Category: Latest News

Nate Burleson throws out Pats, Raiders, Dolphins as A.J. Green landing spots

Some A.J. Green destinations have been suggested.

The fate of A.J. Green in free agency is one of the more interesting NFL storylines this offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals wideout set to hit the market.

Nate Burleson on GMFB tackled the topic recently and suggested three new landing spots for Green: the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

Two make plenty of sense based on past behavior. Both the Raiders and Patriots rolled the dice on Antonio Brown while trying to help along Derek Carr and Tom Brady, respectively. Those Patriots have a fruitful trade history with the Bengals, too.

Speaking of trades, Miami makes a ton of sense if things escalate to a tag-and-trade scenario given the wealth of assets the front office there managed to hoard.

No matter how sensical these options seem, keep in mind the likeliest scenario is Green returning to the Bengals. Whether it’s a tag or outright extension, the Bengals aren’t likely to let Green get away right when they need his talents to help along a rookie passer.

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Former Bengals CB Leon Hall finally getting more respect as new metrics emerge

New metrics smile on Leon Hall.

Remember Leon Hall?

The former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback was a first-round pick by the team in 2007 and played through the 2015 season there.

Hall always put up noteworthy tackle numbers and was one of the team’s better defenders against the run, never mind his prowess in pass coverage — he picked off 18 passes over his first four seasons alone. His play at the time made it clear we needed to better evaluate the impact of slot corners.

And that strive for evaluating inside corners continues today, with Pro Football Focus’ Kevin Cole releasing a new Plus/Minus metric to analyze the position.

Based on the findings there, Hall’s 2009 season ranks among the 20 best seasons of the PFF era.

In that 2009 season, Hall picked off six passes, had 23 passes defensed and posted 71 total tackles, so it isn’t hard to see why advanced numbers would smile on the effort.

If nothing else, it’s nice to see one of the more underrated, fan-favorite elements of that Bengals era get honored even more in hindsight.

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Report: Bengals have told Andy Dalton they’ll work with him on trade

The Bengals will work on a trade for Andy Dalton.

The Cincinnati Bengals will indeed try to find a trade partner for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.

It has sounded for a while like the Bengals will do right by Dalton on his way out the door as it seems clear the team heads toward making Joe Burrow the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Now Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has followed up with a report confirming this, noting the Bengals have been in communication with Dalton and won’t put him in a situation he doesn’t like.

Meaning, a trade will happen at some point, though it won’t figure to be a deal that sends the veteran to a needy rebuilder without a chance of contending. What might complicate matters is a free-agent quarterback class including Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater and Tom Brady.

Dalton leaving would mean the Bengals need to be on the market for a veteran backup, too.

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Titans coach Mike Vrabel will be keynote speaker at Texas HS coaches clinic

It was announced on Tuesday that he’ll be the keynote speaker at the Texas Football high school coaches clinic on April 3rd and 4th.

Mike Vrabel and his Tennessee Titans had a successful 2019 season, falling just one game short of an appearance in Super Bowl LIV after falling 35-24 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

It was announced on Tuesday that he’ll be the keynote speaker at the Texas Football high school coaches clinic on April 3rd and 4th.

The Titans are well-connected to the university, with former quarterback Vince Young and safety Michael Griffin playing out their college careers at the school.

Vrabel is no stranger to the state of Texas, serving as the Texans’ linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2017, departing to become the Titans’ head coach in January of 2018.

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2020 NFL Draft: 3 quarterbacks the Titans could target

Here’s a look at just three prospects the Titans could target in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Tennessee Titans will likely do everything in their power without totally breaking the bank to keep quarterback Ryan Tannehill on the team ahead of free agency after he finished the season as one of the league’s best quarterbacks.

But what if Tannehill doesn’t return, or the Titans simply want to invest more in the backup position?

That decision would come at a fortunate time, considering how loaded this year’s free agency will be, and how many talented signal-callers have entered the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here’s a look at just three prospects the Titans could target in the 2020 NFL Draft.

1. Jordan Love, Utah State.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Love is practically a lock to come off the board by mid-first round or so, meaning the Titans would have to take him on Day One and probably have to do some dealing to get the job done.

He finished 2019 with a 61.9% completion percentage, throwing for 3,402 yards with 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Last season was his worst on the stats sheet, after losing his starting offensive line, strongest running back, top wide receiver, on top of his head coach resigning and being forced to learn an entirely new offense.

