Biggest NFL Offseason Questions That Will Be Answered in the Draft
Twenty-four more sleeps! The NFL draft is barely three weeks out, which means that before Mayday arrives, we'll have answers to a lot of the top questions that have had football fans on pins and needles throughout a wild offseason.
On the last weekend of April in Arlington, Texas, not only will we find out what the Cleveland Browns are doing with the No. 1 overall pick, but we'll also likely get word on the future of a pair of star receivers and gain clarification on quarterback situations all over the country.
Here are 11 nagging offseason questions which should be answered at the 2018 NFL draft.
Where Will Odell Beckham Jr. Play in 2018?
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It still isn't clear if superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is on the trade market, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last week the New York Giants would require at least two first-round picks.
If the G-Men decide to pull the trigger on a deal involving the three-time Pro Bowler, it'll likely happen between now and the night of the first round of the draft.
If Beckham stays put April 26, he probably isn't going anywhere in 2018. But if a team such as the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers or Jacksonville Jaguars makes the Giants an offer they can't refuse, Beckham could be a goner and the Giants could own multiple first-round picks.
Prediction: They trade Beckham to the Rams for first-round picks in 2018 and 2019.
Have the Cleveland Browns Recovered from Their Draft Pick Addiction?
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The Cleveland Browns love draft picks. They have selected 36 players in the last three drafts (more than anyone by a wide margin), including 15 in the first three rounds. Now they hold five more picks in the first two rounds in 2018.
The Browns have made a habit of trading some of their premium picks to secure more selections in future drafts. That is often a smart strategy when you're rebuilding and might benefit from more opportunities to roll the dice.
But currently, Cleveland has no additional selections in 2019. Will the Browns trade down from the No. 1, No. 4, No. 33 or No. 35 spots to accumulate more picks this year or next? Ideally, new general manager John Dorsey stands pat and uses those primo picks on players who can help out immediately, because the Browns have gone overboard with the quantity-over-quality approach.
It's time to become a normal team. If the Browns trust they were doing the right thing in 2015, 2016 and 2017, they won't have to keep selling off picks in 2018 and 2019.
Prediction: Dorsey stands pat, drafting a quarterback first and Saquon Barkley fourth.
Will the New England Patriots Add a New Potential Successor to Tom Brady?
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady remains very good at football, but Father Time is unbeaten, and the soon-to-be 41-year-old is the oldest position player in the NFL.
Last year at this time, the Patriots roster contained a pair of potential Brady successors in Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo, but the former was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in September, and the latter was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers in October.
Now it's just Brady and 32-year-old Brian Hoyer, which means there's a strong chance the Pats look for a quarterback in the draft.
"I'm going to put my fan hat on, and obviously at some point we have to," said team owner Robert Kraft when asked if drafting a signal-caller is a high priority for the franchise, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss.
The Pats won't likely have a shot at highly touted quarterback prospects Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield, but next-tier quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, Luke Falk, Kyle Lauletta, Mike White, Tanner Lee, Chase Litton and Logan Woodside are all strong candidates to wind up in New England.
If they draft one of those guys, he'll immediately be viewed (fairly or unfairly) as an heir apparent in Foxborough.
Prediction: They draft Rudolph in Round 2.
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Will the Pittsburgh Steelers Do the Same for Ben Roethlisberger?
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Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hasn't exactly gone out of his way to quell retirement chatter in recent years. And while backups Joshua Dobbs and Landry Jones are young recent middle-round picks, the fact is the Steelers haven't used a top-100 selection on a quarterbacking since choosing Roethlisberger 11th overall in 2004.
Is that about to change?
Pittsburgh also likely won't be in on Darnold, Rosen, Allen or Mayfield, but the rest of the quarterback prospect field could be available late in the first round. General manager Kevin Colbert won't rule out drafting a quarterback high, according to ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler, and it's even possible that intriguing Louisville product Lamar Jackson will be available late in Round 1.
What the Steelers do in the first few rounds on April 26 and 27 will give us a feel for how much gas they believe Big Ben has left in his tank.
Prediction: They wait and take Western Kentucky's Mike White on Day 3.
Are the Miami Dolphins Satisfied with Ryan Tannehill?
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A team that possesses a supposed franchise quarterback but could still be in on Darnold, Rosen, Allen and/or Mayfield? The Miami Dolphins.
Ryan Tannehill remains under contract in South Florida, and they restructured said deal last month. But the soon-to-be 30-year-old has missed each of the team's last 20 games due to knee injuries, and they can still get out of his contract quite easily in two years.
The Dolphins hold the No. 11 overall pick, so they might have a shot at one of those top four quarterback prospects. It wouldn't be surprising to see them identify one who they feel could use a year or two of grooming and then pull the trigger.
Prediction: They position themselves to draft Josh Allen, who slides out of the top five.
Will the Giants Finally Land a Game-Changing Running Back?
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The New York Giants haven't sent a running back to the Pro Bowl since Tiki Barber in 2006, but with the second overall pick April 26, they're expected to have an opportunity to draft one of the most highly touted running back prospects this century.
Could former Penn State star Saquon Barkley finally balance out the offense for quarterback Eli Manning? He could either help the G-Men forget about Odell Beckham Jr., or the two could team up to immediately become one of the most feared offensive duos in football.
