Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll | Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images Las Vegas is looking into other quarterback options after flirting with Stafford The Las Vegas Raiders flirted with the idea of trading for Matthew Stafford, only to find out that Stafford will be returning to the Los Angeles Rams on Friday. So, the Raiders are back to square one in finding a quarterback and are considering going after impending free agents Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold, per The Athletic’s Michael Silver. With the Stafford situation now settled, the Raiders and Giants will pivot and look to other veteran options (in addition to potential draft scenarios). The Giants have interest in Aaron Rodgers. The Raiders are considering Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold. The drama continues. — Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) February 28, 2025 Granted, it’s widely been assumed that the Raiders would be interested in both Wilson and Darnold this offseason. The idea of Wilson heading to Las Vegas was floated last year during free agency. Wilson has a long history with new head coach Pete Carroll, as they won a Super Bowl together with the Seattle Seahawks. As for Darnold, he’s widely considered the top quarterback on the open market, leading many to believe he could be heading to Sin City this spring. Wilson completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 regular season games with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He’d be more of a “stop-gap” solution under center, meaning the Raiders would likely still select a quarterback in April’s draft. Meanwhile, Darnold revived his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, throwing for a 66.2 completion percentage, 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions during the regular season. If signed, the plan would likely be for the 27-year-old to be a long-term solution in Las Vegas. The NFL’s legal tampering period begins on Monday, March 10, at 9:00 a.m. PST, and free agency officially begins on Wednesday, March 12, at 1:00 p.m. PST. In Other Raiders’ Links: NFL Combine recap: hear from the quarterback prospects and get a few cornerbacks and safeties who stood out during the workouts. Chip Kelly quarterback history: “The prolific play-caller has a penchant to maximize production from the quarterback position,” Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria wrote. “And his history is steeped in getting the most out of mid-tier talent. His long list of signal callers at his various stops isn’t a paragon of elite talent, mind you.” Michael Mayer on trade block: “The Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer, according to league sources,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed wrote. “Mayer hasn’t had the impact the Raiders hoped for when he was drafted in the second round in 2023.” Raiders get QB and WR in mock draft: The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer sent Shedeur Sanders and Matthew Golden to Las Vegas in a two-round mock draft.
Silver Minings: Raiders pivoting to Wilson, Darnold after missing on Stafford
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73934878/2202502999.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "New York Giants mock draft tracker 7.0: Shedeur Sanders still tops the board")
New York Giants mock draft tracker 7.0: Shedeur Sanders still tops the board
Shedeur SandersPhoto by Justin Casterline/Getty Images This week’s New York Giants mock draft tracker will be the last one that doesn’t take into account anything learned at the NFL Scouting Combine, or the Giants’ failed swing at acquiring Matthew Stafford. Apologies for the fact that it is a day late. Covering and driving back from the Combine messed up the schedule. There are 71 mock drafts this week. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the player most-often selected for the Giants. He was the choice in 29 mock drafts (40.8%). That is interesting coming out of the Combine because there seems to be a clear feeling that Sanders has fallen behind Cam Ward in the race for QB1 and that it might be the Las Vegas Raiders (picking No. 6) who have their eyes on Sanders, rather than the Giants. Ward was the choice for New York 21 times (29.6%). Colorado wide receiver/cornerback was the choice 16 times (22.5%). Giants 2025 Mock Draft Tracker Date Mock Round 1 (No. 3) Round 2 (No. 34) Round 3 (No. 65) Date Mock Round 1 (No. 3) Round 2 (No. 34) Round 3 (No. 65) 2/28 CBS (Stackpole) Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State 2/27 Pro Football Network (Enriquez) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/27 Arizona Republic (McManaman) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/27 CBS (Edwards Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/27 College Football Network (Jones) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa 2/26 CBS (Trapasso) Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State 2/26 Draft Countdown (Menedez) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/26 USA Today (Middlehurst-Schwartz) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/25 Pro Football Network (Jones) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/25 Yahoo Sports (Staff) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/25 NFL.com (Brooks) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/25 Player Profiler (Gremminger) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/25 The Athletic (Baumgardner) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/25 ESPN (Kiper) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/24 Football Guys (Bell) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/24 College Football Network (Helms) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/24 CBS (Podell) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/24 Pro Football Focus (Wasserman) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/23 LA Times (Farmer) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/23 Draft Network (Sanchez) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/21 CBS (Wilson) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/21 Pro Football Network (DeLeone) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/21 CBS (Fornelli) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/20 Pro Football Network (Lewis) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/20 FOX Sports (Staff) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/20 NFL.com (Filice) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/20 The Athletic (Baumgardner) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/20 Drafttek Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee 2/20 The Ringer (McShay) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/19 Palm Beach Post (Schad) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/19 Draft Countdown (Guillemette) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/19 Detroit Free Press (Birkett) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/18 Pro Football Network (Pasciolla) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/18 Sharp Football (McCrystal) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/18 NFL.com (Jeremiah) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/17 Pro Football Focus (Plocher) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/17 33rd Team (Crabbs) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina 2/17 Philadelphia Inquirer (Jackson) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/16 Draft Network (Harms) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/15 Pro Football Network (Rolfe) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado Harold Fannin, TE, Bowling Green Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss 2/14 Arizona Republic (McManaman) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/13 Pro Football Network (Weissman) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/13 NFL.com (Parr) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/13 College Football Network (Aamir) Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State 2/12 FOX Sports (Klatt) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/12 San Diego Union Tribune (Brown) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/12 Cleveland.com (Bielik) Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State 2/11 FOX Sports (Rang) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/11 ESPN (Yates) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/10 Sharp Football (McCrystal) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/10 NFL.com (Reuter) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Grey Zabel, G, North Dakota State Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame 2/10 Newsday (Rock) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/10 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Ostly) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/10 CBS (Renner) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/10 SB Nation (Acosta) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/10 NFL Trade Rumors Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/10 Sportskeeda (Pauline) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/10 The Athletic (Baumgardner) Cam Ward, QB, Miami Tyliek Williams, DT, Ohio State Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville 2/10 Pro Football Focus (Sikkema) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/8 Pro Football Network (Cummings) Mason Graham, DT, Michigan Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas 2/7 NFL.com (Frelund) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/5 Draft Countdown (Guillemette) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/4 Pro Football Network (Decker) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Armand Membou, OL, Missouri Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami 2/4 College Football Network (Mellor) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/3 Draftwire (Risdon) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 2/3 For The Win (D’Andrea) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/3 Pro Football Focus (Cameron) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi Wyatt Milum, OL, West Virginia 2/3 NFL.com (Zierlein) Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado 2/3 ESPN (Miller) Cam Ward, QB, Miami Malaki Starks, S, Georgia 2/2 Draft Network (Melo) Cam Ward, QB, Miami 2/2 Pro Football Network (Infante) Cam Ward, QB, Miami Azarey’eh Thomas, CB, Florida State Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina
NFL Draft prospect Grey Zabel gushes over new Lions TE coach
Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images “I love that man.” NFL Draft prospect Grey Zabel believes the Detroit Lions are getting ‘an unbelievable person’ in new TE coach Tyler Roehl. New Detroit Lions tight end coach Tyler Roehl has yet to meet with the local media, so we don’t have a great picture as to what he’ll bring to the team in his first NFL coaching job. However, Roehl’s influence was all over the NFL Combine this week, as several players who will be drafted this year passed through Roehl at some point of their career, and all of them had the same thing to say about the Lions tight ends coach. “A high-energy guy,” Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins said. “I’ve never seen him tired because of how much energy he brings each day,” Jaylin Noel added. But before Roehl was with Iowa State as their assistant head coach/running backs coach, he spent a decade coach at his alma mater: North Dakota State. There, serving roles that spanned from running backs coach, tight ends coach, fullbacks coach and offensive coordinator, he crossed paths with offensive lineman Grey Zabel, and no one showed as much love for Roehl as the offensive lineman. “Ahh, Tyler Roehl is my guy. I love that man,” Zabel said. “They’re getting an unbelievable person, first off. The energy that he has every single day is unbelievable. I don’t know how he does it. He doesn’t do caffeine, I think—or maybe he does now—but to have that energy every single day is remarkable. And he’s a dude that can get you to run through a brick wall just by having a single conversation with him.” It’s clear Roehl is going to bring a ton of juice to the Lions’ tight end room that already features to strong players in Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. And apparently he was pretty close to landing the job with the Lions a few years ago. “Interviewed him two years ago, and I was close then,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “This year was the right year.” Everything you hear about Roehl—except his lack of caffeine usage—sounds like the exact kind of person Campbell is. So does Zabel think he’ll fit in with the Lions head coach? “Absolutely.” Note: Zabel said he had an informal meeting with the Lions at the NFL Combine.
