Buying Or Selling NFL's Latest Rumors, Buzz Entering Training Camps
With training camps set to be fully opened this week, fans should expect a surge in the NFL rumor mill. While the buzz may not come as fast or as furiously as it did ahead of free agency or the draft, there will be no shortage of situations to monitor.
As real, live practices get underway and exhibition games start to unfold, we'll see stories about position battles, contract discussions and potential pre-cut-day trades.
Of course, with several quality free agents still available, some contract talks ongoing and lots of minicamp and organized team activity (OTA) action to review, there's plenty to discuss going into training-camp season.
Below, we'll examine the latest NFL buzz and try to pull the truth out of the smoke.
Raiders Could Rescind Josh Jacobs' Franchise Tag
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The Las Vegas Raiders didn't come to a long-term agreement with star running back and reigning rushing champion Josh Jacobs before the July 17 deadline. Now, Las Vegas faces the possibility of not having Jacobs in training camp, or perhaps at all, in 2023.
"[Jacobs] is already sending word that if the deadline passes without a deal, he will not report to training camp," Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote before the deadline.
Until Jacobs signs his tender, Las Vegas could rescind his tag and make him a free agent.
As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio recently suggested, the Raiders to do it at a very inopportune time for the running back:
"The most cold-blooded move would be to wait until every other team's roster is set in late August before pulling the tender. At that point, Jacobs would have a very hard time getting the money he could instantly get in Las Vegas."
Buy: Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler might not be vindictive enough to pull Jacobs' tag out of spite. From a business standpoint, however, it could make a lot of sense.
McDaniels and Ziegler both come from the New England Patriots, where churning through backs on bargain deals is a way of life.
In camp, McDaniels will get a look at running backs like Zamir White and Brittain Brown. If he isn't happy with how his backfield rotation is shaping up, he could look to dive into the free-agent market.
Rescinding Jacobs' tag would free up $10.1 million in cap space with which to sign a free agent like Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott or Kareem Hunt. It just so happens that the timeline for this would leave Jacobs looking for work just before the start of the season.
Giants Expect Saquon Barkley to Play
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Like Jacobs, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was given the franchise tag, didn't sign it, and could potentially hold out into the regular season. It's an option the two-time Pro Bowler recently discussed.
"You want me to show you how valuable I am to the team? I won't show up. I won't play a down.' And that's a play I could use," Barkley told The Money Matters podcast (h/t Bleacher Report's Joseph Zucker).
However, the Giants reportedly expect Barkley to eventually sign his tender and suit up for Week 1.
"The Giants do expect him to play because they don't expect him to give up the money. We've seen how it worked out with Le'Veon Bell," ESPN's Jeff Darlington said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Erin Walsh).
Sell: Money talks, and Barkley stands to lose $10.1 million that he'll never get back if he sits out the season.
While I do expect New York to call Barkley's bluff and refuse to rescind the tag, it's hard to believe that the Giants fully expect him to play. They recently added running back James Robinson and wide receiver Cole Beasley in late-offseason signings.
James joins a backfield that already includes Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray. That's a decent amount of depth, even if it's not a spectacular lineup.
Head coach Brian Daboll oversaw a potent Buffalo Bills offense before joining the Giants, and it's worth noting that Daboll made things work with a fairly underwhelming backfield rotation.
Adding Beasley, who played for Daboll in Buffalo, could help New York lean a little more heavily on the passing game in 2023 if it's necessary. Do the Giants make these moves if they're fully confident that Barkley will play? I'm not so sure.
Zack Martin Considering a Hold-Out
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It's been a fairly smooth offseason for the Dallas Cowboys thus far. There have been no significant injuries to report, and Dallas has added some intriguing new pieces in Stephon Gilmore, Brandin Cooks and rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
However, Dallas may soon encounter its first road bump of 2023.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, All-Pro guard Zack Martin is considering not reporting to training camp "because of his unhappiness with his contract and the team's lack of interest in restructuring it."
While tagged-but-not-signed players like Jacobs and Barkley can hold out of camp and avoid fines, Martin is under contract and subject to them. This makes a holdout for the 32-year-old a bit of a risky play.
