BS Meter on Jalen Ramsey, Trey Hendrickson, Latest NFL Rumors

We've reached a slow point in the NFL calendar. The draft is over, although rookie minicamps and voluntary workouts are going.

Still, the NFL never fully stops. A few big-name players who are angling for massive extensions could potentially be headed for holdouts. A talented young wide receiver was recently traded. And a four-time MVP quarterback still has yet to decide whether he'll be playing in 2025.

All the storylines swirling around the NFL generate no shortage of speculation. Some of that speculation is spot on. Some is way off base. And some falls somewhere in between.

To help figure out which is which, we have dusted off the old BS-meter—an infallible piece of technology guaranteed to be able to tell the difference between gospel truth and complete hokum.

Now, does anyone have a 9-volt battery I can borrow?

Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey Headed for Rams Reunion?

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

The Rumor

In mid-April, reports surfaced that the Miami Dolphins and cornerback Jalen Ramsey had mutually agreed to explore trade options. From the moment that news broke, the Los Angeles Rams were mentioned as a potential trade partner.

While appearing on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that talks between Los Angeles and Miami are ongoing.

"There are a lot of layers when you're talking about a player of his caliber with regards to the contract, the compensation that they would be looking for in exchange for receiving a player of his magnitude,” McVay said. “And so those conversations are ongoing, as I'm sure they are with multiple teams. And we'll see, but we're never going to shy away from opportunities to increase the competitiveness of our roster or add great players as long as it fits within the framework of everything that an acquisition like that would entail."

The Reality

A trade between the Rams and Dolphins makes sense on multiple levels. Rams general manager Les Snead has never been averse to trading for a veteran star, the Rams have a need at cornerback, and Ramsey played three-plus seasons in Los Angeles from 2019 to 2022.

Ramsey’s contract won't make trading him easy, as he has a cap hit over $25 million each of the next three seasons. But there’s also no real reason for Miami to swing a deal before June 1. So, what appears to be stalled talks is more likely just the Dolphins biding their time before a deal gets done.

The smart money says Ramsey will be a Ram (again) before training camp opens in earnest.

BS Meter: 2/10

Bengals EDGE Trey Hendrickson Headed for Holdout?

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

The Rumor

After leading the league in sacks last year, Cincinnati Bengals edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson is looking for a raise. So far, he and and team have been unable to agree on just how big that raise should be.

After the Bengals used their first-round pick on Texas A&M edge-rusher Shemar Stewart, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that this impasse could extend well into the summer.

"There's no update with defensive end Trey Hendrickson's contract situation, which is at a stalemate," Fowler wrote. "My read on the situation is that Hendrickson is convicted enough to stay away from the team, having no interest in playing on his scheduled $16 million salary in 2025. Right now, this is a waiting game.

"So, at least in the short term, Shemar Stewart could assume the Hendrickson role in the defense. But I do believe the drafting of Stewart isn't totally tied to Hendrickson's situation. Cincinnati likes not only Stewart's explosiveness, but his positional flexibility at 6'5" and 267 pounds."

The Reality

The Bengals missed the playoffs last year largely because their defense was atrocious. The last thing they need is to be without their best player on that side of the ball for any length of time. But there’s a major sticking point in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson. He’ll turn 31 in December, which could give them pause about a multi-year extension that averages north of $30 million per season.

Given his age, sitting out well into the season would be a tough pill for Hendrickson to swallow. Every game missed would cost him about $1 million in lost salary, along with the fines he accrued. But it’s hard to debate that Hendrickson is underpaid after he racked up a whopping 35 sacks over the past two seasons.

The Bengals have already doled out massive extensions to wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason. But to turn things around this year, they need Hendrickson on the field.

The longer this drags on, the worse it looks for the team. However, it appears the two sides aren’t especially close to an agreement.

BS Meter: 5/10

San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy Headed for a Massive Payday

FR171546 AP

The Rumor

The San Francisco 49ers entered this offseason knowing they had to pony up big bucks for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has gone from “Mr. Irrelevant” to Super Bowl starter. No deal is imminent, but it appears that talks between Purdy and the team are heating up.

On the Scoop City podcast, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said it’s a essentially a matter of when, not if, Purdy gets a huge bag.