There’s a lot to like about Love, with his impressive over-the-top release, impressive arm strength and ability to throw into even tighter windows than he may see in the NFL.

It’s also worth noting the Titans have already been connected to Love.

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What does Ryan Tannehill switching agents mean for the Titans?

The team has been in contract discussions with Tannehill for some time, so the timing of his switch between agents in interesting.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has switched representation from Pat Dye Jr. to CAA’s Brian Ayrault and Todd France before he hits free agency.

What could this mean for the Tennessee Titans, who Tannehill said he wanted to remain with?

The team has been in contract discussions with Tannehill for some time, so the timing of his switch between agents in interesting.

All of the details of those talks are probably off the table at the this point between Dye and the Titans, and CAA may have other expectations for the type of money Tannehill deserves and what he should do moving forward.

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It’s also worth noting that the same agency represents running back Derrick Henry and general manager Jon Robinson, which could make for some interesting conversations.

Tannehill’s decision to jump from Dye to CAA could mean a lot, very little ot absolutely nothing at all as the Titans try to keep him in Nashville after he recorded the best season of his career.

If for whatever reason Tannehill heads elsewhere in 2020, the Titans have a free agency filled with names like Drew Brees, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady to look at, as well as a talented 2020 draft class at quarterback.

The “legal tampering” period opens on March 16, so the Titans have until then to finalize a deal with Tannehill.

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Ravens pick Mark Ingram’s replacement in Draft Wire’s post-Super Bowl mock draft

Draft Wire’s first post-Super Bowl LIV mock draft hands the Baltimore Ravens Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor to replace Mark Ingram

Super Bowl LIV is done and over with, marking the official start of the offseason for the NFL. The full draft order has been figured out and every team’s initial needs have been identified. While previous mock drafts have been great exercises in learning the names of prospects, the first post-Super Bowl mock drafts are where things really start getting serious.

In Draft Wire’s first mock draft following Super Bowl LIV, writer Luke Easterling once again handed the Baltimore Ravens a running back in the first round. Easterling though Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor is a good fit for Baltimore’s run-first offense, especially given how the injury to starter Mark Ingram derailed their postseason.

“Mark Ingram’s absence was painfully obvious in Baltimore’s playoff meltdown, and the Ravens would do well to seek a young back who can do all things he brings to the table. Taylor is a complete runner who has the vision, patience, power and explosiveness to be a dangerous weapon in the league’s top rushing attack.”

While I understand Easterling’s reasoning, running backs simply don’t carry the same value they did a decade ago. Over the last 10 NFL drafts, only five have seen multiple running backs drafted in the first round, with two drafts not seeing a single running back taken in the first round. Compare that to 25 consecutive drafts prior to 2010 that saw multiple running backs taken in the first round for a good idea of how teams just don’t value the position like they used to.

In reality, teams can find a starting-quality running back later in the draft, especially if they don’t have a dramatic need for one immediately. The Ravens have perfected that strategy over the last few years. Both Alex Collins and Gus Edwards were brought up from the practice squad in the middle of the season while Ingram was a value free-agent signing last offseason. Even going back to Ray Rice — the last running back Baltimore drafted who started for multiple seasons — they found him in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft.

With much bigger needs at pass rusher, wide receiver, inside linebacker and interior offensive line looming for the Ravens, drafting a running back in the first round would be a tough sell. Even for a team that often drafts the “best player available” regardless of position, there’s little reasoning to believe a first-round running back would even lock up a starting spot by his second season.

Instead, a player like LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, who was taken just two picks later at No. 30, would make far more sense for Baltimore in the 2020 NFL draft.

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No, Cam Newton isn’t the answer for unique problems plaguing Bengals

Cam Newton wouldn’t solve many problems for the Bengals.

When healthy, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is an amazing player. But the fact that is one of many asterisks surrounding the former MVP’s future is an issue.

And Newton is hardly the answer for the wealth of problems barraging the Cincinnati Bengals.

Newton and the Bengals is largely a discussion during this quieter portion of the NFL schedule thanks to a column by Jason La Canfora, who suggests trading multiple picks for Newton and trading away the No. 1 overall pick is the answer to Cincinnati’s problems:

“If ever there was a time to hoard picks and get creative, it’s now. And if Brown is worried about looking like he’s tanking and losing his fanbase or any other such phobias, acquiring Newton would put that to bed. Regardless, it’s time for the Bengals to be aggressive and proactive and get with the times. Even after being conscientious objectors at the trade deadline, that is precisely the avenue or roster building they should be championing now. The combine is right around the corner. Time to get moving, including – if a stare-down with Burrow is possibly looming – that first-overall pick.”

