Buying or Selling NFL's Latest Free Agency Buzz, Trade Rumors After Combine
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine may have ended, but the rumor mill hasn't stopped churning.
With the league converged on Indianapolis for a week to check out the top prospects, plenty of non-draft buzz came out of the event.
Much of that has been centered on the free agency and trade markets, which will be heating up with the start of the new league year right around the corner.
Not all these rumors will turn out to be true though. The difficult part is figuring out which have merit and which are merely noise. We've done the hard work for you, however, so read on to find out which rumors you should buy into and which you should consider baseless.
Many Teams Uninterested in Lamar Jackson?
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The Baltimore Ravens made the rather shocking decision to hit Lamar Jackson with the non-exclusive franchise tag on Tuesday. The tag will allow the superstar quarterback to negotiate with other franchises, while giving his incumbent squad the chance to either match the deal or return a pair of first-round picks if not.
Though the chances that Jackson actually leaves the Ravens are still long, declining to put an exclusive tender on the 26-year-old does give rival organizations a path to acquiring him.
Given Jackson is only set to make $32.4 million on the tag this year—lesser passers such as Derek Carr and Geno Smith have already pulled higher value deals this offseason—he should theoretically be receiving much stronger offers from the myriad of QB-needy organizations out there.
That is why it's surprising that for as good as Jackson has been—he's been to a pair of Pro Bowls and won an MVP during his first half-decade in the league—there reportedly aren't many squads pining to sign the signal-caller.
After news broke that the Ravens left the door open for Jackson to be courted away with the non-exclusive tag, there were various reports (h/t Yahoo! Sports) that the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders all had little to no interest in making a run at the quarterback.
While there are still several other squads lacking a star under center who could make a run at Jackson—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans are two that standout for not having a clear path to address their needs via the draft—it's hard to believe they will be amongst the few that ultimately make an offer to the best quarterback on the market.
Many of these "uninterested" claims smell of misdirection and should be ignored. Jackson should have plenty of suitors when he's ready to sit down and start talking shop.
Verdict: Sell that many QB-needy teams aren't interested in Lamar Jackson.
Tennessee Titans Could Make Major Offensive Changes in 2023?
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The Tennessee Titans are at a crossroads. Just a season after earning the top seed in the AFC, the club missed the playoffs entirely and has a major question mark at the quarterback position.
One path the Titans could take is to just start from scratch with a total rebuild. There's been talk that the organization may be open to doing exactly that, notably by trading away one of their best players.
According to Bally Sports' Michael Silver, current general managers revealed that running back Derrick Henry was one of several veteran stars being shopped around at the combine last week.
Although Henry has been the focal point of Tennessee's offense for the past half-decade, he's due to account for over $16 million against next season's salary cap. That's a large amount to commit to any one player, especially a running back entering his eighth season who has logged a ton of mileage.
While Henry was still highly effective last season—he finished second in both rushing yardage and touchdowns—he led the league in carries for the third time in the last four years. He was on pace for that distinction in 2021 as well before suffering a fractured foot, but he still finished with the 10th-most totes that year despite missing nine contests.
The Titans also struggled as a team despite Henry's efforts last year. They finished 7-10 while starting signal-caller Ryan Tannehill was benched for poor play and dealt with injuries. The results led to speculation that the quarterback's time in the Music City could be at an end.
That doesn't seem it will be the case, however, as the Titans will likely give their current core a chance to make at least one more run in 2023.
According to NFL.com's Nick Shook, new general manager Ran Carthon recently affirmed Tannehill's status by saying "Ryan is under contract…Right now, he's a titan and he will be a Titan."
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones also reported that Carthon hasn't been actively looking to deal Henry and that the front office doesn't see an upgrade under center on the open market.
While the team will be making some changes after releasing notables like longtime tackle Taylor Lewan and edge-rusher Bud Dupree, it appears Tennessee's offense will have a familiar look next season.
Verdict: Sell the Titans making major offensive changes in 2023
Aaron Rodgers Open to Joining New York Jets?
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The drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers is heating up after reports surfaced that the superstar quarterback would be willing to take his talents to the New York Jets.
Pro Football Network's Trey Wingo tweeted that Rodgers met with the Jets on Tuesday to discuss his potential future with the club. Although he reportedly won't be deciding anytime soon, Rodgers is giving real consideration to New York.
Although Rodgers signed a record-setting three-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers last year, the future Hall of Famer is once again mulling his future, one that could involve him getting traded if he opts to continue his career.
After winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2020-21, Rodgers is coming off a down year. He led Green Bay to a middling 8-9 record—his first losing campaign since 2018—and seemingly regressed as a passer. His 12 interceptions in 2022 were the most he's thrown since he became a starter in 2008, and he failed to breech the 4,000-yard passing mark for the first time since an injury-plagued 2017 season.
Despite this step back, the 39-year-old would represent a massive upgrade under center for the Jets. Gang Green squandered one of the best defensive performances in football last year—the team ranked No. 4 in both scoring and total defense just one year after rating dead last in both categories—due to a woefully inept offense.
