Will the Bears commerce the No 1 general choose?
What the Bears do with the draft’s high choose is the hinge level of the offseason. They’ve three choices:
They’ll take Caleb Williams, the highest quarterback within the class, and commerce Justin Fields
They’ll commerce the choose and persist with Fields
They’ll draft Williams and hold Fields
From a team-building perspective, the third choice is smart. It offers the Bears two throws on the franchise quarterback dartboard, or at the very least for Williams to work within the background till he’s able to supplant Fields because the starter. However when you embody emotions, contracts and brokers, it will get tough. If Chicago choose Williams, they are going to be working on a brand new timeline, and can look to extract most worth from Fields in a down yr for obtainable quarterbacks. In the event that they punt on Williams in favor of a treasure trove of picks, they’ll be rooted firmly in win-now mode, with a Fields extension looming.
The choice will come shortly. We’re approaching the anniversary of Chicago dealing away final yr’s high choose for a bevy of choices, together with the choose that wound up being No 1 on this yr’s class. Reviews recommend if the Bears decide to go the Williams route, they might look to make a deal early, buying and selling Fields earlier than free company opens on 13 March.
It’s exhausting to think about the Bears buying and selling out of the highest spot two years in a row. There have been refined indicators of progress from Fields, however not sufficient to move on Williams.
The place will the big-name free-agent operating backs land?
We’re a yr faraway from the sky-is-falling discourse round operating backs and their contracts. However we additionally simply skilled a season during which operating the ball was as helpful because it has been in latest seasons – and with Christian McCaffrey banging the drum for backs because the bedrock of a championship-caliber offense.
This yr’s crop of free brokers is a who’s who of the place’s largest stars. Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard and Derrick Henry will probably be obtainable. Additional down the listing, there may be D’Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler and Gus Edwards.
Operating again is the league’s most interchangeable place. And given its harm price, groups don’t wish to focus a excessive share of their cap into one man, preferring to unfold the price round or placing their funds into the offensive line, the group that makes a run recreation sing.
That’s logical. However in the midst of a salary-cap surge, groups could also be keen to dole out additional {dollars} to land the highest obtainable gamers. Who doesn’t wish to see Henry or Jacobs within the backfield with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore? What about Barkley on the Chiefs?
Final yr’s free-agent interval represented a disaster level for the place. But when this crop of runners is unable to snag multi-year contracts, with first rate compensation, it should signify a brand new low.
Will Kirk Cousins go away Minnesota in free company?
Cousins is the most effective quarterback available on the market this offseason, regardless of tearing his achilles final yr. He stored the Vikings offense above water when Justin Jefferson missed time final season – and ranked someplace between the fifth and eighth simplest quarterback within the league’s dorkiest metrics.
High eight quarterbacks hardly ever, if ever, grow to be obtainable in free company. In the event that they do, it’s sometimes as a result of they’re coming off an harm (Peyton Manning, Drew Brees) or they’re nearing retirement and sick of their coach (Tom Brady).
Cousins is just 35, a child in comparison with some franchise-altering quarterbacks who’ve moved in latest seasons. You possibly can scoff all you want at Cousins’ place within the quarterback standings or his efficiency in huge video games, however the market this offseason will nonetheless be bountiful. Cousins can be a direct improve for the playoff-hungry Falcons, Steelers, Raiders or Broncos.
When Cousins was final a free-agent, he eked out a first-of-its-kind, totally assured three-year contract. Someway, regardless of the harm, he may need much more leverage this time. With needy groups and a skinny quarterback market, his contract might wind up within the $60m-a-year area.
Any Cousins deal might be too wealthy for Minnesota’s style. Even with Cousins, the Vikings will most likely sit within the league’s mediocre wasteland: not ok to squeeze previous the San Francisco 49ers within the playoffs however too good to throw within the towel and tank. Their cleanest choice is to re-up Cousins and run it again within the NFL’s junior varsity convention, however they’ve already signaled they might be unwilling to signal one other totally assured deal. If one other bidder or two drive up the worth, he’ll most likely be taking part in soccer elsewhere subsequent season.
