INDIANAPOLIS — There’s still mystery regarding the Chicago Bears’ plans with the No. 1 pick, but here at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday, the list of potential trade partners for that top selection came a bit more into focus.
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio signaled Tuesday that the Texans will have serious conversations about making a trade with the Bears — assuming Chicago decides that Justin Fields is a better long-term option than anyone in this excellent draft class.
NFL Scouting Combine News and Rumors: Texans Discuss Trade to No. 1
Caserio — who will pick second in April barring a trade — acknowledged that the franchise “will look at” what it will cost to move up one spot to ensure the Texans get the quarterback they want.
“We kind of had a trade chart simulator where you factor in the points and what’s the cost associated with it,” Caserio said. “I would say it’s twofold. Some teams have an analytically driven chart. ‘OK, here’s what that summation of that numbers is.’ And then you have the old Jimmy [Johnson] chart. Most teams are still using the traditional Jimmy chart as a reference point, but each team has their own sort of model.
“The issue you have is you’re trying to do a trade, their model says one thing,” Caserio continued. “Our model says another thing. So we’re speaking two different languages. How do we find a resolution? I think that’s more a little bit of an exercise of when we get into April. ‘OK, we’re in position here. What would it cost to move up one spot?’ ‘OK, we’re at 12. What would it cost to move up a few spots? What would it cost to move back?’ We’ll look at all of those. Feb. 28 is probably not the time to do that.”
The Texans’ top competition for the No. 1 pick would presumably be the Colts (who pick fourth), the Seahawks (fifth), and the Raiders (seventh). It’s hard to envision the Bears wanting to slide much past that point, or they’d risk missing out on the top non-quarterback prospects in the draft.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll told reporters Tuesday that the Seahawks “are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out. This is a really huge opportuity for us. It’s a rare opportunity. We’ve been drafting in the low-20s for such a long time you just don’t get the chance for these guys. We’re deeply involved [with quarterback evaluation].”
Carroll added that he absolutely could envision a scenario in which the Seahawks bring Geno Smith back AND use a high draft pick on a QB.
The Raiders, meanwhile, have already moved on from Derek Carr and are all-in on finding his replacement.
MORE: Derek Carr Landing Spots
When asked if he wakes up everyday thinking about quarterbacks, Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels replied:
“Yeah. Yes. I do. It’s obviously one of the biggest factors that will certainly impact our season, let alone our offseason. There’s nothing we can do other than go through our process and really do a good job of evaluating our opportunities and our options. Make smart decisions about what’s best for the Raiders every step of the way. But there’s definitely going to be some bodies added at that position. That’s for sure.”
For their part, the Bears insist they have not made a decision on whether they want to keep Fields and deal the No. 1 pick or trade Fields, keep the pick, and use it on a QB.
But either way, the Texans surely realize it’s almost a lock that one will go first overall in April. Which means if they have a guy they love, they’ll probably have to trade up to guarantee they get him.
“We’re not necessarily worried about what other teams around us are doing,” Caserio said. “You’re cognizant of that, but ultimately, you have to be prepared to pick wherever you pick and be prepared to pick whatever player. Most teams, and not to generalize here, but most teams, wherever they pick, they usually have three or four guys that you would feel comfortable taking.
“So if there’s a team in front of you, you’re only talking about one player. That’s going to leave two or three other players. Either you’re going to roll with that group of players, or you’re not. You can’t get too caught up in what other teams are doing. You just have to make decisions that you feel are best for your team and your situation.”
More NFL Combine News and Rumors: The Aaron Rodgers Situation
The Green Bay Packers’ uncertainty about Aaron Rodgers’ plan will carry into March. Just two weeks are left until the start of free agency, but Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst still doesn’t know if he wants to return, if he wants a trade, or he wants to retire.
“We’re going through our process as normal,” Gutekunst said. “Free agency’s coming up here. That’s an important part of what we’re doing. It would be nice to have some answers before then.
“But we’re still in a good spot. … Our feelings haven’t changed about Aaron. But we need to have some of those conversations about our team, where we’re going, where he’s at before we go forward.”
Still, the Packers seem confident in a Plan B if Rodgers wants out. Jordan Love is entering Year 4, and might finally get a chance to see the field.
“We’re excited about him,” Gutekunst said. “I’ve expressed to a lot of people that he needs to play. That’s the next step in his progression. He needs to play. Jordan’s done a great job. Worked really hard. He’s doing everything we’re asking.”
The Jets and Raiders are the teams most-often linked to Rodgers, but credit New York GM Joe Douglas for discipline throughout this process. He refused Tuesday to acknowldged he’s talked to Gutekunst at all this cycle.
He was more than happy to talk about the team’s interest in Carr, however. The Jets have a second meeting with the free agent quarterback here this week — and will presumably move quickly to sign him if it’s clear that trading for Rodgers isn’t going to happen.
“I think it’s hard to put an exact timetable [on a Carr deal],” Douglas said. “I think everybody would like it done sooner rather than later, but everybody has their own process. We have our process. We’re exploring the market, exploring options. Each player has their own process in terms of what they have going on. Can’t give a specific timetable, but again, when the decision’s ready to be made, we’re going to make the right decision for the team.”
Contract Extension for Justin Jefferson?
The 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year very well might be the highest-paid wide receiver in 2023.
Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is eligible to sign a contract extension when the league year turns over in two weeks — and Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Tuesday wasn’t hiding the fact he wants Jefferson in purple for years to come.
“I don’t want to be the Vikings GM without that guy on our team,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s a high priority. We have to make sure that we do it in the order that we can do it in, obviously, given all our other decisions that we have to make. It’s not just having an elite player, because maybe they appreciate the talent, maybe they don’t. The human, it’s even better. Seeing it up close everyday. He just wants to win.
“When I met him, the first time I met him, we walk in our building, and I make a joke about something else that happening with a wide receiver at the time, about their contract. I just laughed and said, ‘We won’t have any issues.’ He says: ‘I just want to put wins on the board.’ Didn’t smile. Wasn’t really a haha thing.
“The way he said it, that’s the guy you saw on Sunday. Won’t turn down double-teams. A whole defense assigned to stop him. He’s trying to put the Minnesota Vikings on his back. He wants to win a championship. When you have people like that in your building, you try to do everything you can not to let them out.”
MORE: NFL’s Highest-Paid Wide Receivers
Jefferson, who has 4,825 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons, has an estimated market value of $26.7 million per year, per Spotrac, which would make him the NFL’s fourth-highest paid receiver.
Are the Buccaneers Tanking?
Don’t expect the Buccaneers to break the bank on most anybody this cycle. They have the NFL’s worst cap situation, needing to shed more than $50 million by March 15 to simply break even.
So it’s a good thing that they’re seeing what they have in Kyle Trask this season. They can’t afford to get a top-tier QB, and even if the Buccaneers were in position to draft one, they probably shouldn’t. They don’t have the resources to build around one.
Instead, Tampa Bay should probably strategically pull back — call it tanking if you’d like — and get their house in order for a 2024 bonanza.
Is that the plan?
“I don’t want to say take a step back,” said Buccaneers GM Jason Licht. “We’re still trying to restock and eventually build another championship team. It’s just going to look a little different and be done a little bit differently. We were in a position in 2020 after we won the Super Bowl to be able to re-sign all of our players, which hadn’t been done in a very long time. The goal is eventually to be able to get back into a position like that.
“In the short term, we still want to win and compete for this division, and we think we can,” Licht added. “We just don’t want to do it [by] sacrificing our long-term plans, our long-term goals as well. I think we can find a way to do both at the same time.”