Tag: Adam Schefter

Former Commanders coach Ron Rivera said he would’ve picked Jayden Daniels in draft

Rivera thinks Daniels will be successful in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera popped back up on television screens ahead of the 2024 NFL draft after a brief time away, working as an ESPN analyst. When asked, Rivera discussed his former team and spoke positively of former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels about the Commanders and the No. 2 overall pick.

On a new episode of the “Adam Schefter podcast,” Rivera was asked about Daniels and if studied him during his final season in Washington, knowing the Commanders would have a high pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

“Yes, during that part (of the season), you always start looking ahead and seeing,” Rivera said. “You start watching the quarterbacks and thinking, ‘God, this kid’s got it.'”

He then began talking about Daniels with the current staff in Washington.

“Because Kliff Kingsbury is there, I think that was a tremendous pick for them because that offense counts on the quarterback doing a lot and making things happen,” Rivera continued.

From there, Rivera discussed how Washington would need to protect Daniels from injury. Commanders’ fans are going to have some fun with that comment, considering Rivera’s refusal to adequately address the offensive line.

Finally, Schefter asked Rivera, if he had stayed in Washington, would he have taken Daniels second overall.

“No, that was the quarterback; I really think that was the quarterback,” Rivera said of Daniels.

Here’s the full clip:

 

Could an NFL 18-game schedule be coming soon?

The 18-game schedule is picking up momentum.

As if they don’t already play too many games, the NFL owners are going to give their players an 18th regular-season game.

Monday, on the “Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter broke the news that the NFL continues to move forward with the plan, including an 18-game regular season schedule.

“If we go back to when the conversation of more games (more than the 16-game schedule) started, the NFL started out of the block talking about 18 games, and it sounded like that was roundly dismissed. I think the league did a pretty smart thing. They went from 16 to 17 games. Rather than taking one big giant step, they said, let’s take little steps, and we will get to where we are going over time. But it is not going to be as quickly as we would like it to be.”

And now that Joe Burrow is even talking about the 18 games? To me it just seems like there is a momentum to this. I don’t think it is real right now, but it is only a matter of time before it does get real. And when you get to the 18 games, in my mind, it’s going to be about money. It’s always going to be about the money.”

The players had their opportunity in March 2020 to vote down the 17-game schedule. But in a very close vote the extra game received 51.5% approval (1,019 to 959) from players.

In 1978, the NFL moved away from an absolutely horrible six-game preseason schedule, cutting it by two games. Instead, they launched a 16-game regular season schedule.

The NFL minimum base salary for a rookie will be $795,000 in 2024, up from $750,000. All first-round selections receive four-year deals, with a fifth-year team option.

The players are to blame as well. They should negotiate for their health, not merely always more money. So, there will be an 18th game added whenever the owners put the deal together.

It will add at least one more week to the season because the teams may insist on being given a second bye week. Also, get ready for it. The owners will also work in more atrocious, unfair scheduling of games on more nights of the week.

Marshawn Lynch to start podcast with California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Marshawn Lynch to start podcast with California Governor Gavin Newsom

There’s an old saying: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Right now, we are seeing that come true in a rather unusual way. On Wednesday morning, it was announced that former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and his agent Doug Hendrickson are launching a podcast this summer …

… with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Huh. I can honestly say I did not see this one coming!

The trio announced the podcast, called Politickin’, on Instagram. It will debut on July 15. The summary of the podcast on the iHeartMedia website reads: “Gavin Newsom like you’d never heard him and Marshawn Lynch exactly how you’d expect him.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter gave a little more insight on the podcast in the tweet below.

It is always an interesting crossover when the worlds of sports and politics intersect, and it’s not often that there is such a direct connection like this. I’ll admit, my curiosity has certainly been piqued.

Additionally, I can’t help but wonder about the timing of this. I am not a political pundit, nor is anyone coming to Seahawks Wire for political analysis. But Newsom’s name has been floated over the past few years as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden. Recently, those calls have increased among certain Democrats following the President’s debate performance in late June.