"I continue to get really good information about the situation, meaning: This is going to get done, there's no drama to it, this isn't going to go off the rails. At least, that's the expectation at this point," Russini said. "If the question is, do I think Brock Purdy is going to have a deal before training camp starts? I feel really good saying that here, in May, knowing that things are just moving in a really good direction. And it's actually been pretty drama free as a whole."

The Reality

A contract was always going to get done. It was just a matter of for how much over how many years. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on The Pat McAfee Show that the 49ers are looking for a compromise “somewhere in the 50s.”

Now, it's fair to wonder whether Purdy is actually worth $50-plus million per season. His numbers were down across the board last year, although the injuries that ravaged the Niners certainly played a part.

There are currently 10 quarterbacks making $50-plus million per season, and only three have started in a Super Bowl (Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Jalen Hurts). The five-year, $270 million pact that B/R’s Moe Moton recently projected for Purdy probably isn’t far off.

That would be a Purdy good payday.

BS Meter: 1/10

Dallas Cowboys EDGE Micah Parsons Not Close to New Deal

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Rumor

The Dallas Cowboys traded for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens on Wednesday, but they still have some major unfinished offseason business—namely an extension for star pass-rusher Micah Parsons.

Parsons, who has logged at least 12 sacks in each of his four NFL seasons, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. And as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted on SportsCenter, Cowboys owners Jerry Jones has a history of dragging his feet on extensions for star players.

"They are budgeting for that," Fowler said. "They want to keep Parsons long term. They do have a penchant for signing their star players, it just takes a little while. Last year, Dak Prescott didn't get his deal done until Sept. 8, right before the season; CeeDee Lamb late August. So, they could certainly draw this out, but they know what the price tag is, $35-40 million per year, for a player of his caliber."

The Reality

Actually, Parsons’ new deal could be even higher than that. B/R's Kurt Benkert recently suggested that Parsons’ new deal could average $45 million per season.

There have already been some contract shenanigans. Last month, Jones claimed he didn't know who Parsons’ agent was, spurring Parsons to ask the Cowboys’ owner to conduct negotiations through his representation (David Mulugheta).

That kerfuffle doesn’t appear to have rankled Parsons too much, though. The soon-to-be 26-year-old showed up at voluntary workouts in a sign of good faith.

Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the NFL—a fact Jones knows as well as we do. There’s zero chance that the Cowboys head into the 2025 season without Parsons being among the league’s highest-paid defenders.

BS Meter: 8/10

George Pickens Groused His Way Out of Pittsburgh

AP Photo/Matt Freed

The Rumor

There were rumors for most of the offseason that wide receiver George Pickens could be on his way out of Pittsburgh. Despite Steelers general manager Omar Khan’s protestations to the contrary, Pickens was indeed dealt this week to the Dallas Cowboys.

It was an eyebrow-raising move for a team that doesn't have much at wideout behind DK Metcalf. According to Steelers insider Mark Kaboly (h/t Riley Garrett of Steelers Nation), head coach Mike Tomlin was the one who pushed for the trade.

"What's surprising to me is, from everything that I've heard, Mike Tomlin was the one that was in front of this all," Kaboly said. "It wasn't [owner] Art [Rooney II]. It wasn't [general manager] Omar [Khan]. It was Mike, and then the organizational decision of—it's time to move on."

The Reality

ESPN’s Peter Schrager appeared on Get Up this week and refuted the idea that Pickens’ on-field antics got his shipped out of town.

"I would like to correct some people,” Schrager said. “Some [seem] to think that he is a—I don't know—a diva, or he's cantankerous. I talked to the Steelers folks. George Pickens is demonstrative on the field, but he is not an uncoachable player. In fact, he does have a great way about him in the locker room, and is very well liked in Pittsburgh."

But the list of said antics is not a short one. A tantrum about not getting the ball as a rookie. Refusing to block at the goal line in 2023 for fear of getting hurt. A dust-up with Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II last year. A pair of unsportsmanlike conduct violations against the Cincinnati Bengals. Showing up late to a Christmas Day game against the Chiefs. And that is not even a complete list.

Pickens’ camp can frame the deal any way they want. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good. But there isn’t a more no-nonsense organization in the NFL than the Steelers.

And Pickens’ career has been brimming with nonsense from the jump.

BS Meter: 2/10

Aaron Rodgers Waiting for NFL Schedule Release Before Signing with Steelers

Al Pereira/Getty Images

The Rumor

The possibility of Aaron Rodgers joining the Pittsburgh Steelers has been one of the dominant storylines of the NFL offseason. When the Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, it kicked up another flurry of speculation.