Does Russell Wilson have any juice left?
Wilson’s time in Denver has been a catastrophe. It began with eyes on catching Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and led to embarrassment. A bunch of on- and off-the-field points swirled across the Sean Payton-Wilson relationship final season, and it degraded sufficient for the Gamers Affiliation to research.
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If Cousins returns to Minnesota, nonetheless, Wilson would be the high obtainable, veteran quarterback. And there will probably be a market. Except for dealing for Fields or placing gold within the draft, there are few avenues for groups to improve at quarterback. These groups taking one final probability on a young-ish quarterback – the Steelers, Raiders, perhaps the Patriots – will probably goal Wilson as a gradual hand who might nonetheless have some life in his arm.
Can the Chiefs retain their defensive core?
Kansas Metropolis enter the offseason in an unprecedented place: they’re attempting to maintain a 10-year, dynastic run whereas being inside tantalizing attain of the league’s first-ever three-peat.
That raises some powerful questions. How will they rebuild their huge receiver room? Is their offensive line ok? Can they hold the majority of their star-laden protection intact whereas preserving cap flexibility?
The Chiefs’ protection carried them via tough spells final season. Central to that was all-world defensive lineman Chris Jones and All-Professional cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Each will probably be free brokers in a few weeks. Retaining the pair will probably be costly, and the workforce can solely franchise tag considered one of them, with all indicators indicating it will likely be Sneed.
No workforce within the league has been higher at plugging in replacement-level gamers and getting them to play above their profession common than the Chiefs. However Jones and Sneed signify one thing totally different. They’re two affect items on the two Most worthy spots on a protection.
Given their funding at cornerback in recent times, the Chiefs might most likely stay with out Sneed long-term, although not with out decreasing their 2024 ceiling. In chilly monetary phrases, the Chiefs ought to let one participant stroll and reinvest their {dollars} throughout the roster. In emotional phrases, they owe it to themselves to deliver again two A-plus stars to attempt to win three in a row, even when they need to pay a tax in future years.
Who would be the largest star traded?
The final couple of offseasons have been dominated by trades: Aaron Rodgers to the Jets; AJ Brown to the Eagles; Davante Adams to the Raiders; Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. All have been transformative, although some simpler than others.
There will probably be loads of huge names up for grabs this offseason. The Vikings have already pooh-poohed a possible Jefferson commerce. But when Cousins walks away in free company, that might change the calculus. Tag and commerce rumors proceed to hover over Sneed (Chiefs), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Barkley (Giants) and a bunch of would-be free brokers.
There will probably be different names obtainable, too. The Payments might assist their cap place by dealing away Stefon Diggs. The Saints (as at all times) have to shed some wage, which might make Alvin Kamara obtainable. Sitting in cap hell, the Chargers might want to minimize or commerce numerous their star names, together with Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Mike Williams. The Broncos will most likely dangle Jerry Jeudy in any discussions to maneuver up within the draft to attempt to nab one of many high quarterbacks. Adams appears settled in Vegas now that Antonio Pierce is the full-time head coach, however that might change if Rodgers and the Jets come calling.
Essentially the most impactful commerce goal, nonetheless, might be Brandon Aiyuk. The Niners have but to achieve an settlement on a long-term extension with the receiver. “Brandon’s a man we wish to hold round for a very long time,” Niners GM John Lynch stated on the mix. However San Francisco are paying the worth for a number of deep playoff runs. They’ve handed out bumper contracts to Trent Williams, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and George Kittle within the final two seasons, whereas absorbing McCaffrey’s contract. Somebody needs to be the odd participant out.
A cap increase might assist the Niners retain Aiyuk. However it will likely be powerful for San Francisco to abdomen if the receiver needs to be paid within the league’s high tier ($25m per yr).