Could Newsom be engaging in a new tactic to grow his popularity and relatability with younger voters? If this is truly his plan, pairing up with one of the most iconic, charismatic and popular athletes is a creative way to try to accomplish it.

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Vikings re-sign offensive lineman Dalton Risner to one-year deal

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dalton Risner has signed a one-year deal to return to the Minnesota Vikings, where he started 11 games in 2023.

According to ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings have re-signed offensive lineman Dalton Risner to a one-year deal. The Vikings starting guard last season had a rather public disappointment in his free agent market, but it seems he’s finally found a suitor, and it’s back in Minneapolis.

Risner came to the Vikings partway through last season and almost immediately worked his way into the starting lineup. He played a pivotal role on the offensive line and will look to improve an offensive line that took a lot of heat during the season but performed better than many may realize.

Risner started his career with the Denver Broncos after being taken in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Risner played four seasons with the Broncos, starting every game in his first two seasons and missing just four games in the next two seasons.

After leaving the Broncos, Risner signed with the Vikings during the 2023 season, eventually prompting the team to trade starting guard Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

With the signing, Risner figures to pick up where he left off in 2023 as the team’s starting left guard. Alongside one of the top tackles in the NFL, Christian Darrisaw, they figure to be one of the top duos in the NFL.

Mike Macdonald on his hopes and dreams for the 2024 Seahawks

There’s nothing not to like about Macdonald so far.

Little by little, we’re getting to know Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald better. It’s a jarring change after so many years of Pete Carroll functioning as the face of the franchise, but there’s nothing not to like about Macdonald so far.

Watch Macdonald talk to Adam Schefter about his expectations, hopes and dreams for his new team.

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Rashee Rice to participate in Chiefs’ OTAs amid tumultuous offseason

According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice will participate in OTAs with the #Chiefs this week.

Second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice is expected to participate in the Kansas City Chiefs’ organized team activities this week after an offseason that saw him make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the news of Rice’s involvement on Monday, pointing out that players who are expected to face suspension can still participate in offseason programs according to league rules.

Rice was involved in a high-speed car crash in Dallas, Texas earlier in the offseason, which landed him in serious trouble.

Now, he will work alongside his Chiefs teammates to stay fresh through the summer before a 2024 season that is expected to be one of the most exciting in Kansas City’s history.

While Rice made headlines for his participation, other players, particularly the ones who are longshots to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, are the more intriguing prospects for fans to keep tabs on heading into Kansas City’s new season.

Adam Schefter: Commanders were never selecting Drake Maye

Schefter said all along it was Jayden Daniels.

The drama is finally over as the Washington Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in last week’s 2024 NFL draft.

While there was never any drama surrounding who the Chicago Bears would choose No. 1 overall, the Commanders did an excellent job of keeping things close to the vest. At one point it was thought to be North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, then the odds would shift back to Daniels.

Then there were rumors that it could be Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Maye was never going to Washington.

“You had me on from Ann Arbor two Fridays ago, and the odds on Drake Maye got up, and the truth is the Commanders, the two quarterbacks they had in consideration at 2 were Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter said on Monday’s edition of the “Pat McAfee Show.”

“So, Drake Maye wasn’t going 2. He just wasn’t going 2. He was going 3.”

Well, there you have it. Washington general manager Adam Peters said on Thursday that the Commanders had been settled on Daniels for a while. So, the interest in Maye was a good cover. It was always mostly about Daniels.

Oregon legend Penei Sewell becomes highest-paid OL in NFL history with Detroit Lions

Former Duck and current Detroit O-lineman Penei Sewell is about to become the richest O-lineman in the history of the NFL.

We knew Penei Sewell is a large human and now his contract will match the former Oregon Duck’s size.

According to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter, the Detroit Lions is set to extend Sewell for another four years worth $112 million, $83 million guaranteed, making it the largest contract for an offensive lineman in league history.