2025 NFL Combine preview: quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs
The New York Giants are set to watch some quarterbacks throw on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis. Along with the quarterbacks, there will be wide receiver and running back testing. Texas’ Xavier Worthy broke John Ross’ forty-yard-dash time at last year’s combine. Will the current Kansas City Chiefs wideout be just a one-year record holder? We shall see! The NFL Network’s coverage of today’s workouts will start at 1 p.m. EST. Here are some quarterback, wide receiver, and running back names to pay attention to at this year’s combine. Quarterback Neither Cam Ward nor Sheduer Sanders will be throwing at the combine. This is not uncommon; Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye all decided to forgo the option of throwing at last year’s combine. The combine will be important for Ward and Sanders to ace their 18-minute interviews with teams. Both quarterbacks will throw at their respective pro days. Ward and Sanders opting out opens up opportunity for several other quarterbacks to show off their arm talent and overall athletic ability. Jalen Milroe, Alabama He is rumored to run in the low 4.4s or even the 4.3s, which, at 6’2, 225 pounds, is impressive for a quarterback. Milroe’s forty-time will be discussed, but he can turn heads if he displays consistent accuracy throwing the football at an event like the combine, where he’s working with unfamiliar receivers. Can he do enough that to earn a day-two pick as a developmental player with specific packages designed for him in year one? Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Dart threw for over 4,000 yards with 29 touchdowns and just six interceptions for Lane Kiffin in 2024. He’s strung together three solid seasons for the Rebels after his transfer from USC and is looking to squeeze into the first round. Some praised Dart’s Senior Bowl performance; others said it was adequate; either way, he can steal the show in Indianapolis with a good workout. The Giants will undoubtedly be watching. Tyler Shough, Louisville If anyone is going to WOW with his arm talent at the combine is Shough. The 25-year-old has a cannon attached to his torso, with serious arm talent and the ability to change trajectories while displaying the necessary velocity to challenge tight windows. Shough played for three schools: two years at Oregon (2019-2020), three years at Texas Tech (2021-2023, and then spent one season with Louisville. He’s older, has an injury history, and has just one season of respectable collegiate production. Still, his arm will catch attention and should earn him more praise. Other quarterbacks like Ohio State’s Will Howard, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel also have opportunities to showcase their talents and try to jostle over each other for interest. And again, the interview portion of the combine is massive for these quarterbacks. Running backs Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is not testing at the combine, which isn’t surprising after his elite 2024 season. Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina is set to test at 6’0, 220 pounds. His explosiveness downhill should lead to positive testing numbers in the forty-year-dash and the ten-yard split. I am also very interested in both the Ohio State runners: TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. The former is the more explosive runner, although he’s got some serious pop to his game as well, while the latter is more of a physical runner. A good forty-time for Judkins could lead him up boards. Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo was elite in 2024. If he can stay around the 4.5 range, that is excellent for his stock; he is not a burner but a very poor forty time could lead to a slight slide during the draft. Jarquez Hunter, Auburn Jarquez Hunter is a decisive quality between the tackles runner with the ability to run though or make defenders miss in a phone booth. His short-area quickness and one-cut ability – as well as his understanding of angles – allow him to avoid clean hits from defenders while moving Hunter ranked 71st in Bruce Feldman’s Freak List on the Athletic. Here’s what Feldman had to say: One of the SEC’s top backs, Hunter has rushed for 2,172 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons. The 5-10, 209-pounder from rural Mississippi, who in high school lifted wearing cowboy boots, has squatted 635 pounds and could’ve done more, but the Tigers’ staff stopped him. He’s topped out at more than 22 mph and been clocked at 4.45 in the 40. The Giants could be in the market for a day-three running back to pair with Tyrone Tracy Jr. Hunter, along with some of the other players listed, could be in that conversation. Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech A 5’11, 209-pound back with good production in two seasons as a Hokie. He rushed for over 1,000 yards with 15 touchdowns and a 6.5-yards per carry average in 2024. He arrived on campus in 2023 and rushed for 875 yards with ten touchdowns; he was with North Carolina A&T hitherto and was very productive in 2022. Tuten ranked 40th on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List. Here’s Feldman’s analysis: A dynamic do-everything playmaker, Tuten accounted for 1,633 all-purpose yards in 2023, his first season in the ACC after transferring from North Carolina A&T. This offseason, the 5-11, 208-pounder clocked a 4.32 40, reached a 23.15 MPH max velocity, bench pressed 400 pounds and had a vertical jump of 39 inches. 23.15 MPH as a max is rare to see in the NFL. Be on the lookout for Tuten! Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State If the Giants are looking for a late day three THUNDER to Tracy Jr.’s LIGHTING, then Ollie Gordon II could be an option, especially for development. His production dipped from 1,732 yards with 21 touchdowns (6.1 YPC) in 2023 to 845 yards and 12 touchdowns (4.5 YPC) in 2024. However, there were circumstances on the team that facilitated the decline in production and the decline was still a respectable output. Gordon II averaged 3.47 yards after contact in college.
