave up the No. 159 overall selection, which comes in the fifth round, for Okudah, who has a great chance to start Week 1 across from fellow 2020 classmate AJ Terrell. He had his most extensive run as a starter since his rookie year in 2022, and while he definitely took a step forward, he was not blameless in Detroit being so awful on that side of the ball for a good chunk of the season. The bright spot was his tackling and run defense, and it’s possible that could make Okudah a better fit for the nickel role. The other big takeaway here is this lessens the need for the Falcons to draft a cornerback with the No. 8 pick, freeing them up to take someone on the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. 
  • For the Lions’ side of things, a fifth-round pick is likely far better than any comp pick they might have gotten after Okudah left in free agency in 2024. They weren’t picking up his option — and likely neither will the Falcons — and their moves in free agency had made it clear he was probably going to be a reserve unless there was an injury. He never really had a shot in Detroit due to injuries but that’s sometimes how it goes in the NFL. The other notable bit of news from the Lions this week is they’re looking at potentially signing veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater to back up Jared Goff. Bridgewater knows a bunch of the staff from the Saints and backup quarterback was a big hole for the team last year. It makes sense on a lot of levels. 
  • There’s still no trade between the Packers and Jets for QB Aaron Rodgers, and after a couple of weeks of positive reports, the tone shifted this week. Apparently, the two sides are “dug in” on their respective stances even though they are in approximately the same ballpark of what a deal would cost. The draft looms as a major decision point in this whole situation if the Packers want to get picks for Rodgers to help build up the team around new starting QB Jordan Love. If the draft comes and goes without Rodgers being dealt, things are setting up for a potentially awkward and contentious May with OTAs and minicamp. 
  • The offseason of the defensive tackle continued with Titans DT Jeffery Simmons inking a long-term deal for four years and $94 million. That’s a significant chunk of money and it makes Simmons the No. 2 highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind only Rams DT Aaron Donald, who still far outpaces the market at $31.6 million annually. However, I confess to being a bit underwhelmed by the deal. Simmons is closer to Commanders DT Daron Payne’s $22.5 million a year than Donald, and no disrespect to Payne but Simmons is a lot closer to being in the same league as Donald than he is. It will be fascinating to see what happens with the rest of the market. In my opinion, Simmons had the best chance to significantly close the gap with Donald. Giants DT Dexter Lawrence, Jets DT Quinnen Williams and Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins are among the players expected to sign new contracts this offseason. I would have expected them to fall in behind Simmons before, but do they try and inch the market forward a little closer to that $30 million mark? Lawrence is not at voluntary offseason work right now while he negotiates with the Giants and Williams said earlier this offseason he would do the same. Those two have the best chance. 
  • The Titans are actually one of the more interesting teams to follow as we get closer to the draft. They are in the midst of a serious makeover but at the same time, they’re not completely starting from scratch, as both QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry remain on the roster. Is that the team’s preference? Both Henry and Tannehill continue to persistently crop up in trade rumors, and the Titans have also been mentioned as one of the teams that could make a blockbuster move up to the No. 3 pick in the draft for a quarterback. Both players will also be free agents after this season, so one way or another, it appears their time in Tennessee is limited. In some ways, it would make sense for the Titans to rip the band-aid off early rather than prolong any rebuilding project. Which is why it will be so interesting to see how it unfolds. 
  • We’re less than two weeks out from the draft and we still don’t know for sure who the Panthers are taking with the No. 1 pick. It sure seems like Alabama QB Bryce Young has overtaken Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, who vaulted to the betting favorite in the immediate aftermath of Carolina’s trade up to the top pick. But the link to Florida QB Anthony Richardson won’t die either, even if it’s more likely to be in some kind of trade-down scenario. As someone who was on the Richardson bandwagon before it got super crowded and as a Panthers fan, I would get quite excited about a scenario in which the Panthers trade down, either with the Texans or Colts, and recoup a chunk of the capital they gave up to get from No. 9 to No. 1 in the first place. I think Young is going to be good. Richardson could be special. 
  • There also continues to be a lot of speculation about the Cardinals moving down from the No. 3 pick, presumably with a team giving up a big haul to come get a quarterback. This week Schefter reported Arizona has heard from six teams with interest in the pick but has not yet decided whether to trade it or use it. To me, that says no one has blown their socks off with an offer yet, or even necessarily put one on the table. Arizona used some leaks earlier this offseason to try and drum up some interest in Hopkins, who they still have been unable to trade, and this feels similar. I still am not sure how much big-time trade interest there is in the pick. The consensus expectation remains that Young or Stroud will come off the board in the first two picks, and while opinions are all over the board on Richardson and Kentucky QB Will Levis, it’s generally accepted both are in the “some assembly required” category. Is there a team willing to trade a first-round pick and more to take that gamble? If the candidates are the Seahawks, Lions, Raiders, Falcons, Titans, Commanders, Buccaneers or even the Vikings, I’d say no. 
  • Once upon a time, Commanders owner Dan Snyder was fond of saying he’d change the team’s former racist name or sell the franchise “over his dead body.” Well the day came for the former and Snyder’s still walking around, so he’ll probably be just fine collecting $6 billion and turning over the Washington football franchise to hopefully competent ownership for the first time in decades. Several reports have indicated Snyder has struck an agreement in principle to sell the team to a group helmed by 76ers owner Josh Harris. The deal is not done, and with someone with Snyder’s track record, it’s important to make that caveat. But every indication is that it will be finalized in the coming weeks. And for the first time in a long time, Washington fans will have a rational reason to be hopeful. 

Nickels & Dimes

Quick-hit thoughts and observations from around the NFL…

If you haven’t heard about the S2 cognitive test yet, get ready. It’s shaping up to be one of the defining factors in how this draft will shake out, especially at the top and especially with the quarterbacks…

So what is it? The Athletic had an outstanding explainer earlier this year following the rise of Purdy, who had the best score in 2022 class. Essentially it’s a test on a computer optimized to track reaction time that puts athletes through a battery of exercises to see how quickly and accurately they can process visual information. You can see how that might be important for a quarterback who has to keep track of a million things before the ball is snapped and then a million things in two seconds after the ball is snapped…

It’s not a new thing either. Here’s another explainer from back in 2020 after Joe Burrow won a title at LSU. He’s another high-performer on the test, along with Mahomes and Josh Allen… 

This year, Young has tested off the charts and leads the entire class in S2 score. It’s reportedly a big reason the Panthers are so high on him. Owner Dave Tepper puts a ton of stock in the test, and he’s not the only one. As of now, 16 teams subscribe to the S2 test…

Obviously if the Panthers are putting a lot of stock in this test as they decide who to take with the No. 1 pick, that’s a big impact on the draft. But it goes deeper. There continue to be persistent rumors that the Texans might not take a quarterback if Young goes No. 1, even though the conventional wisdom has connected them to Stroud. New Texans HC DeMeco Ryans and OC Bobby Slowik were in San Francisco last year and the 49ers’ found Purdy in part because of the S2 test. So it stands to reason Ryans and Slowik might be believers as well, and if Levis did well on the test, it could push Houston in a different direction…

The test has only been administered to NFL prospects for seven years so there’s still a lot of data to be collected. There’s more to playing quarterback than processing speed, even if that’s an important factor, so it’s not like the S2 test is a silver bullet to solve the problem of quarterback evaluation. It’s a compelling story right now, though, and one that seems sure to influence the draft in two weeks…

Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?

Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Leave a Reply