The Giants' 26th-ranked running game averaged just 3.9 yards per carry last season, but Barkley would have a chance to immediately turn that offensive backfield into a major strength. That many believe he's worthy of becoming the first back to be selected first or second overall in over a decade speaks volumes about the explosive, elusive, powerful and highly accomplished 21-year-old.
Will the Giants bite?
Prediction: They trade down.
Or Will They Land Eli Manning's Successor?
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What the Giants do in the draft will inevitably be a key offseason storyline.
A Beckham trade would be huge, as would any deal involving the No. 2 overall selection. Drafting Barkley would be an unprecedented move in this era, as would a decision to take dominant Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson. Selecting top pass-rusher Bradley Chubb wouldn't be surprising, but any non-quarterback in the No. 2 spot would still be notable.
That's because the 37-year-old Manning is in decline coming off back-to-back mediocre seasons, and this might be the Giants' best chance to land a blue-chip quarterback prospect as his heir apparent.
This could mark the first time in modern NFL history four quarterbacks are drafted in the top 10, and the Giants could one day kick themselves for not taking one of those four in the No. 2 spot.
Prediction: They trade down in Round 1 and wind up with somebody like Jackson, Rudolph or Kyle Lauletta on Day 2.
What Is the Buffalo Bills' Plan?
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One potential trade partner for the Giants? The Buffalo Bills, who appear to be eager to move into the top 10 to land one of those quarterbacks.
The Bills already dealt offensive tackle Cordy Glenn to the Cincinnati Bengals to move up from No. 21 to No. 12, and they also possess the No. 22 overall selection as a result of a 2017 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Most recently, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane could be willing to make more trades (yes, plural) to put the team in a position to draft one of the top quarterback prospects.
"Brandon is trying like hell to get up and get a quarterback," a general manager told La Canfora. "I'm convinced he'll trade up twice more if he has to. It reminds me of [Philadelphia Eagles general manager] Howie [Roseman] a few years ago [when he was moving up to land Carson Wentz]."
The Bills traded away quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who in 2017 helped the team make the playoffs for the first time this century, and they aren't giving free-agent addition AJ McCarron starter money. It'd be shocking if they didn't select a signal-caller early in the draft, and it seems the front office will be busy between now and then.
Prediction: They seem determined, and striking a deal with the Giants makes too much sense. Beane and Giants GM Dave Gettleman have history together.
What Is Jon Gruden Thinking?
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New/old Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is making football decisions for the first time in nearly a decade. With peak free agency behind us, it's still tough to get a feel for what Gruden is doing with the roster.
The Raiders didn't save much money by essentially trading in wide receiver Michael Crabtree for the older, less productive Jordy Nelson. They gave up on Cordarrelle Patterson and Denico Autry; they let starting-caliber cornerback T.J. Carrie walk; they inexplicably signed the washed-up, injury-prone Doug Martin; and they were relatively quiet beyond that.
What will Gruden do with his first draft pick in Oakland since 2001? It's a top-10 selection for a franchise that is under a lot of pressure to win right now, especially with a Las Vegas move looming. So what Gruden does April 26 could stick to him—and the team—for years to come.
Prediction: General manager Reggie McKenzie holds Gruden in check. They make a safe pick in the No. 10 spot, enabling Gruden to get away with something unpredictable later.
Will the Dallas Cowboys Get Rid of Dez Bryant?
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There's a chance the Dallas Cowboys will have already traded or released wide receiver Dez Bryant when the draft gets underway. But if Bryant remains on the roster until then—and Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports reports the team will release him after the draft—what the Cowboys do in the early rounds could reveal their plans.
The Cowboys haven't drafted a receiver in Round 1 or 2 since taking Bryant 24th overall in 2010, so if they go all-in on a high-upside receiver prospect like Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk in the first round, it'll be fair to assume the front office has lost faith that it can get Bryant to take a pay cut.
If that's the case, expect the Cowboys to strongly consider parting ways with the three-time Pro Bowler in the months to come.
Prediction: Dallas drafts Christian Kirk in Round 1 and releases Bryant in May.
Where Will the Big Four Quarterback Prospects Land?
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If there's fire where there's smoke, your best bet might be Darnold to the Browns at No. 1, Rosen to the Bills at No. 2, Mayfield to the Jets at No. 3 and Allen to the Dolphins at some point in the next eight picks.
But maybe the Giants aren't willing to give up that second pick, and maybe they do like one of those four as a potential long-term replacement for Manning. Maybe the Browns don't love Darnold as much as the hype would lead us to believe. Maybe one of those teams would find themselves unable to resist Allen's unmatched size and arm talent, despite his mediocre numbers at second-rate Wyoming.
It's also possible the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens or Los Angeles Chargers could swoop in from the middle of the first round, or that one of those quarterbacks could experience a draft-night slide and wind up in any of those spots.
We've spent much of the last three months speculating on who will wind up with Darnold, Rosen, Allen and Mayfield. In just over three weeks, we'll finally have answers.
Prediction: Darnold to the Browns, Rosen to the Bills, Mayfield to the Jets, Allen to the Dolphins.
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