Eagles News: Aaron Rodgers coming to the NFC East?
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/1/25. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … Aaron Rodgers? Really? The New York Giants must enjoy being laughed at – Big Blue ViewThe New York Giants’ pursuit quarterback Matthew Stafford ended predictably on Friday, with Stafford getting the bag — as the kids say — to return to the Los Angeles Rams. So, what’s next for the Giants in their effort to find somebody other than Tommy DeVito to play quarterback in 2025, and perhaps save the jobs of GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll? I don’t know the answer, but I do know who the answer can’t be: Aaron Rodgers. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Giants were “shifting their interest” to Rodgers. Adam Schefter reported that the Giants “are investigating all veteran quarterback options…..including Aaron Rodgers.” Schefter’s information is almost exactly the same as what I was told by a Giants source, which was that the Giants were “doing their homework on all options.” NFL Trade Rumors: Eagles willing to “make a big swing” for Myles Garrett – BGNMyles Garrett to the Philadelphia Eagles trade rumors certainly aren’t dying down as NFL free agency approaches. Earlier this week, ESPN had a report on the Eagles’ interest in Garrett. Now it’s The Athletic’s Diana Russini who’s saying that Howie Roseman could “make a big swing” for the Cleveland Browns’ star pass rusher. Here’s an interesting exchange between Russini and Chase Daniel on Friday’s Scoop City podcast. Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler leaves to become Philadelphia Eagles QB coach – Hustle BeltIn 2024, when Loeffler’s Falcons went 6-2 in conference play, the team also produced its first-ever consensus All-American in Harold Fannin Jr. The tight end led the entire FBS in receiving yards and set the single season tight end receptions and receiving yards records. Outside of Fannin, who is certain to be selected this spring, Loeffler produced one NFL Draft pick — defensive end Karl Brooks in 2023. Loeffler brought Bowling Green to three-straight bowls but never recorded a postseason win. Still, his tenure featured several notable moments including an upset over a 9-4 Minnesota team in 2021 as 30.5-point underdogs. The Falcons also had an iconic crunch-time win over rival Toledo in 2022 during Midweek MACtion and fended off Georgia Tech by double-digits in 2023. He leaves with an overall record of 27-41, three bowl appearances, and two winning seasons. Eagles Go Bowling – Iggles BlitzCollege coaches have to be good teachers, especially at places like BGSU. Loeffler wasn’t coaching elite talents. He had to be able to teach specific positional skills to his QBs. He had to stress fundamentals. That should fit well with Sirianni and the Tough-Detailed-Together mindset that Sirianni has. Loeffler is a good hire in the sense that he can bring outside ideas to the Eagles. He’s been coaching in the MAC and has seen plenty of creative football. The Eagles can expand on the 2024 playbook with ideas from Parks Frazier and Loeffler. It will be interesting to see how the offense looks. Here is Loeffler from a coaching clinic back in 2019. Eagles combine notebook: Sirianni on Hurts’ assertiveness – NBCSPA few days after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, Jalen Hurts stood by his locker back at the NovaCare Complex and answered questions. One of those questions was about the offensive coordinator position — which ultimately went to Kevin Patullo — and one part of Hurts’ answer really stood out to me. “I think the most important thing when you move forward, it’s about trying to build that chemistry,” Hurts said. “I think for us as an offense, the more assertive I became throughout the year, the more in sync, the more complementary, the more rhythm we had.” The Eagles have had a lot of turnover with their offensive staff during Hurts’ career and he has publicly talked about wanting more continuity. Patullo is now the fourth OC under Sirianni in five years but it seems like Hurts is now more comfortable with asserting himself in the offense. And he should be. He’s a veteran quarterback coming off a Super Bowl MVP. At the Combine on Tuesday, I asked Sirianni about what Hurts said. “We talk all the time,” Sirianni answered. “Jalen talked to Kellen all the time, Jalen talked to Kevin all the time, Nuss (former QBs coach Doug Nussmeier) all the time, myself. That’s just the process that you go through with your quarterback of what they’re comfortable with, what they’re doing well. How can we expand the things that we’re doing well? How can we dabble