Sewell will be entering his fourth season in the NFL after being drafted No. 7 overall by the Lions, who were floundering at the time. But in three short seasons, Detroit is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They narrowly lost in the  NFC Championship Game a year ago.

Sewell has been to the Pro Bowl twice already and has made one All-Pro team as well.

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Adam Schefter: Vikings and Giants ‘most interested’ in trading up

On the Pat McAfee show, Adam Schefter reported the Minnesota Vikings have competition from the New York Giants to move up in the NFL draft.

The NFL draft is tomorrow, and we could see a whole lot of drama at the top. It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback, and conventional wisdom says they’re looking to move up to get one. The problem? They’re far from the only team that needs a QB, and they may not be the only ones looking to move up, either.

According to Adam Schefter in an interview on the Pat McAfee Show, the Vikings could be competing with the New York Giants to trade up for their quarterback. McAfee asked Schefter about the New England Patriots’ position at three, and Schefter mentioned that the Vikings and Giants have been the two most active in trade talks with New England.

Unlike the Giants, the Vikings have not one, but two, first round picks they can package together in an effort to move up. On the other hand, the Giants currently have the number six overall pick in the draft, which could be appealing for the Patriots if they think they can move down a few spots and still get a quarterback — perhaps former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that New England certainly has a need at the position of their own. The Patriots traded former starting quarterback Mac Jones in the offseason and, though they are reportedly listening to offers, may not be able to be convinced to move off that spot.

If Minnesota is going to move up into the top 3 in an effort to land former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, they’re certainly fighting an uphill battle. One that may prove to be impossible to overcome. We’ll find out tomorrow night!

Albert Breer: Jayden Daniels and the Commanders ‘cleared the air’ ahead of the NFL draft

Is it a positive that the Commanders needed to clear the air with the presumed No. 2 overall pick before the NFL draft?

The courtship is always the best part when a team is projected to select a player early in the NFL draft. The team leaks all positive information about the player, and the player says he “would love” to play in said town.

That’s essentially what has happened with the Chicago Bears and projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

The fun part of the 2024 NFL draft begins at No. 2 overall with the Washington Commanders. For most of the past few months, the debate has centered around North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, the momentum has shifted heavily toward Daniels in recent weeks.

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There was that awkward time last week when the Commanders hosted a group of top-30 visits with multiple prospects, including four quarterbacks: Maye, Daniels, J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington).

That didn’t go over well with Daniels and his camp. His agent liked a couple of tweets criticizing Washington’s decision to host multiple QB prospects simultaneously.

Since then, the Commanders and Daniels have smoothed things out, and Daniels would be happy to play in Washington.

Albert Breer gave some insight into the process in his latest column for Sports Illustrated, previewing the quarterbacks and the draft.

A team in the top 10 told me Monday they’d heard that any remaining issues between the Commanders and Jayden Daniels’s camp had been smoothed over. And I’m not finding many people with rival teams that don’t think the Heisman winner is D.C.-bound.

So, is the team in the top 10 telling Breer that things are cool between Daniels and Washington? How did that team in the top 10 get that info? Was it from Daniels’ side, or did someone from Washington’s organization tell one of their buddies on another team?

That’s important, considering Washington has done an excellent job of protecting any and all information since the new GM, Adam Peters, took over in January.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter has repeatedly insisted that he believes Daniels is heading to Washington. Others have followed suit. But even Schefter admitted it was informed speculation.

If Daniels is indeed the pick on Thursday, why did this relationship get off to such a strange start? Remember when Washington held the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and everyone knew the first two picks would be Andrew Luck (Colts) and Robert Griffin III? Does anyone remember that courtship?

It’s not good when you need to smooth things over or “clear the air” before the relationship ever begins.

All the smoke says Daniels will be the Commanders’ next quarterback on Thursday night. And while the past couple of weeks have been odd, no one will remember on draft night as Washington fans rejoice that they’ve finally found a franchise quarterback.