3 weeks ago
DETROIT – It's difficult being an NFL player this clip of year. No, really, astatine a clip erstwhile nan crippled is astir past year's memories and adjacent year's hopes, it's difficult to beryllium an NFL seasoned watching a beforehand agency moving nan NFL draught arsenic if it was a crippled of roulette.
Perhaps moreover Russian roulette.
(L-R) JC Latham hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell aft being selected seventh wide by nan Tennessee Titans during nan first information of nan 2024 NFL Draft astatine Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza connected April 25, 2024 successful Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
After Thursday's first information successful which a record-tying six quarterbacks were selected successful nan first twelve picks, and nan first protect subordinate wasn't selected until nan Colts took Laiatu Latu pinch nan 15th pick, it was a unsmooth nighttime for veterans passim nan league.
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It affected guys connected discourtesy and defense.
And for immoderate it will proceed Friday night.
Giants: Maye > Jones
Drake Maye poses pinch NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell aft being selected 3rd wide by nan New England Patriots during nan first information of nan 2024 NFL Draft astatine Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza connected April 25, 2024 successful Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
So, who?
Think Daniel Jones for starters. The New York Giants tried really, really difficult to switch Jones successful this draft.
The Giants will soon writer a communicative that they for illustration Jones and person religion successful Jones, particularly pinch nan summation of LSU wide receiver Malik Nabors successful nan fold. But nan group saying that tried to switch Jones for overmuch of nan past fewer weeks.
The Giants, you should know, did a batch of homework connected each nan quarterbacks successful this draught and came distant wanting to adhd Drake Maye. Maye simply reminded nan Giants of a lesser-but-still-impressive Josh Allen.
So nan Giants tried to waste and acquisition up to nan No. 3 wide prime to prime Maye.
Giants Worked On A QB Trade
"We had a batch of conversations pinch a batch of teams," wide head Joe Schoen said. "I'm not going to get into specifics."
The specifics are the Patriots, picking third, were each but locked successful connected Maye erstwhile they understood nan wealth they would person considered to waste and acquisition nan prime wasn't going to manifest.
So nan Giants couldn't waste and acquisition up, picked nan move Nabors instead, and now let nary excuses for Jones not playing good because he has a caller limb contempt wanting personification else.
And what do you deliberation nan first point nan New York media will opportunity if Jones plays like, well, Jones astatine immoderate constituent successful 2024?
The Giants were correct to effort to switch him pinch Drake Maye.
And that would decidedly impact nan position and opinionated Jones has successful nan locker room. It will show everyone who doesn't already cognize that nan Giants for illustration their backmost but haven't loved him going each nan measurement backmost to nan April draught erstwhile they tried to switch him.
The only measurement this doesn't hap is if Jones really starts earning nan $160 cardinal statement he signed only past twelvemonth by playing well.
2024 NFL DRAFT: WHERE DID TOP 3 WIDE RECEIVERS LAND?
Kirk Cousins Not Happy
Washington backmost Michael Penix Jr. watches during lukewarm ups earlier nationalist title NCAA College Football Playoff crippled betwixt Washington and Michigan Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, successful Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)
Jones isn't nan only seasoned QB that was looking astir during nan draught Thursday nighttime and wondering if he's being replaced.
Kirk Cousins astir apt felt a spot for illustration that erstwhile nan Atlanta Falcons were connected nan timepiece and called to pass him they were selecting Michael Penix Jr.
The Falcons are saying they made nan prime to adhd security to nan QB position. A measurement to unafraid nan future, they say.
Except, from nan Cousins perspective, he's asking really this secures his future?
Cousins is simply a awesome person, mostly an knowing person. He understood erstwhile nan Vikings didn't springiness him a statement earlier past season.
Yeah, he understood truthful good he near successful free agency.
But it says correct present he's going to person problem knowing this Falcons move. And he's going to dislike nan mode successful which nan Falcons handled it – pinch that past infinitesimal heads up alternatively of a complete briefing days aliases weeks beforehand.
It would not astonishment if nan Falcons' narration pinch Cousins – still caller because he conscionable agreed to his statement connected March 11 – is already successful a bad place.
I'm not saying nan feline is going to petition a trade.
But if nan uncomfortable speech this move merits betwixt nan Cousins campy and wide head Terry Fontenot doesn't spell conscionable right, it will people a breach successful spot betwixt subordinate and franchise activity that won't beryllium easy repaired.
Josh Allen Watches WR Go To KC
Buffalo Bills backmost Josh Allen answers questions during a news convention aft losing to nan Kansas City Chiefs successful an NFL AFC section playoff shot game, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, successful Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Now see Josh Allen. His opinionated successful Buffalo is not successful question. General head Brandon Beane includes Allen successful his talent deliberations (to a degree) and welcomes feedback.
Wonder what Allen's feedback is now that nan Bills, needing a replacement for Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis – past year's starting receivers and stalwarts connected discourtesy – traded distant a chance to prime up a replacement.
The Bills, holding nan No. 28 pick, dealt nan action to nan Chiefs, who utilized it to prime Texas receiver Xavier Worthy.
So Allen, needing a caller playmaker connected nan outside, saw his beforehand agency thief nan Chiefs present to Patrick Mahomes a caller playmaker connected nan outside. And it was 1 who ran a 4.21 successful nan 40-yard dash astatine nan combine.
The waste and acquisition dropped nan Bills to nan No. 32 prime successful nan first round. Fine, isolated from past they traded that, too.
They dropped backmost 1 spot pinch Carolina, who utilized nan prime to do what? Select a wide receiver.
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Beane Trade Down Comes At Price
The Panthers picked South Carolina's Xavier Legette to thief backmost Bryce Young nutrient much large plays successful his 2nd season. And Allen, needing to nutrient much large plays adjacent season, is still waiting.
And here's nan kicker: The Bills tin opportunity they'll pluck nan apical receiver connected their committee pinch nan No. 33 prime connected Friday if they wish. It would beryllium wise to adhd Ladd McConkey aliases possibly Adonai Mitchell.
But whomever nan Bills adhd will motion a four-year contract. And because he's not a first-round pick, nan fifth-year action will not beryllium disposable to nan Bills if nan subordinate is really good.
So the Bills fundamentally costs themselves a twelvemonth of statement power complete a receiver Allen whitethorn get connected Friday. But, meanwhile, Mahomes gets 5 years pinch his caller guy.
Finally, we request to look astatine nan San Francisco 49ers receiver corps. Everyone location has to beryllium wondering if they're going to beryllium connected nan squad by nan extremity of this draft.
Will Deebo Remain A Niner?
Deebo Samuel #19 of nan San Francisco 49ers reacts successful nan extremity area anterior to nan NFL Super Bowl 58 shot crippled betwixt nan San Francisco 49ers and nan Kansas City Chiefs astatine Allegiant Stadium connected February 11, 2024 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
The 49ers selected Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall pinch their first-round selection. Why would a squad that has Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings nether statement prime a wide receiver successful nan first round?
Because Aiyuk and Jennings are successful nan last twelvemonth of their contracts and either 1 mightiness beryllium traded. And because Samuel, who signed a three-year woody earlier nan 2022 season, has grounded to play to nan level he showed successful 2021 erstwhile he earned that large contract. So Samuel could beryllium traded.
Anybody of statement successful nan Niners' receiver room mightiness beryllium traded, it seems. It's because they're either making a batch of money aliases are astir to make a batch of money.
None of these guys knows which, if immoderate of them, will beryllium packing and moving soon. It's for illustration a crippled of roulette nan 49ers are playing pinch their veterans.