in some stuff that maybe we haven’t done as much that we did in training camp? I think that’s just part of the process. Jalen has done such a good job of letting us know the things … When the quarterback goes out there and has 100 percent confidence in what’s about to be called, with Jalen Hurts, he’s going to make it work. So that’s just part of the daily process. I think he did a great job of that.” Bowen: Jason Peters was an architect of the O-line dominance that has won the Eagles two Super Bowls – PHLYI never heard him raise his voice; he spoke in a raspy whisper. But he gave off a vibe of “this is someone you do not, under any circumstances, want to mess with.” JP was 6-4 and was always listed at his rookie weight of 328 pounds. I’m going to guess 360 or 370 was closer to the truth, for much of his career. But he didn’t have a big belly. He was just built like a square block. I remember when Nick Foles threw an interception against Washington in 2014, and Foles jogged downfield, watching as the player who picked him off was tackled. At that moment, Washington defensive tackle Chris Baker viciously leveled Foles. The next thing Baker saw
Aaron Rodgers? Really? The New York Giants must enjoy being laughed at
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images Desperate times lead to desperate measures … but, this desperate? The New York Giants’ pursuit quarterback Matthew Stafford ended predictably on Friday, with Stafford getting the bag — as the kids say — to return to the Los Angeles Rams. So, what’s next for the Giants in their effort to find somebody other than Tommy DeVito to play quarterback in 2025, and perhaps save the jobs of GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll? I don’t know the answer, but I do know who the answer can’t be: Aaron Rodgers. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Giants were “shifting their interest” to Rodgers. Adam Schefter reported that the Giants “are investigating all veteran quarterback options…..including Aaron Rodgers.” Schefter’s information is almost exactly the same as what I was told by a Giants source, which was that the Giants were “doing their homework on all options.” I took that to mean Rodgers had not been ruled out, but that he wasn’t at the front of the line, either. Maybe that has changed. Let’s hope not. Signing Rodgers would be a desperation play by Schoen and Daboll. It would be the kind of short-sighted, self-preservation ‘Hail Mary’ that Schoen promised not to make this offseason despite understanding fully the kind of heat he would be under to field a better product in 2025. More importantly, a move for the egotistical, spotlight-seeking, shell of the quarterback he once was 41-year-old Rodgers would almost certainly fail spectacularly. And get Schoen and Daboll fired. Can you imagine the Giants scooping up the leftovers of the Little Brother New York Jets? Trying to rescue their franchise by taking the same path that was a miserable failure for the last two years, only with an older, less healthy, less talented, more desperate to hook on somewhere Rodgers? The Giants had a front-row seat to the disaster that was Rodgers to the Jets. It is hard to fathom they would be foolish enough to try the same thing. Whether the Giants were right or wrong to allow Saquon Barkley to leave, they have spent the last year being laughed at by the NFL world at large because of how that turned out. And, because of the process shown on ‘Hard Knocks’ that has led every other NFL team to refuse to do the offseason version of the show. Signing Rodgers would lead to John Mara’s once-proud, four-time Super Bowl-winning franchise spending another season being laughed at. Jets fans are already laughing at the folly of the Giants possibly repeating their mistake. Writing for ‘the jet press,’ Justin Fried said the Giants “couldn’t be a more hilarious” suitor for Rodgers. The New York Giants, fresh off watching their crosstown rivals implode in the Rodgers experiment, are now reportedly eyeing the very same quarterback — only two years older and a little over a year removed from suffering a torn Achilles … Rodgers is older, has suffered a torn Achilles, and is nowhere near the caliber of player the Jets believed they were landing in 2023. The Giants have seen the worst of Rodgers, and evidently, that hasn’t affected their stance. Logic suggests this move would be a disaster for the Giants. Fried did, though, acknowledge that because it was the Jets he was writing about “the wrath of the football gods” might actually see this move work out for the Giants. Not likely. “We need better play out of the position” Schoen said on Tuesday at the Combine. That