Dallas veterans are scheduled to report to camp on Tuesday.
Buy: Martin undoubtedly doesn't want to face fines, it's not hard to believe he feels undervalued. The six-time first-team All-Pro is likely a future Hall of Famer and is still arguably the league's best guard when healthy.
However, Martin is the league's eighth-highest-paid guard in terms of annual salary. Does a less-accomplished player like Chris Lindstrom deserve to be making $6 million more per year than Martin? In the mind of the Cowboys standout, probably not.
The problem is that teams value future performance more than past accomplishments, which is precisely why Elliott was released. Martin is an all-time player, but he'll turn 33 in November and will be approaching 35 at the end of his contract.
If Dallas believes that Martin is approaching the end of his playing prime, he's unlikely to get the substantial raise he's seeking.
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Dalvin Cook Does 'Have Interest' in the Jets
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Cook remains unsigned but does have a standing offer from the Miami Dolphins, According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington (h/t Chris Schad of FanNation). According to Darlington, Cook just hasn't been "willing to accept" that offer.
On Sunday, ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that Cook "does have interest" in joining the New York Jets, a team linked to Cook by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (h/t Karen Guregian of MassLive).
Cook played his college ball in Florida and previously called Miami a perfect fit but isn't interested in the Dolphins' current offer. Therefore it's fair to wonder if his interest in New York is legitimate or if it's simply an effort to coax a stronger offer from Miami.
Sell: If the Jets are willing to pay the $8 million Cook reportedly wants for this season, sure, he'd probably be happy to land in New York. However, that feels extremely unlikely given the fact that the Jets already have a solid running-back tandem in Breece Hall and Michael Carter.
It must also be noted that, according to Florio, "chatter" about a possible suspension has created "hesitancy" in Cook's free-agent market.
According to Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a now-sealed court document showed that Cook's representatives offered Cook's ex-girlfriend, Gracelyn Trimble, $1 million to send a letter to the NFL that would clear him of "any wrongdoing" regarding domestic violence allegations against him stemming from a November 2020 incident.
Cook continues to deny the allegations and has filed a defamation lawsuit against Trimble.
It feels more likely that Cook is willing to express interest in teams like New England and New York—division rivals of the Dolphins—in order to increase his value in a depressed market and to push the Dolphins to act.
My guess is that joining Miami is still Cook's preference, though the closer we get to Week 1, the more open he may be to sign with any team willing to make a reasonable offer.
Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert Could Have Very Different Extensions
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers signal-caller Justin Herbert could be next on the train of sizeable quarterback contract extensions.
ESPN's Jeff Darlington recently joined the Rich Eisen Show (beginning at the 1:10 mark) and discussed why Herbert and Burrow could be looking at very different extensions:
"Herbert, I think we could find out tomorrow it's the same as Jalen Hurts' deal and typical framework. ..."Burrow ...I'm curious to see if it winds up being more like a Patrick Mahomes deal, you know the 10-year half-a-bil situation where they can adjust each year."
Would Herbert really agree to a traditional four- or five-year extension while Burrow holds out for something longer?
Buy: Both of these developments feel entirely plausible. Herbert has done enough to become the league's top-paid player because of the next-man-up nature of quarterback contracts.
Burrow, however, could take the Mahomes approach and sign a very long-term deal that ultimately benefits the team—Mahomes is now the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual salary. Cincinnati is already going to have to change its business model to retain him.
"Cincinnati is in the dark ages when it comes to structuring contracts for veteran players. The only guaranteed money in Cincinnati veteran contracts is a signing bonus and a roster bonus payable within a few days," CBS Sports' Joel Curry explained.
If notoriously spendthrift franchise owner Mike Brown is going to buck tradition when it comes to Burrow, a massive extension that can potentially save the franchise millions in the long run will become very attractive.
A deal of Mahomes' magnitude would require Brown to place a large sum into escrow, but as The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. pointed out in February, Brown took "his father's name off what's now Paycor Stadium partly to pile cash into escrow."