How would the trade sit with the four-time MVP? Why hasn’t Rodgers made a decision yet? Was he waiting for his Ouija board to get out of the shop?

Well, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes Rodgers may be waiting for the NFL’s schedule to be released so Pittsburgh doesn’t get overloaded with primetime games.

“At this point, Rodgers should indeed wait until the schedule is released next Wednesday. And we’ve heard that he is,” Florio said.

The Reality

The possibility that this is true can’t be completely dismissed. At this point, nothing can be ruled out with Rodgers. He’s a one-man sideshow—and he seems to be enjoying it.

But what the [redacted] does the NFL’s schedule have to do with anything? Is Rodgers seriously making the Steelers wait that much longer just so he won’t have to stay up past his bedtime too many times? Is that legitimately where this circus is at this point?

As was already mentioned, Pickens might have been traded just as much because of his attitude as he was because he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. If the last few months have been any indication, dealing with Rodgers all season long will make the potential issues with Pickens look like a delightful spring picnic.

This is ridiculous. And if it’s true, the Steelers should just tell Rodgers to pound sand. At some point, it just isn’t worth it.

BS Meter: 9/10

J.J. McCarthy Not 'Officially' Vikings Starting Quarterback?

AP

The Rumor

After J.J. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus, the presumption has been that the Minnesota Vikings would hand the keys to the offense over to the second-year quarterback now that Sam Darnold is in Seattle.

During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell said McCarthy has had an excellent offseason. However, he stopped short of naming the young signal-caller the starter in 2025.

"J.J. is going to be in a great position to assume and ascend in our organization," O'Connell said. "But right now, we really don't have any feelings on competition as much as we've got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase. Sam [Howell] will be a part of it. But we've got to get Sam ready to play. We've got to get Brett Rypien ready to play. ... Excited about our quarterback room, but now it's our job to go coach them."

The Reality

I’ll take coachspeak for $400, Alex.

Although O’Connell said that McCarthy isn’t the Vikings' starting quarterback, he essentially confirmed that he is their starting quarterback.

"When he is taking snaps, he's taking plenty of snaps from Ryan Kelly, who happens to be a 10-year starting center in this league," O'Connell said. "J.J. is going to get with the ones. We're going to have him ready to go."

From all indications, McCarthy’s knee is 100 percent. Minnesota selected him with the 10th overall pick last year for a reason. And with all due respect to Sam Howell and Brett Rypien, they are, um, Sam Howell and Brett Rypien.

Provided McCarthy is healthy, he’s Minnesota’s starter. Period.

BS Meter: 11/10

Anthony Richardson Showing Improvement at QB in Indianapolis?

AP

The Rumor

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the league's most unsettled quarterback situations, in no small part because Anthony Richardson’s first two NFL seasons have been wildly uneven. He completed less than 48 percent of his passes last season.

However, Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter told reporters that he likes what he’s seen from Richardson so far this year.

“I think that’s natural for a quarterback as they go through their NFL career, to find aspects of their game to refine, especially in the offseason,” Cooter said. “One year it’s footwork, one year it’s something else — these guys are really, really on top of their craft. I think that’s just a part of Anthony’s sort of work habits in the offseason, what he’s looking to get better, working to improve. This is a good time of year, you guys aren’t out there shooting cameras at them, so they can work on anything they need to work on and sort of try to fine tune it.”

The Reality

Cooter then went on to praise free agent-signee Daniel Jones as well.

“There’s a lot of information that quarterbacks have to sort of manage and process and go through, and he’s doing a great job of that right now, but we’re going to keep piling installs up on these guys,” he said. “We’re teaching them a lot of information this time of year, so it’s going to keep coming at him. But he’s doing a great job right now, sort of day in, day out attacking each day and trying to get better.”

Frankly, this has the makings of a competition where there is no winner. Richardson may look better throwing against air, but he barely completed over half of his passes in his two NFL seasons. Meanwhile, Jones is 20 games under .500 as a starter in the NFL.

If this really is an open competition, Jones will likely win. Quarterbacks in the NFL generally have to be able to throw forward passes in the general direction of receivers. But he’s not going to make the Colts a playoff team, and at some point, Richardson will likely make starts as well.

What did John Madden say about having two quarterbacks?

BS Meter: 6/10