much is clearly true. Maybe Rodgers can give the Giants better play than Daniel Jones did. At this stage of their careers, though, I’m not even sure that will be the case. Rodgers may still possess more arm talent than Jones, but with his advancing age and decreasing mobility he is a sitting duck for pass rushers. Jones, at least, could use his legs to buy time and attempt to make a play. The Giants have dealt with some big personalities over the years, but have never intentionally brought the circus to town. That is what bringing Rodgers to town, or actually keeping him in town, would be doing. Rodgers would lug ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ darkness retreats and probably some of his over-the-hill buddies to the Giants with him. The circus would most definitely be in town. Ten years ago that was probably worth putting up with. Now. No, thanks. What is the Giants’ best move? Doing what they have to do, which probably means trading up to No. 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, to select Cam Ward. I started banging that drum a week or so ago, and with Stafford now off the market I am going to keep banging it. There is no needle-moving, job-saving, guaranteed to save the franchise option in free agency. Not this version of Rodgers. Not Sam Darnold, which would be taking the Jones risk all over again. Not Derek Carr if the New Orleans Saints cut him loose. Not Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, Kirk Cousins or anyone else. Every quarterback available, aside from maybe Darnold, would be little more than a bridge or placeholder option. In my view, signing one of those guys and drafting a Will Howard/Kyle McCord/Tyler Shough somewhere in the middle of the draft is not going to turn the franchise around, and might not be enough to keep Schoen and Daboll employed beyond 2025. It might still necessitate, probably does still necessitate, using a first-round pick at quarterback. The Giants need a big swing. And, having been rebuffed in their efforts to get Stafford, the big swing that remains possible is getting the best quarterback in the 2025 draft class. That’s Ward. We can argue all day about where Ward would rank had he been in last year’s quarterback class, where six were taken in the top 12 picks. That doesn’t matter. We are in the now. The need is
Random Ramsdom: Puka Nacua is more excited than you are
Joseph Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 3/1/25 After plenty of nonsense, and some cents, Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams and the only person more excited than you is Puka Nacua. Nacua has already had a record setting season with Stafford and now has the chance for more. Check out his reaction for yourself below: Puka Nacua’s IG story 20 minutes ago https://t.co/mE93CiNfKk pic.twitter.com/TK2Iaah9qh — Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) February 28, 2025 Now, the Los Angeles Rams are back in business. Please comment on whatever you want and have a great Saturday! Source: Rams, Alaric Jackson reach 3-year, $57 million deal (espn.com) “Jackson, 26, started 14 games for the Rams last season. He was suspended for the first two games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and was also inactive for the season finale after Los Angeles clinched the NFC West. The left tackle was tied for the 26th-best pass-blocking grade among all offensive linemen (79.2) and ranked 20th among all offensive tackles in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.” BREAKING: Rams and QB Matthew Stafford are closing in on a deal for Stafford to return to LA. pic.twitter.com/l888cMkmuH — NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025 Winners and losers of Matthew Stafford staying home: Numerous quarterbacks impacted (usatoday) “INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL’s annual game of quarterback musical chairs commenced Friday … with the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford deciding to remain seated. The reigning NFC West champions put all speculation about their QB1’s future to rest by revealing “HE’S BACK” on X. According to multiple reports, Stafford also agreed to a restructured contract. He was set to make $27 million in 2025 (only $4 million of it guaranteed), the penultimate year of a deal that was well below market value for the league’s elite passers.” From our Combine coverage: A look at the QB carousel after the #Rams and QB Matthew Stafford made the decision to move forward together. pic.twitter.com/wlUEl1UUD2 — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2025
Raiders have put Michael Mayer on the trade block: Should Bengals come calling?