Steelers Offense All About Kenny Pickett
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are poised to make second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett the focal point of their offense. At least, that's the word from tight end Pat Freiermuth.
"Obviously, this is Kenny's offense," Freiermuth said, per Joe Rutter of TribLIVE. "and we're going to go as Kenny goes."
Though he did throw nine interceptions and only seven touchdowns, he won six of his final seven starts, engineered three fourth-quarter comebacks and had four game-winning drives.
According to The Athletic's Mark Kaboly, Pickett has also become a locker-room leader during the offseason.
"Pickett has ingratiated himself with just about everybody in that locker room in a very short period," Kaboly wrote during OTAs. "There is not a person who doesn't like him, doesn't want to hang out with him and doesn't respect him."
Is Pittsburgh really ready to field a Pickett-centric offense in 2023?
Sell: I fully believe that the Steelers are ready to see their quarterback take the proverbial next step.
However, I also believe that this is still a team that wants to win with defense, a strong running game and offensive balance. Retooling the offensive line can certainly help Pickett, but they can also help 2021 rookie Pro Bowler Najee Harris return to form following a down season.
I think Pittsburgh wants to see Harris become the rising star he appeared to be two years ago, and with a top-10 defense dictating games, I don't think the offense will necessarily "go as Kenny goes."
No Timetable for Commanders Name Change
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The sale of the Washington Commanders was approved on Thursday. This means that Dan Snyder is out as the franchise owner and a purchasing group led by Josh Harris is in. For a franchise and fanbase that has suffered through an era of mostly irrelevance under Snyder, it's a positive development.
"There's a palpable optimism that just hasn't been present for some time," team president Jason Wright told reporters.
Harris and his group will likely bring several changes to the franchise, and a name change could be among them. However, according to Florio, there is "no timeline" for considering a name change.
Sell: Minority owner Magic Johnson has already publicly stated that a name change is "on the table."
This means that the new ownership group has already considered it. It simply wouldn't make sense to relay a timeline to the fanbase for financial reasons. While Harris grew up in the Maryland area and may indeed want to make things better for a "passionate" fanbase, he and his group purchased the franchise to make money.
Merchandise provides a huge money-making opportunity. An immediate name change would generate an influx of capital as Washington fans look to move past the stench of the Snyder era and buy new jerseys, hats, truck decals, underwear—anything the team can slap a logo on.
However, fans may already be eager to buy, given the renewed sense of optimism. If Harris' group waits a year or two, it can double dip into the buying frenzy—buy a Washington Commanders jacket now and a Washington Warbirds jacket in 2025—but making that timetable public could cause millions of fans to delay their purchases.
In the money-making business, that's bad business.
Chiefs, Chris Jones Remain 'Far Apart' in Negotiations
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According to Schefter, star defensive tackle Chris Jones was absent when Kansas City Chiefs veterans reported on Saturday. According to Schefter, the two parties remain "far apart" in extension talks.
The presence of Jones, Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce is a big reason why Kansas City has stayed consistent despite roster turnover at other positions.
However, this latest development doesn't come as a surprise.
"We'll have to just see how that goes. I mean there is communication going on, that's the important part. Then, we just have to see," Reid said, per Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire.
Are the two sides really not close to an agreement?
Buy: There's little reason to doubt this one. The Chiefs know how important Jones is to their defense, and they're presumably doing everything within reason to get him into camp.. Jones, though, is a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player and knows his worth.
After watching other defensive tackles get paid this offseason, Jones probably doesn't feel like his value is being met. He's the eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle in terms of annual salary and is entering the final year of his contract.
If the two sides were close, a deal already would have been struck by now. Jones is set to carry a cap hit of $28.3 million in 2023 but only $7 million of that is in dead money. Kansas City meanwhile, has less than $100,000 in cap space.
With the right extension/restructure, the Chiefs could give Jones what he wants while giving themselves a little more financial breathing room. The fact that a deal hasn't been done suggests that the two sides are indeed very far apart when it comes to overall contract value.
*Contract and cap information via Spotrac.
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