The 2023 NFL Draft is just a stone’s throw away, and NFL news and rumors started heating up as we near the weekend. The NFL Draft remains the main topic of discussion, but there are a few interesting twists around the NFL. But while we wait on news surrounding Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson, let’s dive into the biggest news of the day.
We’re covering the latest NFL Draft and free agency rumors, including all news that’s related to Friday’s action. Be sure to check back here for the day’s most important takeaways.
NFL News and Rumors
Chris Mortensen made a bold claim about the Carolina Panthers’ first pick. The Seattle Seahawks have an interesting plan for Julian Love. And the New England Patriots may continue to zig while the league zags.
Then, there’s always the chance the ol’ Friday news dump brings us some more juice to the NFL newsstand.
Chris Mortensen Says Panthers Will Draft Bryce Young
ESPN’s legendary inside man, Chris Mortensen, joined Mel Kiper and others to discuss the Panthers’ No. 1 overall pick on Thursday. Both Todd McShay and Kiper mocked C.J. Stroud to Carolina in recent simulations, and Mortensen emphatically told them to change the pick!
“Bryce Young is the pick. … They all love Bryce Young,” Mortensen said. “I think I’ll quote Adam Schefter, who said this reminds him of when the 49ers moved up all the way to No. 3 with intentions of drafting Mac Jones and then changed their minds at the last minute and drafted Trey Lance. That has not worked out for the 49ers. I think the Panthers were on Bryce Young from the start and will stick with him when it’s time to turn in that card.”
This is an interesting development, considering the betting trends when the trade officially went through. Stroud has long been the favorite, but the market has corrected heavily in the past day to a more even distribution.
MORE: 100% FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Frank Reich has always worked with larger QBs, but in the end, that’s more about opportunity than preference. Until Indianapolis, Reich was not the main decision-maker. With the Colts, he added players like Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz, veterans familiar with him. While height is a concern, it’s not a disqualifier.
“But don’t read anything into it,” Reich said. “I’m just saying, all these people are putting this label on me that I only work with big quarterbacks.”
Seahawks Putting Three Safeties on the Field in 2023
The NFL continues to evolve. Part of that evolution is a departure from what we’ve perceived as a “base” defense over the past four decades. The 4-3 and 3-4 as we know them are practically dead. While stopping the run is important, defending the pass is imperative. Many teams are beginning to play three safeties on the field as their base instead of three linebackers.
If they have a safety built to survive or thrive in the box while sacrificing less in coverage than with a linebacker, the team has an easy decision. When Jamal Adams is on your football team, the decision couldn’t be simpler.
Adams survived as a split-field safety for Seattle in 2021. He was not nearly as bad in coverage as the narrative suggests. But Adams is a chess piece, and adding Julian Love allows Pete Carroll and Clint Hurtt to move him about the defense once again, exploiting weak points and allowing Adams to attack downhill.
The Cowboys played their three safeties over 900 snaps each in 2022. Many others saw three safeties all play 600+ snaps. Love also provides some slot versatility, particularly in zone coverage or in man against tight ends. Seattle could build checks into the defense to rotate the safeties with motion instead of following the motion man while remaining in man coverage. The disguise possibilities are greater with the Love addition.
Patriots Eyeing a Build From the Ground-Up
For a while now, finding a landing spot for Bijan Robinson in the NFL Draft has been a monumental task. Fans and analysts alike hate the idea of drafting a runner in Round 1. But in a league that has increasingly become neat and tidy, the Patriots have been one of two teams to completely go against the grain.
That’s what Bill Belichick has always done. Defensively, it’s kept him on top of the league over nearly a three-decade span. But we’ve also seen Belichick fail to shy away from devaluing runners. In fact, we don’t see Belichick shy away from drafting RBs in general. The Hall of Famer used fourth and sixth-round picks a year ago, and drafted Rhamondre Stevenson in Round 4 the year before.
MORE: Bijan Robinson Lands in Tampa in Latest NFL Mock Draft
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, Belichick and the Patriots want to build around Stevenson but are intrigued by adding a “blue-chip back” in the draft. “Blue chip” is not an ambiguous term. There are usually only five or so blue-chip players in any given class. They’re not first-round grades. They’re not immediate starters. These are top-10 grades and players expected to immediately be Pro-Bowl or All-Pro caliber players. That is Bijan Robinson. The Texas RB is fifth on PFN’s Industry Consensus Big Board.
“Many scouts believe that Robinson is the best overall running back prospect since Saquon Barkley,” ESPN Draft Analyst Jordan Reid reported in September. Robinson would be the first runner taken inside the top 15 since Saquon Barkley, who Robinson has been comped to during the draft process.