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Could the Bengals bring the Northern Kentucky native back to Paycor Stadium? The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of work to do this offseason, but for yet another year of the Joe Burrow era, the tight end position is a question mark going into free agency/draft. The Bengals have seen CJ Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith Jr., and Mike Gesicki in the past few years, but there is no long-term starter currently on the roster yet again. With that being said, a familiar name has resurfaced with the Las Vegas Raiders putting former second-round pick and Northern Kentucky native Michael Mayer on the trade block. The Bengals passed on Mayer back in the 2023 NFL Draft for defensive end Myles Murphy but now have an opportunity to bring the 23-year-old into a pass-heavy offense with Burrow and company. Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported this: Raiders are shopping Michael Mayer and are open to other trade discussions The Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer, according to league sources. Mayer hasn’t had the impact the Raiders hoped for when he was drafted in the second round in 2023. He had just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie. He missed six games due to personal reasons in 2024 and was delegated to a marginal role due to the ascent of tight end Brock Bowers, who was named a first-team All-Pro. The Raiders put Mayer in a tricky situation by drafting Bowers just a year after him, and the tight end room quickly became overcrowded. Could the Bengals make a move and bring in the young tight end and Northern Kentucky native for Burrow? We shall see.
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images Noel is productive and explosive, but is he right for the Giants? We often find that bigger prospects get the most attention. However, players have repeatedly shown once they get in the NFL that size isn’t a skill set — what matters is how they use the traits they have. Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel is a short receiver at 5-foot 9 3⁄4 inches, 196 pounds, but he is also highly productive and can win in a variety of ways. Whether it’s his twitchy athleticism or savvy route running, he can be a real headache for defenses. The New York Giants might not be interested in a receiver with Noel’s stature, but they need all the help they can get on offense. Could they still pick him if the value is right? Prospect: Jaylin Noel (13)Games Watched: vs. Iowa (2024), vs. West Virginia (2024), vs. Texas (2024) Measurables Height: 5-foot 9 3⁄4 inchesWeight: 196 poundsArm length: 30 1/8 inchesHand size: 8 1⁄2 inches Strengths Best traits Quickness and agility Route running Separation Run after catch Competitive toughness Noel is a smart, compact, versatile, and athletic receiver prospect. Noel is a springy athlete with great quickness and agility, as well as solid explosiveness and long speed. He resembles nothing so much as a Jack Russell terrier on the field, and runs every route with high energy, even if he’s schemed traffic or a misdirection. And while Noel might not be a true speedster, he has enough long speed to be a deep threat. Noel primarily played out of the slot for Iowa State, though he also played out wide relatively frequently and even as an H-back on occasion. He’s a smart, savvy route runner who understands how to use every aspect of his route as a weapon against the defense. He has a varied and efficient release package and is able to get into his route easily regardless of the coverage. He’s careful to vary his stride length, as well as the tempo and pathing of his route stem to influence defenders and create opportunities to separate at the top of his routes. Noel makes full use of head and body fakes, and combines those with very quick cuts and breaks. He’s a natural separator who understands how to find the open field against zone coverage and break ankles when matched up in man coverage. Finally, he’s a dangerous player with the ball in his hands. His separation ability usually means that he has space to work with, while his explosiveness and agility allow him to break off chunk yardage. He might not outrun the fastest defensive backs, but most safeties will struggle to keep up with him. Weaknesses Worst traits Size Hand span Noel’s primary weaknesses all stem from his stature. At 5-foot 9 ¾ inches, he’s short for an NFL player, and while that does enhance his natural quickness and agility, it also imposes other limitations on his game. Most notably, Noel has a relatively small catch radius. Even with impressive adjustments and body control to contort and maximize his catch radius, it’s still lacking compared to even average sized receivers. He doesn’t allow tight coverage often, but he’ll struggle to get a handle on the ball in traffic or contested catch situations. Likewise, he has very small hands for an NFL receiver at 8 ½ inches. He’s sure-handed with just a 3% drop rate in 2024, however drops might be an issue with a bigger ball, faster game, and tighter coverage at the NFL level. Finally, while Noel is a competitive blocker and has the play strength to be a viable blocker on the perimeter, his length makes it difficult for him to control defenders. Game Tape (Noel is the Iowa State receiver wearing No. 13) Projection Noel projects as a starting slot receiver with scheme diversity at the NFL level. He’s a pro-ready route runner and he should be able to find a role in any offensive scheme. He has the speed and ball skills to be a threat in a vertical offense, while his route running and separation ability will be an asset in West Coast based schemes. He understands how to operate as a part of greater route concepts, and is unselfish without the ball in his hands. Noel is far from the most imposing receiver in the draft, however he could be one of the most dangerous. He has the potential to be an impact player if he lands in the right situation. Does he fit the Giants?Probably not Final Word: A later Day 2 value
Can you guess this Vikings cornerback in today’s in-5 trivia game?
Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Friday, February 28Thursday, February 27Wednesday, February 26 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!