Unfortunately, that plan reads more like a Madden simulation than realistic.

It wouldn’t be “getting with the times” to swap one expiring quarterback for another. Trading Andy Dalton is ideal — especially after the botched benching at the trade deadline in which even the lead-by-example Dalton was peeved. But it’s going to be hard to move him in a free-agent class with Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater and oh, maybe Tom Brady.

Swapping Dalton’s expiring for Newton’s doesn’t make much sense. Newton will be 31 over the offseason and hasn’t played a full 16 games since 2017. Coughing up multiple draft assets for Newton puts the franchise all-in on the idea his shoulder injury isn’t that bad and he can somehow rediscover his past MVP form. If that’s the move, why not keep the assets and hope Dalton can rediscover his 2015 form?

Even worse is the idea the Bengals should cough up assets for Newton, then trade away the shot at Joe Burrow. Because that’s the crux of the idea here — the baseless speculation Burrow doesn’t want to be a member of the Bengals.

Teams that clutch the No. 1 pick hear baseless chatter about the potential No. 1 pick not wanting to play there every year. But it’s especially funny this year when Burrow is a local kid with relatives in the area and even his own father has already made it clear he’d like to play for the Bengals.

And the Bengals have droves of problems besides quarterback. Attendance and a waning fanbase that isn’t grabbing the attention of the next generation while another team in the city — the Cincinnati Reds — makes big splash after big splash paints a dire outlook for the Bengals.

What better addresses the fan problem? Bringing on Newton or taking the local kid? Propose that question in a poll to Bengals faithful and it might be the most lopsided poll ever.

Never mind that trading out and crossing the fingers that next year’s quarterbacks will be good too is fool’s fodder that keeps franchises stuck in purgatory permanently. Too much can change. Think Justin Herbert’s recent stock nosedive or Tua Tagovailoa’s injury.

Waiting on a Trevor Lawrence instead of taking a Joe Burrow is nightmare fuel. Gambling away a historic collegiate passer, Heisman winner, national champion and local kid for the chance at something better is frankly laughable.

Cam Newton is a great player. He could ascend to MVP levels again. He’d also be a much better fit elsewhere. Because simply put, no organization boasts the unique problems facing the Bengals.

Newton the idea is fun. Were the Bengals not lucky enough to be in a position to draft an all-timer of a prospect at quarterback, fine. But fixing the Bengals means sticking to their usual draft guns and being willing to move more aggressively on other fronts like free agency, not throwing away a shot at the best quarterback prospect since perhaps Andrew Luck.

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Kurt Warner comments on the Joe Burrow comparison, Bengals fans

Kurt Warner has some thoughts about the Joe Burrow comparison.

Potential No. 1 overall pick and future Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow recently got a Kurt Warner comparison.

Meaning, the next franchise passer in Cincinnati got compared to a Hall of Famer and two-time MVP-winner and Super Bowl champion. All very good.

But apparently, the author of the comparison, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, got wind of some Bengals fans being not-so-happy with that comparison and tweeted out his feelings on that spectrum of the reaction.

Warner himself then chimed in on the matter, noting some of his resume and wishing Burrow luck if fans really aren’t happy with that sort of comparison and production:

Of course, Bengals fans would be ecstatic with that sort of production. But this tends to be the portion of the offseason where even a vocal minority gets a massive amplifier in situations like this, much like unfounded speculation like Burrow not even wanting to go to the Bengals makes the rounds.

Personally, we haven’t heard from one Bengals fans irritated by the comparison. But no matter who the compared pro is — it could even be Tom Brady — at least somebody will take some sort of issue with it.

Point being, the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1990. They smart majority would take Warner as he is now if it meant ending the drought.

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Titans QB Ryan Tannehill switches agents ahead of free agency

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill switched agents Tuesday ahead of the free agency period or being franchise tagged.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill switched agents Tuesday ahead of the free agency period or being franchise tagged.

Tannehill will now be working with CAA Sports — the same agency that represents running back Derrick Henry — directly with Brian Ayrault and Todd France.

The quarterback previously worked with Pat Dye Jr.

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Tannehill, who has already indicated his interest to stay in Tennessee, should be expecting either a handsome multi-year deal from the Titans or a franchise tag after recording the best season of his career.

In the midst of a loaded free agency and a talented draft class at quarterback, it will be interesting to see what the Titans do to hold onto Tannehill.

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