With Zach Wilson looking like a bust and a less-than-stellar pool of free-agent talent, it would be tough to fault New York for going all-in on Rodgers.
ESPN's Adam Schefter also believes signs are pointing to Rodgers leaving Titletown. During a SportsCenter appearance on Friday (h/t WFAN), the NFL insider said the following:
"There continues to be more and more signs about him leaving Green Bay. And I think in the end, my sense is ultimately it will come down to whether he wants to play elsewhere, which would be really the New York Jets, or whether he wants to retire."
Given the pieces that would be surrounding him—including breakout running back Breece Hall and quality wideouts in Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore—Rodgers could do far worse than forcing a trade to the Big Apple if he wants to continue his football career.
Verdict: Buy Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets if he doesn't retire.
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Jimmy Garoppolo to Houston Texans Heating Up?
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The Houston Texans need a new quarterback after the Davis Mills experiment failed to pan out. Fortunately for the club, it has multiple options to fill the void on its roster.
While the team holds the No. 2 overall pick in a class with several highly-rated signal-callers and is largely expected to select one, it may also dip into the free-agent pile to acquire a proven veteran.
One of the experienced throwers being linked with Houston is Jimmy Garoppolo. According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, there's a "push within the building to sign [him]" as a bridge quarterback. The Texans' plan would reportedly be to play Garoppolo for one season while their rookie learns on the bench behind him.
On paper the move makes sense. Garoppolo is familiar with new head coach Demeco Ryans after the pairing worked together for the last half-decade. While Ryans didn't directly impact Garoppolo's job—he coached linebackers and served as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco—he also brought along Bobby Slowik, the 49ers' passing game coordinator last year, to serve as his team's offensive coordinator.
With Slowik likely to install a similar system to the one 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan utilized, Garoppolo would be an ideal fit and could hit the ground running.
Although the 31-year-old has dealt with injuries in recent years, he won 38 of his 57 starts in the Bay Area, took the team to two NFC Championship Games and made a Super Bowl appearance during his tenure there.
Garoppolo would be an immediate upgrade for a Texans team that has gone a league-worst 11-38-1 over the last three years. Instilling a winning culture and cultivating a strong locker room is important for any winning franchise, especially one likely to hand the reins to a young quarterback by 2024.
Given Houston has cap room to spare—nearly $42 million heading into free agency—and Garoppolo would get another chance to prove he can lead a team to the playoffs, this would be a sensible move for both sides.
Verdict: Buy Jimmy Garoppolo landing with the Houston Texans.
Josh Mcdaniels Plans to Pursue Mac Jones?
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The Derek Carr era is officially over for the Las Vegas Raiders after the team's starting quarterback for almost a decade signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. With only inexperienced backups Chase Garbers and Jarrett Stidham left on the roster, the club now must use its limited options to unearth a viable replacement.
While the Raiders could look to the draft to find their next franchise quarterback, the pickings could be slim by the time they are on the clock at No. 7 overall. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department has just two passers—Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young—ranked in the top-30 of their latest big board. After Anthony Richardson's breakout combine performance, there is a chance all three are gone by the time Vegas is on the clock.
With no indications that the Raiders are planning to go all-in to make a prohibitively expensive move up the board—NBC Sports' Peter King believes the Chicago Bears could net a top-10 pick and a high second-round pick as well as first-rounders in the next two drafts for the No. 1 overall selection—it's likely the team will settle for a free-agent veteran or swing a trade for a lesser-regarded signal-caller.
According to the New York Post's Noah Concordia, head coach Josh McDaniels is exploring ways to bring a player familiar with his system aboard if he can't entice top choice Aaron Rodgers to Sin City.
The simplest way to accomplish that goal would be to sign Jimmy Garoppolo, who the New England Patriots drafted back in 2014 during McDaniels' time as the club's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The pairing worked together up until the Pats dealt Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers during the 2017 campaign.
The more intriguing method to get a McDaniels product to the Raiders would be to deal for current Patriots starter Mac Jones. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that there was "some chatter" at the combine that Las Vegas is considering 2021's No. 15 overall pick as a trade target.
Jones had a strong rookie campaign under McDaniels and earned a Pro Bowl nod while guiding the Patriots to the playoffs. The Alabama product noticeably regressed after New England's offensive coordinator took the Raiders' head coaching gig.
Jones even reportedly landed in head coach Bill Belichick's doghouse after seeking outside help to fix New England's offensive woes last year.
Despite the riff, it would be a strange move for New England to give up on a player who showed so much promise just a year ago. Even after a rough season, the Patriots have a real chance to turn things around thanks to their decision to make sweeping adjustments to their coaching staff.
Unless the Raiders are willing to overpay for Jones—and at that point, they would be better served just trading up for a rookie—this deal is unlikely to go down.
Verdict: Sell Mac Jones joining the Raiders.
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